越来越重要的SerDes

Core Viewpoint - The SerDes technology, which has been around for decades, is gaining significant attention in the semiconductor industry due to the increasing demands of artificial intelligence, particularly in data transfer speeds between GPUs [1][3][12]. Group 1: SerDes Technology Overview - SerDes, a combination of Serializer and Deserializer, simplifies data transmission by converting multiple parallel data streams into a single high-speed stream, which is essential for efficient GPU communication [3][9]. - The latest NVIDIA AI system, GB200 NVL72, can exchange approximately 130 TB of data per second between 72 GPUs, illustrating the critical role of SerDes in handling massive data flows [3][4]. Group 2: Market Growth and Investment - The global SerDes market is projected to grow from $745.3 million in 2024 to approximately $2 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.45% [6]. - Major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are expected to increase their capital expenditures significantly, with a total projected spending of $224.4 billion in 2024, rising to $315 billion in 2025, much of which will be directed towards SerDes-dependent technologies [6]. Group 3: Technical Challenges and Future Developments - The design and validation of SerDes are notoriously difficult, leading many chip companies to license verified SerDes PHY IP [11]. - The next generation of SerDes, 224G, is set to enter mass production between 2025 and 2026, which will be crucial for maintaining competitive advantages in the AI infrastructure market [11][12]. - The integration of optical communication through co-packaged optics (CPO) is gaining attention as a solution to the limitations of copper wiring at high speeds [10][11]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - NVIDIA's NVLink is currently the standard for connecting AI accelerators, but the establishment of the UALink standard by AMD, Intel, Google, and Meta could challenge this dominance [12]. - The competition for talent in SerDes design is intensifying, as attracting skilled engineers is becoming a structural challenge for companies in the semiconductor industry [12][13].