Active cables are used in enterprise networks to connect consumer devices such as cameras, gaming consoles, and HDTVs.
DisplayPort is the latest consumer electronics standard to support active cables by allocating power supply pins inside the connector.
Enabling ultra-thin (32 AWG and thinner) and long-reach interconnects which are particularly valuable for the use with the miniature Mini DisplayPort form factor.
[4] In addition to this, the advent of QSFP (Quad SFP) interconnects for 40 Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand has led to increased use of active cables in this form factor.
Digital alternatives to using analogue equalizers and impedance-matching circuits to improve cable performance also exist, such as channel estimation or link adaptation.
This extra IC must be powered separately when, in a passive cable design, the signal processing can be integrated onto a single chip.