By Laney | 23 October 2024 | 0 Comments
Why need Active Direct Attach Copper Cable(ACC Cable)
An ACC (Active Copper Cable), also known as Active Direct Attach Copper Cable, is a type of high-speed copper cable that includes signal conditioning electronics within the cable's connectors. These electronics help enhance signal quality over longer distances compared to passive DAC (Direct Attach Copper) cables.
Key Features of ACC Cables:
ACC cables are typically used in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) environments, where longer distances than DACs can handle are required but where the cost and complexity of optical solutions (AOC or fiber) are not justified.
ACC cables provide a balance between performance, distance, and cost, offering greater reach than DAC cables with the added benefit of active signal enhancement.
Active Copper Cables (ACC) are needed in networking and data center environments where signal integrity needs to be maintained over longer distances than passive Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables can support, but where optical cables (AOC) may not be justified due to cost, complexity, or power consumption concerns. Here are the key reasons for using ACC cables:
1. Greater Distance with Signal Integrity
Key Features of ACC Cables:
- Signal Conditioning: ACC cables include active components like signal amplifiers or equalizers in the connector to reduce signal degradation and improve signal integrity over longer distances.
- Longer Distance Support: While passive DAC cables typically work well up to 5-7 meters, ACC cables can extend the length up to around 10-15 meters, making them suitable for medium-range connections within data centers.
- High-Speed Data Transmission: ACC cables support data rates similar to passive DAC cables, ranging from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps or higher, depending on the cable type (SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28, etc.).
- Lower Latency: ACC cables maintain low latency similar to DAC cables, making them ideal for applications where both distance and speed are critical.
- Reduced Power Consumption: While ACC cables use more power than passive DACs due to the integrated electronics, they generally consume less power than optical cables (AOCs), making them an energy-efficient choice for medium-length connections.
- Flexible and Cost-Effective: Like DAC cables, ACCs are generally more cost-effective than fiber optic solutions, especially for short to medium distances. They are also more flexible and easier to manage compared to fiber optics.
- Passive DAC (Direct Attach Copper): No electronics; limited to short distances (up to 7 meters).
- ACC (Active Copper Cable): Has signal conditioning, allowing for greater distances (up to 15 meters).
- AOC (Active Optical Cable): Uses fiber optics for long distances (up to 100 meters or more) but is generally more expensive and consumes more power than ACC or DAC cables.
ACC cables are typically used in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) environments, where longer distances than DACs can handle are required but where the cost and complexity of optical solutions (AOC or fiber) are not justified.
ACC cables provide a balance between performance, distance, and cost, offering greater reach than DAC cables with the added benefit of active signal enhancement.
Active Copper Cables (ACC) are needed in networking and data center environments where signal integrity needs to be maintained over longer distances than passive Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables can support, but where optical cables (AOC) may not be justified due to cost, complexity, or power consumption concerns. Here are the key reasons for using ACC cables:
1. Greater Distance with Signal Integrity
- Passive DAC cables are typically limited to distances of 5-7 meters because the copper material causes signal attenuation (loss) over longer distances.
- ACC cables, with integrated signal conditioning electronics, can extend that distance to around 10-15 meters by amplifying and equalizing the signal to reduce degradation, ensuring high data integrity over longer links.
- Optical cables (AOCs) are much more expensive than copper-based solutions due to the complexity of optical transceivers and fiber optics.
- ACC cables are more affordable for medium-range (10-15 meters) connections, offering a cost-efficient alternative to fiber optics in data centers or other environments where optical connections might be overkill.
- AOC cables, while capable of much longer distances (up to 100 meters or more), consume more power because they use optical transceivers that convert electrical signals into light.
- ACC cables use less power than AOC cables while still offering extended reach beyond DAC cables. This makes ACC a more energy-efficient solution for medium-distance connections, especially in large-scale data centers where power efficiency is critical.
- ACC cables provide low latency similar to passive DAC cables, which is important in environments such as high-performance computing (HPC) or low-latency financial trading, where fast data transmission is critical.
- ACC cables are more flexible and easier to handle than traditional fiber optic cables. Fiber optics are delicate and can be more difficult to manage in dense networking environments, whereas copper-based ACCs are durable and easier to install and maintain.
- ACC cables have integrated transceivers within the connectors, simplifying deployment because there’s no need to purchase and install separate optical transceivers at either end of the link. This reduces complexity and cost when setting up networking infrastructure.
- In data centers, where racks are often positioned relatively close but beyond the reach of passive DAC cables, ACC cables are ideal for connecting servers, switches, and routers over distances too long for DACs but not long enough to require AOCs.
- When you need to connect devices over medium distances (up to 15 meters) in a data center or networking environment.
- When signal quality and reliability are a concern over copper cabling.
- When low power consumption and low latency are critical, but fiber optic cables are not necessary.
- When you need a more cost-effective solution compared to Active Optical Cables (AOCs) but still require more range than passive DACs.
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