Volex launches copper cable assemblies specifically designed for high-speed environments.

A key benefit for applying copper cable assemblies in high-speed environments is cost savings. Whilst fibre optic can deliver fast rates of data transfer, this comes at a significant cost due to the requirement for a transceiver. Toney Chew, Business Development Manager for Volex, comments, “Copper cable assemblies offer a cost-effective solution for device connection within rack environments such as server farms and data archives which only require short length assemblies, typically less than four metres. This is because the assembly does not require a signal conversion device, or transceiver, which pushes the costs up considerably. This cost reduction does not compromise signal integrity or compliance with industry standards and benchmarks for speed of data transfer.”







Chew adds, “Volex has optimized its design and manufacturing process to provide the best in class crosstalk performance in the industry.” The SFP+ can support transmissions of 10Gbps over Ethernet while offering backwards compatibility to 1Gbps and low power consumption. The hot-plug swappable component is compliant with SFP+ MSA, SFF-8431 and SFF-8461. The QSFP offers a 3x port density over the SFP+ and performs to 10/40 Gbps over Ethernet. The active cable assembly supports up to 15-metre lengths in application and meets all QSFP MSA and IBTA specifications as well as achieving SFF-8436 compliance.







Both products have been engineered for application in high-speed environments such as the datacoms and telecoms markets. The datacoms market can include both data centre environments – with the integral need for high levels of storage – and environments with high performance computing (HPC) requirements, such as large corporations and financial institutions – with the focus on server and processing capacity. Application for the telecoms market includes functionality within mobile network switching centres and base station sites. Cabling assemblies for all of these applications are relied upon to transmit increasing amounts of data at high speed, whilst maintaining low costs, signal integrity and reducing heat loss.







Chew comments, “High-speed delivery of data in these environments is crucial to smooth operations, and in most cases the profitability of the organisation. Cable assemblies must therefore be able to transfer large amounts of data rapidly.”







Chew continues, “Copper cable assemblies such as the SFP+ and QSFP are able to deliver a remarkable rate of transfer, whilst maintaining signal integrity. Importantly, these products also consume lower levels of power and generate less heat. In a data centre environment this is vital to effectively managing air conditioning costs, and addresses the increasingly important environmental agenda.”







Volex innovates and engineers industry-leading solutions by exploiting its product-design expertise and manufacturing know-how to support complementary applications in the market. By ensuring its involvement throughout the design, development and manufacturing process, Volex is able to contribute to solving industry issues, such as power, heat and signal loss, contributing to environmental problems, by bringing products to market faster and more efficiently.







Volex’s QSFP copper cable assembly has also been recognised by the Infiniband Trade Association (IBTA) at the 2009 Plugfest, where it achieved Integrator status on the Cable Integrators’ List. The annual Plugfest event gives device and cable vendors the opportunity to test products for compliance with the InfiniBand architecture specification, as well as interoperability with other InfiniBand products.







Chew comments, “Achieving Integrator status for the QSFP is recognition for the high levels of integration the product achieves, as well as the innovation behind its design.”







Tom Aubin, Group Technology Director at Volex, comments, “As the demand for high-speed data transfer increases, Volex is developing a product portfolio which means it will be at the forefront of innovation in this area. We are working closely with customers to understand their needs, and believe that products such as SFP+ and QSFP are a direct result of this collaboration.”