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On the 8th ISP and Carrier Lunch in Frankfurt 2013, I heard a talk from CompassEOS thematizing optical processing chips for a new Generation of routers. In my o

by evook 11y ago

On the 8th ISP and Carrier Lunch in Frankfurt 2013, I heard a talk from CompassEOS thematizing optical processing chips for a new Generation of routers. In my opionion It's kind of click baiting to talk about the "first" processor utilizing light to improve connection speed when I had similiar technology already in my hands back in 2013.

ZenoArrow 11y ago
Two questions: 1. Had they demonstrated the optical processing chips could be manufactured with existing processes by building a working chip? 2. Did the chip(s) in question only route networking signals or were they capable of more general purpose computing? There's been plenty of research into integrating optical connects into a silicon chip, but this is the first general purpose chip I know of which has done so with existing manufacturing methods, and to me both of those are important milestones. EDIT: Looks like IBM managed to beat the Berkeley team, appears they got something very similar working in 2012: http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view_group.php?id=2757 http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view_group.php?i...
- evook 11y ago
  > 1. Had they demonstrated the optical processing chips could be manufactured with existing processes by building a working chip? They had a working setup for demonstration, also we were allowed to hold the chips, also you wouldn't invite the biggest german networking companies for lunch without having something to sell. So basically yes. > 2. Did the chip(s) in question only route networking signals or were they capable of more general purpose computing? Those chips were limited to route networking signals chip to chip or chip to backlane. If I remember right CompassOS choosed networking to get production ready as fast a possible, propably also on the interessents of their investors who were mainly network focused (e.g. Cisco, Comcast and T-Venture). Edit: So Berkeley is again selling already developed Innovations as their accomplishment. “This is a milestone. It’s the first processor that can use light to communicate with the external world,”
  - ZenoArrow 11y ago
    I see, thanks for the info about the Compass chip. As for Berkeley, yes it appears their PR department is telling lies. Even though it's promising work, I do wish they could've announced it in a different way. Silicon photonics is an interesting field, I don't need to be told about world firsts to find it interesting.
    - evook 11y ago
      It's super interesting and in my opinion the last gasp the von Neumann architecture will go through is going to be a combination of graphene and photonics. Of course not in the next 10 years, but let's hope for the next 30.

by evook 11y ago

ZenoArrow 11y ago

Two questions: 1. Had they demonstrated the optical processing chips could be manufactured with existing processes by building a working chip? 2. Did the chip(s) in question only route networking signals or were they capable of more general purpose computing? There's been plenty of research into integrating optical connects into a silicon chip, but this is the first general purpose chip I know of which has done so with existing manufacturing methods, and to me both of those are important milestones. EDIT: Looks like IBM managed to beat the Berkeley team, appears they got something very similar working in 2012: http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view_group.php?id=2757 http://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view_group.php?i...

evook 11y ago
> 1. Had they demonstrated the optical processing chips could be manufactured with existing processes by building a working chip? They had a working setup for demonstration, also we were allowed to hold the chips, also you wouldn't invite the biggest german networking companies for lunch without having something to sell. So basically yes. > 2. Did the chip(s) in question only route networking signals or were they capable of more general purpose computing? Those chips were limited to route networking signals chip to chip or chip to backlane. If I remember right CompassOS choosed networking to get production ready as fast a possible, propably also on the interessents of their investors who were mainly network focused (e.g. Cisco, Comcast and T-Venture). Edit: So Berkeley is again selling already developed Innovations as their accomplishment. “This is a milestone. It’s the first processor that can use light to communicate with the external world,”
- ZenoArrow 11y ago
  I see, thanks for the info about the Compass chip. As for Berkeley, yes it appears their PR department is telling lies. Even though it's promising work, I do wish they could've announced it in a different way. Silicon photonics is an interesting field, I don't need to be told about world firsts to find it interesting.
  - evook 11y ago
    It's super interesting and in my opinion the last gasp the von Neumann architecture will go through is going to be a combination of graphene and photonics. Of course not in the next 10 years, but let's hope for the next 30.