13-Member Consortium Led by MACOM and Semtech to Standardize Active Copper Cables
MACOM and Semtech are co-chairing a 13-member ACC-MSA consortium to define active copper cable specifications integrating linear equalizers and reducing power, latency and cable thickness for high-speed interconnect. The standards ensure interoperability among vendors including AMD and NVIDIA and target the $200B networking segment of the $1T AI market.
1. Consortium Formation
MACOM Technology Solutions and Semtech have launched the Active Copper Cable Multi-Source Agreement, bringing together 13 industry leaders in networking, semiconductors and cabling. Founding members include AMD, Cisco, Dell, NVIDIA, Keysight and TE Connectivity, aiming to establish unified standards for active copper interconnect.
2. Technical Focus
The ACC-MSA specifications define electrical, firmware and testing requirements for integrated linear equalizers within active copper cables. These standards intend to reduce power consumption, minimize latency and enable thinner cable construction while ensuring low bit error rates and seamless interoperability across multiple vendors.
3. Market Outlook
Industry forecasts project AI hardware infrastructure spending exceeding $1 trillion by 2029, with networking infrastructure approaching $200 billion. ACC-MSA’s standards position MACOM to capture growing demand for low-power, high-speed copper connectivity in data center and intra-rack AI applications.