Physical and Link Layer Working Group/Physical Layer User Group Working Group

Networking & Operations Working Group/ Network Operator Working Group

NOTE:  For completed OIF technical work and approved Implementation Agreements and/or White Papers, please click here.

To contact a Working Group Chair or Vice Chair, please send an email to technicalquestions@oiforum.com

Physical and Link Layer Working Group/Physical Layer User Group Working Group

  • Common Electrical I/O-224G-Linear (CEI-224G-Linear)
    The CEI-224G-Linear project builds on the approach of CEI-112G-Linear in terms of specification methodology. It will support 224G full linear optical modules for next-gen applications (e.g., Ethernet, Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC), Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning [AI/ML]) with low power, cost/complexity and latency. The TP1/TP1a and TP4/TP4a electrical specifications will enable up to 224G full linear optical modules for Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO), co-packaged optics (CPO) and Near Package Optics (NPO), supporting next-generation low power, low cost and low latency applications. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • 224G PAM4 Protocol Agnostic Link Training
    The 224G PAM4 protocol agnostic link training will define communication method, messaging format and contents, training patterns, states and sequences, diagnostics and fault handling, etc. for link training of a 224G PAM4 class electrical link. The objective is to enhance overall link performance, a critical factor, particularly under challenging conditions, to establish a functional connection. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Common Electrical I/O-224G-XSR Common Electrical on-Package Interface Project (CEI-224G-XSR)
    This project proposes a CEI-224G-XSR project which will develop IA specifications for die-to- die (D2D) and die-to-OE (D2OE) electrical I/O interfaces which can be used to support Nx224G I/O links with significantly reduced power, complexity, and enhanced throughput density. The reach objective shall be at least 50 mm over organic package substrate or other advanced materials. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Common Electrical I/O-224G-VSR-Common Electrical Chip-to-Module Interface Project (CEI-224G-VSR)
    This project proposes a CEI-224G-VSR project which will develop IA specifications for chip-to- module (c2m) interface which can be used to support applications of Nx224G with optimized power, complexity, and enhanced density. The reach objective shall be at least 200 mm host channel, 20 mm module channel and up to one connector over advanced materials. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Common Electrical I/O-224G-MR Common Electrical Chip-to-Chip Interface Project (CEI-224G-MR)
    This project proposes a CEI-224G-MR project which will develop IA specifications for chip- to-chip (c2c) interface which can be used to support applications of Nx224G with reduced power, complexity, and enhanced density. The reach objective shall be at least 500 mm with up to one connector over advanced materials. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Common Electrical I/O-224G-LR Common Electrical Backplane and Copper Cable Interface Project (CEI-224G-LR)
    This project proposes a CEI-224G-LR project which will develop IA specifications for an interface which can be used to support Nx224G over backplane. The reach objective shall be at least 1000 mm with up to two connectors over advanced materials. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS)

    The Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) defines a common language for managing pluggable or on-broad modules enabling greater interoperability, diagnostics, and firmware updates. CMIS works with modules such as QSFP Double Density (QSFP-DD), OSFP, COBO, or QSFP. It addresses existing or future module developments with host to module management communication based on a two-wire interface. This specification will be updated on an ongoing basis to capture the evolving features and capabilities of pluggable modules. Current activities include adding an option for a  I3C two-wire interface and management support for the new functionality being defined in IEEE 802.3dj including an in-band link training approach referred to as “ILT/APSU”.  For more information, contact Ian Alderdice or Gary Nicholl, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chairs.
  • Coherent CMIS (C-CMIS)
    The Coherent-Common Management Interface Specification (C-CMIS) IA extends CMIS to allow management of digital coherent optics (DCO) modules. C-CMIS will define additional management registers, messages (CDB), and monitors(VDM), together with new functionality, mechanisms, or behaviors, as needed. This specification will be updated on an ongoing basis to capture the evolving features and capabilities of coherent modules. For more information, contact Ian Alderdice or Gary Nicholl, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chairs.
  • CMIS for out-of-bank link training (CMIS-LT)
    CMIS for out-of-band link training (CMIS-LT) is a specification used in conjunction with CMIS that provides an optional out of band, protocol agnostic, management mechanism for optimizing host-to-module link and tuning. Potential use cases may include OIF CEI 112G, IEEE802.3ck, 128 GFC, IB, XSR+, CEI-224G and other standards. It should be noted that this project does not address in-band link training that is currently being defined in the IEEE 802.3dj project and referred to as “ILT/APSU”.  For more information, contact Ian Alderdice or Gary Nicholl, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chairs.
  • Firmware Update Framework
    The CMIS-Security (CMIS-SEC) project will define several tiers of security capabilities over CMIS.  The different tiers of security along with the associated features will be defined in an Implementation Agreement as a supplement to the Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS). This IA is expected to be updated on an ongoing basis to capture evolving security related features and capabilities. For more information, contact Ian Alderdice or Gary Nicholl, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chairs.
  • Enhanced SGMII Electrical Specifications This project leverages the legacy SGMII specifications based on LVDS signaling to define a new E-SGMII specifications based on modernized CML signaling.
    E-SGMII is targeted for high speed 1 GbE (1.25 GBd with 8B/10B) packetized management of optical modules.  E-SGMII is a chip-to-module specifications based on differential AC coupled CML signaling.
    The specifications will define compliance test points and will define an informative channel up to 400 mm long. For more information contact Dave Stauffer, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Chair.
  • Energy Efficient Interfaces
    The Energy Efficient Interfaces Framework project is studying end-user requirements and identifying energy efficient, low latency electrical and optical interfaces necessary to support the future application requirements for AI in the data center. These interfaces include electrical and optical interfaces for co-packaged, near-packaged, and for pluggables and includes retimed, transmit retimed and linear interfaces.   For more information, contact Jeff Hutchins, Physical and Link Layer Working Group EEI Vice Chair.
  • Compute Optics Interface (COI)
    The COI Project is developing energy-efficient, low-latency photonic interfaces to support AI scale-up links utilizing protocols such as PCIe, NVLink, and UALink.  As AI workloads grow requiring larger clusters of local accelerators, high-performance interoperable links are needed for next generation local compute connectivity.  For more information, contact Jeff Hutchins, Physical and Link Layer Working Group Management Co-Vice Chair.

Networking & Operations Working Group/ Network Operator Working Group

  • APIs for Transport SDN
    As the industry looks at Transport Software Defined Networking (SDN), there is a lack of definition for how User Applications interact with Network Applications and Resource Functions. The programmability of Transport SDN requires some of the internal interfaces used by ASON in the past to become open. The expected outcome for this project is a series of Application Program Interface (API) documents addressing: Service Request, Connection Request, Topology, Link Resource Manager, Path Computation, and other APIs identified by the SDN Framework document. For more information on this project contact Jonathan Sadler, Networking Interoperability Working Group Chair.

To contact a Working Group Chair or Vice Chair, please send an email to technicalquestions@oiforum.com