Semtech Showcases AI Interconnect Leadership with Live 1.6T Demos at OFC 2026

Key Terms

passive optical network technical

A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic broadband system that uses a single main fiber line and simple, non-powered splitters to deliver high-speed internet and data to many homes or businesses, like a tree trunk branching into many smaller limbs. It matters to investors because PONs lower operating costs, scale efficiently as subscribers grow, and enable higher service speeds—factors that influence capital spending, profit margins, competitive positioning, and potential revenue from broadband services.

active copper cables technical

Active copper cables are short-range network cables that include built-in electronic components to boost and clean up data signals over copper wiring, allowing faster or longer connections than passive cables alone. Investors care because these cables are a recurring hardware purchase for data centers, telecoms and cloud providers; shifts in demand, price, or technology standards can affect equipment makers’ sales, margins and customers’ upgrade costs much like choosing a basic cord versus one with a signal amplifier.

osfp transceiver technical

An OSFP transceiver is a hot-swappable plug-in module that converts electrical signals from network gear into high-speed optical signals for long-distance data transmission, similar to how a power adapter converts wall current to run a device. Investors care because these modules are essential components in data centers and telecom networks that enable faster internet, cloud services and large-scale computing; demand for them can signal growth in infrastructure spending and affect hardware suppliers' revenues.

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.

indium phosphide technical

Indium phosphide is a high-performance semiconductor material used to make chips, lasers and detectors that carry and process light and very fast electrical signals. Think of it as a specialized road surface designed for high-speed light traffic—better suited than ordinary silicon for fiber-optic communications, high-frequency electronics and some sensors. Investors care because demand and supply for this material affect companies in telecom, data centers, photonics and semiconductor supply chains, influencing costs, production capacity and technology competitiveness.

Live demonstrations to highlight high-speed optical and copper interconnect and next-generation PON solutions

CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and cloud connectivity service solutions, will present live demonstrations of its portfolio of high-speed integrated circuits (ICs) at OFC 2026, booth #1812. Demonstrations will span 224G and 448G solutions for AI and data center interconnect applications, as well as XGS-PON (10 Gigabit Symmetrical Passive Optical Network) solutions for next-generation passive optical networks.

According to Dell’Oro Group, 2026 will mark the first year of volume deployments of 1.6 Tbps switches, with the ramp expected to be even faster than 800 Gbps — surpassing 5 million ports within one to two years of shipments. The firm also projects strong double-digit growth in AI networking spending in 2026, driven by ongoing scale-out of AI clusters.

“The companies defining AI infrastructure are integrating across the signal chain — not assembling it from fragmented point solutions,” said Amit Thakar, vice president of signal integrity product marketing. “Semtech has been building that position deliberately, and OFC is where customers see it in action: live 1.6T and 3.2T demonstrations, multi-vendor ecosystem validation and a portfolio that now extends deeper into the optical stack than ever before.”

Demonstrations at OFC 2026

• High-Speed Copper Interconnect for AI Scale-Up: Semtech will demonstrate ultra-low-power, low-latency 1.6T active copper cables (ACCs) using its GN8234 redriver ICs running live traffic to NVIDIA 224G/lane SerDes. Additionally, Semtech will demonstrate 3.2T ACCs at 448G per channel using its next-generation GN8304 redriver, designed to address increased data throughput requirements over copper links.
• Multi-Vendor 1.6T Optical Interconnect for Data Center and AI Scale-Out:
  • Demo 1: NVIDIA’s latest-generation 1.6T DR8 OSFP transceiver powered by Semtech’s GN1834D transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and GN187N1 modulator driver, running live traffic in an NVIDIA test platform.
  • Demo 2: A 224G/lane 102.4T Ethernet switch running live traffic over both single-mode and multimode fiber. The system uses multi-vendor 1.6T optical OSFP transceivers — including fully retimed optics (FRO), linear retimed optics (LRO) and linear pluggable optics (LPO) — built on Semtech’s GN1832, GN1834D, GN1834L, and GN1836 TIAs and GN1887 and GN1878 modulator drivers.
• Indium Phosphide (InP) Laser and Gain Chip Technology: Semtech will showcase its high-performance, high-output-power C-band gain chip for tunable laser applications in coherent optical modules.
• Next-Generation 448G/Lane Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) ICs: Semtech will demonstrate its TN622 modulator driver and TN14740 TIA at 448G/lane, highlighting advances designed to address the growing bandwidth demands of AI workloads.
• Passive Optical Networking (PON): A live demonstration will feature the GN7153C optical line terminal (OLT) Combo IC paired with the GN28L46 Burst Mode TIA for next-generation XGS-PON networks.

Technical Presentation at OFC 2026

“200G LPO: Design Challenges and Latest Test Data”

Monday, March 16, 2026, 10:30-11:00 A.M., Room 403B

Mark Kimber, senior director of product definition, and Dr. Edward Frlan, senior system architect, will present Semtech’s approach to power-efficient optical interconnects.

Visit Semtech at OFC 2026

Customers and partners are invited to visit Semtech at booth #1812 during OFC 2026, March 17-19, in Los Angeles, California, to see these demonstrations and meet with Semtech’s technical experts. Schedule a meeting or learn more at www.semtech.com.

Semtech will also participate in the OFC Career Fair, March 17-19, in the Career Zone. Prospective candidates are encouraged to stop by to meet the team and learn about opportunities at Semtech. Visit www.semtech.com/careers to learn more.

About Semtech Corporation

Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC) is a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor, IoT systems and cloud connectivity service solutions dedicated to delivering high-quality technology solutions that enable a smarter, more connected and sustainable planet. 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.

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Contact: Michelle Lozada, pr@semtech.com

Source: Semtech Corporation