AOC & DAC Cables — Active Optical and Direct Attach Copper

Active Optical Cables (AOC) and Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables are fixed-length, pre-terminated interconnects used for short-reach rack-to-rack and server-to-switch connections inside data centers. Our AOC and DAC portfolio spans speeds from 10G to 800G in SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP56, QSFP-DD, and OSFP form factors with breakout configurations (e.g., QSFP28 to 4×SFP28).

What is the difference between AOC and DAC? DAC (Direct Attach Copper) uses a copper twinaxial cable with integrated SFP/QSFP modules at each end. DAC is passive copper (no laser or optical components — very low power draw) and typically covers distances from 0.5 m to 5 m. AOC (Active Optical Cable) uses multimode fiber with integrated transceivers containing optical engines — enabling distances from 1 m up to 100 m while consuming minimal power. What are AOC and DAC cables used for? Both are used to connect top-of-rack switches to servers, storage, or adjacent switches within the same or adjacent racks.

Are DAC cables compatible with standard QSFP+ or QSFP28 ports? Yes — DAC cables use standard MSA-compliant QSFP+ or QSFP28 connectors and are recognized as transceivers by the switch. No driver configuration is needed beyond standard optic firmware. Can I use a QSFP28 DAC in a QSFP-DD port? Yes, QSFP-DD ports accept QSFP28 DAC cables at 100G speed.

AOC and DAC cables are the cost-effective solution for server-to-TOR links and TOR-to-spine connections up to 5 m (DAC) or 100 m (AOC). They eliminate fiber polarity management, reduce cable count, and lower power consumption versus discrete transceivers with patch cables. Breakout variants — such as 400G QSFP-DD to 4×100G QSFP28 — enable flexible port splitting for high-density AI/ML cluster deployments.

AOC & DAC Cables — Full Catalog

C = Commercial (0°C to 70°C) · I = Industrial (−40°C to 85°C)