Meeting 100gbps network requirements for 2km fibre optic network links to reduce energy use in data centres

数据中心的规模不断扩大，以便能够支持数据使用量的指数级增长，而数据使用量的指数级增长反过来又推高了能源消耗。2015年，全球数据中心为服务器机架供电和冷却消耗超过400TWh，功耗每年增长约14%。以英国纽波特的NGD数据中心为例，它有自己的主分站连接到电网，消耗90兆瓦的电力（足够70万户家庭使用）。大约20%的数据中心电力用于使用激光和光纤进行数据通信。政府的注意力正集中在数据中心的电力消耗上，市场对能够减少消耗的解决方案有着强烈的需求。2016年，世界各地的数据中心使用了416太瓦时的电力，耗资190亿英镑。在HiLight，我们开发了世界领先的CMOS技术解决方案，可以降低通信功率，但这些解决方案目前主要集中在100米的较短光纤长度上。对于大型数据中心，光纤长度可达2公里，这需要更高的数据速率，由更高功率的激光器驱动。我们的创新是开发在CMOS工艺中实现所需激光驱动功能的方法，使用28nm尺寸的晶体管，而不是使用180nm双极工艺技术，在更高的电压下运行，消耗更多的能量。这将使我们能够通过减少能源使用来提高数据中心的成本，并减少数据中心每年13%的电力消耗。该项目将开发一种100Gbps CMOS芯片组（4x25Gbps），该芯片组将加速数据中心内的数据传输，并取代现有的耗电量大的双极技术设备，在保持现有设备功能的同时，将功耗降低高达25%。实现每通道25Gbps的CMOS电路并驱动高功率激光器是非常困难的，并且需要在如何使用低功耗CMOS工艺获得所需性能方面进行大量创新。然而，我们已经成功实现了10Gbps应用的CMOS解决方案，利用了之前在Innovate UK的支持下开发的55nm CMOS技术。这个项目将建立在这个平台上，使我们能够占领目前由美国供应商主导的巨大全球市场。在完成该项目（2023年）的5年内，我们预计将分别产生2670万英镑（3475万美元）和2270万英镑（2950万美元）的累计收入和利润，进而创造90个高技能、世界级的工作岗位。我们预计每个大型数据中心每年可节省4.5兆瓦时。

Data centres are increasing in size to be able to support an exponential increase in data usage which, in turn, is driving up energy consumption. In 2015, data centres consumed over 400TWh worldwide to power and cool server racks, with power consumption increasing at around 14% per year. An example data centre, NGD, based in Newport, UK, has its own primary sub-station connected to the grid and consumes 90MW of electricity (enough for 700,000 homes). Around 20% of data centre power is used to power data communications using lasers and fibre optics. Government attention is being focussed on data centre power consumption and there is a strong market need for solutions that can reduce consumption. Data centres round the world used 416 TWh of electricity costing £19billion in 2016.At HiLight, we have developed world-leading CMOS technology solutions that reduce communication power but these are currently focussed on shorter optic fibre lengths of 100m. For large data centres, fibre lengths can be up to 2km, which require higher data rates driven by higher powered lasers.Our innovation is to develop methods of implementing the required laser drive functionality within a CMOS process using 28nm sized transistors rather than use a 180nm Bipolar process technology that operates at higher voltages consuming more energy. This will allow us to improve data centre costs by reducing energy use and reduce the 13% of the UK's annual electricity consumption that data centres use.This project will develop a 100Gbps CMOS chipset (4x25Gbps) that will speed up data transfer within data centres and replace existing power hungry BiPolar technology devices, reducing power usage by up to 25% while maintaining existing device functionality.Implementing CMOS circuits operating at 25Gbps per channel and driving high power requirement lasers is extremely difficult and requires a great deal of innovation in how we obtain the required performance using low power CMOS processes. However, we have already successfully implemented CMOS solutions for 10Gbps applications, exploiting 55nm CMOS technology developed previously with support from Innovate UK. This project will build on this platform, allowing us to capture a huge global market, currently dominated by US suppliers.Within 5 years of completing this project (2023) we expect to generate cumulative revenue and profit of £26.7m ($34.75m) and £22.7m ($29.5m) respectively, in turn creating 90 highly skilled, world-class jobs. We expect to save 4.5MWh per year per large data centre.