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.

Things to Know About 10GBASE-LRM

As 10 Gigabit Ethernet broadly rolls out and increasing numbers of enterprises begin the process of evaluating network upgrades, numerous physical-layer interconnects are available to address 10Gbit/s data transmission. These include 10GBASE-LX4, CX4, SR, LR, and ER, as well as emerging 10GBASE-T (802.3an), 10GBASE-KX4 (802.3ap), and 10GBASE-LRM (802.3aq). With all of these options, it can be a difficult process to sort through the requirements of a specific implementation. In this article, 10GBASE-LRM standard, one option that meet existing installed multi-mode fiber cabling plant in building backbone, switch-to-switch, data center, and other enterprise-related environments, will be introduced.

What Is 10GBASE-LRM?

Multi-mode fiber dominates the installed base of fiber plant for data communications. Older multi-mode fibers installed in the early 1990s exhibit large amounts of modal dispersion, making for a challenging transmission channel, particularly at 10G data rates. For vertical-riser applications in building backbones, transmission distances of up to 300 m are required, and pulling new fiber is not a cost-effective option. The requirements of the vertical-riser application must be addressed to make 10G optical deployment a viable alternative in the enterprise backbone. The current standards-based design for the vertical-riser link is known as 10GBASE-LX4. LX4 uses a CWDM approach using four wavelength-specific transmitters near 1300 nm, a CWDM multiplexer and demultiplexer, and four receivers. The disadvantages of this architecture are significant challenges in cost, size reduction, and manufacturability. As a result of these disadvantages, vendors have developed an alternative approach called 10GBASE-LRM. LRM stands for long reach multi-mode. 10GBASE-LRM, as the replacement to LX4, will reach up to 220m over standard multi-mode fiber, but without the complexity of the LX4 optics. The following is a picture of 10GBASE-LRM transceiver modules.

How Does 10GBASE-LRM Work?

LRM uses a 10G serial approach with a single 1310nm transmitter and a receiver with an adaptive electronic equalizer IC (integrated circuit) in the receive chain. This adaptive equalization technology, known as electronic dispersion compensation (EDC), working on a way to provide a long-distance multi-mode solution that operates with a single wavelength, is used to compensate for the differential modal dispersion (DMD) present in legacy fiber channels. EDC is a form of signal processing that removes interference from the received optical signal and recovers an open "eye" from a closed eye. The EDC function is one that can be integrated into the serializer, and perhaps even done in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor (CMOS) over time, which suggests that it can achieve a very low cost and fit into very small form factors. 10GBASE-LRM can provide a long distance solution based on multi-mode fiber and operates with a single wavelength.

10GBASE-LRM Transceiver Modules

LRM modules use a single higher-speed laser operating at 10.310Gbit/s rather than 3.125Gbit/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.

The EDC chips used in the LRM modules are also very complex and require a highly linear transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and a high-speed photodiode with a large surface area capable of capturing all of the optical modes at the output of a fiber. Thus, LRM offers the advantage of fewer components, yet the increased performance requirements for each individual element may be a substantial barrier to the overall module cost savings speculated by LRM advocates.

Fiberstore offers you a compatible 10GBASE-LRM transceiver solution at a fraction of the original cost and a 5-year warranty. These products are manufactured per precise OEM specifications and with high quality. For example, SFP+ transceiver JD093B branded by HP, and SFP+ transceiver EX-SFP-10GE-LRM branded by Juniper, all these 10GBASE-LRM transceivers are with high quality to meet your 10 Gigabit fiber cabling needs.

3D Printing Is Helping UK Researchers Create Complex Fiber Optics

One technology I did not expect to benefit from 3D printing was the manufacturing of optical fibers used in fiber-optic cables. It is difficult to imagine how a tiny, chemically, and optically complex glass fiber could be made using a 3D-additive manufacturing process. Well, that's not quite what's happening.

To understanding why 3D printing is an important piece of the process, let's first look at how optical fibers are currently made; the process involves two main manufacturing steps: preform and drawing.

Preform: The preform starts out as a hollow glass jacket tube. The jacket tube is heated and specially formulated silicon dioxide is deposited on the interior. The chemical brew gives the finished fiber specific optical qualities. The jacket tube eventually becomes a solid, with the deposited silicon dioxide becoming the core of the optical fiber. This Discovery Channel video explains the process.

Drawing process: The now solid preform is transferred to a vertical drawing system similar to the diagram to the right and the image at the beginning of the article. The furnace heats the preform to 2000 degrees Celsius. The molten glass is then carefully drawn through the equipment, measured, coated, and wound on a spool.

In single-mode fiber, the core diameter is 10 micrometers, and the cladding diameter is 100 micrometers. Multimode optical fibers have a core diameter of 50 micrometers and a cladding diameter of 125 micrometers.

It is a lot more complicated than what I described, but at least this should allow us to understand why researchers at the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Center are using 3D-printing techniques to fabricate optical fibers.

3D printing simplifies the preform process

From the video, one can see the resultant chemical composition of the core becomes uniform throughout the preform; however, there are situations where it would be nice to alter the shape and composition of the finished optical fiber along its length. This is where 3D-printing comes into play.

"We will design, fabricate and employ novel Multiple Materials Additive Manufacturing (MMAM) equipment to enable us to make optical fibre preforms (both in conventional and microstructured fibre geometries) in silica and other host glass materials," said Professor Jayanta Sahu of the Optoelectronics Research Center in the press release. "Our proposed process can be utilised to produce complex preforms, which are otherwise too difficult, too time-consuming, or currently impossible to be achieved by existing fabrication techniques."

If understood correctly, "impossible" refers to the fact that current technology only allows for a uniform depositing of the formulated silicon dioxide. MMAM (3D-additive process) offers the researchers the chance to vary the composition along the length of the preform as it is being created, which in turn alters the characteristics of the optical fiber.

The ability to create preforms with a complex internal structure will be welcomed by manufacturers, as the industry is moving towards even more complex microstructured optical fibers called photonic bandgap fibers.

Professor Sahu talked to Martin Rowe of EE Times about hollow-core fiber (photonic bandgap fiber). "Take an example of hollow-core fiber where the light is being guided in the central air region, and hence more light can be transmitted in such fibers as compared to a solid core fiber," mentioned Sahu. "In hollow-core fiber, communications can be made faster than SMF 28 because light travels faster in air than in silica glass, the material used in SMF 28."

Rowe then asked Sahu about his plans for MMAM. "Initially, basic fiber characterisations on spectral attenuation, dispersion, strength, doping concentration and profile, and laser efficiency will be made to establish the technology," said Sahu. "Once the technology has been established, we will then validate the fibers in real devices, for example, in a transmission experiment."

The hope for this research

In the University of Southampton press release, Professor Sahu stated, "We hope our work will open up a route to manufacture novel fibre structures in silica and other glasses for a wide range of applications, covering telecommunications, sensing, lab-in-a-fibre, metamaterial fibre, and high-power lasers. This is something that has never been tried before and we are excited about starting this project."