SAN JOSE – November 04, 2026 -- Mixx Technologies has joined the Expanded Beam Optics Multi-Source Agreement (EBO MSA) and the Open CPX MSA as a contributing member, pitching its SxCTM connector at 0.2 dB typical fiber-to-fiber loss for the near-package optics step in hyperscale AI data centers.
SxC connector holds loss under 0.5 dB at up to 24,576 fibers per rack unit
The SxCTM connector, launched in September, is the connectivity layer of Mixx's HBxIOTM platform. It is rated at under 0.5 dB maximum loss. In a single Open Compute Project rack unit it carries up to 24,576 fibers, four times the fiber density of MMC. Its optical structures are formed at wafer scale, which lets fibers sit in a two-dimensional array.
Density matters because inference workloads need all-to-all connectivity. A higher switch radix means fewer switching layers, which cuts latency, power draw and the number of parts that can fail. Each additional port adds fibers, and each fiber crosses a connector that spends part of the link budget.
Mixx targets termination as the scaling bottleneck
Fixing each fiber into its connector grows more burdensome as fiber counts rise. Mixx says it addresses termination in the connector design and applies semiconductor assembly techniques for a high-throughput process. CEO Vivek Raghuraman said: "Scaling optics means measuring production in units per hour, not hours per unit."
Mixx is also building an Open CPX module that pairs the HBxIOTM optical engine with a detachable SxCTM connector. The engine and fiber can then be tested separately in manufacturing and replaced separately in the field. The Open CPX MSA standardizes the socket beside the chip package so modules can come from multiple vendors.
EBO MSA data puts cleaning at 80% of network issues
Near-package optics places optics next to the host chip inside the box, where connectors are harder to reach than at the faceplate. At ECOC 2026, the EBO MSA reported that about 80% of network issues are cleaning-related and about 95% of maintenance requests are for cleaning.
Physical-contact connectors press polished end faces together. Single-mode light travels in a core about 9 microns across, so dust, oil or a scratch can block it. Expanded beam optics widens the beam to about 80 microns in one design the group has shown, carries it across a small air gap and refocuses it into the receiving fiber, so the end faces never touch. The EBO MSA reports about a 20x reduction in mating force and about an 85% reduction in install and clean time on EBO-based systems.
EBO MSA passes 60 members and drafts a 128-fiber specification
Created in March 2026, the EBO MSA has more than 60 members, including end users and suppliers. It is developing a 128-fiber design specification for expanded beam connectivity in AI data centers.
Mixx is a US-based, venture-backed company with R&D operations in India and Taiwan. Raghuraman said hyperscalers are moving optics inside the box now and described the EBO MSA as "the start line" where they want suppliers to be.