Logo Environmental XPRT
Companies
Products
Services
Software
Training
Applications
Sign in
List your business
Molex
About
Downloads

Active Electrical Cable (AEC) Solutions

FromMolex
SHARE
Responding to higher bandwidth demands, Active Electrical Cable (AEC) Solutions with QSFP-DD and OSFP Interconnects are a new category of pluggable connectivity designed for cost-effective , low-loss operation at 112G PAM-4 speeds and higher (port capacity between 100 and 800 Gbps) while increasing reach up to 5.0m without optical cables.
Most popular related searches
transmission data
route optimization

Data Rate: up to 800 Gbps
Wire AWG: 28 - 34

Next-gen cables – critical for next-gen digital transmission speeds
Molex has launched AECs, which offer more intelligence than traditional passive direct attached cables (DACs). As speeds continue to increase and cable functionality becomes increasingly important in data transmission, AEC technology will enable next-generation system architecture.

Active components enable lengths up to 5.0 to 7.0m
Re-timers in the cable assemblies reset loss and timing planes (i.e., they regenerate signals and remove noise) to deliver superior signal integrity over lengths up to 5.0 to 7.0m between ASICs. AECs present an alternative to larger cable bundle sizes and costly active optical cables. AEC assemblies have an extended loss budget of up to 30dB. AECs’ lengths support shared TORs and advanced functions enabling network-managed redundancy and security.

More design flexibility between the ASIC and I/O
Molex’ design allows for a wide variety of PHY/re-timer integrated circuits to be used within our AEC products. This enables our customers to select the retimer that best fits their application and provides supply chain reliability.

Minimized cable bundle (28 to 34 AWG) makes routing easier and improves thermal management
The ability of AECs to reset loss and timing delivers more efficient signal transmission with smaller cable bundle sizes for improved cable management. This results in cabling as small as 28 to 34 AWG, which allows for more airflow and reduced thermal issues. Lighter weight and smaller bend radius contribute to routing ease.

Skyrocketing demand for bandwidth-intensive, data-driven services is fueling a rise in compute, data storage and networking capabilities. Molex AEC Solutions deliver 112 Gbps PAM-4 data rates.

As data rate requirements increase, signal loss grows as a design issue. Engineers have several options, such as optical connectivity, linear amplifiers and re-timers—each option has its own pros and cons. AECs present an ideal option when cable lengths over 1.5 to 2.0m is required. Because the connectors in AEC assemblies regenerate signals and remove noise, restraints due to signal loss within the box are significantly lightened even at lengths up to 5.0 to 7.0m.

As speeds and capabilities increase, thermal management becomes more challenging for telecommunication and networking OEMs. There is a need to minimize the air impedance caused by heavy cabling in front of the chassis. AEC Solutions minimize cable bundle size, 28 to 34 AWG, reducing airflow impedance in front of the chassis.

Data center managers often need cable lengths longer than 2.0m to reach between boxes, but longer lengths experience greater loss. AEC 112 Gbps PAM-4 Solutions enable external lengths up to 5.0 to 7.0m.