What is Active Optical Cable (AOC)?

What is Active Optical Cable (AOC)?

An Active Optical Cable (AOC) is a hybrid cable that converts electrical signals to light for high-speed transmission over fiber optics in the main cable, and then converts the light back to electrical signals at the connector ends, enabling high bandwidth, long-distance data transfer while remaining compatible with standard electrical interfaces.

An Active Optical Cable is two transceivers attached together by a fiber cable, creating a one-part assembly.

Active Optical Cables can reach distances from 3 meters up to 100 meters, but they are commonly used for a distance of up to 30 meters.

The AOC technology has been developed for several data rates, such as 10G SFP+, 25G SFP28, 40G QSFP+, and 100G QSFP28.
AOC also exists as breakout cables, where one side of the assembly is divided into four cables, each terminated by a transceiver of a smaller data rate, allowing to connection a larger number of ports and devices.

How AOCs Work?

1. Electrical-to-Optical Conversion: At each end of the cable, a specialized transceiver converts electrical signals from the connected device into optical signals.

2. Fiber Optic Transmission: The optical signals travel through bundled fiber optics within the cable.

3. Optical-to-Electrical Conversion: At the receiving end, the transceiver converts the light signals back into electrical signals for the next device.

Active Optical Cable (AOC) Key Features and Benefits

• High Speed & Long Distance:

AOCs can achieve high data transfer rates (e.g., 10Gb, 100GB) and transmit signals over much longer distances compared to traditional copper cables, which are limited by attenuation.

• Reduced Weight & Space:

The fiber optic core is lighter and more flexible than copper wires, making AOCs ideal for high-density environments.

• Immunity to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI):

The use of light for data transfer means AOCs are immune to EMI, a significant advantage in busy data centers and near sensitive equipment.

• Plug-and-Play Compatibility:

AOCs work with standard ports and devices, providing a simple, integrated solution without the need for separate transceivers.

• Lower Power Consumption:

Compared to some other solutions, AOCs often consume less power, which contributes to lower operational costs.

Active Optical Cable (AOC) Applications

• Data Centers:

AOCs are extensively used in data centers to link servers, switches, and storage devices, connecting Top-of-Rack (ToR) switches to aggregation layer switches.

• High-Performance Computing (HPC):

Their ability to handle high bandwidth and long distances makes them suitable for demanding HPC environments.

• USB-C Connections:

For tasks like connecting laptops to monitors, AOCs can transmit audio, video, data, and power over longer distances without sacrificing quality.

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