Credo
Executive perspectives from Credo across NextGenInfra's event and research showcases.
11 video interviews · 2023–2026
Credo's 1.6T AEC with 200G SerDes Powers 288-GPU Cluster
- Credo's first 1.6T-to-1.6T active electrical cable is built on the company's first 200G SerDes, with thin cables reaching up to 6 meters plus Y cables with two 800G ends.
- PILOT software captures runtime telemetry — FEC rate, histograms, temperature, and SNR — from both the host and remote ends of every cable.
- A GB200 NVL72 deployment wires 288 GPUs across four racks plus a network rack with Credo's 6-meter cables to build a zero-flap scale-out fabric.
Abstract
Ameet Suri from Credo presents the company's first 1.6T-to-1.6T cable featuring 200 gig SerDes technology and advanced telemetry capabilities that capture runtime data including FEC rate, histogram, temperature, and SNR from both host and remote sides. The demonstration showcases deployment in an NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack configuration connecting 288 GPUs across four racks using Credo's 6-meter cables, delivering zero-flap performance and superior reliability for data center scale-out infrastructure.
Credo's 1.6T ZeroFlap Optics
- Credo's 1.6T ZeroFlap optics extend its ecosystem with far higher reliability than commodity optics, plus built-in telemetry and inband communication.
- The optics flag the one to two percent of problem links at installation and raise intelligent service tickets, removing the need for fiber plant characterization and manual cleaning.
- Optical fabric bring-up drops from four to six weeks to about one week, with the Rubin-generation parts ramping for most customers in 2027.
Abstract
Don Barnetson, SVP & Head of Product at Credo, introduces the company's new 1.6 terabit ZeroFlap optics at AI Infra Summit 2026, featuring enhanced reliability, advanced telemetry, and inband communication capabilities that immediately identify problematic links upon installation. The technology reduces optical fabric deployment time from four to six weeks down to approximately one week by eliminating manual fiber plant characterization and cleaning processes, with customer ramping scheduled to begin in 2027.
Credo's ZeroFlap Optics: Proactive Link Monitoring
- A live 51T switch cluster with ConnectX-8 NICs streams optic telemetry across 64 ports, rolled up into a single green, yellow, or red link score.
- The link score combines pre-FEC bit error rate, multipath interference (a telltale of dust), and signal-to-noise ratio.
- For neocloud bare-metal GPU fleets, telemetry is carried inband to the switch, alerts fire only on change with recommended actions, and optics pull themselves out of service before they start flapping.
Abstract
Don Barnetson, SVP & Head of Product at Credo, demonstrates the company's ZeroFlap optics ecosystem featuring live telemetry from a 51T switch cluster that monitors 64 ports and simplifies complex metrics into actionable green, yellow, and red indicators while tracking pre-FEC bit error rate, multipath interference, and signal-to-noise ratio. The solution addresses bare metal GPU deployments by bringing remote optic telemetry inband to the switch management point, proactively removing unstable optics from service and generating event-based alerts with recommended actions to prevent network reconvergence issues that can send billions of packets across the infrastructure.
MicroLEDs for AI Data Center Connectivity at Scale
- MicroLED links use dense arrays of modest-speed LEDs rather than fast lasers
- Spare-channel failover delivers reliability and resilience
- Power consumption is in the low single-digit picojoules per bit
Abstract
LK Bhupathi, AVP, Product at Credo, discusses the company's expansion into microLED-based technologies. He explains that microLED solutions use dense arrays of LEDs operating at modest speeds to deliver superior reliability, resilience through spare channel failover, and low single-digit pJ per bit power consumption.
Inference, Neoclouds & Reliability Challenges
- 2026 is "the year of inference" as AI shifts from training to decode-heavy applications
- Decode-heavy inference requires significantly more memory capacity
- AI spending moves from traditional hyperscalers to neoclouds needing vendor support for rapid deployment
Abstract
Don Barnetson, SVP & Head of Product at Credo, talks about "the year of inference" as AI shifts from training to decode-heavy applications requiring significantly more memory capacity, while AI spending moves from traditional hyperscalers to neoclouds that need vendor support for rapid deployment.
Copper Replacing Fiber in AI Data Centers?
- Liquid cooling has shortened data center connectivity needs to 1-2 meters, enabling copper solutions.
- Credo's 800G zero-flap Active Electrical Cables are replacing optical links in hyperscale environments.
- Copper's power savings can be redirected to GPU operations.
Abstract
Don Barnetson, SVP & Head of Product at Credo, explains how liquid cooling has shortened data center connectivity needs to 1-2 meters, enabling new copper-based solutions. His company's 800G zero flap Active Electrical Cables are replacing optical alternatives in hyperscale environments, delivering better reliability and significant power savings that can be redirected to GPU operations.
Optical DSP Evolution - Pluggables and More
- 1.6T transceivers and power-efficient 3nm DSP devices emerge in 2025.
- Optical link reliability becomes essential for AI clusters.
- The optical ecosystem expands beyond traditional suppliers to meet growing demand.
Abstract
Chris Collins, VP of Sales & Marketing for Optical DSPs at Credo, outlines predictions for 2025 including the emergence of 1.6T transceivers and power-efficient 3nm DSP devices. He highlights how optical link reliability will be essential for AI clusters while the optical ecosystem expands beyond traditional suppliers to support growing market needs.
Ethernet, Standards & Copper's Comeback
- InfiniBand's role shrinks as Ethernet becomes the standard for scale-out networks.
- Proprietary interfaces align with 224G IEEE Ethernet standards.
- Liquid cooling revives copper for NIC-to-switch links, offering better power efficiency and reliability at lower cost.
Abstract
Don Barnetson, VP Product - HiWire AECs at Credo, forecasts key networking shifts for 2025, including InfiniBand's reduced role as Ethernet becomes the standard for scale-out networks and proprietary interfaces align with 224G IEEE Ethernet standards. His analysis highlights how liquid cooling's space advantages will drive renewed interest in copper connectivity for NIC-to-switch connections, offering better power efficiency and reliability at lower costs.
800G Linear Receive Optics Connected to 51.2T Switch
- Credo demoed its Dove 850 Linear Receive Optics (LRO), where only the transmit path uses a DSP.
- Placing a DSP solely on the transmit path for retiming and equalization unlocks dramatic power savings.
Abstract
Easwar Sankar, Optical FAE Director at Credo, demos the company's new Linear Receive Optics (LRO) product, Dove 850. In an LRO transceiver, or Active Optical Cable (AOC), only the transmit path from the electrical input to the optical line side output includes a DSP for signal retiming and equalization. This unlocks dramatic power savings.
The Year AI Skyrockets: Overcoming Bandwidth Bottlenecks
- Credo Semi's Bill Brennan forecasts 2023 as AI's pivotal year, with interconnect bandwidth as the key bottleneck.
- Credo targets the AI cluster backend network, driving a global shift to 100 Gig single lane connections.
Abstract
Bill Brennan, President and CEO of Credo Semi, forecasts 2023 as the pivotal year for AI, with the interconnect bandwidth bottleneck in the AI sector driving demand for higher bandwidth and denser networking. Credo Semi is concentrating on resolving this connectivity issue for the AI cluster backend network, which has led to a swift global shift to 100 Gig single lane connections and is expected to hasten the development of next-generation technologies.
What's next for data center technology in 2023?
- Credo's Scott Feller predicts whether 800G pluggables arrive for data center switches in 2023.
Abstract
Will 800G pluggables arrive for data center switches in 2023? Credo's Scott Feller makes his predictions for data center technology in 2023.