Semtech Sets Bar for 224G Optical Connectivity

Semtech launches a 224G TIA and driver family tailored to high-density NPO and CPO optical engines in AI and hyperscale data center networks.

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

New 224G TIA and driver portfolio targets NPO and CPO architectures for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers

CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Semtech's new 224G linear TIA and driver portfolio — the GN1838L, GN42T380 and GN42M380 — is designed to accelerate NPO and CPO architectures for AI/ML clusters and hyperscale data centers.

As AI workloads continue to drive unprecedented demand for bandwidth and connectivity, traditional optical architectures face increasing challenges in power consumption, thermal management, signal integrity, and system density. By bringing high-performance optical interfaces closer to the switching and compute silicon, NPO and CPO architectures offer a path toward significantly higher bandwidth density and improved system-level efficiency.

“Near-packaged and co-packaged optics are entering their initial ramp in 2026, and the shift toward NPO and CPO architectures reflects a broader industry response to the power and scaling bottlenecks facing AI back-end networks,” said Sameh Boujelbene, vice president, data center switch and AI networks market research at Dell’Oro Group. “As hyperscalers move these architectures from trials to deployment, the underlying TIA and driver technology becomes a critical enabler of that transition.”

Designed for 224G Linear Optical Architectures

Semtech’s new products include the GN1838L and GN42T380, the industry’s first linear octal TIAs, and the GN42M380 linear octal Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) driver, optimized for 1.6T, 3.2T, 6.4T, and 12.8T optical engines (OEs). The 224G TIA and driver portfolio optimizes for CEI-224G-Linear and Open CPX interfaces and linear architectures, with very strictly specified space and power dissipation requirements.

“AI infrastructure is fundamentally changing the requirements for optical connectivity,” said Amit Thakar, vice president, signal integrity product marketing at Semtech. “At 224G per lane, designers need more than bandwidth. They need signal integrity, power efficiency, flexibility, and system-level visibility. Our TIAs and driver solutions are purpose-built to give NPO and CPO developers the building blocks to scale optical I/O while addressing the power and density challenges of next-generation AI systems.”

Enabling NPO and CPO at Scale

The GN1838L TIA offers 500µm channel pitch and the GN42T380 offers a 375µm channel pitch, giving customers flexibility in OE design choices. These TIAs can be used in side-by-side configuration with the photonics integrated circuit (PIC) or placed directly on top of the PIC, giving customers maximum flexibility. Both TIAs include an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) stage and output driver featuring programmable Continuous Time Linear Equalization (CTLE) and support both Manual and Automatic Gain Control (MGC and AGC) modes. The bandwidth is optimized to achieve low peaking, low input referred noise (IRN), and good group delay with minimal distortion. The devices offer several programmable performance optimization features, including output equalization, and are designed to interface with a wide variety of optical input signals, while optimizing performance at the switch or ASIC input.

The GN42M380 driver offers 375µm channel pitch and supports a variety of modulators, including Silicon Photonics (SiPho), Indium Phosphide Mach-Zehnder Modulator (InP MZM) and Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN). The GN42M380 delivers low group delay and minimal Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), ensuring superior driver performance. Programmable Continuous Time Linear Equalization (CTLE) is included to help compensate for intersymbol interference (ISI) due to the input signal transmission path. It also offers flexible biasing, making it compatible with MZMs from various vendors. The driver output swing is configurable, and on-chip equalization enables precise tuning of electrical and optical performance.

The TIA and driver family integrates several diagnostics and performance tuning features that can be accessed through device pads and the I²C interface.

Availability

Contact Semtech for the availability of the GN1838L, GN42T380 and GN42M380 product family.

Customers and partners are invited to visit Semtech at Booth #11C52 during CIOE 2026, Sept. 9-11, in Shenzhen, China, to learn more about the portfolio and meet with Semtech’s technical experts.

Learn more at http://www.semtech.com/optical.

About Semtech

Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC) is a leading provider of high-performance semiconductors powering AI data center networking and intelligent, connected IoT devices worldwide. Our global teams are committed to empowering solution architects and application developers to develop breakthrough products for the infrastructure, industrial and consumer markets. To learn more about Semtech technology, visit us at Semtech.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

Semtech and the Semtech logo are registered trademarks or service marks of Semtech Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names mentioned in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

SMTC-P

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260908403246/en/

Michelle Lozada, pr@semtech.com

Source: Semtech Corporation

Key Terms

transimpedance amplifier technical

A transimpedance amplifier is an electronic circuit that turns tiny electrical currents—often from light sensors or other detectors—into a usable voltage signal, like a translator converting whispers into normal speech. For investors, it matters because this component can determine the sensitivity, speed, and cost of products such as medical scanners, optical communications gear, and sensor systems, affecting a company's product performance, market competitiveness, and profit margins.

co-packaged optics technical

Co-packaged optics are optical components—lasers and fiber interfaces—physically packaged together with a network switch’s main processing chip so light-based data links sit much closer to the chip instead of traveling over long electrical traces. For investors, this matters because it can dramatically cut power use, boost data speed and density, and lower system costs in large data centers and telecom equipment, much like moving a power outlet next to a heavy appliance to avoid long, inefficient extension cords.

automatic gain control technical

Automatic gain control is an electronic feature that automatically adjusts the strength of a signal—like audio volume or radio reception—so the output stays steady despite big swings in input. For investors, AGC matters because it affects product performance, user experience and reliability in devices from phones to medical monitors; a well-implemented AGC can be a competitive advantage or a technical requirement for regulatory approval.

continuous time linear equalization technical

A continuous time linear equalization is a signal-processing component that reshapes or corrects analog or high-speed electrical signals in real time using linear filters. It compensates for distortion and loss that occur as signals travel through cables or circuits, improving the clarity and reliability of data transmission; investors care because it affects the performance, power use, and competitive value of communication and semiconductor products, much like a lens sharpening a blurry image.

intersymbol interference technical

Intersymbol interference is a communications phenomenon where one digital symbol (bit or group of bits) spreads into neighboring symbols on a signal path, blurring the intended sequence and increasing the chance of transmission errors. Think of letters in handwriting that smear into each other and become hard to read; for investors, intersymbol interference matters because it affects the reliability, speed, and cost of data links and products in telecommunications, networking, and semiconductor businesses.