In a world where data speed, power delivery, and reliability are paramount, Nortech is pushing the boundaries of cable technology with its groundbreaking innovations—DDX (Digital Diagnostic Xtreme) and AOX (Active Optical Xtreme). These patent technologies are not just about transmitting data, they’re about transforming how we monitor, maintain, and future-proof our cable infrastructure and further improve overall system processes.
What Is DDX?
At its core, DDX is a modular, intelligent cable health monitoring system. It integrates a series of sensors and a microcontroller into each cable module, enabling real-time diagnostics at both ends of the cable. Whether you’re powering a camera system or streaming high-speed data, DDX ensures your connection is not just active—but healthy.
Key Features of DDX:
Configurable. The firmware in each end of the cable for the modules, the DDX module is configurable. You can add other types of sensors or diagnostic hooks for advanced cable health monitoring, such as predictive failure or predictive maintenance.
Here are the sample sensors in our demonstration.
Environmental Monitoring: Tracks temperature and humidity at both ends of the cable.
Motion Detection: A built-in 3-axis accelerometer detects movement and vibration.
Power Monitoring: Monitors VBUS (bus power) and I-Mon (optical power) to assess power stability and laser diode health.
Customizable Firmware: Configure alerts, sample rates, and even predictive maintenance analytics.
With DDX, you gain real-time visibility into your cable’s health, enabling instant detection of environmental changes like humidity and temperature fluctuations. This level of responsiveness empowers proactive maintenance, helping you catch potential issues before they escalate. By continuously monitoring key metrics such as power, motion, and optical signal strength, DDX ensures optimal performance, reduces downtime, and extends the lifespan of your cable infrastructure.
What Is AOX?
AOX is Nortech’s high-performance, long-reach hybrid active optical cable. Designed to deliver 250 watts of power and high-speed data over distances up to 100 meters, AOX is the perfect companion to DDX. It ensures that even over long distances, your devices receive consistent power and data throughout.
The Power of Innovation
In a recent demo, Nortech showcased the synergy between DDX and AOX. In this demo, Jerome Taylor, Principal Engineer and chief developer at Nortech, introduces DDX (Digital Diagnostic Xtreme), a patented cable health monitoring technology, and AOX (Active Optical Xtreme), a high-performance USB-C hybrid optical cable. The demonstration showcases how DDX modules, equipped with sensors and microcontrollers, monitor real-time cable health metrics such as temperature, humidity, acceleration, power (Vbus), and optical signal strength (IMON) at both ends of the cable. The system supports live data streaming while collecting diagnostics, and its firmware is fully configurable for alerts, sample rates, and predictive maintenance analytics. This smart cable technology enables proactive issue detection and maintenance.
A laptop connected to a camera system via an AOX cable embedded with DDX modules demonstrated:
Live data streaming while simultaneously collecting health metrics.
Real-time diagnostics on temperature, humidity, acceleration, and power.
Predictive insights into potential cable failures—before they happen.
This isn’t just smart cable technology, it’s proactive infrastructure management.
Why It Matters
Traditional cables are passive, they either work or they don’t. Nortech’s smart cables are active participants in your system’s health. With DDX and AOX, you can:
Prevent downtime with early warnings.
Optimize performance with real-time analytics.
Extend cable lifespan through predictive maintenance.
A Glimpse into the Future
The Nortech DDX GUI used in the demonstration mentioned above, is just a sample—developers can build custom applications or integrate diagnostics into the existing systems. With configurable firmware and modular design, the possibilities are vast.
Nortech’s vision is clear: empower users to be proactive, not reactive. With DDX and AOX, we continue to reimagine connectivity for the future.
