As photonics moves from the lab to the market, technical performance alone no longer defines success. High-volume deployment demands scalable electro-optical testing, precision packaging, automated alignment, rigorous qualification and dependable manufacturing.
Photonics is no longer a promising research technology waiting in the wings; it has become a cornerstone of digital infrastructure. Fueled by AI, hyperscale data centers, quantum computing and advanced sensing, the field is advancing at extraordinary speed. Silicon photonics and heterogeneous integration are unlocking higher bandwidth, lower power consumption and increasingly sophisticated sensing capabilities.
Optical communications remain the largest and fastest-growing photonics application. The explosion of AI and high-performance computing is accelerating demand for 800G and 1.6T transceivers, co-packaged optics (CPO) and Optical I/O, which depend on the tight integration of PICs, lasers, high-speed ASICs and advanced packaging. Beyond communications, photonics is opening new frontiers in quantum computing and advanced sensing, where control electronics, detector readout ASICs, SPADs and precision packaging determine whether a system truly performs.
But as photonics moves from the lab to the market, technical performance alone no longer defines success. High-volume deployment demands scalable electro-optical testing, precision packaging, automated alignment, rigorous qualification and dependable manufacturing.
As the industry shifts its focus from proving photonic functionality to delivering manufacturable products, one capability increasingly separates successful developments from the rest: the ability to integrate photonics, electronics, packaging, testing and manufacturing into a single, coherent.
Every advanced photonic system relies on custom ASICs to control, interface with and optimize its optical components. From optical transceivers and photonic switches to LiDAR systems and quantum processors, these ASICs form the critical bridge between the optical and digital worlds.
Designing them well requires more than digital know-how. Photonic ASICs demand a rare combination of high-speed digital processing with precision analog and mixed-signal design. Low-noise detector readout, high-resolution timing, laser and bias control, thermal management, calibration and high-speed interfaces all need to be finely tuned alongside the PIC itself.
This combination of optical and electronic design becomes increasingly important as photonic systems move beyond individual components toward highly integrated, production-ready solutions.
Electronics at the interface between the optical and digital worlds
Mixed-signal ASIC solutions for Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) readout are enabling a new generation of high-performance Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensing systems. These ASIC architectures integrate ultra-low-noise analog front ends, multi-channel acquisition, Time-to-Digital Converters (TDCs) and high-speed digital interfaces.
The result is precise photon detection and real-time signal processing. These capabilities sit at the heart of automotive LiDAR, industrial automation, robotics and biomedical imaging.
Presto Engineering applies its analog, mixed-signal and digital IC design expertise to these architectures, combining custom ASIC design with system integration, testing and industrialization to support the development of high-volume-ready ToF solutions.
Characterizing and validating Photonic Integrated Circuits requires sophisticated electronics capable of interfacing precisely with complex electro-optical devices.
Presto is putting this expertise to work in a collaborative project with Scintil Photonics and CEA-Leti, developing dedicated evaluation hardware for next-generation PICs.
The resulting platforms integrate high-speed RF interfaces, laser drivers, detector readout electronics, precision power management and programmable bias generation, with flexible USB and Ethernet connectivity for automated, lab-ready characterization. By simplifying validation and reducing integration effort, these platforms significantly shorten development cycles.
This is a clear illustration of how dedicated electronics and evaluation platforms can help bridge the gap between photonic innovation and industrialization.
Next-generation PIC evaluation platform
Photonic systems are frequently deployed in demanding environments such as automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and industrial applications, where long-term reliability isn't optional.
Comprehensive qualification strategies therefore need to be built into the development process from the start. This includes environmental and mechanical stress testing such as thermal cycling, temperature-humidity bias, vibration, shock and burn-in, alongside optical aging studies, lifetime prediction and failure analysis.
By embedding qualification thinking into ASIC, packaging and test development, engineering teams can reduce risk and accelerate the path to volume production.
Presto supports this approach through qualification strategies spanning electronics, packaging and photonic systems, helping customers prepare their products for reliable deployment in demanding applications.
Bringing a photonic product to market takes more than great engineering; it requires a well-orchestrated manufacturing ecosystem.
Semiconductor foundries, OSATs, substrate and PCB suppliers, packaging partners, optical assembly specialists and test facilities all contribute to the final product. Coordinating these different disciplines becomes increasingly important as photonic systems grow more integrated and more demanding.
Packaging and testing are particularly closely connected. Precision optical assembly and alignment must coexist with electrical interfaces, thermal requirements and production-test constraints. Qualification must also consider how these different elements behave together over the expected product lifetime.
As a result, success increasingly depends on uniting photonics, electronics, packaging, testing, qualification and manufacturing into one coherent strategy.
From PIC to volume production
This intersection between photonics and semiconductor industrialization is where Presto Engineering brings its expertise.
Presto designs custom mixed-signal ASICs for photonic applications, backed by expertise in low-noise analog design, high-speed architecture, SPAD and sensor readout, laser control, timing and synchronization. Dedicated evaluation platforms further accelerate system validation and help prepare photonic technologies for industrialization.
But the path does not stop at the chip. Presto pairs its ASIC expertise with photonic packaging, Design-for-Test, production testing, qualification and supply chain management, supporting customers across the development lifecycle from innovative concept to reliable, scalable manufacturing.
At manufacturing level, Presto manages the complexity of the semiconductor ecosystem by coordinating foundries, OSATs, substrate and PCB suppliers, packaging partners, optical assembly specialists and test facilities through a single point of contact.
Presto Engineering supports the complete journey from photonic concept to industrial production
For companies building the future of AI infrastructure, quantum computing, advanced sensing, LiDAR and optical communications, bringing these capabilities together provides a path from photonic innovation to reliable, high-volume reality.
➡ Discover Presto Engineering's expertise in photonics, from custom ASIC design and evaluation platforms to packaging, test, qualification and production.