Lightmatter and Synopsys announced a collaboration to integrate Synopsys’ 224G SerDes and UCIe IP, qualified for a 3nm process, into Lightmatter’s Passage 3D co-packaged optics (CPO) platform. The companies are targeting hyperscale AI infrastructure, where electrical-to-optical interfaces increasingly define system power, latency, and scalability as AI models and clusters grow.
The joint work focuses on optimizing the interface between advanced AI accelerators, switches, and Lightmatter’s 3D photonic engine. By combining Lightmatter’s CPO architecture with Synopsys’ silicon-proven interface IP, the platform aims to support high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity while aligning with high-volume manufacturing requirements for next-generation AI silicon.
The collaboration also brings together electronic and photonic design flows. Lightmatter is using Synopsys’ EDA and photonic design tools to co-design electrical and optical components, reducing integration complexity and accelerating platform readiness for customers building large-scale AI systems.
- Integration of 224G SerDes and UCIe IP targets higher bandwidth density with lower energy per bit at the electrical-to-optical boundary
- Pre-verified interface IP and design flows reduce design risk for advanced-node AI accelerators and switches
- Co-design across electrical and photonic domains supports faster development cycles for CPO-based systems
“As AI models grow in size and complexity, the efficiency of the electrical interface to the optical engine becomes a critical design factor,” said Ritesh Jain, SVP of Engineering & Operations at Lightmatter. “Integrating Synopsys’ advanced and silicon-proven 224G SerDes and UCIe IP into our Passage platform allows us to provide a comprehensive, high-performance, high-volume manufacturing-ready solution.”
🌐 Analysis
This collaboration reflects growing industry focus on standardizing and hardening the electrical interfaces that sit between compute, switching silicon, and co-packaged optics. As 224G electrical signaling and UCIe gain traction across the AI supply chain, validated IP becomes a gating factor for deploying CPO beyond early trials. Synopsys has expanded its photonic and 3DIC toolchain in recent years, while Lightmatter continues to position Passage as a platform aligned with hyperscaler-scale AI fabrics, placing this announcement squarely within broader efforts to move CPO from prototype to deployable infrastructure.
