OEM Compatible Direct Attach, Active Copper & Active Optical Cables An introduction and Comparison of Direct Attach Cables, Active Copper Cables and Active Optical Cables Cables are often used for data centre short reach interconnects. They are terminated with transceiver-style plugs to be used in the same ports where optical transceiver are used. Protocol independent, can support Ethernet, Infiniband, Fiber channel, etc. ProLabs range of Direct Attach Cooper Cable Assembly are based on 10G Ethernet IEEE 802.3ae standard. Cables can be divided into 3 families: (DAC) Copper Direct Attach Cable (ACC) Active Copper Cables (AOC) Active Optical Cables Product Features Up to 11 GBd bi-directional data links Compliant with 10GFC Compliant with SFF8431 Hot-pluggable SFP+ footprint AC coupled inputs and outputs 100 Ohm differential impedance Enhanced EMI design Single power supply 3.3V RoHS Compliance Operating temperature range: 0º C to 70ºC OR ProLabs DACs are compatible with the following manufacturers Alcatel Arista Brocade-Foundry Cisco Enterasys Extreme Force 10 HP Huawei H3C Juniper Mellanox
Cables are available with SFP+ termination (10G ports), QSFP+ (40G) and hybrid (QSFP+ to 4x SFP+) In principle, cables can be realized with any transceiver form factor (CXP, CX4, etc.) Comparison Matrix DAC ACC AOC Cost $ $$ $$$ Power Low Medium Med-High Distance 7m* 15m 300m Weight High High Low Cable Stiffness High High Low Product Features DAC cables are a cost effective interconnection option for short distance networking applications. AOC are a premium product, offering several benefits over copper (reach, weight, bendflexibility) DAC & AOC use the same port as an optical transceiver but with significant cost and power savings in short reach applications. *Can be up to 10m for data rates < 10Gbps Copper Cable Sizes 1) 2) 3) 4) 1) Fiber 10/40/100G 2) 10G cable 2 pairs 10/40/100G 3) 40G cable 8 pairs 10/40/100G 4) 100G cable 20 pairs 10/40/100G Weight: A 5 meter 10G copper cable weighs approximately 1Kg while an AOC is approximately 250g An AOC can be a quarter of the weight of a copper cable (DAC/ ACC) for equal cable lengths 100G cables theoretically possible but in reality done with AOC The ProLabs Advantage Compatibility 100-percent compatible with more than 40 vendors and 20,000 systems Quality At the forefront of technology development, coding, testing & customisation with lifetime warranty on transceivers & cables. Service Fast, responsive, knowledgeable service and support that exceeds that of OEMs Global Large inventory in US and Europe means fast shipping to more than 40 countries monthly Cost-effective Savings of up to 70 percent
Direct Attach Cables 100% Compatable Guarantee Direct connection between copper cable and transceiver s PCB electrical contacts No active circuitry, low power Interconnections up to 7m at 10Gbit/s Active Copper Cables True Plug & Play No minor alarms or unsupported transceiver messages Full compliance with the Intestmulti-Source Agreement Incorporates active component to boost/receive signal, same Applicaton specific EE pro code support cable type as DAC Active circuitry, requires more power compared to DAC Interconnections up to 15m at 10Gbit/s Active Optical cables Incorporates active electrical and optical components, component to boost/receive signal, cable is optical fiber (MM or SM) Interconnections up to 300m on MM fiber at 10Gbit/s or few kilometres on SM, practical cables are a few 10s of meters More expensive, but lighter and easily bendable
Applications Left; Datacenter structure diagram Cables mainly used here EOR KEY: TOR = Top of Rack EOR = End of Row DAC TOR AOC By the numbers Four sections per colocation and multiple ( 4) colo per Datacenter. Volumes are per section (except DCR to metro). Large market opportunity for DAC, ACC and AOC A end Z end Volume Ave. Reach Medium Cost target Server TOR 10k-100k <3m Copper $ TOR Leaf 1k-10k 20m AOC $$ Leaf Spine 1k-10k 400m SMF $$ Spine DCR 100-1000 1Km SMF $$$ DCR Metro 100-300 1-80Km SMF $$$$
Top-Quality Products with Lifetime Warranties Transceivers GBIC, SFP, XFP, X2, Xenpak, SFP+, CWDM, and DWDM Modules. Media Converters 10Gb & 10/100/1000 copper to fibre. Everything You Need, When You Need It. ProLabs offers an extensive range of high-quality products including optical and copper transceivers, cabling, and media converters. With an unrelenting commitment to quality, service and support, ProLabs is the only mid-tier provider offering customisation, lifetime product warranties and fast, flexible shipping options. Cabling Products Fibre, copper, custom cables and power cords. Adaptors, connectors and data points. Visit www.prolabs.com for the full range of products and downloadable data sheets. Mux/Demux 4 or 8 channel CWDM and DWDM. DAC Cables Able to supply a range of distances. +44 (0) 1285 719 600 info@prolabs.com Unit A, The Mallards Broadway Lane South Cerney Cirencester GL7 5TQ