1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 Cable

Various copper and fiber choices are available on the market today. When deciding a cabling system, network managers should know how to choose the most appropriate cabling system for their network infrastructure in the long run. Many of the cabling installed today inside buildings is Category 5. Many factors, like punch down blocks, and patch panel connections, affect the performance of 1000BASE-T technology if not correctly implemented. This article gives an introduction to 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet operation over the installed base of Category 5 cabling.

1000BASE-T and Category 5 Cabling

1000BASE-T is a type of gigabit Ethernet networking technology that uses copper cables as a medium. 1000BASE-T uses four pairs of Category 5 unshielded twisted pair cables to achieve gigabit data rates. There should be no need to replace existing Category 5 cabling to use 1000BASE-T. The standard is designated as IEEE 802.3ab and allows 1Gbps data transfers for distances of up to 330 feet. 1000Base-T came into wide use in 1999, gradually replacing fast Ethernet for wired local networks simply because it was 10 times as fast. Equipment and cables are very similar to previous Ethernet standards and by 2011 were very common and economical. These were the biggest factors that ensured this standard's wide acceptance. The 1000BASE-T product is designed to operate over Category 5 cabling. The image below shows how 1000BASE-T works.

Gigabit Bandwidth over Category 5 Cabling

1000BASE-T uses a symbol rate of 125 Mbaud (A 125 Mbaud symbol rate is required because 100BASE-TX uses 4B/5B coding), but it uses all four pairs for the link and a more sophisticated five-level coding scheme. In addition, 1000BASE-T sends and receives simultaneously on each pair. Combining 5-level coding and 4 pairs allows 1000BASE-T to send one byte in parallel at each signal pulse. 4 pairs 125 Msymbols/second X 2 bits/symbol = 1Gbps.

Problems During Cable Installation

Of course, it isn't quite this simple. In addition to moving the symbols across the link, 1000BASE-T must also deal with the effects of return loss and crosstalk, and other factors.

Return loss measures the amount of reflected signal energy resulting from impedance changes in the cabling link. If too much energy is reflected back onto the receiver, the device does not perform optimally. Factors that affect the return loss are:

• The number of transition points, as there is a connection through an RJ-45 to another connector, a patch panel, or device at each transition point.
• Removing the jacket that surrounds the four pairs of twisted cable. When RJ-45 connections are made, this is minimized to 1 1/4 inch (32 mm).
• Untwisting any pair of the twisted-pair cabling. It is important that any untwisting be minimized to 3/8 inch (10 mm) for RJ-45 connections.
• Cabling or bundling of multiple Category 5 cables. If not correctly implemented, this can adversely affect all cabling settings.

Crosstalk is unwanted signals coupled between adjacent wire pairs. Since 1000BASE-T uses all four wire pairs, each pair is affected by crosstalk from the adjacent three pairs. Near-end crosstalk (NEXT) is crosstalk that appears at the output of a wire pair at the transmitter (near) end of the cable. Far-end crosstalk (FEXT) is a measure of the unwanted signal coupling from a transmitter at the near-end into a neighboring pair measured at the far-end. Crosstalk is characterized in reference to the transmitter.

Conclusion

For optimum performance of your 1000BASE-T product, it is important to fully qualify your cable installation and ensure that it meets or exceeds Category 5 specifications. Fiberstore provides various Category 5 cables and 1000BASE-T optical transceivers for your applications. For example, Finisar FCLF-8520-3 1000BASE-T copper SFP RJ-45 transceiver, and Cisco GLC-T 1000BASE-T SFP copper RJ-45 transceiver, are compliant with the Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE 802.3 and 802.3ab. These SFP transceivers link your switches and routers to the network. They are 100% functionally tested, and compatibility is guaranteed.

10GBASE SFP+ Modules Overview

10GBASE SFP+ module, a 10GbE optics using the same physical form factor as a gigabit SFP, is a new protocol that will support the link lengths of a standard Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)-grade multi-mode fiber (MMF). When using this type of technology with 2000 MHz km MMF (OM3), designers can achieve longer link lengths and transmit signals for much longer distances without interference or noise interrupting the signal. 10GBASE SFP+ modules are commonly used transceivers in the market. Before investing in 10GBASE SFP+ modules, there are some things you need to know.

Benefits and Features of 10GBASE SFP+ Modules

The benefits and features of the 10GBASE SFP+ modules are numerous.

• 10GBASE SFP+ module is one of the best in the industry. It provides the functionality that is needed to help transmit signals fast without any noise. Some of these devices have extended operating temperature range in addition to supporting a wide range of link lengths. The most common length lengths are 220m, 300m, and 400m.
• 10GBASE SFP+ module features a small footprint, which is a premium in designs where it's important to keep the overall design compact.
• 10GBASE SFP+ module also supports the 10GBASE Ethernet and OTU2/OTU2e.
• 10GBASE SFP+ modules are hot-swappable, which means that they have the ability to switch in and out of the device without powering it down. This is an incredible convenience. As long as the devices are compatible, the replacement or repair process is easy. This feature also provides flexibility of integrate the devices in the interface of choice.
• 10GBASE SFP+ module supports the digital optical monitoring capability, making monitoring and diagnostics much easier. When managers need to make decisions in real time, they can make them without significant effort because of the digital monitoring capability.

10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ Options

10GBASE SFP+ transceivers are multi-purpose optical modules for 10Gbit/s data transmission applications at 850nm, 1310nm and 1550nm. There are several kinds of SFP+ transceivers for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 10GBASE-SR SFP+, 10GBASE-LR SFP+, 10GBASE-LRM SFP+, 10GBASE-ER SFP+, and 10GBASE-ZR SFP+. 10GBASE-SR SFP+ supports up to 300m link length with 2000 MHz/km MMF (OM3). 10GBASE-LR SFP+ supports up to 10km link length on standard single-mode fiber (SMF). 10GBASE-LRM SFP+ supports up to 220m link length with 50um or 62.5um multi-mode fiber links. 10GBASE-ER SFP+ has a standard reach of 30 km over single-mode fiber. And 10GBASE-ZR SFP+ are designed for 80km distances. There are various 10GBASE SFP+ transceivers branded by famous brands, like Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade, etc. For example, Cisco SFP-10G-SR-X 10GBASE-SR/SW SFP+ transceiver, and Finisar FTLX1471D3BTL 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver, they are both with high quality. The following picture shows a Fortinet FG-TRAN-SFP+LR 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver.

