What Is AEC Cable?_
Active Electrical Cable (AEC) is an enhanced copper cable with active signal conditioning electronics that extends copper reach beyond passive DAC limits. AEC bridges the gap between DAC (short) and AOC (medium) distances, reaching up to 7–9 meters at 400G/800G with 25–50% less power than optical alternatives. AEC is emerging as a cost-effective option for adjacent-rack connections.
Technical Details
AEC cables use active electronics (retimers, linear equalizers) to regenerate and condition the electrical signal, extending copper reach beyond the passive DAC limit of 3m. AEC offers a middle ground: longer than passive DAC (7–9m vs. 3m), lower power than AOC (no optical conversion), lower cost than AOC (copper manufacturing is cheaper than optical), and comparable latency to DAC (electrical signal path, no optical conversion). AEC is particularly attractive for adjacent-rack connections in GPU clusters where racks are 2–5m apart. The technology is relatively new at 400G/800G speeds and is rapidly gaining adoption as a DAC replacement for connections in the 3–9m range.
How Leviathan Systems Works with AEC Cable
Leviathan Systems evaluates AEC cables as part of our interconnect planning, recommending them for adjacent-rack connections where they offer cost and power advantages over AOC while exceeding DAC distance limits.