Optical Thunderbolt Cables Up to 60 Meters From Sonnet

Sonnet Technologies, Inc. introduced a line of optical Thunderbolt cables designed to connect computers and devices over longer distances in a variety of production environments.

With support for both 20Gb/s Thunderbolt2 and 10Gb/s Thunderbolt connections, the optical cables are thin, lightweight, and durable, with performance equivalent to copper Thunderbolt cables at distances of up to 60 meters.

The optical Thunderbolt cables are for use in situations requiring the computer to be segregated from other equipment without a loss in functionality or data transfer speed. One example is when a computer and other peripherals must be remotely located in a secure equipment room, with the cable running out to a desktop with a Thunderbolt dock that supports a display, mouse, keyboard, and other peripheral devices. Another example might be an audio production workflow that requires a particularly quiet operating environment. The longer optical Thunderbolt cable allows devices with fans to be located in another room and out of earshot.

 “Thunderbolt technology has been an amazing enabler of high-performance device and display connectivity with any computer that has a Thunderbolt port,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO, Sonnet. “Optical Thunderbolt cables literally extend those benefits over very long distances, a capability that is essential for many of our customers.”

Available in 5.5, 10, 30, and 60-meter lengths, the optical cables feature optical cable technology by Corning, Inc. They provide dual-channel, bidirectional connectivity for 10Gb/s Thunderbolt devices, or 20Gb/s bidirectional support when used with a Thunderbolt2 host and Thunderbolt2 devices. The cables are hot-swappable, and each can carry both data and video.

Optical Thunderbolt cables are available with prices starting at $179.