AOC and DAC Cables
Use this series page to compare form factors, link reaches and interface directions before selecting a specific model. Final specifications, compatibility coding and delivery options remain tied to the ordered P/N and target host.
A DAC is passive copper: no power draw, lowest cost, and suited to short in-rack runs. An AOC is lighter, bends tighter and reaches further, which matters across dense panels or between adjacent racks. Both are fixed-length assemblies, so the measured cable path and the routing space decide more often than the speed does.
Breakout assemblies exist across the 10G to 800G range, but the cable only works if the source port is configured for the matching lane mode and every branch port accepts the resulting rate. Confirm the supported breakout modes on the target platform first: the assembly does not create the capability.
AOC and DAC assemblies are built to a fixed length, so follow the real cable path - through trays, around bend radii and including service slack - rather than the straight-line distance between ports. Length cannot be adjusted on site, so an assembly that is slightly short is unusable and one that is far too long congests the tray.
