Hyperscaler-driven requirements inform the Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework document and Compute Optics Interface for AI Scale-up white paper

OIF, where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, has released two new publications developed to help the ecosystem move faster on the interconnect challenges shaping next-generation AI systems: the Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework document which provides an overview of the interconnection links in an AI cluster and the Compute Optics Interface (COI) white paper which focuses specifically on optical scale-up interconnects.

Frontier AI models and workloads are scaling fast, and hyperscalers and system designers are building larger, highly interconnected compute clusters that must move enormous volumes of data between processing elements. Meeting these demands requires interconnect solutions that are cost-effective, low-latency, high-density and energy efficient. OIF’s new publications provide a practical set of documents for evaluating architectures, link types and tradeoffs, with a specific focus on the Compute Optics Interface (COI) and the broader Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) landscape.

“As AI infrastructure cycles compress, hyperscalers can’t wait for the ecosystem to catch up — they need clarity on interconnect options now, while architectures are still taking shape,” said Jeff Hutchins, OIF Physical & Link Layer Working Group Energy Efficient Interfaces Vice Chair (Ranovus). “That urgency is exactly why we were able to fast-track this work through OIF. By capturing hyperscaler-driven requirements and connecting the real tradeoffs across bandwidth density, power, thermal limits, latency, radix, reliability and cost, these publications give the industry a shared, practical foundation to make faster, better-aligned decisions as AI compute scale-up architectures evolve.”

Compute Optics Interface (COI): Energy Efficient Photonic Interconnects for AI Compute Scale-up White Paper

The new comprehensive Compute Optics Interface (COI) white paper focuses on AI scale-up interconnects and examines where optical links deliver the greatest benefit within AI compute architectures, especially over distances where optics can provide clear energy advantages. It reviews considerations and challenges across a range of approaches, including co-packaged and chiplet-based designs, on-board optics and pluggable architectures. The paper also compares interface strategies such as non-retimed, transmit-retimed, fully retimed and die-to-die (D2D) solutions, and explores a range of modulation techniques.

In addition, the paper assesses tradeoffs between electrical and optical interfaces and evaluates how different implementation choices align with end-user targets for performance, efficiency, latency, reliability, cost and radix. The result is a practical decision framework engineers can use to compare COI options and understand the downstream system impacts.

OIF developed the COI white paper on an accelerated timeline to match the pace of change in AI infrastructure, incorporating hyperscaler-driven metrics for next-generation COI links while enabling broad technical discussion within OIF membership.

Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework Document

OIF also announced a companion document, the Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework, which discusses the various opportunities for creating interoperability standards for communication links in AI Compute clusters.

The OIF had published a Co-Packaging Framework document in February 2022. Since that time, the industry has evolved rapidly. This updated framework expands the solution space beyond co-packaged implementations and explores a variety of topics important for communication links within AI Compute clusters. It also reviews a number of retiming approaches and touches on issues such as link training, impact of protocol choice, latency, compliance testing, management interface, and form factors.

To learn more and see interoperability in action, visit OIF at OFC 2026 at booth #2017 during the exhibition March 17–19 in Los Angeles. OIF will also host a Show Floor Theater session, “OIF – Driving Optical Interconnect Specs for AI,” on March 19 from 1:30–2:30 p.m. PT in Theater II, moderated by Hutchins. Panelists include Hutchins; Mike Klempa, OIF Secretary/Treasurer and Physical & Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair (Qualcomm Incorporated); Cathy Liu, OIF Board Member (Broadcom, Inc.); and Nathan Tracy, OIF President (TE Connectivity). Learn more: https://www.oiforum.com/meetings-events/oif-ofc-2026/

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 170+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF on LinkedIn, on X, on Bluesky and at https://www.oiforum.com/.

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“As AI infrastructure cycles compress, hyperscalers can’t wait for the ecosystem to catch up — they need clarity on interconnect options now, while architectures are still taking shape,” said Jeff Hutchins, OIF (Ranovus).