Both AOC active optical cables and DAC high-speed cables are used for short-distance server interconnection in data centers and interconnection between servers and switches. Then, what is the difference between the two, let’s take a look together.

AOC active optical cable

DAC high-speed cable

1 The power consumption is different, the maximum power consumption of the AOC active optical cable is lower than that of the DAC high-speed cable

2 The transmission distance is different. The transmission distance of AOC active optical cable is longer than that of DAC high-speed cable. The transmission distance of AOC active optical cable (OM3) is generally up to 100M, while the transmission distance of DAC high-speed cable is generally about 7M.

3 The transmission medium is different. The AOC active optical cable uses optical fiber material (insulation), which belongs to optical fiber communication and is not interfered by electromagnetic waves. The DAC high-speed cable is made of copper wire, which belongs to electrical communication and is subject to electromagnetic interference.

4 The transmission signal is different, the AOC active optical cable transmission signal is an optical signal, and the DAC high-speed cable transmission signal is a low-voltage pulse signal.

5 The price is different. On the one hand, because the price of optical fiber material is more expensive than copper cable, on the other hand, the module at both ends of the active optical cable contains lasers, but the DAC high-speed cable does not. Therefore, the price of AOC active optical cable is higher than that of DAC high-speed cable. The cable is much higher

6 The volume and weight are different. Under the same length, the weight of the AOC active optical cable is about one-fourth of the DAC high-speed cable, and the volume is about one-half of the DAC high-speed cable, which is convenient for wiring and transportation.

7 The transmission performance is different, the bit error rate of the AOC active optical cable is lower than that of the DAC high-speed cable.

8 The devices used are different. DAC high-speed cables have no optical devices, while AOC active optical cables contain lasers.