Nvidia Begins Mass Production of Spectrum-X Photonics Switches

As AI factories add increasingly large GPU clusters, the networks connecting thousands of accelerators have become a critical constraint on performance, reliability and power consumption. Co-packaged optics, or CPO, integrates optical components alongside switching silicon, shortening electrical paths and reducing energy use while increasing bandwidth density. The technology is designed to support the heavy data flows required to train and run advanced artificial intelligence models at scale.

Nvidia said its Spectrum-X Ethernet silicon-photonics switches, based on what it described as the world’s first 200-gigabit-per-lane CPO architecture, have entered full-scale production. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Siliconware Precision Industries and Hon Hai Precision Industry are collaborating in the manufacturing chain. Taiwanese suppliers Browave and ShunSin Technology have also been identified in reports as participants, highlighting the broader supply-chain impact of Nvidia’s push into optical networking for large GPU clusters.