Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) is a technology and design approach where optical components, such as lasers and photodetectors, are integrated alongside electrical components, like Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), within the same package. As data demands grow, these systems face limitations such as bandwidth constraints, latency issues, and space limitations. Co-packaged optics is the biggest change to switch design in a decade, and in 2026 it crossed from demo to shipping product. This guide explains what CPO is, the switches available now, how a CPO system is built, and the benefits and tradeoffs that decide where it fits.
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