Applications of 10GBASE SFP+ Modules

10GBASE SFP+ modules offer customers a wide variety of high-density and low-power 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options for data center, enterprise wiring closet, and service provider transport applications. These devices are flexible and have a wide variety of options for the data centers, enterprise wiring closets, and service provider transport applications. Because they are so flexible, they are often used in the industry. The transceivers are ideally suited for datacom and storage area network (SAN/NAS) applications based on the IEEE 802.3ae and Fibre Channel standards.

To accommodate an ever increasing spectrum of 10 Gigabit Ethernet applications, Fiberstore offers various 10GBASE SFP+ transceiver types, suitable for different media and distance reaches. All of our SFP+ transceivers are tested in-house prior to shipping to ensure that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition. We offer our customers with high-performance and cost-effective products to fulfill their requirements, contributing this way to the customer's success and satisfaction.

Introduction to QSFP+ Active Optical Cable

QSFP active optical cable (AOC) is a high performance, low power consumption, long reach interconnect solution supporting 40G Ethernet, fiber channel and PCIE. It is widely used in many fields as well as promoting the traditional data center to step into optical interconnection. A brief introduction to QSFP+ active optical cable is given in this post.

What Is QSFP+ Active Optical Cable?

Active optical cable uses electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and distance performance of the cable without sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces. It is commonly used for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications, for it provides light weight, high performance, low power consumption, low interconnection loss, EMI immunity and flexibility. Active optical cable provides optimum link performance, high reliability, inter-operability and ease of installation. QSFP+ AOC is a high performance integrated cable for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications. It integrates four data lanes in each direction with 40Gbps aggregate bandwidth. Each lane can operate at 10Gbps with lengths ranging from one to 100m. QSFP AOC supports InfiniBand QDR/DDR/SDR, Ethernet (10 and 40Gbps), Fibre Channel (8 and 10 Gbps), SAS and other protocol applications. It is compliant with the QSFP MSA and IEEE P802.3ba. High-density QSFP interface provides a compliant connection meeting QSFP+ Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) requirements. And hot-pluggable transceiver allows insertion and removal of devices without powering down the system.

QSFP+ to QSFP+ Active Optical Cable

QSFP+ to QSFP+ active optical cable is a 40Gb/s parallel active optical cable which transmits error-free parallel 4×10Gb/s data over multi-mode fiber (MMF) ribbon cables. QSFP+ to QSFP+ AOC assemblies provide 4 fully duplex channels per cable supporting signal transmission rates up to 10Gb/s & 14Gb/s per channel. QSFP+ to QSFP+ active optical cables are permanently attached to the fiber, with no air gaps, providing protection from environmental contaminants and other user disturbances during installation. The QSFP+ to QSFP+ active optical cable interface is based on the SFF-8436 industry standard, while also meeting the requirements of the 40GBASE-SR4 Ethernet and Infiniband SDR, DDR, QDR & FDR standards. The following image shows an Extreme Networks 10315 QSFP+ to QSFP+ active optical cable.

QSFP+ to 4SFP+ Active Optical Cable

QSFP to 4 SFP+ active optical (breakout) cable is a 4×10Gb/s parallel active optical cable which transmits four separate streams of 10Gb/s data over ribbon cables in a point-to-multipoint configuration. The cable contains a QSFP+ module on one end and four separate SFP+ modules at the other ends. Based on proven VCSEL array technology and designed with MSA-compliant QSFP+ and SFP+ high-density connectors, these cables are compact, lightweight, and low power. QSFP+ to 4SFP+ active optical cable is ideally suited for high-density 10G Ethernet, InfiniBand QDR, and other datacom and high-performance computing applications. The following image shows a Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC7M QSFP+ to 4SFP+ active optical breakout cable.

The market of active optical cables keeps growing and has a broad prospect. Fiberstore AOCs achieve high data rates over long reaches which provide solutions for high-performance computing and storage applications. AOC products such as 10G SFP+ AOCs, 40G QSFP+ AOCs, QSFP+ to 4SFP+ AOCs offered by Fiberstore are with high performance and quality guaranteed. You can find what you need from us.

Active Optical Cable for High-speed Transmission

There is no question that we live in a high-speed world. Active optical cable (AOC), especially parallel multi-lane cables using QSFP+ modules, is one of the most important devices used by high-speed interconnects, such as InfiniBand, and accurate cable testing is necessary to ensure reliable data transmissions and interoperability. What do active optical cables specifically bring to the table and why are they the way to go? Here is some detailed information about active optical cables.

What Is Active Optical Cable?

What is active optical cable? Let's start with the basic definition that you would stumble upon if you happen to plug the term into a search engine: A specialized optical cable that uses electrical-to-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and distance performance of the cable without sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces. A picture of Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC1M QSFP+ to 4SFP+ AOC is shown below.

Advantages of Active Optical Cables

There are a number of reasons users are jumping to active optical cables. Primarily, these cables offer both higher bandwidth and a longer reach with a better footprint than current copper cables. Active optical cables provide lighter weight, smaller size, EMI immunity, lower interconnection loss, and reduced power requirements. Five meters of copper cabling weighs in at roughly a kilo. Ten meters of AOC weighs less than 150g. That weight difference means significantly less chance of damage to switch ports, less maintenance and better server utilization. Lighter and thinner cables are also easier to manage, require less space, and are easier to maintain.

