Side-by-side evaluation across physical, performance, cost, and operational dimensions for the 800G–1.6T data center deployment decision.
| Specification | DAC | AEC | AOC | CPO | e-Tube |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Characteristics | |||||
| Transmission medium | Copper wire | Cu + retimer IC | Silica fiber | Si photonics | Polymer dielectric |
| Skin effect impact | Fatal at >56G | Partial — equalized | None | None | None (no conductor) |
| Weight vs copper baseline | 1× (reference) | 1.2–1.5× (heavier) | 0.3× lighter | Board-integrated | 0.2× (80% lighter) |
| Flexibility / bend radius | Stiff, high tension | Stiff + heavy | Excellent | N/A (board) | 50% slimmer, flexible |
| Performance @ 1.6 Tbps | |||||
| Maximum reach | < 1 m | 2–2.5 m | 10 km+ | 100 m+ | 10–20 m (rack-scale) |
| Signal latency per hop | ~1 ns | 3–5 ns | > 100 ns | ~5 ns | 80 ps (1/1,000× AOC) |
| Bandwidth scalability | Hard ceiling | Limited by retimer | High (WDM capable) | High | Scales with RF band |
| Power & Cost Economics | |||||
| Active power per 800G port | 0 W (passive) | 5–6 W | 15–20 W | ~10 W | ~3 W (70% below AOC) |
| Relative unit cost (DAC=1) | 1.0× | 1.5–2.0× | 4–10× | 10×+ | ~1.5× (⅓ of AOC) |
| Laser components (aging risk) | None | None | Yes — MTBF risk | Yes — laser aging | None — no laser |
| Failure mode in AI training | Physical reach | Signal distortion | Laser failure → job loss | Complex yield issues | RF coupling — recoverable |
| Deployment & Integration | |||||
| Host system compatibility | Plug-and-play | Plug-and-play | Standard MSA | Board redesign required | MSA OSFP compatible |
| Manufacturing readiness (2026) | Mature | Mature | Mature | Early adoption | Ramping (Molex/FIT/Amphenol) |
| AI cluster suitability @ 1.6T | Unusable | Marginal | Power penalty | Cost/complexity | Optimal (rack-scale target) |
| Overall AI data center fit score | 1/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 ⚡ |