Molex Launches Co-Packaged Copper for 224Gbps Speeds

Published February 17, 2026 by The Daily Scout

Molex has launched its Impress Co-Packaged Copper solutions, a near-ASIC connectivity system designed for next-generation data rates. The on-substrate connector and cable assembly is built to optimize signal integrity and power distribution at speeds of 224Gbps PAM-4 and beyond. The product aims to meet the connectivity demands of increasingly powerful AI chips.

Why it matters

- Co-packaged copper is an emerging alternative to co-packaged optics, offering lower latency, power, and cost for ultra-short reach interconnects like chip-to-chip and connections within a rack. However, its primary limitation is a shorter signal distance, around 4 meters, compared to kilometers for optics. - The technology directly addresses signal integrity challenges in high-speed AI accelerators by bypassing lossy printed circuit board (PCB) materials. Data is routed from connectors on the ASIC package through twinax cable to external I/O or backplane connectors. - Molex's "Impress" solution builds on its previous "NearStack On-the-Substrate (OTS)" connectors, of which the company has already delivered over one million units. This established expertise in near-ASIC connectivity provides a foundation for the new 224Gbps product. - The move to 224Gbps speeds relies on PAM-4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation, 4-level) signaling. This modulation scheme doubles the data rate of the previous NRZ (Non-Return-to-Zero) standard without doubling the baud rate, which is crucial for managing power consumption. - While co-packaged copper excels in "scale-up" fabrics (connecting processors within a system), co-packaged optics (CPO) is seen as essential for "scale-out" applications that extend beyond a rack or row. The consensus is that copper and optics are complementary technologies addressing different needs within the data center. - The adoption of 224Gbps interconnects is driven by the explosive growth of AI and machine learning, which is pushing current data center architectures to their physical limits. Next-generation 1.6 Terabit (1.6T) links will be built using eight lanes of 224G signaling. - A key challenge at 224Gbps is managing channel impairments like signal loss and reflection. This has led to the emergence of powerful Digital Signal Processing (DSP)-based SERDES (Serializer/Deserializer) to ensure signal integrity over complex electrical channels. - Major industry players like Broadcom, Samtec, Marvell, and Amphenol are also actively developing and demonstrating co-packaged copper technologies, signaling a competitive landscape for next-generation interconnects.

Key numbers

The on-substrate connector and cable assembly is built to optimize signal integrity and power distribution at speeds of 224Gbps PAM-4 and beyond.
However, its primary limitation is a shorter signal distance, around 4 meters, compared to kilometers for optics.
This established expertise in near-ASIC connectivity provides a foundation for the new 224Gbps product.
The move to 224Gbps speeds relies on PAM-4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation, 4-level) signaling.

What happens next

Next-generation 1.6 Terabit (1.6T) links will be built using eight lanes of 224G signaling.
Major industry players like Broadcom, Samtec, Marvell, and Amphenol are also actively developing and demonstrating co-packaged copper technologies, signaling a competitive landscape for next-generation interconnects.
Molex has launched its Impress Co-Packaged Copper solutions, a near-ASIC connectivity system designed for next-generation data rates.

Sources

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Co-packaged copper is an emerging alternative to co-packaged optics, offering lower latency, power, and cost for ultra-short reach interconnects like chip-to-chip and connections within a rack. However, its primary limitation is a shorter signal distance, around 4 meters, compared to kilometers for optics. The technology directly addresses signal integrity challenges in high-speed AI accelerators by bypassing lossy printed circuit board (PCB) materials. Data is routed from connectors on the ASIC package through twinax cable to external I/O or backplane connectors. Molex's "Impress" solution builds on its previous "NearStack On-the-Substrate (OTS)" connectors, of which the company has already delivered over one million units. This established expertise in near-ASIC connectivity provides a foundation for the new 224Gbps product. The move to 224Gbps speeds relies on PAM-4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation, 4-level) signaling. This modulation scheme doubles the data rate of the previous NRZ (Non-Return-to-Zero) standard without doubling the baud rate, which is crucial for managing power consumption. While co-packaged copper excels in "scale-up" fabrics (connecting processors within a system), co-packaged optics (CPO) is seen as essential for "scale-out" applications that extend beyond a rack or row. The consensus is that copper and optics are complementary technologies addressing different needs within the data center. The adoption of 224Gbps interconnects is driven by the explosive growth of AI and machine learning, which is pushing current data center architectures to their physical limits. Next-generation 1.6 Terabit (1.6T) links will be built using eight lanes of 224G signaling. A key challenge at 224Gbps is managing channel impairments like signal loss and reflection. This has led to the emergence of powerful Digital Signal Processing (DSP)-based SERDES (Serializer/Deserializer) to ensure signal integrity over complex electrical channels. Major industry players like Broadcom, Samtec, Marvell, and Amphenol are also actively developing and demonstrating co-packaged copper technologies, signaling a competitive landscape for next-generation interconnects.