CoolIT Systems and Stäubli are extending direct-to-plug liquid cooling to high-power optical transceivers used in AI data centres. The approach combines CoolIT’s CP-OSFP cold plate with Stäubli’s Mini Quick Disconnect (Mini QD) technology, developed in collaboration with Ciena, to address the thermal demands of next-generation OSFP optical modules. For eeNews Europe readers working on optical networking and data centre infrastructure, the development highlights how liquid cooling for optical transceivers could help overcome thermal limitations as network bandwidth increases towards 3.2 Tb/s and beyond. Direct-to-plug cooling addresses optical power density As GPU clusters expand, the optical interconnects linking them must handle increasing bandwidth within limited physical space. A typical 1RU networking system accommodates approximately 32 OSFP ports, leaving little room for additional cooling hardware. Traditional air cooling is approaching practical limits for higher-power coherent optical modules, creating demand for more compact thermal management approaches. Stäubli’s Mini QD was developed with Ciena to enable coolant to enter and exit pluggable OSFP modules while occupying minimal space on crowded network faceplates. The connector technology is designed to provide leak-free serviceability, allowing optical modules to be installed, removed or replaced without compromising the liquid-cooling architecture. It also supports efforts towards standardised fluid interfaces for interoperable optical systems. Cold plate removes heat directly from the module CoolIT’s CP-OSFP cold plate is designed to remove heat directly from optical transceivers, using a compact structure suited to the dimensional constraints of pluggable modules. The design focuses on thermal performance, coolant flow distribution, reliability and manufacturability. Combined with Stäubli’s Mini QD, the cold plate forms a modular cooling arrangement that transfers heat from the optical module into the system’s liquid-cooling loop. “As networking optics become part of the liquid-cooling ecosystem, CoolIT’s coldplate expertise helps bring direct liquid cooling into traditionally air-cooled components. Combined with Stäubli’s Mini QD technology, we’re enabling a compact, serviceable thermal architecture for next-generation pluggable optics,” said Brad Zakaib, CEO, CoolIT , An Ecolab Company. The post CoolIT and Stäubli bring liquid cooling to pluggable optics appeared first on eeNews Europe .