Customer Background
A North American quantum photonics innovator is developing next-generation photonic processors designed to accelerate AI and high-performance computing.
Their system integrates photonic modules on PCIe accelerator cards, requiring precise RF interfaces for control, calibration, and signal conversion between optical and electronic domains.
Challenges & Requirements
The customer needed a production-ready RFSoC System on Module and PCIe-based RF front-end card to integrate with their photonic computing platform. Their design required precise RF signal capture and generation, deterministic timing, and ultra-low latency to maintain coherence across multiple photonic channels.
They also needed scalability to switch between RFSoC variants without carrier redesign, along with rapid prototyping and reliable long-term support—all under a highly compressed development timeline.
iWave Scope of Work:
- ZU49DR RFSoC SoM Supply
Delivered production-ready ZU49DR SoM. - PCIe ADC-DAC Card Supply
Production PCIe card with high-speed RF interfaces, enabling direct connectivity with photonic hardware. - Software & BSP Support
Delivered comprehensive BSP, drivers, and long-term software maintenance for seamless integration. - ODM Engagement
Supported the customer in tailoring thermal, mechanical, and RF performance for lab and data center environments.
Solution Highlights
- ZU49DR (-2 Speed) System on Module
- Up to 930K Logics Cells
- Quad Arm Cortex-A53 and Dual Arm Cortex-R5F Cores
- 8GB DDR4 RAM for PS with ECC, 8GB DDR4 RAM for PL
- 16 x ADC up to 2.5Gsps, 16 x DAC up to 9.85Gsps
- 16 x PL GTY High Speed Transceivers at up to 28.21Gbps
- 4 x PS GTR High Speed Transceivers at up to 6Gbps
- Up to 188 PL IOs
- Also supports ZU39/29DR and ZU48/47/43/28/27/25DR RFSoC Variants
- Industrial-grade temperature support
- Long lifecycle with 10+ years availability
