Keysight Technologies is positioning itself to address the mounting complexity of next-generation data center requirements by showcasing end-to-end infrastructure solutions at ECOC 2026. The company plans to demonstrate technologies designed to help engineers design, validate, and scale the high-speed optical and AI interconnects necessary for modern, high-capacity computing environments.
Scaling High-Speed Optical and AI Interconnects
At the ECOC 2026 event in Málaga, Spain, Keysight intends to present a suite of solutions targeting the critical bottlenecks in AI infrastructure development. The company's demonstrations will focus on accelerating photonic design through the connection of photonic simulation with automated PIC test and 220 GHz characterization. This approach aims to bridge the gap between initial design, validation, and high-volume manufacturing. Additionally, Keysight is targeting the validation of high-speed AI and data center interconnects, offering methods to benchmark AI fabric performance and emulate real-world workloads to test AI transport and inference at scale.
Advancing 1.6T and 3.2T Optical Research
To address increasing bandwidth demands, Keysight is highlighting advancements in optical link development and production testing. The company plans to showcase 1.6T transmitter and receiver validation alongside 3.2T optical research to help reduce design uncertainty. For manufacturers, Keysight is proposing a combination of high-speed optical measurement and automated interconnect validation to minimize test time and optimize yield during 1.6T production ramps. Furthermore, the company is exploring AI-enabled test automation, suggesting that intelligent automation could simplify photonics test development, troubleshooting, and data analysis for engineering teams managing increasingly complex hardware lifecycles.
Key Takeaways
- Keysight will demonstrate 1.6T optical validation and 3.2T optical research at ECOC 2026.
- The company is showcasing solutions to connect photonic simulation with 220 GHz characterization.
- Demonstrations will include AI-enabled test automation to simplify photonics troubleshooting and data analysis.
TechInsyte's Take
In our view, Keysight’s focus on 1.6T and 3.2T optical validation signals a strategic push to capture the testing lifecycle of the rapidly expanding AI data center market. By linking simulation directly to high-volume manufacturing and automated testing, Keysight is attempting to solve the "design-to-production" gap. This suggests that as AI workloads demand higher interconnect speeds, the primary industry challenge is shifting from pure design to the reliable, high-yield manufacturing of ultra-high-speed optical components.
Questions & Answers
How does Keysight plan to assist with 1.6T production scaling?
Keysight aims to combine high-speed optical measurement with automated interconnect validation to minimize test time, optimize yield, and accelerate production ramps for 1.6T technologies.
What specific AI infrastructure capabilities will be demonstrated?
The company plans to demonstrate the validation of high-speed AI and data center interconnects, the benchmarking of AI fabric performance, and the emulation of real-world workloads for AI transport and inference.
How is Keysight addressing the gap between photonic design and manufacturing?
Keysight intends to connect photonic simulation with automated PIC test and 220 GHz characterization to bridge the gap between design, validation, and high-volume manufacturing.
What role does automation play in Keysight's photonics strategy?
Keysight is exploring AI-enabled test automation to simplify photonics test development, troubleshooting, and data analysis.
Source: Businesswire
