Patent ID: 7778510

Claim:
A connector comprising: a plurality of electrical traces, including: two data contacts for communicating a differential data signal to a first electro-optical transducer; two data contacts for receiving a differential data signal from a first opto-electronic transducer; a first power contact configured to power circuitry at a first end of an active cable; and a second power contact configured to power a circuit at a second end of the active cable, wherein the first end of the active optical cable is located across the length of the active cable from the second end, wherein each of the data and power contacts are disposed in a row, one after another; a serial data contact for communicating serial control data to the active cable; and a mechanical support for the electrical traces, wherein the electrical traces and mechanical support are structured such that they may connect to an electrical connector of the active cable, the active cable communicating over much of the length of the active cable using optics over at least one optical fiber.