Cisco has unveiled its new Cisco 8223 routing system, powered by the in-house Silicon One P200 chip which delivers 51.2Tbps of Ethernet processing capacity. Designed specifically for connecting AI workloads across data centers, the system is the industry’s first fixed router built for distributed AI traffic at this scale.
The compact 3RU system supports 64 ports of 800G, processing over 20 billion packets per second and enabling 800G coherent optical transmission up to 1,000 km. Leveraging the P200's deep buffer architecture, it efficiently absorbs traffic bursts common in AI training, maintaining network stability.
The platform provides up to 3 Exabits/s of interconnect bandwidth and integrates quantum-resistant encryption with real-time security monitoring at both hardware and software levels. The programmable P200 chip also allows for future protocol upgrades without hardware replacement. The 8223 will initially support the open-source SONiC network OS, with future compatibility for Cisco IOS XR and expansion to Nexus series platforms.
ICgoodFind: Cisco’s in-house chip marks a key breakthrough in AI networking, combining high bandwidth, low latency, and programmability as core features for next-gen data centers.
