India, Oct. 16 -- AI factories are pushing networks into a new scaling problem: more compute means more connections, bandwidth and optical links, but adding network layers can also increase latency, power use and cost. The NVIDIA Cisco USFP initiative targets that problem with a new high-density pluggable optical module designed for 400Gb/s per lane.

The Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) is intended to help AI infrastructure move from 200Gb/s-per-lane connectivity to 400Gb/s-per-lane Ethernet fabrics while retaining the deployment model of pluggable transceivers.

The first planned High-density USFP modules will use 16 full-duplex lanes in an OSFP-sized footprint, supporting both switches and SuperNICs. The design can scale ...