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from the how-many-nanoseconds-is-50-meters? dept.
Cosemi Launches USB 3.1 Gen 2 Hybrid Active Optical Cable: Up to 50 Meters of USB
Cosemi has introduced the industry's first USB 3.1 Gen 2 hybrid active optical cables (hAOC), which enable USB connectivity over distances upwards of 50 meters. The cables will be available with various connectors and therefore will be able to address various applications.
As you might guess from the name, Cosemi's USB 3.1 Gen 2 hybrid active optical cables use fiber optics for data transfers, which is further paired with copper wires for control and power. The data portion of the cable is fully USB SuperSpeed+ capable, meaning it can transfer 10Gbps in each direction. [Notably], since hAOCs can power themselves, unlike other solutions they do not need any extension boxes or repeaters, making them simpler and more reliable. Using fiber for the data channel also means that the cables are more resistant against EM and RF interference, which is particularly important for medical applications.
The manufacturer plans to offer hAOCs with various types of connectors, including USB Type-A to USB Type-A, USB Type-A to USB Type-C, as well as USB Type-C to USB Type-C, with A-to-C cables being the first type out the door. And while the cables are best geared for high bandwidth applications, like copper USB 3.1 Gen 2 cables, the hybrid active optical cables are backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 spec.
I'd buy one for $5.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 13 2019, @06:55PM (2 children)
Won't be cheaper when you have to buy new NICs to use it. 10Gb Ethernet is crazy expensive, and fiber NICs are too.
(Score: 4, Informative) by RS3 on Wednesday February 13 2019, @08:02PM (1 child)
Not really- I see plenty of used 10GB Ethernet cards on ebay for $20-40, and new starting at $50. Obviously much more than a 100 or 1GB NIC, but if you need the speeds, you're probably doing something involved and expensive anyway.
10GB switches get pricey- I see a 5-port Netgear for $390, but you might not need a switch if you're just doing point-to-point.
Depending on many factors you might also do "trunking": parallel Ethernet runs. 4-port 1GB Ethernet cards exist and are cheap ($15-40), so 2 of them, 4 cables, and you're good to go.
** 4 cables if you don't need POE (Power Over Ethernet). Cat-5, etc. cable has 4 pairs, but only 2 are used for data, the other 2 for POE, but you can use them for data, so 2 Ethernet signals can be run in a single Cat-5 (or 6 or 7) cable, and yes, I've done it many times and have seen it done many times and it works 100% no errors or problems.
(Score: -1, Troll) by fakefuck39 on Thursday February 14 2019, @09:43PM
Classic RS3. So when these come out used and new on Ebay, then you'll have a valid comparison. Until then, the comparison is a 10Gb NIC from an enterprise vendor (~$800) to this cable. Should be obvious to anyone with half a brain. Just make sure and don't touch the power pin with a sweaty finger - your finger will dissolve from the formed lye and your head will explode from the produced hydrogen.
Just to let you know, I won't be reading your reply.