Friesoythe/Nuremberg, October 2016 - Leoni, the leading European provider of cables and cable systems to the automotive sector and other industries, has enhanced its portfolio of products for data centres with splitter cable systems (QSFP28 to 2 x QSFP28). They combine extremely fast data transfer with high port density and facilitate connection of one switch with two further switches.

As an enhancement of its product portfolio comprising high-speed data cables as well as an in-house board and connector design for ‘high-speed products’, Leoni now also provides splitter cable systems that are used in large data centres. These involve assembled copper cables where the three cable ends are (in contrast to breakout systems) based on QSFP1 connector technology. Breakout systems may, on the other hand, consist of various technologies (e.g., SFP, CXP).

Using these splitter cable systems allows a switch to be connected with two further ones. The transfer rate is thereby split from 100 Gb/s to 2 x 50 Gb/s, which significantly increases the port density in switches when using a homogeneous technology (in this case QSFP). In contrast to a conventional QSFP port with a data transfer rate of 40 Gb/s, this splitter cable system enables two switches to be supplied at the same time via a QSFP28 port at rates of 50 Gb/s each.

All three QSPF28 cable ends are fitted with an EEPROM2, which contains the various pieces of product information and identifies the respective cable end. The length options range from 1 to 5 metres; such customised solutions as different pull-tab colours are also possible.

These Leoni splitters are equipped with innovative bulk cable, which transfers 25 Gb/s per channel using copper and is available in various jacket materials and structures (AWG 30, 28 and 26). The bulk cables have UL approval and are therefore suitable for the American market. Thanks to Leoni’s patented cell technology, the cable’s transmission properties can be optimised by means of extremely stable and consistently structured dielectrics, allowing very small diameters to be achieved.