PICAlign™ Makes Active Alignment Suitable for Mass Production of Co-Packaged Optics for the First Time

Basingstoke, U.K., 25th August 2026 – Motion control specialist Aerotech will showcase a new generation of active optical alignment at the ECOC Exhibition 2026 in Málaga. At booth 1404, the precision motion control specialist will showcase the PICAlign™ architecture—a system that fundamentally transforms speed, precision, and throughput in the manufacturing of co-packaged optics (CPO). Technology partners Santec and SENKO Advanced Components will also be present at the exhibition, complementing the PICAlign™ ecosystem with their components.

As data centers and AI computing systems accelerate toward higher bandwidth and greater power efficiency, CPO is emerging as the cornerstone of next-generation network infrastructure. However, scaling CPO introduces unprecedented challenges—particularly in aligning thousands of optical fibers to photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with nanometer precision across six degrees of freedom.

Traditional active alignment methods, optimized for faceplate pluggable transceivers, cannot keep pace with the complexity and scale of CPO modules. Expanded-beam optics, essential for detachable connectors, relax linear tolerances but impose strict angular alignment requirements. Each CPO module may require 100+ active alignment operations, making speed and accuracy critical for cost-effective manufacturing.

In response to these challenges, Aerotech, Santec and SENKO have developed the PICAlign architecture, a novel active alignment system that integrates high-speed motion control, synchronized data acquisition and sophisticated alignment algorithms.

This innovative solution, debuting at Photonics West 2026, performs precise, rapid active alignments of multichannel arrays in six degrees of freedom, enhancing the test and assembly processes for the next-generation of photonics and co-packaged optics technologies. The system integrates:
• Aerotech’s iXR3 Motion Controller for deterministic, high-speed 6-DOF positioning
• Santec’s OPM-200 Optical Power Meter and SLS-200 Stabilized Light Source for simultaneous multichannel optical power sampling
• Flexible alignment algorithms supporting custom objective functions and constrained optimization for complex channel configurations
• SENKO’s detachable PIC Coupler solution, enabling connector detachability and eliminating multiple optical alignments during the CPO packaging process

“We are excited to partner with SENKO and Santec to solve this critical challenge in CPO manufacturing,” said Brian O’Connor, Aerotech’s vice president of growth and strategy. “Our motion control technology ensures nanometer precision and high throughput, enabling alignment routines that were previously impossible at production scale.”

These innovations eliminate bottlenecks in the CPO supply chain, paving the way for scalable, cost-effective deployment of AI-ready optical networks. By combining detachable connector technology with intelligent alignment systems, Aerotech, Santec and SENKO are redefining the future of photonics manufacturing.

“Active alignment is the heartbeat of CPO manufacturing,” said Ryan Vallance, SENKO Advanced Components. “Our collaboration with Aerotech and Santec delivers a solution that meets the industry’s need for speed, precision and scalability.”

This architecture synchronizes high-frequency optical power sampling with high-resolution motion feedback, creating a real-time multidimensional dataset for rapid optimization. Leveraging serial kinematic mechanics, the system achieves superior dynamic response and nanometer-scale repeatability compared to traditional hexapod designs.

“By integrating multichannel optical feedback with synchronized motion control, we’ve created a system that optimizes every channel in real time—critical for high-power PM fibers and complex photonic devices,” said Chris Heisler, CEO of Santec California Corp.

Performance Highlights:
• Alignment to within ~0.2 dB of global optimum in < 1 second
• Multichannel monitoring across all device channels, not just outer loops
• Custom Objective Function for prioritizing PM fibers and critical channels
• Reliability exceeding 30,000 hours MTBF for continuous production