Microchip unveils solutions to boost AI data centre performance

Microchip Technology has introduced a range of products and reference designs aimed at expanding its connectivity, storage, and compute portfolios to support growing requirements in AI data centre applications.

The company has emphasised its focus on addressing demands stemming from the rapid rise of artificial intelligence within data centres, with particular attention to high-performance, secure, and reliable technology. Microchip's latest developments target the acceleration of high-speed connectivity and storage rates, as well as the optimisation of power and management systems.

Brian McCarson, newly appointed Corporate Vice President of Microchip's Data Center Solutions business unit, highlighted the transformative impact of AI. He said, "AI is revolutionizing all aspects of the digital landscape and data centers face growing demands for security, AI workload acceleration, system efficiency and reliability. Microchip is committed to delivering the essential building blocks needed to address the technology challenges of modern data centers. From accelerating high-speed connectivity and storage rates to optimizing power and management systems, our innovations are designed to support next-generation AI workloads and deliver scalability for our customers."

Microchip's expanded portfolio features a broad selection of enabling technologies, including Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 PCIe switches, with Gen 6 and Gen 7 currently under development. Offerings also include Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) storage, RAID controllers equipped with hardware-based security, retimers, and Ethernet PHYs to enhance interconnect performance.

Among the newest releases is the 800G Active Electrical Cable (AEC) Reference Design. Integrating the META-DX2C 800G retimer with 112G SerDes, the solution is devised to reduce the development time, cost, and complexity associated with 800G AEC products for generative AI networks. The package incorporates the CMIS 5.2 specification via a Microchip 32-bit microcontroller, enabling streamlined development for Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) and Octal Small Form-factor Pluggable (OSFP) AEC cable solutions.

The company has also launched the META-DX2+ Ethernet Physical Layer Transceivers (PHYs) with Lambda Splitting. This approach seeks to maximise fibre utilisation within data centre interconnects (DCI), distributing traffic across multiple wavelengths through coherent optics. According to Microchip, this can improve bandwidth efficiency by up to 50% and reduce associated costs for supporting high-speed AI workloads.

Another addition is the LAN9646 6-Port Gigabit Ethernet switch, which comes with four integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T PHYs and supports a variety of interface options—including SGMII, RGMII, MII, and RMII—making it suitable for diverse networking environments. The model offers full VLAN and Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, flexible management interfaces, and compatibility with Linux DSA, alongside an industrial operating range suitable for several markets such as broadband gateways, surveillance, and industrial automation.

In the domain of power management, the MCPF1412 high-density power module delivers up to 12A within a 0.6V–1.8V range from a 16V input. The compact module, which measures 5.8 mm by 4.9 mm by 1.6 mm, is designed for space-restricted applications and provides high power efficiency whilst minimising energy loss. It also features I2C and PMBus interfaces for system configuration and monitoring.

The dsPIC33A Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), also newly released, aim to increase energy efficiency and reliability in power supply applications for data centres and AI servers. These controllers incorporate integrated cryptographic functions for firmware attestation and device authentication, alongside advanced diagnostic capabilities to bolster runtime integrity. They are also designed to ensure efficiency and stability in applications such as power factor correction and resonant conversion.

Microchip's Microprocessors (MPUs) for OpenBMC are introduced to provide robust auxiliary management control for data centre subsystems, supporting the Redfish protocol and offering out-of-band management capabilities. These features include secure data transmission, alert monitoring, and remote firmware updates to facilitate the oversight and reliability of data centre infrastructure.

Security remains a significant area of focus for Microchip, with its data centre solutions now offering Secure Root of Trust Controllers intended to maintain system integrity. On system startup, these controllers verify firmware in external flash before execution by system CPUs and GPUs, deterring unauthorised code execution. Extended functionality includes continuous system monitoring and authentication of auxiliary components, support for secure system ownership transfer, and lifecycle management capabilities.

Microchip's data centre product suite is structured to provide technology foundations for enterprise and hyperscale deployments, including advancements in power management, secure storage, and high-speed networking. The company's solutions are tailored to support the scalability and efficiency required for increasingly AI-centric workloads found in present-day data centre environments.