USFP: NVIDIA and Cisco’s 12.8Tb/s Optical Module Specs

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Overview

NVIDIA and Cisco have introduced the Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP), a high-density optical module designed for AI factories. The new standard achieves 4x the bandwidth density and 1.3x better power efficiency than previous modules, enabling higher throughput without adding network layers.

In Depth

Key Findings

NVIDIA and Cisco announced the Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) on October 12, 2026, at the Open Compute Project (OCP) in Santa Clara, California. This new form factor is designed to support 400Gb/s electrical signals per lane, enabling a maximum capacity of 12.8Tb/s for both switches and SuperNICs. By maintaining the same footprint as the existing OSFP (Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable) while increasing bandwidth density by 4x and power efficiency by approximately 1.3x, the USFP allows data centers to scale capacity without increasing network hierarchy.

Technical Details

The USFP architecture incorporates several engineering innovations to handle increased signal attenuation and heat:

• Lane Configuration: The initial plan features 16 full-duplex lanes, with design headroom to expand to 32 or more lanes in the future.
• Connectivity: A new 2D array connector and a two-stage insertion method reduce contact wear and improve signal quality.
• Thermal Management: The module supports heat dissipation of up to 100 watts without requiring separate dedicated cooling circuits.
• Optical Design: Simplified signal processing is used to reduce latency and power consumption.

Background and Context

The shift toward USFP is driven by the need to allocate limited power budgets to compute resources rather than network overhead. By increasing the number of 1.6Tb/s endpoints connected to the Ethernet AI fabric without adding switch layers, operators can reduce latency and costs. To avoid vendor lock-in and ensure supply chain stability, NVIDIA and Cisco are pursuing an open industry standard. This ecosystem already includes connector specialists TE Connectivity and Amphenol to ensure mass production capabilities.

Significance and Outlook

The adoption of USFP allows infrastructure operators to maintain the maintenance advantages of pluggable modules over integrated solutions. Future milestones include the finalization of open specifications via a multi-source project and the transition from 16-lane to 32-lane configurations. For the Japanese industry, the requirement for high-precision optical components and heat-dissipating materials to support 400Gb/s per lane presents a strategic opportunity for electronic component and material manufacturers.

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