400G InfiniBand HDR Active Optical Cable (AOC) Family
400G InfiniBand HDR active optical cables. Up to 30 m in OSFP and QSFP112, up to 100 m in QSFP-DD; for distances copper cannot cover.
400G InfiniBand HDR Active Optical Cable (AOC) Family
400G InfiniBand HDR active optical cables. Up to 30 m in OSFP and QSFP112, up to 100 m in QSFP-DD; for distances copper cannot cover.
- 1–30 m (OSFP / QSFP112) and 1–100 m (QSFP-DD) length ranges
- Takes over where copper cable runs out of distance
- 30 mm minimum bend radius — an advantage in tight channels
- OFNP jacket, suitable for plenum spaces
An active optical cable (AOC) is an optical link terminated at the factory on both ends: it carries a transmitter and receiver inside and looks like a single cable from the outside. It sits between copper’s distance limit and the complexity of a separate module-plus-fiber build.
The order of selection is clear: if the distance is within passive copper, use copper; if not, AOC; if the run is very long or you need modular flexibility, use optical modules with trunk fiber. The cost of AOC is 8–10 W per end and a fixed length; the gain is installation simplicity and immunity to noise.
Specifications
| Specification | OSFP AOC finned ↔ finned | QSFP-DD AOC | QSFP112 AOC | OSFP passive DAC (for comparison) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable | ||||
| Cable type | AOC (active optical) | AOC (active optical) | AOC (active optical) | Passive DAC (copper) |
| Max. data rate | 400Gb/s | 400Gb/s | 400Gb/s | 400Gb/s |
| Form factor | OSFP finned ↔ finned | QSFP-DD ↔ QSFP-DD | QSFP112 ↔ QSFP112 | OSFP finned ↔ finned |
| Length range | 1–30 m | 1–100 m | 1–30 m | 1–3 m |
| Physical and electrical | ||||
| Minimum bend radius | 30 mm | 30 mm | 30 mm | 34.5–40.5 mm |
| Modulation | 8 x 50G-PAM4 | 8 x 50G-PAM4 | 4 x 100G-PAM4 | 8 x 50G-PAM4 |
| Max. power consumption (per end) | 10 W | 8 W | 10 W | 0.1 W |
| Jacket material | OFNP | OFNP | OFNP | PVC |
Specifications follow the manufacturer datasheet. The exact configuration is confirmed in your quote.
Connectivity Solutions
It starts where copper stops
Passive DAC cables hit their limit around three metres. On links between racks or to an end-of-row switch, AOC takes over: being optical, the distance limit rises to 30 metres, and to 100 metres in the QSFP-DD variant.
One assembly instead of module plus fiber
An AOC is a single product terminated at the factory on both ends; there is no separate module and fiber to buy and no connector cleaning to worry about. In exchange the length is fixed and a failure replaces the whole cable, whereas a module-plus-fiber build replaces only the failed part.
Effect on the power budget
At 8–10 W per end the draw is a hundred times that of passive copper's 0.1 W. Across a deployment with hundreds of links this must be accounted for in rack power and cooling planning; building every possible link in copper is a direct capacity gain.
Features
Easy to manage in tight channels
A 30 mm bend radius and a thin cross-section give a clear advantage over copper. In dense racks that makes a difference to both cable management and airflow.
Immune to electromagnetic noise
Optical transmission is unaffected by the signal degradation copper suffers along routes crowded with power cabling and electrical noise.
OFNP jacket
The fire-rated OFNP jacket is required by code on routes passing through plenum (air handling) spaces. It is assessed together with the cable route in the installation plan.
Resources
- 400G OSFP HDR AOC — product page and variant table Datasheet
- InfiniBand 400G/200G HDR category Compatibility
Documents open on the manufacturer's or supplier's own site.
Request a quote for this product
Tell us the quantity and the cluster it will join; we send a compatible part list with lead times — usually the same business day.
- Authorised dealer supply, manufacturer warranty
- Compatibility check for switch, adapter and optics
- Lead time per line item
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