Generally speaking, active optical cable(AOC) and direct attach cable (DAC)have the following differences:

① Different power consumption: the power consumption of AOC is higher than that of DAC;

②Different transmission distances: In theory, the longest transmission distance of AOC can reach 100M, and the longest transmission distance of DAC is 7M;

③The transmission medium is different: the transmission medium of AOC is optical fiber, and the transmission medium of DAC is copper cable;

④Transmission signals are different: AOC transmits optical signals, and DAC transmits electrical signals;

⑤Different prices: the price of optical fiber is higher than that of copper, and the two ends of AOC contain lasers but not DAC, so the price of AOC is much higher than that of DAC;

⑥Different volume and weight: Under the same length, the volume and weight of AOC is much smaller than that of DAC, which is convenient for wiring and transportation

So when we choose cables, we need to consider factors such as transmission distance and wiring cost. Generally, DAC can be used for interconnection distances within 5m, and AOC can be used for interconnection distances in the range of 5m-100m.