56 GBPS CPO SILICON PHOTONICS TRANSCEIVER WITH RADIATION HARDENED ELECTRONICS FOR CPO HSSL ON SATELLITE PAYLOADS

The increasing demand for higher data throughput and high-frequency telecom payloads in satellites is driving the shift toward onboard optical interconnects as a solution for digital payload architectures. Traditional electrical interconnects fece significant limitations at high data rates, including reduced transmission distance, higher power consumption due to complex modulation and DSP requirements, and increased electromagnetic interference (EMI). Optical interconnects offer advantages such as reduced mass, EMI immunity, and scalability to higher data rates. Current space-qualified optical transceivers, primarily based on mid-board VCSEL technology, are evolving from 12.5 Gb/s to 25 Gb/s. However, rising data rate demands and a shift toward O- and C-band wavelengths are pushing the limits of directly modulated VCSELs. Reflecting developments in terrestrial data centers, co-packaged optics (CPO) offers a promising solution for satellites by integrating optical transceivers near ASICs or FPGAs. This enables low-power, short-reach SerDes, supports higher data rates, and ensures better signal integrity and EMI resilience in next-generation satellite systems.