What is AOC high speed cables?

AOC is an active optical cable, which is formed by connecting two optical transceivers and an optical fiber cable. Active optical cables are mainly used for high-speed and reliable interconnection and data transmission in data centers, high-performance computers and large-capacity storage equipment. AOC application is an electrical interface that meets the requirements of industrial standards. It uses the internal electrical-optical-electrical conversion of the optical cable to enable the optical cable to perform efficient and stable data transmission.

What is a DAC high speed cable?

DAC is a passive direct attach cable, which is connected directly by copper cable. This type of cable ports cannot be removed, and the module head cannot be separated from the copper cable. Copper cables are the most common direct attach cables used in data centers to connect servers to storage area. Direct attach copper cables are divided into passive DAC cables and active DAC cables. Passive DAC cable’s connecting module with no driver chip, but active DAC cables’ module with driver chip. Because the passive DAC cables do not need extra external power to display, they are used more frequently.

Although AOC and DAC cables have different materials and uses, both of them are widely used. So how should users choose? First of all, you need to know more the advantages and disadvantages of both cables, and then make choice according to your needs.

AOC Active Optical Cable

Advantages:

① Higher bandwidth transmission performance, without external equipment or upgrade equipment;

②Light: Compared with ordinary high-speed cables, it is smaller and lighter;

③ Strong ability to shield electromagnetic interference: AOC transmits signals through optical fibers. The optical fiber material is an insulating dielectric and is not easily affected by electromagnetic interference.

Disadvantages: High cost compared to DAC

DAC Direct Attach Cable

DAC cables using in data centers

Advantages:

1. High data transmission rate: It can support 1Gbps to 200Gbps data transmission, which is higher than the transmission rate of traditional copper cables;
2. Low cost: Copper cables are cheaper than optical fibers in both procurement and cabling costs;
3. Good heat dissipation: The DAC cable is composed of copper conductor, has good heat dissipation.

Disadvantages:

The transmission distance is limited, and the weight and volume are larger.