DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS – November 10, 2021 – Hirose, an associate member of the Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO), has helped create the Multi-Mode Waveguide Interconnect System (MWIS) Working Group to advance the increase of bandwidth and reduce power consumption for printed circuit board interconnect systems. The Consortium for On-Board Optics is a member-driven standards-setting organization developing specifications for interchangeable and interoperable optical modules that can be mounted onto printed circuit boards. Led by Joshua Kihong Kim, Principal Engineer at Hirose Electric, COBO's new MWIS Working Group focuses specifically on the replacement of copper traces with multi-mode waveguides and adding an extra thin interface for Electrical/Optical and Optical/Electrical conversion within close proximity to the electrical component.

"I am very pleased to have kicked off the new Multimode Waveguide Interconnect System (MWIS) Working Group. Although embedded optical waveguides in printed circuit boards have been researched for decades, now is the time for the industry to work together to address the imminent bandwidth and power issues associated with copper interfaces," said Joshua Kihong Kim, Principal Engineer at Hirose Electric and COBO MWIS Working Group Chair. "In the development of on-board optical systems, this is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle, and COBO is stepping up to develop specifications to enable an industry eco-system."

"The growing diversity of optical applications within the Data Center, including machine learning and resource disaggregation, are driving an increased need to enhance high-speed board level interconnect systems with optical waveguide technology.  COBO members recognize it is critical for companies to collaborate and provide guidance and specifications for design advancement," said Brad Booth, President at COBO and Principal Engineer, Azure Hardware Architecture at Microsoft. "We welcome interested parties to contact us if they would like understand more about our new MWIS Working Group."

For more information on the COBO MWIS Working Group, visit https://www.onboardoptics.org

For more information about Hirose, visit www.hirose.com/us

ABOUT HIROSE ELECTRIC
Hirose Electric Co., Ltd. is a leading global supplier of innovative interconnects, with sales of over $1 billion to customers worldwide. Hirose employs advanced engineering services, superior customer support and worldwide manufacturing capabilities to provide value-based connector solutions for various industries including: industrial, telecommunication, consumer electronics, computer and automotive. More information can be found on Hirose Electric’s corporate website at www.hirose.com.

About COBO
COBO is a member-driven, non-profit organization of optical networking leaders overcoming limitations associated with moving optics inside networking equipment through development of innovative industry specifications. For more information, visit  http://onboardoptics.org/. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

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