Active copper cable extender
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an electrical cable comprising a data link and a power link;
a male connector coupled to a first end of the data link and a first end of the power link; and
a female connector coupled to a second end of the data link and a second end of the power link, wherein the female connector comprises;
a connector receptacle compatible with data rates of at least 10 gigabits per second (Gbps); and
an active circuit that reduces signal distortion in signals that transfer data in the data link at data rates of at least 10 Gbps, coupled between the second end of the data link and the connector receptacle, wherein the power link is configured to provide power used to operate the active circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for reducing distortion in signals propagating through cables at data rates of at least 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) are provided. By connecting such direct attach cables with an active cable extender assembly described herein, data signals may be reshaped, retimed, and/or emphasized in an effort to increase the cable length between network devices while still complying with the signal quality requirements of communication standards, such as the SFF-8431 MSA, the SFF-8461 MSA, and the IEEE 802.3ba CR4/10 standards for Ethernet communications. Copper cable solutions with such increased cable length possible between network devices may provide substantial cost reduction when compared to optical cable solutions. Furthermore, by potentially increasing the signal quality effectively transmitted by a host, solutions utilizing embodiments of the present invention may guarantee host-to-host interoperability.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an electrical cable comprising a data link and a power link; a male connector coupled to a first end of the data link and a first end of the power link; and a female connector coupled to a second end of the data link and a second end of the power link, wherein the female connector comprises; a connector receptacle compatible with data rates of at least 10 gigabits per second (Gbps); and an active circuit that reduces signal distortion in signals that transfer data in the data link at data rates of at least 10 Gbps, coupled between the second end of the data link and the connector receptacle, wherein the power link is configured to provide power used to operate the active circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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transmitting a signal into an electrical assembly, wherein the electrical assembly comprises; an electrical cable comprising a data link and a power link; a male connector coupled to a first end of the data link and to a first end of the power link; and a female connector coupled to a second end of the data link and to a second end of the power link, wherein the female connector comprises; a connector receptacle compatible with data rates of at least 10 gigabits per second (Gbps); and an active circuit that reduces signal distortion in signals that transfer data in the data link at data rates of at least 10 Gbps, coupled between the second end of the data link and the connector receptacle; delivering power used to operate the active circuit via the power link; and reducing distortion in the signal as the signal passes through the active circuit of the female connector. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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a host; a network access element; and first and second electrical assemblies for transmitting signals between the host and the access element, wherein the second electrical assembly comprises; an electrical cable comprising a data link and a power link; a male connector coupled to a first end of the data link and a first end of the power link; and a female connector coupled to a second end of the data link and a second end of the power link, wherein the female connector comprises; a connector receptacle compatible with data rates of at least 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) and connected with the first electrical assembly; and an active circuit that reduces signal distortion in signals that transfer data in the data link at data rates of at least 10 Gbps, coupled between the second end of the data link and the connector receptacle, wherein the power link is configured to provide power used to operate the active circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification