Nvidia and Cisco unveil USFP pluggable optics standard for AI networks

At the OCP Global Summit, Nvidia and Cisco introduced the Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) open specification, doubling per-lane rates to 400 Gb/s and reaching 12.8 Tb/s per module in a 32-lane configuration — four times the bandwidth density of today's best OSFP modules. Power efficiency improves roughly 1.3×, with a 100W thermal budget handled at the rack level.

• 400 Gb/s per electrical lane, double the current OSFP generation
• 32 lanes deliver 12.8 Tb/s per module, 4× the density of OSFP 1.6T
• About 1.3× better power efficiency at twice the bandwidth per port
• 100W thermal budget with rack-level cooling, no embedded cooling