EDA
System
IP
SolvNetPlus
Training & Education
Meeting the Demands of Next-Generation AI Infrastructure
AI workloads demand lossless reliability, deterministic latency, and packet-level efficiency — capabilities traditional Ethernet was never designed to deliver. ESUN (Ethernet for Scale-Up Networks) is an OCP-defined initiative that evolves Ethernet with standards-based enhancements purpose-built for next-generation AI training and inference scale-up fabrics — without abandoning the ecosystem.
The Synopsys ESUN IP solution is the industry’s first complete Layer 1 and Layer 2 IP offering purpose-built for Ethernet-based AI scale-up networks. It enables up to 1.6Tbps of bandwidth with the low latency, high throughput efficiency, and lossless performance required for next-generation AI and HPC systems.
What's New
Key Benefits
Features
The ESUN IP solution provides a fully integrated, pre-verified Layer 1 and Layer 2 Ethernet stack designed to accelerate time-to-market and reduce integration risk:
- 1.6T multi-rate Ethernet MAC
Offers up to 1.6T bandwidth with up to four independent 400G channels configurable for 1×1.6T, 2×800G, 4×400G, and 4×200G modes - 1.6T Ethernet PCS with RS-FEC
IEEE 802.3dj-compliant PCS with built-in RS544 FEC for robust error correction and RS272 FEC for low-latency operation - UE/ESUN Link Layer Controller
Implements Link-Level Retry (LLR) and Credit-Based Flow Control (CBFC) mechanisms for lossless reliability and fine-grained congestion management - Silicon-proven 224G Ethernet PHY
Optimized for low power consumption, latency and signal integrity, supporting channel loss up to 45 dB - Full verification ecosystem
Includes verification IP and system validation support to accelerate time-to-market
Resources
OFC 2026: IEEE 802.3 Launches a Study Group for 400 Gbps Per Lane Ethernet for AI Networks
Interoperability
Demonstrating PCIe 7.0 IP Over Optics for Emerging PCIe Workloads
Synopsys PCIe IP Solutions: Performance, Compliance, and Interop at DesignCon 2026
Synopsys 224G IP Showcasing Reliability Across High Loss Channels at DesignCon 2026
First PCIe 6.0 8-lanes Demo with RC & EP over Optical Modules and Cables
Demonstrating 224G PHY IP with 2m DAC at TSMC OIP 2025
Synopsys & Broadcom Achieve PCIe 6.x Interop Milestone at PCI-SIG DevCon 2025
Synopsys Showcases PCIe 6.x & 7.0 IP at PCI-SIG '25: Partner Demos and Compliance Testing
Related Products and Solutions
Synopsys provides the industry’s broadest IP portfolio for HPC and AI, enabling designers with best-in-class IP interfaces so designers can speed time to market and achieve first pass silicon success.
FAQ
Traditional Ethernet is optimized for best-effort delivery, where occasional packet loss and variable latency are acceptable. ESUN enhances Ethernet with features such as Link-Level Retry (LLR) and Credit-Based Flow Control (CBFC) for lossless, deterministic transport, and replaces the standard IP/UDP header (28–48 bytes) with a compact 4-byte header optimized for the short, latency-sensitive hops within a scale-up domain. The result is Ethernet with the reliability and efficiency that AI training clusters require — without abandoning the existing ecosystem.
Synopsys provides the industry's first complete L1 + L2 ESUN IP solution — combining MAC, PCS, Link Layer Controller, and silicon-proven 224G PHY in a single validated stack. By providing and pre-verifying the complete L1/L2 IP stack, Synopsys minimizes integration risk, optimizes end-to-end latency, and ensures all IP blocks work seamlessly together, delivering a best-in-class IP solution out of the box.
Yes. The ESUN IP solution shares a common architecture with Synopsys’s Ultra Ethernet solution, leveraging UEC defined link-level features LLR and CBFC. This enables reuse of the same IP stack across scale-up and scale-out deployments, simplifying system design and reducing integration effort.