Molex QSFP+ Active Optical Cable (AOC) Assemblies Provide Unmatched Reach at a Fraction of the Power

Molex Incorporated introduces its Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP+) Active Optical Cable (AOC) assemblies, providing the longest link distance and lowest power consumption on the market today. The assemblies achieve 40 Gbps data rates over long reaches of up to 4km (2.49 miles) using only 0.78W per cable end. By improving overall data center power consumption, additional ports can be deployed, resulting in increased connectivity options and overall cost savings.

“Molex continues to be the leader in providing innovative interconnect technology. Our QSFP+ AOC assemblies are another example of how we blend multiple solutions into one product. They address our customers’ high-density requirements while combining high-data integrity with low-power consumption,” said Tom Marrapode, director of marketing, fiber optic products group, Molex. “Additionally, the optical link budget of Molex’s QSFP+ AOC supports multiple optical connectors within the optical cable, providing a unique opportunity to support a structured cable system in the user’s facility. This unique feature adds significant flexibility to the use and installation of QSFP+ AOC in lengths greater than 100 meters.”

Adding to Molex’s QSFP+ AOC assemblies’ high-performance capabilities is the use of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Photonics technology, which integrates most of the transceiver functionality onto a single chip, providing a low-cost cable that delivers a reliable, long-reach solution.

With four bi-directional optical data links per end, each operating at data rates from 1.0 to 10.3125 Gbps, the Molex QSFP+ AOC assemblies are compatible with multiple protocols including InfiniBand* single data rates (SDR), dual data rates (DDR) and quad data rates (QDR), Ethernet systems (10 and 40 Gbps); Fiber Channel (8 and 10 Gbps) and SAS (6 Gbps). In addition to QDR data rate products, Molex plans the release of next generation InfiniBand FDR data rate AOC products based on low power consumption Silicon Photonics 56 Gbps optical engine technology in Q3 of 2011.

To further expand its active optic connectivity offering to customers, Molex acquired Luxtera’s AOC business in January 2011. Luxtera, the worldwide leader in Silicon CMOS Photonics, transferred all aspects of its existing and future AOC business to Molex including its QSFP+ 40 Gbps Ethernet and InfiniBand products and customers.