[News] Avicena Launches the World’s First microLED Optical Interconnect Evaluation Kit for AI Infrastructure Innovators

Avicena, the pioneer in microLED-based optical interconnects, today announced the LightBundle™ eKit, the industry’s first evaluation platform for microLED optical connectivity using ASIC-based transceivers with integrated LED, photodetector (PD) and micro-lens arrays connected via a multi-core fiber bundle. The kit enables hyperscaler, AI accelerator, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), networking, and AI infrastructure architects to evaluate next-generation optical links designed to overcome the bandwidth, reach, routing and energy limitations of copper interconnects in AI systems.

As AI clusters scale to tens of thousands of AI accelerators (XPUs), interconnect bandwidth and power consumption emerge as critical bottlenecks. MicroLED optical interconnects provide a new approach that offers longer reach at higher bandwidths compared to copper interconnects while eliminating lasers entirely, enabling low energy per bit, increasing reliability even at elevated temperatures and delivering terabit-per-millimeter bandwidth density.

LightBundle™ eKit provides system designers with a practical platform to evaluate microLED technology for AI scale-in (die-to-die and die-to-memory connectivity) and scale-up (XPU-to-XPU and XPU-to-switch connectivity) architectures.

Enabling the Next Generation of AI Infrastructure
AI training and inference clusters depend on thousands of high-bandwidth links connecting accelerators, memory, and switch fabrics. As these interconnect bandwidths approach the multi-terabits per second phase, traditional copper interconnects reach physical limits in reach, routing and power efficiency.

At the same time, conventional optical technologies based on lasers and silicon photonics introduce reliability challenges, higher power consumption, and thermal sensitivity.

MicroLED optical interconnects eliminate lasers entirely, enabling reliable low energy operation at elevated temperatures while delivering terabit-per-millimeter bandwidth density.

This architecture significantly reduces the power required for short-reach optical links, addressing one of the fastest-growing energy challenges in AI datacenters.

LightBundle™ eKit: World’s First Platform for microLED Optical I/O
LightBundle™ eKit is a complete ASIC-based evaluation platform designed for partners developing next-generation AI sub-systems and systems.

Avicena will be demonstrating the eKit at their OFC booth (#324) supporting 512 Gbps links and plans to support up to 896 Gbps throughput in Q2.

The eKit platform integrates:

• 320 microLED data channels operating up to 3.5 Gbps
• 256 active and 64 spare channels for redundancy
• Up to 896 Gbps data link throughput
• Raw BER better than 10⁻9 without any forward error correction at 512 Gbps
• 5-meter and 10-meter optical fiber connectivity

LightBundle™ eKit is comprised of host interface boards, reference drivers, integrated diagnostics, and a graphical user interface (GUI) driven by a customized software configuration testing platform. This enables engineers to evaluate and characterize microLED interconnect optical signal integrity, link budgets, open eye monitoring, power efficiency, crosstalk performance, and generate bit error rate bathtub curves.

“As AI clusters expand to tens of thousands of XPUs, copper interconnects face fundamental limits in bandwidth, reach, routing, and energy efficiency,” said Marco Chisari, CEO of Avicena. “MicroLED optical technology enables a new class of interconnects that reduce power consumption while delivering the bandwidth density and reliability required for next-generation AI systems. LightBundle™ eKit gives system architects the first platform to evaluate microLED optical connectivity. Our customers and partners can now measure bit error rates, optical link budgets, crosstalk performance and power efficiency in their own engineering labs.”

“One of the biggest things I’m tracking in 2026 is the advances in optical connectivity for scale-up AI infrastructure because we’re reaching the point where copper‑based interconnects are now running into fundamental bandwidth scaling limits in reach, routing and power-efficiency,” said Ian Cutress, Chief Analyst and CEO, More Than Moore. “What makes microLED-based interconnects compelling is how reliability, power efficiency, and bandwidth density are all being tackled. With the availability of the Avicena LightBundle™ eKit, the AI infrastructure ecosystem can now directly evaluate and benchmark microLED interconnects against optical alternatives to determine their future system architectures.”

Availability
LightBundle™ eKit will be available to select early-access partners in March 2026, with broader availability planned for Q2 2026.

Live Demonstration at OFC 2026
Avicena will be demonstrating the LightBundle™ eKit at its OFC 2026 booth (#324) throughout the exhibition. Attendees interested in learning more or scheduling a dedicated meeting can contact the Avicena team in advance or visit the booth during show hours.

(Photo credit: Avicena)

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