Let's start with AOC, which stands for Active Optical Cable. AOC consists of two modules on either end, connected by a section of optical fiber in the middle. They combine the lightweight nature of fiber optics with the plug-and-play convenience of DAC. AOCs are widely used for rack-to-rack links and AI/HPC clusters, where distances are too long for DAC but too short to justify expensive optical. An Active Optical Cable (AOC) is a high-speed data transmission cable assembly type. In this guide, we will explore what an AOC cable is, how active optical cables work, their benefits, drawbacks, use cases, selection criteria, and best practices.
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