The computing cluster requirements for large model training have clearly entered the "10,000-accelerator era". However, when tens of thousands of accelerators are clustered together, effectively unleashing computing power depends not on the peak performance of a single card, but on the inter-card interconnection. Insufficient bandwidth, high latency, and severe signal attenuation will directly drag down the effective computing utilization rate of the cluster.
The technologies and products showcased by Enflame Technology at WAIC 2026 are primarily centered around addressing this pain point.
Figure | Enflame Technology booth; Source: Enflame Technology
"Orthogonal Architecture" vs. "Cable-Tray" Supernodes
Essentially, a supernode packages multiple chips into a single logical entity via high-speed interconnects, functioning as a "mega-chip" at the system level. Intra-domain bandwidth is significantly higher than cross-domain bandwidth, which profoundly impacts model parallelism strategies.
Enflame Technology showcased two supernode solutions simultaneously at this event.
One is the orthogonal architecture developed in collaboration with ZTE, modelled as the CloudBlazer ESL64-O. "Orthogonal" refers to the vertical plugging of computing nodes and switching nodes within the rack. Signals bypass copper cables and are transmitted directly through connectors on the backplane. The advantage lies in the extremely short signal path, ensuring signal integrity at high data rates. With zero cables inside the rack, installation and maintenance times can be reduced from hours to minutes.
Figure | "CloudBlazer ESL64-O" supernode; Source: Enflame Technology
Under this architecture, a single rack currently supports 64 accelerators. The high-bandwidth domain can be scaled up to 512 accelerators, and theoretically, further scaling out by stacking switches can support a 16,384-accelerator cluster.
The other is the Cable-tray solution, modelled as the CloudBlazer ESL64-C. Copper cables are still used to connect the computing and switching nodes. This approach features more mature manufacturing processes, a fully standardized supply chain, and no barriers to custom hardware. It offers greater flexibility for scaling and splitting, and supports long-distance interconnections across racks without issues. The drawback is that copper cables exhibit significant signal attenuation at rates above 112G, making further high-density integration challenging. Maintenance is also more cumbersome than with the orthogonal architecture—replacing a single node may require unplugging dozens of cables.
Figure | "CloudBlazer ESL64-C" supernode; Source: EEFocus
Presenting these two solutions side by side reveals a clear logic: the Cable-tray version is a mature product available for stable delivery today, allowing customers to get up to speed quickly; the orthogonal version serves as a technological reserve for next-generation clusters with higher bandwidth and density, targeting large-scale deployment scenarios over the next two years.
Transition to Optical Interconnects Within Supernodes is Inevitable
Copper cables are approaching their physical limits within the rack. As single-channel data rates scale from 112G to 224G, signal integrity and power consumption issues will be magnified. The industry widely agrees that interconnects within future supernodes will inevitably transition to optical solutions.
Figure | NPO optical interconnect prototype system solution; Source: Enflame Technology
Enflame Technology showcased an NPO (Near-Package Optics) optical interconnect prototype system on-site, supporting both silicon photonics and VCSEL solutions. The core concept is to integrate the optical module in close proximity to the chip, replacing electrical signals with optical signals for long-distance interconnects. Compared to traditional pluggable optical modules, NPO can significantly enhance bandwidth density while reducing power consumption and latency. This prototype already supports the deployment of supernodes with over 512 accelerators, breaking through the distance limitations of copper cables.
However, NPO has not yet reached the stage of large-scale commercial deployment. The maturity of the supply chain, cost, and reliability are still under validation. Enflame Technology explicitly referred to it as a "prototype system" at the booth, indicating that it is still some distance away from mass production.