Patent ID: 7371014

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a communication cable including at least one optical communication channel; and cable connectors coupled to either end of the communication cable, wherein the communication cable and the cable connectors form a monolithic cable assembly, each of the cable connectors including: a physical end connector for electrically coupling to a data device connector; optoelectronic components for converting data signals between an electrical realm and an optical realm; and a passively aligned integrated lens cover disposed over at least a portion of the optoelectronic components, the integrated lens cover including at least one optical pathway for coupling optical data signals between the at least one optical communication channel and the optoelectronic components, wherein the cable connectors to connect to a data device connector of a data device including a control logic to alter a communication protocol of signals generated by the data device, the signals altered based on whether the monolithic cable assembly including the optoelectronic components or an electrical cable assembly without active optoelectronic components is coupled to the data device connector, the data device not included in a transceiver or multiplexer to transmit or receive optical signals.