Inneos has recently announced a new product called Cheetah, a ruggedized 25G optical transceiver platform built on its OptoBGA™ technology, designed to address the growing limitations of copper interconnects in EMI-challenged and harsh-environment systems. As data rates reach 25G and beyond in aerospace, automotive, and industrial networks, copper interconnects increasingly face challenges related to electromagnetic interference (EMI), signal loss, routing density, power budget, and thermal management. The Cheetah platform is designed to mitigate these issues by converting electrical signals to optical at the point of use, enabling predictable high-speed performance in the most demanding environments. 

By minimizing high-speed electrical trace lengths and leveraging EMI-immune optical fiber, the platform is intended to reduce design complexity while enabling higher network bandwidth and longer link lengths without the increased cost and complex shielding typically required for copper-based solutions. The result is a 25G optical transceiver architecture designed for reliable operation over extremely wide temperatures, high vibration, and under the electrical noise extremes commonly encountered in automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. 

 

Targeted for Harsh-Environment Applications 

The Cheetah 25G optical transceiver platform is being developed for a range of advanced system architectures, including: 

• Automotive: zonal architectures, ADAS, and in-vehicle networks 
• Aerospace & Defense: avionics, rugged computing, and mission-critical systems 
• Industrial: automation, robotics, power electronics, and critical infrastructure 

Recognizing that each application presents unique electrical, mechanical, thermal, and reliability requirements, Inneos is actively engaging with system designers to gather input on interface expectations, diagnostics and monitoring needs, qualification requirements, and real-world integration challenges. 

 

Cheetah and the OptoBGA^TM Platform Provides System Flexibility 

At the core of the Cheetah platform is the OptoBGA^TM, a complete optoelectronic subsystem chip that integrates high-speed optical functionality directly at the PCB level. This integration enables shorter electrical paths, improved signal integrity, and lower-power data transmission while allowing system designers to take full advantage of fiber’s inherent bandwidth and immunity to EMI. 

The OptoBGA^TM platform is designed to align with standard PCB manufacturing and assembly flows, reducing complexity and improving ruggedness compared to traditional pluggable or cabled optical modules. The optical fiber cable coupler attaches directly to the OptoBGA^TM package during final system assembly, with fiber service loop length tailored to the enclosure requirements and terminated with the system’s specified optical connector. This approach supports a wide range of optical connectors and cable options, enabling compatibility with qualified fiber solutions already deployed within existing system architectures. 

Key architectural elements include: 

• An opto-electronic interface integrated into a BGA package for robust board-level assembly 
• Short-reach 25G electrical I/O optimized for signal integrity and wide-temperature operation 
• A compact mechanical footprint suited for space-constrained designs 
• Optical interconnects that are decoupled from EMI sources at the system level 
• OptoBGATM: Optical Connectivity Integrated at the PCB Level 

 

Early Access and Technical Engagement 

Cheetah is currently available through a limited technical preview program. Inneos is offering demonstrations and technical discussions to gather system-level feedback and help guide final design and qualification decisions. 

System architects and engineering teams interested in evaluating 25G optical connectivity for harsh or EMI-sensitive environments are encouraged to engage with Inneos to learn more and schedule a demonstration.