Secondly, a key difference between copper, whether passive or active, and active optical is in bit error rates over distance. Beyond five meters, passive copper begins to suffer excessive bit error rates. Active copper improves range to around 15 meters, for roughly the same cost as active optical cable. Active optical cable for its part can operate reliably up to 100 meters, while the latest AOC products are extending their reach to 1km.

Thirdly, in comparison with transceiver products, active optical cables have the advantage of much greater simplicity, and potentially of reliability, as they are factory terminated, and there is no risk of mis-matching polarities, dirt entering the assemblies, or different manufacturers' tolerance mismatching.

Applications of Active Optical Cables

Industry-leading active optical cables can achieve 40Gbps data rates over long reaches up to 10km, using a fraction of the power while providing streamlined installation. Low-power AOC integrated cable solutions provide less expensive, reliable transport for aggregated data rates up to 40Gbps. The active optical cables offer customers the flexibility of traditional optical modules by interfacing to systems via a standard QSFP MSA connector. QSFP+ to MPO optical cables allow an easy connection to separately installed single-mode fiber through the attached MPO connectors. Both product versions are electrically compliant with the QSFP+ interface InfiniBand, SDR (single data rate), DDR (double data rate), QDR (quad data rate), Ethernet (10 and 40Gbps), Fibre Channel (8 and 10Gbps), SAS (6Gbps) and other protocol applications. QSFP+ AOC can be used as a direct replacement for traditional copper cables with the added benefits of a lighter weight and smaller diameter solution for cable lengths from 1m to 100m. It can also be used to replace a pair of transceivers proving equivalent performance at a lower price.

Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier, which offers a large amount of cables and transceivers for your 40GbE applications. Fiberstore provides a large variety of active optical cables branded by major brands, like Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade and Finisar. For example, Juniper JNP-QSFP-DAC-10MA QSFP+ to QSFP+ AOC, and Finisar FCBG110SD1C03 SFP+ to SFP+ AOC, they both are suitable for very short distances and guaranteed with a limited lifetime warranty.

Four Types of 10GbE SFP+ Transceiver Modules

10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) is a group of computer networking technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of 10 gigabits per second. There are several kinds of optical transceiver modules used for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) transceiver is one popular module type on 10GE systems due to its small size and low power. 10GbE SFP+ transceiver can be classified into many categories. 10GBASE-SR SFP+, 10GBASE-LR SFP+, 10GBASE-ER SFP+, and 10GBASE-LRM SFP+ are four common types among them. This post will give a brief introduction to them.

10GBASE-SR SFP+ Module

SR stands for short reach. 10GBASE-SR is the original multi-mode optics specification, and is still by far the most commonly used. SFP+ optical transceiver module for 10GBASE-SR uses 850nm laser to support 10GbE transmission over standard multi-mode fiber. 10GBASE-SR SFP+ supports up to 400 meters using the laser optimized OM4 multi-mode fiber. 10GBASE-SR transmitter is implemented with a VCSEL which is low cost and low power. 10GBASE-SR delivers the lowest cost, lowest power and smallest form factor optical modules. The following is a picture of Cisco ONS-SC+-10G-SR 10GBASE-SR SFP+ transceiver.

10GBASE-LR SFP+ Module

LR stands for long reach. 10GBASE-LR SFP+ is designed for single-mode fiber and operates at a wavelength of 1310nm. The 10GBASE-LR transmitter is implemented with a distributed feedback laser (DFB). DFB lasers are more expensive than VCSELs but their higher power and longer wavelength allow efficient coupling into the small core of single-mode fiber over greater distances. 10GBASE-LR can reach up to 10km over single-mode fiber. For example, Brocade 10G-SFPP-LR 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver shown below uses a 1310nm multiple quantum DFB laser and transmits distance up to 10km.

10GBASE-ER SFP+ Module

ER stands for extended reach. 10GBASE-ER transmitter is implemented with an externally modulated laser (EML). 10GBASE-ER SFP+ is a port type for single-mode fiber and uses 1550nm lasers to support 10GbE transmission over single-mode fiber. This kind of SFP+ module is used to connect devices both in the same cabinet and in different physical locations up to 40km in distance that is widely used in large building, co-location facilities and carrier neutral internet exchanges.

10GBASE-LRM SFP+ Module

LRM stands for long reach multi-mode. 10GBASE-LRM SFP+ modules use a single higher-speed laser operating at 10.310Gbit/s. This creates a simpler optical path, but requires more expensive components. The LRM laser can either be a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser, a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), or a Fabry-Perot (FP) laser. Both DFBs and VCSELs provide a very clean, single-wavelength output, which minimizes signal degradation due to spectral effects. On the other hand, an FP laser source produces a range of different wavelengths. Each of these wavelengths travels through the fiber at slightly different speeds, creating additional jitter that must be recovered by the EDC circuit at the receiver. While small, this added jitter could compromise operation on some fibers.

Different 10GbE fiber cabling technologies have different optical interface standards. Over the years of 10 Gigabit Ethernet 's existence, there have been numerous different form factors to meet different standards. XENPAK, X2, XFP and SFP+ are currently four popular kinds of modules in the market. Fiberstore provides a large variety of 10GbE optical modules branded by major brands, like Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade and Finisar. You can find all these types of optical transceiver modules for 10GbE with high quality from Fiberstore.

Common Types of QSFP+ Cables

A quad small form-factor pluggable plus (QSFP+) cable is a fiber optic cable capped at either end with the QSFP+ transceiver, which is designed for data rates up to 40Gb/s supporting Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Infiniband standards and so on. It is a solution with high density, high bandwidth and relatively low cost. In the market, there are now several common types of QSFP+ cables: QSFP+ copper cable, QSFP+ active optical cable (AOC), QSFP+ to 4×SFP+ breakout cable, QSFP+ to CX4 copper cable and QSFP+ to 4×XFP cable. This article will introduce these types of QSFP+ cables respectively.

QSFP+ Copper Cables

QSFP+ copper cables include QSFP+ active copper cables and QSFP+ passive copper cables. Both QSFP+ active copper cables and QSFP+ passive cables are high performance, cost effective I/O solutions for 40G LAN, HPC and SAN applications. QSFP+ active copper cables are suitable for very short distances and offer a highly cost-effective way to establish a 40-Gigabit link between QSFP+ ports of QSFP+ switches within racks and across adjacent racks. And they meet and exceed Gigabit Ethernet, InfiniBand and Fibre Channel commercial temperature requirements for performance and reliability. QSFP+ active copper cables are compliant with InfiniBand Architecture, SFF-8436 specifications and provide connectivity between devices using QSFP ports. QSFP+ passive cables are compliant with SFF-8436, QSFP+ MSA and IEEE P802.3ba 40GBASE-CR4. QSFP+ passive copper cable offers low power consumption, short reach interconnect applications. Each lane of a QSFP+ passive cable is capable of transmitting data at rates up to 10Gbit/s, providing an aggregated rate of 40Gbit/s.

QSFP+ Active Optical Cables

QSFP+ AOC is a high performance, low power consumption integrated cable for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications, supporting 40G Ethernet, Fibre Channel and peripheral component interface express (PCIE). It is compliant with QSFP MSA and IEEE P802.3ba 40GBASE-SR4. A QSFP+ AOC integrates four data lanes in each direction with 40Gbit/s aggregate bandwidth. Each lane is capable of transmitting data at rates up to 10Gbit/s with lengths up to 100 m. The following picture shows a Cisco QSFP-H40G-AOC3M compatible QSFP+ to QSFP+ active optical cable.

QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ Breakout Cables

QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ hybrid splitter cables are a great cost-effective interconnect solution by providing space for data centers and cost cuts. These cables allow users to connect QSFP+ and SFP+ switches and network cards without upgrading the entire data center or storage array. Each QSFP+ to SFP+ breakout cable features a single QSFP+ connector rated for 40Gbit/s on one end and 4 SFP+ connectors, each rated for 10Gbit/s, on the other end. They can be used for QDR InfiniBand, 40 Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit applications. The following picture shows a Cisco QSFP-4SFP10G-CU3M compatible QSFP+ to 4SFP+ breakout cable.

QSFP+ to CX4 Copper Cables

QSFP+ to CX4 copper cable has a QSFP+ connector on one end and a CX4 connector on the other end, permitting auto-negotiation between the two connected devices for optimal network throughput. With the cutting edge technology, QSFP+ to CX4 copper cables provide an excellent hybrid cable solution for CX4 InfiniBand and QSFP rated switches, network adapters, and storage arrays.

QSFP+ to 4×XFP Cables

QSFP+ to 4×XFP cable also features a single QSFP+ connector rated for 40Gbit/s on one end and 4 XFP connectors on the other end, each rated for 10Gbit/s. QSFP+ to 4×XFP cable can merge 40G QSFP and 10G XFP enabled host adapters, switches and servers, which allows users to install it between a QSFP port on their 40Gbit/s rated switch and four upstream 10Gbit/s XFP switches.

Fiberstore is a professional fiber optic products supplier and manufacturer, which provides a wide variety of fiber optic products with high quality. We offer various 40G QSFP+ cables, and also other types direct attach cables. You can find what you need from us.

A Guide to 40 Gigabit Ethernet

The 802.3ba Ethernet standard introduced by the IEEE in June 2010 was in response to the increasing bandwidth demands facing data centers, paving the way for the introduction of 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s Ethernet operations. As you begin to think about the future of your network, understanding all the 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) and 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) optical components can be confusing. In this post, a brief overview of the current 40 Gigabit Ethernet to aid in planning for future high-performance Ethernet needs will be given.

What Is 40 Gigabit Ethernet?

40GbE is a standard that enables the transfer of Ethernet frames at speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second (Gbit/s). The 40GbE standard is intended for local server connectivity. One of the most attractive characteristics of 40 Gigabit Ethernet is broad applications and design flexibility. 40 Gigabit Ethernet runs on quad small form factor pluggable (QSFFP) cabling, a high-density fiber connector with 12 strands of fiber. According to the task force, 40GbE fulfills the following requirements and objectives:

• Preserve existing 802.3 frame format, minimum size, and maximum size.
• Support high-bandwidth applications such as video on demand (VoD) and high-performance computing (HPC).
• Support high-speed switching, routing, and application functions in data centers.
• Exhibit a bit error rate (BER) of 10-12 or better.
• Provide support for optical transport network (OTN).
• Provide specifications for operation over single-mode optical fiber, laser optimized multi-mode optical fiber, copper cables, and backplanes.

How Does 40 Gigabit Ethernet Work?

40 Gigabit Ethernet can be deployed using the same cabling systems in use today. Multi-mode will employ parallel optics using MPO interconnects and require additional cable infrastructure depending on the system deployed while single mode fiber will employ serial transmission and use LC or SC connectors. The approach used for the higher speed data rates is based on advanced transceiver technologies engineered to take advantage of the full bandwidth of laser optimized fibers. The 40 Gigabit Ethernet specification calls for a 12-fiber cabling solution, implemented using eight of the twelve fibers in an MPO connector, with each channel featuring four dedicated transmit fibers and four dedicated receive fibers. The middle four fibers remain unused, or dark. Each Tx/Rx pair is operating at 10G.

40 Gigabit Ethernet Cables

Cabling for 40 Gigabit Ethernet can be optical fiber or copper. The supportable channel length depends on the cable and the transceiver type. With regard to connectors, the only significant change outlined in the 802.3ba standard is the use of MPO (Multi-Fiber Push On) type connectors at the multi-mode transceivers to support the multi-fiber parallel optics channels. For data center environments operating at 40Gbps, OM3 and OM4 multi-mode cabling is generally recommended because its reach supports a wider range of deployment configurations compared to copper solutions, and the cost is lower compared to single-mode solutions.

