Data Center Cabling
AOC (Active Optical Cable) and DAC (Passive Copper Cable) are mainly used for short-distance interconnection in data centers and server switch interconnection.Comparing AOC versus DAC :
Energy consumption : The maximum energy consumption of AOC is lower than that of DAC high-speed cable.
Transmission Distance : The transmission distance of AOC (OM3) is generally longer than that of DAC, and some can reach 100m; while the transmission distance of DAC high-speed cable is generally limited to about 7m.
Transmit Signal : The AOC transmission signal is an optical signal, and the DAC transmission signal is a low-voltage pulse signal.
Transmission medium : AOC uses optical fiber material (insulation), which is optical fiber communication and is not subject to electromagnetic interference; DAC high-speed cable is copper wire, which is electronic communication and will be subject to electromagnetic interference.
DAC Application :
1. Suitable for short distances
2. Widely used in connections between data center switches, large-capacity I/O storage devices and high-density network equipment
AOC Application :
1. Long transmission distance
2. Used in data centers, high-performance computers, large-capacity I/O storage area networks and other equipment for high-speed, high-reliability data transmission
3. AOC usually meets industry standard electrical interfaces , through internal electrical-optical-electrical conversion, utilizing the advantages of optical cables for data transmission
