AOC (Active Optical Cables) refers to communication cables that require the use of external energy to convert electrical signals into optical signals or convert optical signals into electrical signals during the communication process. The optical transceivers at both ends of the cable can provide photoelectric conversion and optical transmission functions. AOC active optical cables have different transmission rates and packaging types. In this issue, ETU-LINK will introduce you to 100G QSFP28 AOC active optical cables.

Classification of 100G AOC active optical cables

100G AOC active optical cables can be divided into 100G QSFP28 to QSFP28 AOC, 100G QSFP28 to 2x50G QSFP28 AOC branch active optical cables, and 100G QSFP28 to 4x25G SFP28 AOC branch active optical cables.

1. 100G QSFP28 to QSFP28 AOC active optical cables

100Gbps QSFP28 to QSFP28 AOC is a four channel full duplex active optical cable with QSFP28 connectors at both ends. Each channel can transmit data at a rate of up to 26Gbit/s, with standard lengths of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 70 meters, etc.

2. 100G QSFP28 to 2x50G QSFP28 AOC branch active optical cables

100G QSFP28 to 2x50G QSFP28 AOC is a 100 meter multimode fiber (MMF) designed specifically for optical interconnection links. Based on vertically integrated VCSEL array technology and QSFP28 MSA compatible high-density connector design, the components are compact, lightweight, and low-power.

3. 100G QSFP28 to 4x25G SFP28 AOC branch active optical cables

The front end of the 100G QSFP28 to 4x25G SFP28 AOC branch active optical cable is a 100G QSFP28 connector, and the back end is four 25G SFP28 connectors. The maximum link length is 70 meters on OM3 MMF and 100 meters on OM4 MMF.

ETU-LINK 100G QSFP28 AOC Specification

100G QSFP28 SR4 optical module VS 100G QSFP28 AOC active optical cable

The 100G QSFP28 SR4 optical module and 100G QSFP28 AOC active optical cable both use a 4-channel 850nm VCSEL laser array and PIN photodetector array, while complying with the QSFP28 MSA and IEEE 802.3bm 100GBASE-SR4 standards to achieve short distance interconnection. The difference between the two is that QSFP28 SR4 is only a module that needs to be used with OM3/OM4 patch cords, while AOC consists of two optical transceivers and one fiber optic patch cord; SR4 has DDM digital diagnostic monitoring function, with superior reception sensitivity compared to AOC; QSFP28 SR4 has a higher power consumption and usage cost than AOC.

Application of 100G QSFP28 AOC Active Optical Cable

With the rapid development of big data and cloud computing, the demand for data transmission is increasing day by day. 100G AOC active optical cables, as the transmission carrier for short distance data in 100G data centers, are mainly widely used in data center rooms, high-performance computing, and storage area networks. They have the advantages of long transmission distance, fast transmission rate, and convenient use. As a high-performance module, 100G QSFP28 is used for short distance multi-channel data communication and interconnection applications.

The above is all the content about 100G QSFP28 AOC active optical cables from ETU-LINK in this blog. For more knowledge about optical modules, welcome to visit our website!