Quick Reference Guide SFP+ DAC Cable Assemblies

SFP+ DAC cable assemblies are a high speed, cost effectivealternative to fiber optics in 10Gb Ethernet, 8Gb Fibre Channel and InfiniBand applications. SFP+ copper cable assemblies enable hardware OEMs and data center operators to achieve highport density and configurability at a low cost and reduced power requirement. Fiberstore SFP+ copper assemblies meet the industry MSA for signal integrity performance.

Features And Benefits

• MSA SFF-8431 compliant
• Supports serial data rates up to 10Gbps
• Low cost alternative to fiber optic assemblies
• Low power consumption
• Enhanced EMI suppression
• Pull-to-release retractable pin latch
• 24AWG through 30AWG cable available
• Passive and active assemblies

Product Applications

• Switches
• Networking – servers, routers and hubs
• Enterprise storage
• Telecommunication equipmentNetwork Interface Cards (NIC's)

Applications by Protocol

• 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE802.3ae)
• Fibre channel: 1, 2, 4 and 8 GFC
• InfiniBand standard SDR (2.5Gbps), DDR (5Gbps) and QDR (10Gbps)
• Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
• Serial data transmission

SFP+ Cable Assembly Part Number Selection Guide

SFP+ Cable Assembly

Passive SFP+ Cable Assemblies: WDP, VMA and CR Measurements A passive copper cable assembly will be compliant with the SFP+ MSA Rev 4.1 if the dWDP number is less than 6.75 dBe. The WDP measurements shown in the table below are for the indicated wire gauge and cable length of Tyco Electronics production assemblies. Any cable with the same wire gauge and shorter length than the length listed below will have a lower dWDP value.

To be compliant with SFF 8431 Rev 4.1, the VMA must be less than 4.5 dB and the VCR must be greater than 33 dB. The VMA and VCR measurements shown in the table below are for the indicated wire gauge and cable length of Fiberstore production assemblies. Any cable with the same wire gauge and shorter length than the length listed below will also meet the VMA and VCR limits.

Active SFP+ Cable Assemblies: SFF-8431 requires active SFP+ cable assemblies to meet an output eye mask requirement when a minimal eye is transmittedthrough the cable assembly. The input eye mask is measured by transmitting a 10.3125 Gbps PRBS 231-1 signal into a modulecompliance test fixture and measuring the eye pattern through the mated host compliance test fixture. Once the input signalis established, the cable assemblies are measured through the module compliance test fixture. All cable assemblies meetthe bit error rate requirement of 1x10-12. This design allows for output de-emphasis and signal amplitude to be adjusted toaccomodate customer requirements.

Frequently asked questions

1. What are the performance requirements for the cable assembly?

Fiberstore SFP+ copper passive and active cable assemblies meet the signal integrity requirements defined by the industry MSA SFF-8431. We can custom engineer cable assemblies to meet the requirements of a customer’s specific system architecture.

2. Are passive or active cable assemblies required?

Passive cables have no signal amplification in the assembly and rely on host system Electronic Dispersion Compensation (EDC) for signal amplification/equalization. Active cable assemblies have signal amplification and equalization built into the assembly. Active cable assemblies are typically used in host systems that do not employ EDC. This solution can be a cost savings to the customer.

3. What cable lengths are required?

Cable length and wire gauge are related to the performance characteristics of the cable assembly. Longer cable lengths require heavier wire gauge, while shorter cable lengths can utilize a smaller gauge cable.

4. Are there any special customer requirements?

Examples of special customer requirements include: custom cable lengths, EEPROM programming, labeling and packaging, pull tab length and color, company logo, signal output de-emphasis, and signal output amplitude. We can custom engineer cables to specific customer system architecture.