An AOC (active optical cable) puts the transceiver electronics in the connector shells and fiber in the middle, permanently. It plugs exactly like a DAC — no separate modules, no patch cords — but behaves like fiber: thin, light, immune to electromagnetic interference, and comfortable at distances where copper assemblies become heavy bundles. GRT’s cable range includes 10G AOC and 25G AOC assemblies.
AOC earns its place in the middle distances: across a row, between a server rack and an aggregation rack in the same hall, anywhere from a few metres to a few tens of metres. It is also the tidy answer in high-EMI environments and in overhead trays where cable weight is a structural question. Like DAC, the trade is fixity — length and rate are set at the factory.
AOC versus the alternatives
- Versus DAC: thinner, longer-reaching, EMI-immune; costs more per link
- Versus modules + patch cords: cheaper and simpler at fixed lengths; cannot re-terminate
- Best zone: roughly rack-row to hall-scale distances at 10G / 25G
What rates do GRT AOCs cover?
The documented cable range includes 10G AOC and 25G AOC assemblies. For 100G fixed assemblies, ask our team about the current QSFP28 options.
Can AOC be repaired if a connector is damaged?
No — the assembly is a single factory unit. Stock spares at the lengths you deploy; we recommend a spares ratio in the quotation.