3M offers fanout active optical cable for QSFP+ to SFP+ requirements

3M Electronic Solutions Division has unveiled an active optical cable for applications requiring interoperability of 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40 GbE) switch ports and 10 GbE server ports. The fiber fanout cable assembly is the first for QSFP+ to SFP+ applications, the company asserts.

The active optical cable leverages VCSEL and 3M light-engine technologies, which the company believes will help the cable find use in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) clusters.

The hybrid active optical cable assembly transitions a single QSFP+ port with four parallel channels to four individual, single-channel SFP+ ports in top-of-rack (ToR) applications. As the fanout assembly supports direct-attach transitions at a one-to-four QSFP+ to SFP+ ratio, more 40 GbE uplinks can be deployed in these applications, 3M says.

The assembly uses bend-insensitive multimode fiber and is available in lengths up to 100 meters with the individual and uniform fanout lengths ranging from 1 meter to 2.5 meters. It is designed to meet SFF-8436, -8431, -8472 and -8432 standards. Like the rest of 3M’s active optical products, the new fanout assembly meets FCC Class B and CE Emissions and Immunity requirements, CDRH/IEC 60825-1, and is RoHS 2011/65/EU compliant.

“This new AOC fanout assembly from 3M helps simplify cable routing for 10 GbE aggregation and 40 GbE top-of-rack applications while allowing optimization of the limited QSFP+ uplinks found on today’s network switches,” said Jeff Bullion, marketing manager, System and Components Business, 3M Electronic Solutions Division. “It provides a true plug-and-play, low-cost, low-power and low-latency alternative to the pluggable modules and patch cords commonly used today.”

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