Broadcom’s silicon division introduced its next-gen Jericho networking chip aimed at linking data centres located 96.5 km apart and enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) processing speed.

The company’s Jericho4 enhances and introduces various features that boost the volume of networking traffic flowing through extensive networks operating within and between data centers.

Constructing and implementing AI has grown more demanding in terms of computation and necessitates the connection of thousands of graphics processors (GPUs). Cloud computing firms like Microsoft and Amazon need advanced, faster networking chips to guarantee efficient data transmission.

Protecting data during its transfer outside the physical boundaries of a data center is vital for cloud firms due to the possible threats that may intercept it before it arrives at its intended location.

According to Ram Velaga, senior vice-president and general manager of Broadcom’s Core Switching Group, Broadcom's engineers created the Jericho chips for large-scale deployment, with a single system capable of incorporating around 4,500 chips.

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To alleviate problems related to network congestion, the Jericho4 chips employ the same high-bandwidth memory (HBM) utilized by companies like Nvidia and AMD for their AI processors. It’s essential due to the amount of data that must be loaded into memory at any particular moment of operation.

"The switch is essentially storing that traffic (in memory) until the congestion is alleviated. It indicates that you must possess ample memory on the chip,” says Velaga.

The greater the distance that data has to cover from the chip to its target, the more memory designers need to integrate into the chip as well.

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Along with enhancing performance, the Jericho4 also strengthens security through data encryption.

Broadcom decided to utilize the three nanometre process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for Jericho4.