Marvell introduced the industry’s first end-to-end PCIe Gen 6 over optics solution, a key milestone in scaling AI server infrastructure. In collaboration with optical module specialist TeraHop, Marvell is showcasing this advancement live at OFC 2025 in booth #2129, demonstrating low-latency, high-throughput PCIe Gen 6 transmission over 10 meters of optical fiber—far beyond the limitations of traditional copper links.
At the heart of the demo is Marvell’s Alaska P PCIe Gen 6 retimer, integrated into a custom riser card developed by TeraHop. This setup converts electrical PCIe Gen 6 signals into optical data, enabling point-to-point interconnect between CPUs, GPUs, CXL memory, SSDs, and NICs without sacrificing latency or bandwidth. The design supports scale-up AI architectures by extending PCIe reach while preserving the protocol’s deterministic performance.
Marvell is also previewing PCIe Gen 7 SerDes running at 128 GT/s, transmitting over TeraHop’s linear-drive pluggable optics. This demo marks a critical step toward standard-based PCIe Gen 7 connectivity as the specification nears ratification in 2025. With this dual-generation showcase, Marvell underscores its roadmap for high-speed, protocol-level optical interconnects that match the pace of AI and cloud infrastructure evolution.
• Industry-first PCIe Gen 6 over optics: Achieves end-to-end transmission over 10 meters using OSFP-XD active optical cable.
• Marvell Alaska P PCIe Gen 6 Retimer: Retimes and optically transmits PCIe Gen 6 signals, enabling reliable, low-latency, high-bandwidth links.
• TeraHop Retimed Riser Card: Converts electrical signals to optics, connecting accelerators, CPUs, memory, storage, and networking elements.
• PCIe Gen 7 SerDes Demo: Operating at 128 GT/s over TeraHop’s LPO module, providing future-proof, standards-aligned connectivity.
• Supports AI scale-up architectures: Extends PCIe’s reach for distributed, power-efficient, and scalable infrastructure.
“Marvell continues to lead the industry with the first end-to-end PCIe Gen 6 over optics solution, delivering the critical interconnect technology needed to scale up AI infrastructure,” said Xi Wang, Vice President and General Manager, Connectivity Business Unit at Marvell.
