The differences between Direct Attach Cables and Active Optical Cables
If you are wondering what are the differences between Direct Attach Cables (DAC) and Active Optical Cables (AOC), this article is for you.
Direct Attach Cables (DAC)
Direct Attached Cables are a very common method used for very short-range distances because of the their low-cost. Indeed, they are the cheapest solution to connect network equipment. DAC are the perfect solution to linked switches, servers and storage inside racks. In addition, it is a one part product instead of the usually three part solution (two transceivers and a cable), which reduces the problems associated with dirty connectors.
Direct Attached Cables consume less power compared to Active Optical Cables (AOC) but they are heavier and vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI).
There are two types of DAC, the passive copper cable for distance from 0 to 5 meters and active copper cable for distance from 5 to 15 meters
40G QSFP+ to 40G QSFP+ DAC
100G QSFP28 to 4 x 25G SFP28 DAC
Active Optical Cables (AOC)
Active Optical Cables are comparable to using transceivers and separated cables. AOC are mostly used to connect switches, servers and storage between different racks inside a data center for example.
They can reach longer distance than Direct Attached Cables, up to 100 meters depending on the data rate and the type of fiber cable used. They are lighter and smaller than DAC, but they are more expensive, which is one of their main drawback. Unlike DAC, AOC are immune to EMI.
100G QSFP28 to 100G QSFP28 AOC
40G QSFP+ to 4 x 10G SFP AOC
Of course, if you need to reach longer distance you can always choose to use optical transceivers. The distance reached depends on the data rate but it can reach up to 120km for 1G SFP or 40km for 100G QSFP28 transceivers. To know more about optical transceivers you can check our Complete Guides.
Direct Attach Cables Products
| 10G SFP+ DAC | 10G SFP+ to SFP+ DAC | OPSFPP-T-xx-P | xx= 0,5 to 7 meters |
| 40G QSFP+ DAC | 40G QSFP+ to QSFP+ DAC | OPQSFP-T-xx-P | xx= 0,5 to 7 meters |
| 40G QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ DAC | OPQSFP-T-xx-P/SFPP/4 | xx= 0,5 to 7 meters | |
| 25G SFP28 DAC | 25G SFP28 to SFP28 DAC | OPSF28-T-X5-PE | xx= 0,5 to 5 meters |
| 100G QSFP28 DAC | 100G QSFP28 to QSFP28 DAC | OPQS28-T-XX-PE | xx= 0,5 to 5 meters |
| 100G QSFP28 to 4 SFP28 DAC | OPQS28-T-XX-P/SF28/4 | xx= 0,5 to 5 meters | |
| 400G QSFP-DD DAC | 400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD DAC | OPQSDD-T-X5-PEE | xx= 0,5 to 3 meters |
For DAC products, the length and the gauge size can be customized upon request.
Active Optical Cables Products
| 10G SFP+ AOC | 10G SFP+ to SFP+ AOC | OPSFPP-F-xx-AK | xx= 1 to 100 meters |
| 40G QSFP+ AOC | 40G QSFP+ to QSFP+ AOC | OPQSFP-F-xx-AKA | xx= 1 to 100 meters |
| 40G QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ AOC | OPQSFP-F-xx-A/SFPP/4 | xx= 1 to 100 meters | |
| 25G SFP28 AOC | SFP28 to SFP28 AOC | OPSF28-F-xx-AKT | xx= 1 to 100 meters |
| 100G QSFP28 AOC | 100G QSFP28 to QSFP28 AOC | OPQS28-F-XX-AK | xx= 1 to 100 meters |
| 100G QSFP28 to 4 SFP28 AOC | OPQS28-F-xx-A/SF28/4 | xx= 1 to 100 meters | |
| 400G QSFP-DD AOC | 400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD AOC | OPQSDD-F-xx-A | xx= 1 to 100 meters |
For AOC products, the length and type of fiber cable (single mode, multimode, OM3, OM4,..) can be customized upon request.
For information, Optech products are compatible with major switches and servers brands on the market. You can check all the compatible lists here.
About Optech
Optech Technology Co. Ltd was founded in 2001 in Taipei, Taiwan. The company was created with a sole purpose, to provide a wide and high quality portfolio of optical products to a very demanding and fast evolving market.
To respond to the permanent increase of IP traffic, Optech portfolio is constantly growing. Since the beginning, the company has always been up to date with the latest innovations on the market. Today, we are proud to deliver a large selection of 25G SFP28, 40G QSFP+, 100G QSFP28 and 400G QSFP-DD optical transceivers and cables.
Optech has a large portfolio of products which include optical transceivers, direct attach cables, active optical cables, loopback transceivers, media converters and fiber patch cords.
Through its large selection of optical products, that have a range of data speed from 155 Mbps to 400 Gbps and reach distances up to 120km, Optech products are suitable for various industries such as telecom, data centers as well as public and private networks.
Optech also has a strong experience as an OEM supplier. We put our expertise and knowledge at the service of your brand.
To ensure the quality and the compatibility of our products, every product is carefully tested before delivery to our customers. In addition, Optech obtained several certifications such as UL, TUV Rheinland, ISO9001 and ISO14001 certification. All our optical transceivers are MSA and RoHS compliant.
At Optech, we value each and every customer. We know every demand is unique. For this reason, our team of experts is glad to answer all our customers’ specific demands.
Just like data, Optech has no boundaries and will optimize your network all over the world.
For more information you can visit www.optech.com.tw or contact us at sales@optech.com.tw.
