A fiber fanout cable assembly supporting the interoperability of 40
Gigabit Ethernet (40 GbE) switch ports and 10 GbE server ports is now
available from the 3M Electronic Solutions Division. The
first-of-its-kind, 3M Active Optical Cable (AOC) Assembly for QSFP+ to
SFP+ Applications incorporates industry-leading VCSEL and 3M
light-engine technologies to deliver exceptional cost and performance
value for data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) clusters.
The hybrid AOC assembly transitions a single QSFP+ port with four
parallel channels to four individual, single-channel SFP+ ports in
top-of-rack (ToR) applications and at distances up to 100 meters. The
fanout cable assembly addresses a common data center and HPC problem in
which QSFP+ switch ports are under-utilized. Because the 3M fanout
assembly allows direct-attach transitions at a one-to-four QSFP+ to SFP+
ratio, more 40 GbE uplinks can be deployed.
“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.”
With no optical splices, the AOC Assembly for QSFP+ to SFP+ Applications
from 3M provides seamless, end-to-end connectivity over
bend-insensitive, multimode fiber. The number of connections is cut in
half compared to traditional module solutions. Fewer connection points
can improve reliability, reduce optical loss and latency, and lower
power consumption.
The cable assembly supports cost efficiency in a number of ways. Each of
the cable assembly’s parallel channels is synchronized to provide
interoperability between the 40 GbE and 10 GbE interfaces, which limits
the amount of optical debugging and tuning required, which can speed up
installation. The lightweight, thin fiber assembly makes cable routing
and dress-out easier while allowing better air flow in the rack,
potentially reducing cooling costs. In addition, one product replaces
three (two types of transceivers and a fiber cable), lowering cost and
reducing purchasing and inventory management complexity.
The cable assembly 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. All 3M Active Optical products meet FCC Class B and CE
Emissions and Immunity requirements, CDRH/IEC 60825-1 and are *RoHS
2011/65/EU compliant. Learn more about 3M
Active Optical products.
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About 3M Electronic Solutions Division
ESD is a leading provider of advanced electronic thin substrates and
sensors, components and comprehensive systems for enhancing and managing
electronic signal properties. The products help customers in consumer
electronics, touch panels, enterprise and networking, industrial and
factory automation, semiconductor and component markets worldwide.
For more information about 3M’s Interconnect solutions, visit: http://www.3Mconnectors.com.
Information about 3M Company is available online.
3M is a trademark of 3M Company. All other trademarks listed herein are
owned by their respective companies.
Unless otherwise noted, references to industry specifications are
intended to indicate substantial compliance to the material elements of
the specification. Such references should not be construed as a
guarantee of compliance to all requirements in a given specification.
*“RoHS 2011/65/EU” means that the product or part does not contain any
of the substances in excess of the maximum concentration values (“MCVs”)
in EU RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU. The MCVs are by weight in homogeneous
materials. This information represents 3M's knowledge and belief, which
may be based in whole or in part on information provided by third party
suppliers to 3M.
Copyright Business Wire 2013