The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) concluded its Q2 Technical and Market Awareness & Education meeting last week with the launch of a new project and the release of a white paper relevant to smart optical modules. According to OIF board member Mike Li, the Common Electrical I/O (CEI) CEI-224G Linear project will merge the precision of CEI-112G-Linear with new innovations and technological progress, benefiting power consumption, cost, and latency. According to Li, by enabling 224G full linear optical modules and leveraging the advanced 224G DSP serializer deserializer (SERDES) architecture and technology, this initiative is poised to redefine the landscapes of ethernet, ultra ethernet consortium (UEC), and AI/machine learning applications. Subsequently, their first Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) white paper on management of smart optical modules introduces an alternative control paradigm for optical modules called “host independent management.” According to OIF, the paradigm “decouples optical layer control from packet layer control and from host software and packet controller software development.” The paradigm, OIF said, enables advanced capabilities in smart modules by providing additional management methods.