With today’s high-bandwidth, low-latency devices and associated applications—such as smart phones, tablets, HDTV, and 3DTV—computer and network system vendors endeavor to deliver systems that don’t significantly add to network or internet traffic congestion and latency. This document discusses how optical interface technology embedded in an FPGA overcomes the reach, power, port density, cost, and circuit board complexity challenges associated with discrete copper interconnects. 

Author: Dr. Mike Peng Li, Principal Architect, Product Engineering, Altera Corporation