Exascale Labs Holdings Inc. and Compal Electronics Inc. have signed a non-binding letter of intent to jointly build a US-based validation platform for GPU systems running on a native 800-volt direct current architecture. The companies announced the agreement September 14, pairing Compal's production GPU server hardware and liquid cooling systems with Exascale's Modular Data Center and solid-state transformer (SST) power architecture. The goal, according to the companies, is to test power, compute, cooling and controls as one integrated system before commercial deployment.
Native 800 VDC architecture cuts the number of power conversion stages between the grid and the GPU, an approach the industry is exploring as rack densities climb. Under the planned division of labor, Compal supplies the US project site, GPU servers and liquid cooling systems. Exascale designs the modular data center system, the SST-based power architecture and the associated software, and leads deployment, commissioning and testing of the combined platform.
That integrated approach addresses a specific gap in the industry. Physical validation spanning power, servers, cooling and software controls together, rather than testing each in isolation, remains limited industry-wide, according to the companies. The platform is also meant to generate the operational data Exascale needs to pursue UL certification for its SST systems and to run pre-shipment power-on testing for GPU servers before they reach customers.
"The goal is to validate native 800 VDC across a complete data center system," said Dr. Hoansoo Lee, chief executive officer of Exascale. Compal's contribution of the site, servers and cooling equipment lets Exascale test its power architecture "alongside the equipment they are intended to support," he said. Alan Chang, vice president and general manager of Compal's ISBG unit, said native 800 VDC "requires the server, power system, cooling and controls to operate as an integrated system," calling it a bigger shift than a new power input at the server.
The letter of intent is non-binding. Once the platform is built and passes acceptance testing agreed by both sides, Compal intends to acquire the Exascale-built portion, including the SST systems, power distribution equipment, modular data center facilities and software licenses, under a definitive agreement that has yet to be negotiated.
