Hyperscale data centre growth addressed with high-density fibre connectors

Molex has unveiled its VersaBeam Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) Interconnect Solutions, an innovative family of high-density fibre connectors optimised for hyperscale data centre, cloud and edge computing environments. This robust product portfolio uses the 3M EBO Ferrule, which expands the beam between connectors to lower dust and debris sensitivity while dramatically reducing the necessity for frequent cleaning, inspection and maintenance.

With VersaBeam EBO technology, faster deployment speeds can be accomplished because fewer connections are required, decreasing installation time and complexity. “The best designs often are the simplest, which is true with Molex VersaBeam EBO connectors as customers can make reliable connections with one click,” said Trevor Smith, general manager of Optical Connectivity, Molex. “No special skillsets are needed to install these connectors, empowering organisations to rapidly reap the performance and cost benefits of resilient, scalable fibre connectivity.”

Data centre providers must continually upgrade bandwidth while minimising infrastructure changes to keep pace with the unrelenting rise of AI-driven capacity increases. Ideal for intra-rack and server connections, this technology fits more fibres into a very small form factor (VSFF) to maximise rack-unit usage and minimise space.

“Expanded Beam Optical connectors are the future of high-speed, resilient data centre infrastructure,” said Kevin Twomey, global portfolio director, Electronics Materials Solution Division, 3M. “We are excited to collaborate with Molex to transform multi-fibre connectivity in data centres. This technology is a game-changer compared to traditional connectors – significantly reducing contamination risks while boosting deployment speed and performance.”

These connectors deliver high-fibre density without spring-force limitations, allowing optimal alignment and plug-and-play assembly. They are available in single- and multi-mode options, including 12 and 16-fibre connectors and high-density connectors with as many as 144 fibres per connector, to facilitate more flexible system designs, easier cable routing in space-constrained environments, and expedited data centre turn-ups.

VersaBeam EBO connectors do not need a lot of effort or expertise to deploy and maintain, which alleviates current concerns over labour shortages of highly skilled data centre technicians. Moreover, termination times and component counts are decreased, which saves operational expenses, lowers supply chain complexity and produces turn-up time savings for reduced TCO.

“Molex’s VersaBeam EBO brings tremendous value by removing the struggle of connecting our data centre infrastructure while simplifying cleaning and inspecting every connection at a lower power density,” said Dave Boertjes, senior director, Advanced Photonic Networks R&D, Ciena. “By utilising VersaBeam EBO, we achieved a 6X time reduction in inspection cleaning, which is critical to speeding deployments and keeping pace with the current landscape.”

Molex’s VersaBeam EBO Connectors will be featured at OFC 2025, booth 5945, 1-3 April 2025.