40 Gigabit Ethernet Transceivers

40 Gigabit Ethernet transceivers are being developed along several standard form factors. The C form-factor pluggable (CFP) transceiver features 12 transmit and 12 receive 10Gbps lanes to support up to three 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports. Its larger size is suitable for the needs of single-mode optics and can easily serve multi-mode optics or copper as well. The CXP transceiver form factor also provides 12 lanes in each direction, but is much smaller than the CFP and serves the needs of multi-mode optics and copper. The quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) is similar in size to the CXP and provides four transmit and four receive lanes to support 40 Gigabit Ethernet applications for multi-mode fiber and copper. And quad small form-factor pluggable plus (QSFP+) gradually replaces QSFP and is widely used by people as it can provide higher bandwidth. The picture below shows a Cisco WSP-Q40GLR4L compatible QSFP+ transceiver.

Migrating to 40 Gigabit Ethernet will prove very cost-effective for those who do it right. One critical step is to choose appropriate cables and transceivers. Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier, which offers a large amount of cables and transceivers for your 40GbE applications. For example, HP 805755-B21 compatible QSFP+ transceiver, and Juniper JNP-QSFP-4X10GE-IR compatible QSFP+ transceiver offered by Fiberstore are cost-effective and high-performance transceiver modules fully compatible with major brands.

Introduction to QSFP+ Transceiver Module

Transmission speeds are continuing to rise as consumers demand ever higher performance from a variety of communications devices. If you are thinking about upgrading your server network connections, you may want to know about an emerging plug standard called QSFP+, which is now widely used by people as it can provide high bandwidth. Here is what you need to know about QSFP+ transceiver modules.

What Is QSFP+ Transceiver Module?

To know what a QSFP+ transceiver is, you need to understand QSFP transceiver first. QSFP (quad small form-factor pluggable) is a compact, hot-pluggable transceiver used for data communications applications. It interfaces networking hardware to a fiber optic cable or active or passive electrical copper connection. It is an industry format jointly developed and supported by many network component vendors, allowing data rates from 4x10 Gbit/s. The format specification is evolving to enable higher data rates. The QSFP specification accommodates Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SONET/SDH standards with different data rate options. QSFP+ (quad small form-factor pluggable plus), as the updated version of QSFP, is a new multi-source agreement (MSA) for high speed application, such as 40G-BASE, which provide four channels of data in one pluggable interface. Each channel is capable of transferring data at 10Gbps and supports a total of 40Gbps. QSFP+ gradually replace QSFP and is widely used by people as it can provide higher bandwidth. QSFP modules increase the port-density by 3x-4x compared to SFP+ modules. The following picture shows a Juniper QSFPP-40GBASE-LR4 compatible 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ transceiver module.

Key Features of QSFP+ Transceiver

• 4 channels in one interface, providing 3 to 4x density of, SFP+ and XFP
• Meets QSFP+ requirements up to 10 Gbit/s per channel, total 40G interface
• Cages accommodate belly-to-belly mounting
• Heat sinks and lightpipes available
• Compliant with QSFP+ MSA and IEEE Standard 802.3ba
• Quick release latching system
• Low power dissipation

Installing a QSFP+ Transceiver

Perform the following procedure to install an QSFP+ transceiver:

• 1. Remove the module from its shipping container and store the packaging material in a safe location.
• 2. Remove the dust cover from the chassis QSFP+ slot.
• 3. If you are installing the transceiver in the top QSFP+ slot, position the transceiver with the handle facing up. If you are installing the transceiver in the bottom slot, position the transceiver with the handle facing down.
• 4. Slide the module into the slot until it clicks into place.
• 5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 if you have other QSFP+ transceivers to install.

If you are ready to attach the fiber optic cable to the transceiver, continue with removing the dust cover from the transceiver, and then inserting the fiber optic cable to the port on the transceiver, until it clicks in place. Otherwise, repeat steps 1 to 4 to install the remaining QSFP+ transceiver(s) in the line cards. Do not remove the dust cover from the installed QSFP+ transceiver until you are ready to install the fiber optic cable.

Applications of QSFP+ Transceiver

QSFP+ is the I/O cable form factor approved for use in data center applications including InfiniBand and 40G Ethernet. The 40Gbps QSFP+ transceiver is well suited for 40GBASE-SR4 and 40GBASE-LR4 applications. It combines the higher density attractions of parallel modules with some of the key advantages normally associated with SFP+ based modules. It is intended for use short reach applications in switches, routers and data center equipment where it provides higher density and lower cost when compared with standard SFP+ modules. And, QSFP+ transceivers are designed to carry Serial Attached SCSI, QDR (40G) and FDR (56G) Infiniband, and other communications standards. The QSFP+ transceiver is the dominant transceiver form factor used for 40 Gigabit Ethernet applications.

Fiberstore offers you a large number of QSFP+ transceiver modules branded by many famous companies, like Cisco, Juniper, HP, and Finisar. For example, Cisco QSFP-40G-SR4-S 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver, Finisar FTL410QD2C 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ Transceiver, and HP 805755-B21 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver, all those QSFP+ transceivers offered by Fiberstore are the most cost-effective standards-based transceiver modules and fully compatible with major brands and backed by a lifetime warranty.

What Is 1000BASE-X?

Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second, as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. 1000BASE-X is one physical layer standard for Gigabit Ethernet utilizing optical fiber. Using fiber interfaces on your network hardware is a choice that requires some thought based on your unique requirements. This post provides you with some basic information that you should understand before you decide which type you will choose for your 1000BASE-X Gigabit network connection.

Definition—What Does 1000BASE-X Mean?

