Everything You Should Know About 10G SFP+ DAC Twinax Cable

As a substitute for optical modules, 10G SFP+ DAC Twinax cable overcomes the shortcomings of optical modules and optical fibers that are fragile and easily damaged in daily work. Ethernet cable provides a cost-effective solution in short-distance transmission, making it an important component in high-speed network connections. This article will take you to learn about 10G SFP+ DAC Twinax cable in detail, and understand its applications, types, advantages and disadvantages.

What is 10G Ethernet Cable

10G SFP+ direct-attached copper twisted pair cable is a copper cable with non-detachable SFP+ connectors on both ends, mainly used for short-distance data transmission. It adopts a dual coaxial copper cable design with two signal transmission conductors inside and a shielding layer on the outer jacket to provide EMI protection and prevent signal transmission from being interfered. In essence, 10G DAC Twinax cable is similar to the combination of 10G-T module and CAT network cable, but DAC is permanently connected. Compared with optical module plus optical fiber, SFP+ DAC is more cost-effective and more conducive to cable management, and can quickly troubleshoot the problem when a fault occurs.

10G DAC Ethernet Cable Types

10G SFP+ direct attach cable is divided into two types: active and passive. The main difference between them is whether they have built-in electronic components to enhance signal quality and increase transmission distance. Their differences are as follows:

Transmission distance: Passive SFP+ DAC usually supports a maximum transmission distance of 7M, while active 10G Twinax cable supports a maximum transmission distance of 10M, because it has a built-in driver chip that can extend its transmission distance by amplifying the signal.

Power consumption: Passive 10G DAC has almost no power consumption because it has no electronic devices that consume power. Active SFP+ DAC has a certain power consumption due to its built-in electronic devices.

Cost: Passive 10G DAC is cheaper than active one, because passive DAC has no built-in electronic devices, so its cost is lower. When your budget is limited, you can choose passive 10G DAC according to the specific transmission situation.

Advantages and Disadvantages of 10G DAC Twinax Cable

10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable Key Advantages

Low power consumption: Compared with the 10G SR SFP+ module's power consumption of <0.8W, the 10G DAC's power consumption is ≤0.1W, which has lower power consumption and lower operating costs.

Easy to deploy: Since the twinax cable is a whole, you only need to plug the device into the switch port to successfully connect, without the need to plug and unplug cables or optical fibers and clean the interfaces. This provides an easy-to-deploy and maintain solution for companies that do not have sufficient expertise.

Cost-effectiveness: The overall cost of 10G DAC is lower than the cost of optical modules plus optical fibers or cables, because it is composed of copper wires instead of expensive optical fiber components, which makes it particularly suitable for short-distance application scenarios with limited budgets.

Easy wiring: 10G SFP+ DAC is a whole. Compared with the combination of optical modules and optical fiber jumpers, it is simpler to wire, and can be neatly wired for later management and maintenance. The optical module and optical fiber are a combination of three parts, and their routing issues need to be considered.

10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable Disadvantages

Transmission distance: The transmission distance of 10G twinax cable is limited. The transmission distance of passive DAC is within 7M, and that of active DAC is within 10M. It is only suitable for short-distance transmission applications.

Electromagnetic interference: Since DAC transmits electrical signals, although its outer jacket has a certain protective effect, it is more susceptible to EMI than optical fiber. Therefore, in high-density electrical environments or strong electromagnetic interference environments, optical modules plus jumpers may be a better choice.

Minimum bending radius: Compared with optical fiber, DAC is less flexible and is limited by the minimum bending radius. Since copper cable is harder than optical fiber, its bending radius is larger, which brings certain difficulties to its installation and management in small spaces or some environments that require flexible wiring.

Fixed length: The length of 10G DAC is fixed. Its length is determined when you purchase it and cannot be modified. This has certain limitations for some situations, such as changing the DAC to a connection with a shorter transmission distance, and its length cannot be changed, which brings difficulties to wiring.

Application of 10G SFP+ DAC

First, 10G SFP+ DAC can establish a 10G network connection between two switches. Since DAC supports a maximum transmission distance of 7M, it is generally only applicable to rack or cross-rack connections.

Secondly, 10G DAC can also establish connections between switches, servers and network cards. While efficiently transmitting large amounts of data, it consumes less power, making it an ideal choice for high-density data centers and telecommunications applications. And its operation and maintenance are also simpler, which facilitates subsequent maintenance work.

Finally, 10G DAC can also be applied to TOR switch wiring solutions, which can connect the leaf switches inside the rack and the switches of adjacent racks, and meet the characteristics of high efficiency, energy saving, and low cost. By deploying SFP+ DAC, not only can the overall cost be reduced, but also the energy consumption cost is lower and the maintenance difficulty is simpler in the later operation.

Conclusion

10G SFP+ DAC Twinax cable is not only easy to maintain and deploy, but also has lower power consumption and lower cost in operation. It is also one of the most cost-effective solutions for short-distance connections. Even though its transmission distance is greatly limited, it still has a wide range of applications. If you need a short-distance transmission solution, I believe DAC twinax cable will be the best choice.