Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Good quality and good service based on reasonable prices.
- 10G/25G/40G/100G AOC and Breakout AOC.
- Digital diagnostic functions.
- Transmit distance 1-100m.
- Customized.
What are Active Optical Cables?
Active Optical Cables (AOC) are transceiver products permanently embedded with fiber optic cables. It also can be defined as an optical fiber jumper cable terminated with optical transceivers on both ends. It uses electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve the speed and distance performance of the cable without sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces.
They are used for applications with consistent, predictable link distancing. Active Optical Cables are used in multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications. AOC cables will accelerate storage, data, and high-performance computing. The following figure depicts the detailed structure:
Active Optical Cable Applications
AOC cables are primarily used in data centers and high-performance computing, where lines with speed and distance are necessary.
Lots of AOC cables have been launched for 10G/40G/100G applications, including 10G SFP+ AOC, 25G SFP28 AOC, 40G QSFP+ AOC, 56G QSFP+ AOC, 40G QSFP+ to 4x SFP+ breakout AOC, 40G QSFP+ to 8x LC breakout AOC, 100G QSFP28 AOC, 100G QSFP28 to 4x SFP28 breakout AOC and 120G CXP AOC, etc.
These AOC cables are commonly used for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications between two devices, such as rack-to-rack, shelf-to-shelf interconnect, storage, hubs, switches, routers, servers, etc.
Advantages of AOC Cables
For 10/40/100G transmission, there are many choices to meet the increasing needs for speed and performance. Why do we need to choose the active optical cable? We will demonstrate the advantages of AOC cable by comparing it with DAC cable and fiber optic transceiver.
| AOC Active Optic Cable | DAC Direct Attach Copper | |
| Reach | 100m | ＜10m |
| Cable type | Fiber Optic | Twinax Copper |
| Weight | Light | Heavy |
| Bend Radius | 25mm | 24AWG-38mm 26AWG-33mm 28AWG-25mm 30AWG-23mm |
| Power Comsumption | 1-2w | ＜1w |
| Application | TOR Middle of Row End of Row Zone-to-zon | TOR Adjacent Racks |
| EMI | Strong | Weak |
From the chart, we can conclude that:
- AOC cables lower weight and smaller bend radius enable simpler cable management in high-density deployments.
- AOC cables are thinner, freeing up a lot of space for increased airflow and helping to balance generated heat in crowded systems.
- AOC cables have significant advantages over DACs, significantly when the transmission distance exceeds 15 meters.
- Optical fiber in AOC has considerable dielectricity. Thus, its EMI resistance level is considerably high.
- AOC cables are factory pre-terminated; it is less affected by the repeating plug during daily use. It has also been proved that AOC has better reliability than transceivers.
How to select right AOC cable?
From the chart, we can conclude that:
- Length Needs: Choose a cable that covers your required distance, with AOCs typically suitable for up to 100 meters or more. ●Device Compatibility: Ensure the AOC is compatible with your networking hardware, like switches and servers.
- Speed and Bandwidth: Match the cable’s data rate (e.g., 10, 40, 100 Gbps) with your network’s performance needs.
- Connector Type: Select the correct connector type (like SFP+, QSFP) to fit your devices’ ports.
- Quality Standards: Opt for cables that meet industry standards for reliability and durability.
- Power Efficiency: Consider the AOC’s power consumption, especially in large-scale deployments.
- Vendor and Cost: Balance cost with quality, choosing a reputable vendor and considering warranty options.
- Future-Proofing: Think about potential network upgrades and select a cable that can accommodate future bandwidth increases
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