1000BASE-X is a group of standards for Ethernet physical layer standards, specified within the IEEE 802.3.z standard. It is used for gigabit Ethernet connections that transmit data mainly over fiber optic cable, and sometimes over copper-shielded cable. The standards that apply to the term 1000BASE-X include 1000BASE-LX, 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-BX10, 1000BASE-LX10, as well as non-standard -ZX and -EX standards. The range of lengths for 1000BASE-X starts at a minimum of 25 meters for copper wires and a maximum of 70 km in the case of a single-mode optic fiber channel. All of the standards that are grouped at 1000BASE-X utilize a 8b/10b encoding where 8 bits are reserved for data transmission while 2 bits are used for error correction. The following are brief explanations of some of the standards grouped under the 1000BASE-X standard.

1000BASE-SX

1000BASE-SX Gigabit Ethernet is a variant coupled to a VCSEL laser with a short wavelength of 850 nm. 1000BASE-SX standard has a minimum length of 220 meters and a maximum of 550 meters. The letter "S" stands for short wavelength, and the letter "X" for local area networks (LAN) and an 8B/10B encoding. The SX in 1000BASE-SX indicates that this version of Gigabit Ethernet is intended for use with short-wavelength transmissions over short cable runs of fiber optic cabling. 1000BASE-SX technologies are being widely implemented in enterprise-level networks and are primarily used between pieces of equipment within a building.

1000BASE-LX

1000BASE-LX is a gigabit Ethernet fiber optic standard which has a working distance of up to 5 km over single-mode optic fiber. 1000BASE-LX can also be used to transmit data over common multi-mode fiber options in which case it has a maximum length of 550 meters. The "LX" in 1000BASE-LX stands for long wavelength, indicating that this version of Gigabit Ethernet is intended for use with long-wavelength transmissions over long cable runs of fiber optic cabling. 1000BASE-LX uses a long wavelength laser, and a maximum RMS (root mean square) spectral width of 4 nm.

1000BASE-LX10

1000BASE-LX10 is very similar to 1000BASE-LX, but achieves longer distances up to 10 km over a pair of single-mode fiber due to higher quality optics. 1000BASE-LX10, also known as 1000BASE-LX/LH or 1000BASE-LH. LX/LH stands for "long wavelength/long haul". LX is often used when networking a campus and LH can be used for runs across town to the local Internet service provider (ISP). 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP is single-mode by design, but when it gets together with its friend "mode conditioning patch cable", it can also be used for multi-mode application.

1000BASE-BX10

1000BASE-BX10 is capable of up to 10 km over a single strand of single-mode fiber, with a different wavelength going in each direction. The terminals on each side of the fiber are not equal, as the one transmitting downstream (from the center of the network to the outside) uses the 1490nm wavelength, and the one transmitting upstream uses the 1310nm wavelength.

1000BASE-EX

1000BASE-EX is one of the non-standard mediums that are still used in the industry. Like the other 1000BASE-X standards, 1000BASE-EX is a gigabit Ethernet standard which is capable of data transmissions on working distances of up to 40 km over a single-mode optic fiber pair. It is very similar to 1000BASE-LX10 but achieves longer distances due to higher quality optics, running on 1310nm wavelength lasers. It is sometimes referred to as LH (long haul).

1000BASE-ZX

1000BASE-ZX is also a non-standard but multi-vendor term to refer to Gigabit Ethernet transmission using 1550nm wavelength to achieve distances of at least 70 km (43 miles) over single-mode fiber. Some vendors specify distances up to 120 km (75 miles) over single-mode fiber, sometimes called 1000BASE-EZX. 1000BASE-ZX SFP supports link length of up to 80km on single mode fiber at 1Gbps.

There is a number of 1000BASE SFP optics that are available depending on the customer application and distance capability required. Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier, offering various kinds of 1000BASE SFP transceivers compatible for Cisco, Juniper, and Finisar, etc. For example, Cisco MGBLX1 1000BASE-LX SFP transceivers are cost-effective modules supporting 10km transmission distance with SMF; and Cisco GLC-ZX-SM 1000BASE-ZX SFP is fully compatible with Cisco devices.

BiDi Optical Transceiver Overview

Many modern optical transceivers utilize two fibers to transmit data between switches, firewalls, servers, routers, etc. One fiber is dedicated to receiving data from networking equipment, and the other is to transmit data to the networking equipment. Nowadays, a new optical transceiver technology is available which allows transceivers to both transmit and receive data to/from interconnected equipment through a single optical fiber. This technology now has led to the development of Bi-Directional transceivers, or BiDi transceivers for short.

What Is BiDi Optical Transceiver?

BiDi optical transceiver is a compact optical transceiver module used in optical communications for both telecommunication and data bidirectional communications applications. It interfaces a network device mother board, like a switch, router or similar device, to a fiber optic or unshielded twisted pair networking cable. It is a popular industry format supported by several fiber optic component vendors. In the industry there are several synonyms for Bidi optics, such as: Bi-directional optics, BX-D/BX-U, WDM and so on. Specifically, the SFP-1G-BX-D and SFP-1G-BX-U are for the 1G. BIDI 1G optics are a small form factor pluggable module for single mode Fast Ethernet, Gigabit, Fiber Channel, SDH/SONET applications. BiDi SFP can be produced either with SC or LC simplex port, that is used both transmission and receiving. The most typical wavelength combination is 1310/1490, 1310/1550, 1490/1550 and 1510/1570. For a link you need 2 different optics, one that sends 1310nm and receives 1490nm and the other side of the fiber, which has a Bidi optic which sends 1490nm and receives 1310nm. In most cases these wavelengths are mentioned as Tx (transmitting) and Rx (receiving) on the label of the optic.

How Do BiDi Transceivers Work?

