Amphenol demonstrates co-packaged copper interconnect at DesignCon 2026

At DesignCon 2026, Amphenol Communications Solutions showcased its XtremePass Co-Packaged Copper (CPC) interconnect system, featuring working demonstrations of the 448 Gbps-capable design.

The XtremePass connects directly to the substrate via external ports, which is the key architectural decision behind its design. At 224 Gbps and beyond, placing the connector anywhere other than on the package introduces transmission line losses that compromise signal integrity, so on-substrate placement is effectively required. The system uses an 8-differential-pair wafer construction at a 1.8-mm pitch, targeting PAM6 signaling up to 90 GHz and PAM8 up to 75 GHz. Crosstalk is specified at -60 dB at 100 GHz, and the design supports 92 ohm differential impedance.

The mechanical approach is worth noting for system designers. The one-piece compression design requires only two mounting holes per connector, reducing substrate impact and simplifying assembly. A conductive gasket lowers mating force to 1.4N per differential pair while increasing ground contact area at the mating interface. The system scales from 32 to 128 differential pairs using 8-DP wafer building blocks, with a gauge converter supporting 27 AWG cable for forward compatibility beyond 448 Gbps.

Target applications include AI and ML systems, data centers, switches, routers, and wireless infrastructure, with the CPC form factor already in use across Ethernet, NVLink, and InfiniBand platforms.