Cable direct attach (DAC) is an alternative to fiber optic transceivers, which eliminates the need for transceivers, storage and servers by permanently connecting the two ends of the cable to the SFP+ slots in communication equipment such as switches and routers.
Cable direct attachs are used for shorter distance links, typically with lengths of 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 meters. They are generally used to connect devices in the same rack, devices in adjacent racks, or devices in mid-sized data centers. Cable direct attach comes in both copper and fiber cable assemblies, depending on various factors such as electromagnetic interference and space availability. For example, we have sfp28 dac cable for sale.
There are two main types of cable direct attach: Copper/Twinax cable direct attach and Fiber cable direct attach. These are further categorized into Passive Copper/Twinax cable direct attach and Active Copper/Twinax cable direct attach. Fiber cable direct attach is only available as Active Fiber cable direct attach. As a bidi sfp manufacturer, we witness much change in this field. So, what is the difference between passive and active direct attach cables?
As an active optical cables supplier, we remind you that passive cable direct attach: Passive cable direct attach is a copper cable with fixed transceivers on both ends. These cables are connected to the communication equipment and provide the connection between the devices. The length of Passive cable direct attach is usually up to 5 to 7 meters. Passive cable direct attach is thicker and takes up more space. If a large number of cables are connected to a single device, they are difficult to manage. Passive cable direct attach has a length limitation as copper cables cannot be used for 10G connections over longer distances.
Active cable direct attach: Active cable direct attach can be made of either copper or fiber with fixed transceivers on both ends. The length of Active cable direct attach can be as long as 15 meters. Active cable direct attach is thinner than Passive cable direct attach, mainly because the thickness of fiber is much smaller than that of copper cables used in Passive cable direct attach.
The main difference between Active and Passive cable direct attach is the additional components of active transmitters and active receivers present in Active cable direct attach. In contrast, Passive cable direct attach does not have any active components and relies on signals provided to them by the communication equipment.
