NPO / CPO Optical-Electrical
Interconnect Solutions
High-density Micro Pogo spring-loaded interconnect for next-generation optical architectures. As optical interconnect moves from board-level to Near-Package (NPO) and Co-Packaged (CPO) optics, Micro Pogo provides the critical high-speed electrical link between optical engines, chips and PCBs — supporting validated interconnect bandwidth up to 112 GHz in targeted configurations*.
* Subject to product design and test conditions; final values per official datasheets.
High-Density Connectivity for Next-Generation Optical Interconnect
Per-channel data rates keep climbing while optical interconnect moves from board-level into near-package and co-package architectures — putting new demands on the interconnect structure itself.
Higher Signal Density
Ultra-small pitch and high pin counts to fit the compact space of CPO/NPO packages.
Shorter Electrical Path
Reduce high-speed electrical travel distance and cut the parasitic impact of the interconnect structure.
Higher Reliability
Elastic contacts maintain continuous contact pressure, absorbing assembly tolerances and thermo-mechanical displacement.
NPO vs. CPO — How They Differ
CPO (Co-Packaged Optics)
Optical engine highly integrated with the switch chip / ASIC — shared or adjacent package. Shortest electrical path, highest integration density.
- Shortest electrical path — lowest interconnect loss and reflection
- Aimed at 51.2T / 102.4T ultra-large switching and AI clusters
- High integration for volume deployment — but demanding on package thermal design and co-design
NPO (Near-Packaged Optics)
Optical engine placed close to the switch chip / ASIC without necessarily sharing the package — balancing performance with packaging flexibility.
- Short electrical path with controllable interconnect loss
- Flexible packaging — evolves along existing board-level processes
- Balances performance, maintainability and thermal headroom
Micro Pogo Application Positions
Between the NPO/CPO hierarchy layers, Micro Pogo carries the high-speed electrical link between optical engine, chip/carrier and PCB. Exact positions depend on the package architecture, carrier design and electrical interface definition — usable for board-to-board, module-to-module or chip-periphery connections where the design allows.
NPO Scenario
Optical engine placed near the switch chip. Micro Pogo serves the link optical engine ↔ module / carrier ↔ PCB.
CPO Scenario
Optical engine highly integrated with the switch chip. Micro Pogo serves the link optical engine ↔ chip / carrier ↔ PCB.
About optical module sockets / optical module connectors: NPO/CPO high-speed connectors face the high-speed electrical docking between optical modules and the host side — a realization form of the broader “optical module socket” concept, carrying the module's electrical interface with dense elastic contact and pluggable mating.
Four Advantages Over Stamped Spring Blades
High Density
Small pitch, high pin counts — fitting the compact space of CPO/NPO packages.
Short Path
Shortens the high-speed electrical travel distance, reducing parasitic influence.
Elastic Compensation
The spring structure adapts to assembly tolerances and thermo-mechanical displacement.
Reliable Contact
Continuous contact pressure improves connection stability in complex environments.
Micro Pogo Structures & Baseline Specifications
A three-segment micro spring-loaded pin — tip, spring and barrel — delivering a practical interconnect device for CPO/NPO designs.
Dual-Head Pin
Tip + spring + barrel, elastic contact on both ends. Primarily for high-speed signal connections between chip and board (XPU socket) and between boards.
- Baseline Specs
- Diameter: 0.2 mm and up / 0.3–0.5 mm · Pitch: <0.5 mm / 0.5–1.2 mm · Working height: ≥1.6 mm
- Key Features
- Dual-end elastic contact · stub-free design; fine pitch down to 0.35 mm · at 1.85 mm overall length, max travel 0.6 mm
Single-Head Pin
Three-segment assembly with a wire-bond tail. For cable-to-PCB interconnect and cable-connector module assemblies.
- Baseline Specs
- Diameter: 0.2 mm and up / 0.3–0.5 mm · Pitch: <0.5 mm / 0.5–1.2 mm · Working height: ≥1.6 mm
- Key Features
- Tail wire-bond structure for cable assembly · stub-free design optimizing high-frequency signal integrity · at 1.6 mm overall length, max travel 0.4 mm
High Density · High Speed · High Reliability
High Density
Fine pitch fits ultra-dense arrays in compact CPO/NPO layouts.
High Speed
Short electrical paths reduce signal loss across the link.
High Reliability
Elastic compensation absorbs thermo-mechanical displacement over the product life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are CPO and NPO?
CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) integrates the optical engine with the switch chip / ASIC in the same or adjacent package; NPO (Near-Packaged Optics) places the optical engine close to the chip without necessarily co-packaging. Both are next-generation architectures for high-speed optical interconnect.
What role does Micro Pogo play in CPO/NPO?
It acts as the high-speed electrical interconnect contact between chip, carrier/module and PCB — bridging electrical signals between the optical engine and the switch chip. Its short path, high density and elastic contact fit the compact CPO/NPO layout especially well.
Why is Micro Pogo better than stamped spring blades for CPO/NPO?
Stamped blades are cantilever structures with pronounced stub effects and larger high-frequency resonance and impedance fluctuation. Micro Pogo's independent cylindrical structure achieves finer pitch, smaller stub and shorter electrical path — with elastic compensation suited to high-density, high-bandwidth packaged optics.
What about production capacity and quality assurance?
Full in-house R&D and manufacturing, with Micro Pogo annual capacity exceeding 10 billion units. As a National Specialized & Sophisticated “Little Giant” enterprise, we provide stable delivery and consistency for volume CPO/NPO deployment.
Is an NPO/CPO high-speed connector the same as an optical module socket?
It can be understood that way. NPO/CPO high-speed connectors handle high-speed electrical docking between optical modules and the host side — one realization of the broader “optical module socket” concept. Compared with conventional metal-cage module sockets, the Micro Pogo approach replaces stamped blades with a micro elastic pin array: shorter electrical path, lower high-frequency resonance risk, better assembly-tolerance compensation, applicable to 112 GHz-class high-speed interconnect scenarios.
Can Micro Pogo be used for board-to-board (pad-to-pad) interconnect?
Yes. The dual-head pin has elastic contact on both ends, pressed onto pads of two PCBs for vertical pad-to-pad interconnect — no male/female connector mating required. Working height reaches the 1.85 mm class, a low-profile socket design suited to compact stacking between NPO/CPO modules and carriers.
Looking for a Micro High-Speed Interconnect for NPO/CPO?
Submit your target pitch, working height, signal rate, interface structure and assembly requirements — we'll evaluate a Micro Pogo custom interconnect scheme for your application.
Contact Our Engineering Team