AOC cable connection solution

AOC cable connection solution

In the data era, there are more and more high-density and high-bandwidth applications. At this time, passive optical cables or copper-based cable systems seem to be stretched. In order to ensure the stability of transmission and flexible application, users urgently need a new type of product as the main transmission medium for high-performance computing and data centers. In this case, active optical cable products emerge as the times require. With the irreversible trend of "bright-in copper retreat", the future will be the era of "all-optical network", and active optical cable technology will infiltrate every corner of the high-speed interconnection market. This article will focus on the AOC cable connection solution.

AOC Types

The appearance of AOC is similar to copper cable, but its transmission mode and application environment are not the same. AOC cable has four types :10G SFP+ AOC, 25G SFP28 AOC, 40G QSFP+ AOC, and 100G QSFP28 AOC.

AOC Structure and Signal Transmission Method

AOC cable structure is composed of a circuit and an optical path. The main components of the circuit are substrate, circuit board, VCSEL driver chip, TIA and PD chip, VCSEL chip; AOCs work as transmission link between data centers and high-performance computers.

AOC cable uses electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and distance performance of the cable

AOC features and benefits

AOC cable has the characteristics of low power consumption, small size, light weight and strong heat dissipation.

Compared with the copper cable, it has a longer transmission distance (up to 100 to 300m) and better transmission performance.

Compared with the optical transceiver module, AOC cable does not have the problem of the interface being contaminated, which greatly improves the stability and reliability of the system and reduces the management costs of the server room.

AOC cable for rack-rack connection

AOC cable is the ideal cable for the connection between rack and  rack on data center , which is generally optimized for lengths from 5 to 30 meters. It is recommended that you need choose a high-speed DAC cable within 5m for a short distance.  For long distances over 30m, you can select the Optical Transceiver Module + Fiber Optic Jumper .

AOC cable for switch-switch , server-switch connection

AOC cable provides virtually error-free and trouble-free connectivity for switch-to-switch, server-to-switch, and high-speed storage applicationss. connection is where the cabling between switch and server stays within a rack. This has the benefit of reducing the overall

amount of cabling with the downside of reduced efficiency in the usage of Ethernet switch ports which are limited to within a rack.

Testing AOC cable

Testing AOC cable is a critical step to ensure any issues with network performance, it is necessary to trace and locate the far end. AOC cable failure causes include simple manufacturing defects with wrong or reversed polarities, or mislabeling or damage during shipment. For AOC, they may get excessively bent causing high loss or the fibers may get crushed.

The simplest and most effective way to test cables is to run a test pattern where the results can be compared to a Bit Error Rate (BER) threshold.

Summary

Active Optical Cable assemblies have been designed to support multiple protocols. Most of them are compliant with SFP+ Ethernet and InfiniBand electrical. In the era of the optical network, AOC cable captures a major chunk of high-speed optical inter-connectivity market on a global level.

If you are interested in UTOPTICAL AOC cables or full range of optical transceivers & cables ,please visit :UTOPTICAL Online Store.