The primary difference between BiDi transceivers and traditional two-fiber fiber optic transceivers is that BiDi transceivers are fitted with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) couplers, also known as diplexers, which combine and separate data transmitted over a single fiber based on the wavelengths of the light. For this reason, BiDi transceivers are also referred to as WDM transceivers. To work effectively, BiDi transceivers must be deployed in matched pairs, with their diplexers tuned to match the expected wavelength of the transmitter and receiver that they will be transmitting data from or to.

For example: If paired BiDi transceivers, like GLC-BX-U and GLC-BX-D branded by Cisco, are being used to connect Device A (Upstream) and Device B (Downstream), as shown in the picture below, then:

• Transceiver A's diplexer must have a receiving wavelength of 1490nm and a transmit wavelength of 1310nm
• Transceiver B's diplexer must have a receiving wavelength of 1310nm and a transmit wavelength of 1490nm

Why Choose BiDi Transceivers?

The obvious advantage of choosing BiDi transceivers, such as SFP+ BiDi or SFP BiDi transceivers, is the reduction in fiber cabling infrastructure costs by reducing the number of fiber patch panel ports, reducing the amount of tray space dedicated to fiber management, and requiring less fiber cable. While BiDi transceivers, or WDM transceivers, cost more to initially purchase than traditional two-fiber transceivers, they utilize half the amount of fiber per unit of distance. For many networks, the cost savings of utilizing less fiber is enough to more than offset the higher purchase price of BiDi transceivers.

Fiberstore offers a large selection of BiDi transceivers branded by many famous companies, like Cisco, Juniper, and HP. BiDi SFP transceivers in Fiberstore can be produced either with SC or LC simplex port. And the typical wavelength combinations, such as 1310/1490, 1310/1550 and 1490/1550, are all available. For example, J9142B and J9143B branded by HP are paired BiDi SFP transceivers, using 1310nm/1490nm transmitter and 1490nm/1310nm receiver.

What You Need to Know About SFP+ Transceivers?

The enhanced small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) is an enhanced version of the SFP that supports data rates up to 10 Gbit/s. This specification was first introduced in May 2006 and has been entering designs since its introduction. More and more designers now prefer the SFP+ transceivers over other SFP transceivers. Here's what you may need to know about SFP+ transceivers if you're considering using them in your designs.

How SFP+ Transceivers Work

As a commonly used optical transceiver type, SFP+ transceiver modules share some basic working principles with other transceiver modules. Fiber optic transceivers are known for receiving information from one end of the optical fiber and sending it through another fiber. The information is sent in the form of light pulses. An electrical component and a light source are just two of the components that are featured on a fiber optic transceiver. Keep in mind that the transceiver has two ends. One has an optical cable plug and another for connecting an electrical device. Each aspect of the transceivers is necessary to properly deliver a signal to its destination. The following is a picture of SFP+ transceiver.

Applications of SFP+ Transceivers

One of the most important attributes of SFP+ transceivers is their ability to be compatible in a variety of communications applications. SFP+ based optical transceivers are all fully compliant to 10G Ethernet based applications covered under IEEE 802.3ae and IEEE802.3aq specifications. And SFP+ transceivers are often used in telecommunication and data communications applications. If you need to connect your network device motherboard to a fiber optic network or a copper cable, an SFP+ transceiver may be the solution for you. SFP+ transceiver modules are offered in SR (850nm wavelength), LR (1310nm wavelength) and LRW (1310nm wavelength) configurations and are ideally suited for network and enterprise transmission applications.

Benefits of SFP+ Transceivers

There are numerous applications that can make use of SFP+ transceivers. Why choose SFP+ transceivers among so many kinds of modules? The following are some benefits of SFP+ transceivers.

First, SFP+ transceivers are compact and hot-pluggable. This means that the devices do not have to be powered down in order for them to be replaced. This is one of the most coveted features of the design. Second, SFP+ is compatible with other devices via a multi-source agreement (MSA). It is compliant to the protocol of IEEE802.3ae, SFF-8431, SFF-8432. Third, modern SFP+ devices will feature functionality such as digital optical monitoring (DOM) and digital diagnostics monitoring (DDM). The end user has the ability to monitor the outputs of the SFP+ devices in real-time. Common parameters that are monitored include input and output power, laser bias current, and supply voltage. As a result, SFP+ transceivers are recommended by professionals in the industry. They can integrate these devices into their current designs and replace them when necessary.

If you have a new design, consider integrating SFP+ transceivers in the design. They are scalable and flexible in their design parameters. Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier for optical fiber products and provides various kinds of SFP+ transceivers branded by many famous companies. For example, HP 455886-B21 compatible 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver is small form factor pluggable module for serial optical data communications such as IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-LR/LW. Force10 GP-10GSFP-1S compatible 10GBASE-SR SFP+ transceiver is an SFP+ module for duplex optical data communications such as 10GBASE-SR and 10GBASE-SW. All these SFP+ transceiver modules are with high quality and backed by a lifetime warranty.

What Are the Differences of SFP, SFP+, XFP?

SFP, SFP+, and XFP are all terms for a type of transceiver that plugs into a special port on a switch or other network device to convert the port to a copper or fiber interface. These compact transceivers replace the older, bulkier GBIC interface. All these three compact transceivers are hot-swappable and commonly used. It's easy to change interfaces on the fly for upgrades and maintenance without shutting down a switch to swap out a module. These modules are good solutions in having a great quality signal delivered. Which kind of module should you choose? Your choice needs to be based on your understanding of what they are and how they differ from each other.

What Are SFP, SFP+ and XFP?

SFP: SFP stands for small form-factor pluggable. SFP transceiver is a compact, hot-pluggable transceiver used for both telecommunication and data communications applications. The form factor and electrical interface are specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA). These modules can link equipment like routers and switches. SFP transceivers are designed to support SONET, gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. For every type of SFP transceiver, it works with different wavelengths at a designated location or distance. SX SFP uses 850nm for a maximum of 550 meters, LX SFP use 1310nm for a maximum 10km, ZX SFP could reach 80km. Copper SFP uses a RJ45 interface. It is a popular industry format jointly developed and supported by many network component vendors.

SFP+: SFP+ is an enhanced version of the SFP. The SFP+ specification was first published on May 9, 2006. SFP+ supports 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and optical transport network standard OTU2. It is a popular industry format supported by many network component vendors. Although the SFP+ standard does not include mention of 16G Fibre Channel it can be used at this speed.

XFP: XFP stands for 10 Gigabit small form factor pluggable. XFP modules are hot-swappable and protocol-independent. With XFP you will surely experience a fast transmission of data in your computer network including your telecommunication links. They typically operate at near-infrared wavelengths (colors) of 850 nm, 1310 nm or 1550 nm. Principal applications include 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, synchronous optical networking (SONET) at OC-192 rates, synchronous optical networking STM-64, 10Gbit/s optical transport network OTU-2, and parallel optics links. They can operate over a single wavelength or use dense wavelength-division multiplexing techniques.

What Are the Differences?

SFP+ vs SFP

The main difference between SFP and SFP+ is that the SFP+ is used in Gigabit Ethernet applications while SFP is for 100BASE or 1000BASE applications. SFP+ transceivers use the same dimensions of pluggable transceivers in the 10Gbs Ethernet and 8.5Gbs fiber channel with SFP and SFP comply with standards of IEEE802.3 and SFF-8472.

XFP vs SFP+

Generally speaking, both of them are 10G fiber optical modules and can connect with other type of 10G modules. In comparison to earlier XFP modules, SFP+ modules leave more circuitry to be implemented on the host board instead of inside the module. The size of SFP+ is smaller than XFP, thus it moves some functions to motherboard, including signal modulation function, MAC, CDR and EDC. XFP is based on the standard of XFP MSA while SFP+ is compliance with the protocol of IEEE 802.3ae, SFF-8431, SFF-8432.

Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier for optical fiber products and provides various kinds of SFP, SFP+ and XFP transceivers branded by many famous companies, like Cisco, HP, and Finisar. For example, Cisco XFP-10G-MM-SR, XFP-10GLR-OC192SR, XFP-10GER-192IR+ XFP transceivers, and HP JD118B, JD119B, J9142B SFP transceivers offered by Fiberstore are the most cost-effective standards-based transceiver modules and fully compatible with major brands and backed by a lifetime warranty.

X2 Transceiver Module Overview

In computer networking, we know that 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE or 10GbE) refers to various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of 10 gigabits per second, first defined by the IEEE 802.3ae-2002 standard. To meet a wide variety of 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity needs, there are many options. SFP+, XENPAK, X2 and XFP transceivers are four mainly defined optical transceiver types for 10 Gigabit Ethernet deployments. In this post, a brief introduction to X2 transceiver module will be shown.

What Is X2 Transceiver Module?

X2 transceiver module is a type of 10 Gigabit Ethernet optical transceiver. Its development was based on former XENPAK standards. The inner function of X2 10Gbit/s transceiver is almost similar with XENPAK so that we also can use X2 transceiver to fulfill all 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) optical port function. X2 transceiver is better for density installation for it is only half size of XENPAK transceivers. Its electrical interface for that host board can also be standardized and it is called XAUI (10 Gigabit attachment unit interface) X2 uses the same 70-pin electrical connector as XENPAK and supports implementations of XENPAK's four lane XAUI at both Ethernet (3.125Gbit/s) and/or Fiber Channel (3.1875Gbit/s) rates. X2 will also support serial electrical interfaces as they may emerge in XENPAK, as well as ongoing maintenance. X2 optics are essentially an enhanced version of the XENPAK. It also has the same connector as a XENPAK (SC). A picture of X2 transceiver modules is shown below.

Types of X2 Transceiver Module

X2 transceiver modules are available with a variety of transmitter and receiver types, allowing users to select the appropriate one for each link to provide the required optical reach over the available optical fiber type (e.g. multi-mode fiber or single-mode fiber). X2 transceiver modules are commonly available in several different categories:
SR - 850 nm, for a maximum of 300 m
LR - 1310 nm, for distances up to 10 km
ER - 1550 nm, for distances up to 40 km
ZR - 1550 nm, for distances up to 80 km

The 10GB X2 fiber optic transceivers series include X2-10GB-SR, X2-10GB-LR, X2-10GB-ER and X2-10GB-ZR, they are designed based on the X2 MSA (multi-source agreement) and IEEE802.3ae. X2 fiber optic transceiver is designed to transmit and receive optical data of link length of 300m, 10km, 20km, 40km, up to 80km. X2 10GB solution include dual fiber X2, CWDM X2 and DWDM X2 modules which enable high port densities for 10 gigabit Ethernet systems.

Applications of X2 Transceiver Module

X2 transceiver is a hot pluggable in the Z-direction module that is usable in typical router line card applications, 10GE Storage, IP network and LAN and compliant to XENPAK MSA. X2 defines a smaller form-factor 10Gbit/s fiber optic transceiver optimized for 802.3ae Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel and other 10 Gigabit applications. X2 transceiver is initially centered on optical links to 10 kilometers and is ideally suited for Ethernet, Fibre Channel and telecom switches and standard PCI (peripheral component interconnect) based server and storage connections. Though X2 transceiver is physically smaller than XENPAK, it maintains the mature electrical I/O specification based on the XENPAK MSA and continues to provide robust thermal performance and electromagnetic shielding. X2 optical modules are available in two circuit interfaces: XAUI and Serial Framer Interface (SFI-4), which can be used for 10G Ethernet and also can be used for OC-192 SDH and 10GFC.

Fiberstore provides a full range of X2 optical transceivers to support Ethernet and other optical links’ applications across many switching and routing platforms. We offer 10G X2, BIDI X2 and CWDM/DWDM X2 modules with high quality and good prices.