Google Bittide - Nanosecond clock sync for greener data centres

Eight FPGA boards, optically linked, synced to the nanosecond. Our proof-of-concept hardware and software stack for Bittide, Google’s research into lower-energy data centers.

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The challenge

Google runs data centres worldwide on conventional asynchronous networks. To cut energy use significantly, they’re researching a shift to distributed, synchronous hardware, where computers across a data centre stay aligned at the nanosecond level.
That demands specialist hardware and software built together, and a partner who could implement the vision on both sides, not just one.

The approach

R&D at this stage needs flexibility, so we worked in close, regular collaboration with Google’s team, adapting as findings emerged rather than to a fixed spec.
We treated software and hardware as one problem. Our Clash compiler, built on Haskell, lets us move between the two without the usual reference-model-to-RTL gap.

The result

We delivered a working proof of concept: a fully interconnected mesh of eight Xilinx FPGA boards linked over optical fiber, each tuning its clocks via Skyworks clock multiplier boards, running advanced clock-synchronisation control schemes.
Google got a configurable platform to experiment on, driven by a Rust toolchain targeting a custom RISC-V core that controls the clock multipliers.
Next: QBayLogic is building a custom compiler targeting these synchronous Bittide systems, with an ASIC implementation to follow.

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OUR CLIENTS

Trusted by some of the most innovative teams in the world

• Free-space secure communication • Cryptography • Quantum communication • Bittide / synchronization • Satellite communication

Why QBayLogic?

QBayLogic stands out for its ability to harness the power of both software and digital hardware. Our Clash software-to-hardware compiler, based on the Haskell programming language, is a prime example of our innovative approach.

This unique expertise made us the ideal fit for Google’s ambitious Bittide project. Not only did Google require a hardware implementation of their ideas, but they also needed a sophisticated software stack on top of it.

This project not only demonstrates our expertise but also contributes to a more sustainable future by optimizing resource usage in data centers worldwide. Applications where the applied expertise would also fit: