Guide to Fiber Optic Patch Cord Management

Though fiber optic patch cord is a preferable option in a network, it also has the potential to be the weakest link in fiber network infrastructures. So it is very essential to follow correct procedures in administration of fiber patch cords to achieve optimum performance and reliability. Best practice in managing patch cords can be divided into four parts: planning, preparation, patching, and validation. This post will talk about fiber jumper management from these four aspects.

Planning

A good plan is half the success. Make sure you know the specifications and design of your fiber cabling. Fiber patch cords you choose must match the installed cabling. Do not mix them. Color-coding of connectors for different fiber standards make it easy to avoid confusion. First you need to find the best route between the ports to be connected to establish the correct cord length. This is usually the shortest route through horizontal and vertical cable guides that does not obstruct or interfere with other cords and connectors in the panel. By adding the horizontal and vertical distances, you get the required length. Avoid running cords through cable pathways that are already congested.

When selecting a cord to make a cross connection, avoid excessive slack and provide a neat appearance. Tight cords will pull on connectors and too much slack complicates cord management, making the panel more difficult to work on. Ensure that panels are fitted with correct cable management accessories. In general, a horizontal patch cord management guide is needed for every two rack units, depending on the type of optical patch panel or lightguide interconnect unit (LIU). At the optical patch panel or LIU, route patch cords equally toward both sides of the vertical cable management channels to prevent overloading one side.

Preparation

Before performing administration activities, preparation is critical. It can minimize disconnect time as much as possible. What preparation needs to be done? Locate the ports that must be connected or reconnected. Ensure technicians have clear information on what they need to do, including labeling information for the ports involved. Ensure cords are of the right type and quality, whether an MPO cable or a LC fiber cable or other connector types, and that they are clean and in good condition. Cleanliness is vital in fiber optic connections so special care is needed with connector ends on patch cords, panels and network equipment.

Patching

During the patching process, be careful not to use excessive force during the patching process, which can stress cords and connectors, reducing their performance. And exceeding the bend radius can result in significant additional loss and adverse impact on channel performance. Patching includes removing a patch cord and adding a patch cord. Steps in removing and adding cords:

Removing a patch cord

• 1. locate the existing circuit
• 2. unplug the patch cord at one end and cover the connector endface with a dust cap
• 3. cover the open port with a dust cover
• 4. gently lift the cord straight up, taking up slack until its movement is detected
• 5. follow the cord routing, gently removing it along its length from the cable pathways
• 6. find the other end and unplug it
• 7. fully remove the cord

Adding a patch cord

• 1. identify the location of the new circuit
• 2. plug one end of the patch cord into the fiber coupling
• 3. route the patch cord
• 4. locate the new connecting point
• 5. plug the other end of the patch cord into the fiber coupling

Validation

Patching must be right since mistakes can cause costly disruption and re-work. It is totally necessary and important to take some time to make a final visual check on connections. When patch panels are mounted in enclosures, ensure they are securely closed and, where necessary, locked, making sure that cord slack is not snagged or pinched by the doors. The final step is to update the documentation to the as-built configuration and close the work order associated with the completed change request.

Summary

To sum up, a good fiber cabling management depends on the four aspects above. A right plan, well preparation, careful patching and at last, a thorough validation, all these add up to a successful cable management. You need to make sure that every procedure is properly implemented.

Two Core Sizes of Multimode Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber jumpers continue to provide a cost-effective cabling solution for data centers, local area networks (LANs), and other enterprise applications. Singlemode fiber optic patch cords and multimode fiber optic patch cords are two options. Compared to singlemode fiber, multimode fiber has a large diameter core, which allows multiple wavelengths of light traveling in the fiber core at the same time. Multimode fiber optic patch cord comes with two core sizes: 50 micron and 62.5 micron. And this article will talk about these two core sizes of multimode fiber optic cables.

Overview

The numbers 50µm and 62.5µm refer to the diameters of the glass or plastic core, the part of the fiber that carries the light which encodes your data. The dimensions are sometimes specified as 50/125μm and 62.5/125μm, to include the diameter of the cladding, which confines the light to the core because it has a lower index of refraction. You can use both in the same types of networks, although 50µm cable is recommended for premise applications, like backbone, horizontal, and intrabuilding connections. They both can use either LED or laser light sources. The main difference between 50µm and 62.5µm cable is in bandwidth, 50µm cable features three times the bandwidth of standard 62.5µm cable, particularly at 850nm. The 850nm wavelength is becoming more important as lasers are being used more frequently as a light source. Other differences are distance and speed. 50µm cable provides longer link lengths and higher speeds in the 850nm wavelength.

62.5µm Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cords

OM1 fiber optic cable is the 62.5/125 multimode fiber cable. OM1 fiber has a bigger core diameter, which makes it better at concentrating the light and bend-resistance. OM1 fiber was the indoor cabling standard chosen by AT&T, ANSI and IBM. For OM1 fiber cable, the max attenuation is 3.5dB/km working at 850nm, 1.5dB/km at 1300nm. Overfilled launch of OM1 fiber optic cable at 850nm is 200MHz*km, at 1300nm is 500MHz*km. Today, OM1 fiber optic cables are still a popular indoor use multimode fiber optic cable.

50µm Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cords

50µm fiber includes OM2, OM3, OM4. OM2 fiber optic cable refer to the commonly used 50/125 traditional multimode fiber cable. OM1 and OM2 are both orange jacketed cable, and you cannot judge from the outer diameter to identify OM1 and OM2 fiber cable, because the 50/125 and 62.5/125 refer not to whole cable diameter but to the fiber inside. OM2 multimode fiber cables are used in fiber optic telecommunications and high speed transmission systems that require simultaneous, bi-directional data transfer.

OM3 cable and OM4 cable are both optimized for laser based equipment that uses fewer modes of light. As a result of this optimization, they are capable of running 10 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up to 300m and 550m respectively. OM4 is completely backwards compatible with OM3 fiber and shares the same distinctive aqua jacket. OM4 was developed specifically for VSCEL laser transmission. OM4 multimode fiber optic cable is the highest level of multimode fiber optic cable that you can use. They can be used in networks where an overwhelming or extreme amount of data transfers will take place.

Which One Should You Choose?

Given its superior technical characteristics for high-speed links, 50μm fiber is the clear choice for new multimode fiber links in most circumstances. OM3-grade, high-bandwidth 50/125-micron fiber cable increases the flexibility of network designs and achieves data transfer rates up to 10Gbps at the lowest available cost. 50μm multimode fiber is the medium of the future, with 62.5μm fiber being supported chiefly for legacy purposes. However, the majority of the fiber deployed in the world today is 62.5μm, so backward compatibility is an important concern. On the other hand, there are no technical drawbacks to using different fiber types in separate network links, as long as the ports at both ends of the link are compatible with the cable. In a word, installing 50μm fiber for new network links is a good investment for future growth.

Summary

With the increasing demand for network capacity, upgrades must be planned with an eye to the future. Installing 50μm multimode fiber today brings immediate benefits of longer cable reach and improved light loss budget margins, and prepares the network for future upgrades.

Migrating to 40/100G Era with OM3 and OM4

To meet the continuously increased requirements, data center 40/100G migration is underway. The infrastructure of data centers for the 40G/100G should meet the requirements like high speed, reliability, manageability and flexibility. Fiber optic patch cable plays an important part. The cable used in data center must be selected to provide support for the higher needs of data rate. OM3 and OM4 fiber patch cables have gradually become the popular choice of data center during 40/100G migration. This article illustrates OM3/OM4 multimode fiber cables in 40/100G migration in details.

Why Choose OM3 and OM4 in 40/100G Migration?

OM stands for optical multimode. Why not single-mode fiber cables? The answer is the cost. The price of single-mode fiber is generally more expensive than multimode fiber. Multimode fiber utilizes low cost 850nm transceivers for serial and parallel transmission. Why not OM1 or OM2? Compared with OM1 and OM2, OM3 and OM4 can transport data at higher rate and longer distance. OM3 and OM4 are both laser-optimized multimode fibers with 50/125 core, which are designed for use with 850nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and are developed to accommodate faster networks such as 10, 40 and 100 Gbps. The IEEE 802.3ba 40/100G Ethernet Standard provides specific guidance for 40/100G transmission with multimode and single-mode fibers. OM3 and OM4 are the only multimode fibers included in the standard. The reason why OM3 and OM4 are applied in 40/100G migration is that they can meet the requirements for the migration cabling performance.

Advantages of Utilizing OM3 and OM4

Bandwidth, transmission distance and total connector insertion loss are three main factors should be considered when evaluation the performance needed for cabling infrastructure to meet the requirements for 40/100G. Advantages of utilizing OM3 and OM4 in these three aspects will be explained below.

Higher Bandwidth: OM3 and OM4 are optimized for 850nm transmission and have a minimum 2000MHz∙km and 4700MHz∙km effective modal bandwidth (EMB). Comparing the OM1 and OM2 with a maximum of 500 MHz∙km, advantages of OM3 and OM4 are obvious.

Longer Transmission Distance: OM3 fiber and OM4 fiber can support longer transmission distance compare with other traditional multimode fibers. Generally OM3 fibers can run 40/100 Gigabit at 100 meters and OM4 fibers can run 40/100 Gigabit at 150 meters. This high data rate and longer distance cannot be achieved by other traditional multimode fiber like OM1 and OM2.

Lower Insertion Loss: According to the 40/100G standard, OM3 fiber is specified to a 100m distance with a maximum channel loss of 1.9dB, which includes a 1.5dB total connector loss budget. And OM4 fiber is specified to a 150m distance with a maximum channel loss of 1.5 dB, including a total connector loss budget of 1.0 dB. With low-loss OM3 and OM4 fiber, maximum flexibility can be achieved with the ability to introduce multiple connector mating into the connectivity link and longer supportable transmission distance can be reached.

OM3 or OM4?

OM3 and OM4 are both available for 40/100G applications. But you also need to choose which one to use. The applications and the total costs are always the main factors to consider to figure out whether OM3 or OM4 is needed. The connectors and the termination of the connectors for OM3 and OM4 fibers are the same. OM3 is fully compatible with OM4. The difference is just in the construction of fiber cable, which makes OM4 cable has better attenuation and can operate higher bandwidth at a longer distance than OM3. Thus, the cost for OM4 fiber is higher than OM3. As 90 percent of all data centers have their runs under 100 meters, choosing OM3 comes down to a costing issue. However, looking in the future, as the demand increases, the cost will come down. Thus, OM4 might be the most viable product at some point soon.

Conclusion

Migration to 40/100G has already been underway. With good performance like high data rate, long transmission distance and lower inserting loss, it seems that OM3/OM4 fiber cable is a must in data center migration to 40/100G.

How Do OS1 and OS2 Differ from Each Other?

These are two standards for single mode fibre optic cabling that are generally used today, OS1 and OS2. OS1 and OS2 are cabled single mode optical fibre specifications. The difference between OS1 and OS2 fiber optic cables mainly lie in the performance due to cable construction. How are OS1 and OS2 single mode fiber cables constructed? Choosing the right fiber jumper is very critical to improve the functionality of your network. Here is some information related to the differences between the OS1 and OS2 single mode fiber cables.

Cable Construction and the Differences

OS1 single mode fibers are compliant with ITU-T G.652A/B, and the low-water-peak fibers defined by ITU-T G.652C and G.652D also come under OS1 single mode fibers, that is to say OS1 is compliant with specifications of ITU-T G.652. OS1 cabling is tight-buffered construction, embedded in a heavy polymer jacket. The jacketed fiber is generally enclosed, with a bundle of flexible fibrous polymer strength members like aramid in a lightweight plastic cover to form a simple cable.

OS2 single mode fibers are only compliant with ITU-T G.652C/D standards, which means that OS2 fibers are very clearly the low-water-peak fibers only. OS1 was first introduced in the year 2002 and OS2 in the year 2006. OS2 cabling is loose-tube design. Cable with this construction is appropriate for outdoor cases. For use in more strenuous environments, a much more robust cable construction is required. In loose-tube construction, the fiber is laid helically into semi-rigid tubes, allowing the cable to stretch without stretching the fiber itself. This protects the fiber from tension during laying and due to temperature changes.

Applications

For their different cable constructions, OS1 and OS2 fiber cables have different application areas. OS1 is for indoor use, such as campusand data centre. Cabling is is tight buffered (manufactured into solid medium). Indoor fiber is more tolerant of bending. The fiber is more plastic and able to bend plus the buffered cable reduces the risk of catastrophic damage. OS2 is for outdoor or loose tube use, like street, underground/burial, etc. Outdoor fibers are bend sensitive and thus more likely to break during install unless care is taken.

Besides, they also have different degrees of attenuation. OS1 indoor fiber has greater loss per kilometer than OS2. In general, the maximum attenuation for OS1 is 1.0 db/km and 0.4db/km for OS2. As a result, the maximum transmission distance of OS1 single mode fiber is 2 km but the maximum transmission distance of OS2 single mode fiber can reach 5 km and up to 10 km. Though the maximum transmission distance of OS2 single mode fiber is much longer than that of OS1, OS1 is much cheaper than OS2 for the cheaper materials.

Conclusion

But both OS1 and OS2 cable types allow a distance of one to 10 gigabit Ethernet. And another point which needs to be paid attention to is that OS2 single mode optical fiber cables can not be connected with OS1 single mode optical fiber cables because it may lead to unpredictable signal performance. Fiberstore supplies both OS1 and OS2 single mode patch cables, and all other kinds of fiber patch cords with differernt connector options, such as SC single mode patch cable, LC multi-mode patch cable, MPO cable, etc. We provide fiber-based patch cables with high quality.

When to Use Multi-mode Fiber Optic Patch Cable?

Multi-mode fiber optic patch cable is a common used fiber jumper type. It has its own special advantages and applications. Knowing when to use a multi-mode fiber optic patch cable is very necessary for those who want to design a reliable and sustainable optical network. When to use multi-mode fiber optic patch cables? Here is what you need to consider if you are going to implement multi-mode fiber optic cable.

Introduction of Multi-mode Fiber Optic Patch Cable

Multi-mode fiber optic patch cable has a larger core diameter than singlemode fiber optic patch cable. There are two different core sizes of multi-mode fiber patch cords: 50 microns and 62.5 microns. Both 50 microns and 62.5 microns patch cable feature the same glass cladding diameter of 125 microns. For example, a 62.5/125µm multi-mode fiber patch cable has a 62.5µm core and a 125µm diameter cladding. The larger core of multi-mode fiber patch cords gathers more light and allows more signals to be transmitted at the same time. Transmission of many modes of light down a multi-mode fiber patch cable simultaneously causes signals to weaken over time and therefore travel short distance. So multi-mode fiber optic patch cables are used for data transmission over short distances.

Advantages of Using Multi-Mode Fiber Optic Patch Cable

Multi-mode fiber optic patch cables have a large carrying capacity. Signals can be transmitted without further needing to be refreshed or strengthened with the use of multi-mode fiber optic cable. These cables are also known for having a greater resistance to electromagnetic noise such as radios or motors or other nearby cables. Another major advantage of these fiber optic cables is that they cost much less to maintain than other types of fiber optic cable. A light-emitting diode (LED) or an injection-laser diode (ILD) are always used for generating the light pulses. Light is preferred for shorter distances, and 850nm is sufficient for most of these types of applications.

When to Use Multi-Mode Fiber Optic Patch Cable?

Knowing when to use a multi-mode fiber optic cable is half the battle of creating a winning design. Using it incorrectly can result in signal distortion or in another undesirable occurrence. You need to make the proper decision for your design or company to ensure that you will have optimal performance. Multimode fiber optic patch cable allows you to achieve greater speeds and larger bandwidths. It is recommended for signal transmission over medium distances. Multi-mode fiber patch cables can be used to connect high speed and legacy networks like Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Ethernet. OM1 and OM2 cables are commonly used in premises applications supporting Ethernet rates of 10Mbps to 1Gbps, which are not suitable though for today’s higher-speed networks. OM3 and OM4 are best multimode options of today. For prevailing 10Gbps transmission speeds, OM3 is generally suitable for distance up to 300 meters, and OM4 is suitable for distance up to 550 meters.

Conclusion

Knowing when to use a multi-mode fiber optic cable is not always that easy, but it can be determined by simply knowing how far the signal needs to be transmitted and the environment that the cable will be in during transmission. Fiberstore provides a wide range of fiber optic patch cables, both multi-mode fiber optic patch cables and singlemode fiber optic patch cables for your selections. We supply fiber optic patch cables with custom lengths with high quality.

Overview of 1000BASE-BX SFP Bidi Transceiver

In communication networks, many transmission lines need bidirectional transmission. This need leads to the development of Bidirectional (BiDi) transceivers, which can transmit and receive data to/from interconnected equipment through a single optical fiber. BiDi transceivers are fitted with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) diplexers, which combine and separate data transmitted over a single fiber based on the wavelengths of the light. 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. In this post, a kind of BiDi transceiver, 1000BASE-BX SFP BiDi transceiver will be introduced.

Introduction

1000BASE-BX is a part of the Gigabit Ethernet standard related to transmission over fiber optic cable. 1000BASE-BX SFP modules are compliant with SFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) specification and SFF-8472, and conform to the IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10 standard. 1000BASE-BX SFP modules include 1000BASE-BX-U SFP module and 1000BASE-BX-D SFP module. These two SFP modules must be used in pairs to permit a bidirectional Gigabit Ethernet connection using a single strand of single mode fiber (SMF) cable. These transceivers transmit and receive signals on one fiber strand using two wavelengths in each direction. These hot pluggable optical transceivers consist of two sections: the transmitter section uses 1490nm DFB laser/1310nm Fabry-Perot laser, and the receiver section uses 1310nm/1490nm receiver accordingly. The 1000BASE-BX-D SFP operates at wavelengths of 1490nm TX/1310nm RX, and the 1000BASE-BX-U SFP operates at wavelengths of 1310nm TX/1490nm RX. These transceivers use standard simplex LC connectors for fiber cable connection and provide a long transmission distance of up to 10 km.

Key Features

• Data rate up to 1.25 Gbps
• Hot-pluggable SFP footprint
• 1490 nm DFB Transmitter and 1310 nm PIN Receiver
• 1310 nm FP Transmitter and 1490 nm PIN Receiver
• Transmission distance up to 10 km
• Simplex LC connector
• Low power dissipation
• Digital diagnostic monitor interface is compliant with SFF-8472
• Compliant with SFP MSA Specification
• Compliant with IEEE 802.3z Gigabit Standard
• RoHS compliance

1000BASE-BX-D SFP

1000BASE-BX-D SFP supports link length of up to 10km point to point on single mode fiber (1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX wavelength) at 1Gbps bidirectional. This optic uses an LC connector. The picture below show a Cisco GLC-BX-D compatible 1000BASE-BX-D SFP 1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX transceiver. The GLC-BX-D is a small form factor pluggable module for Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-BX and Fiber Channel communications. The GLC-BX-D transceiver operates at 1490Tx/1310Rx wavelength. It is compatible with the IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10-D standards. A 1000BASE-BX-D device is always connected to a 1000BASE-BX-U device with a single strand of standard SMF.

1000BASE-BX-U SFP

1000BASE-BX-U SFP supports link length of up to 10km point to point on single mode fiber (1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX wavelength) at 1Gbps bidirectional. This optic uses an LC connector. The communication over a single strand of fiber is achieved by separating the transmission wavelength of the two devices. 1000BASE-BX-D transmits a 1490nm channel and receives a 1310nm signal, whereas 1000BASE-BX-U transmits at a 1310nm wavelength and receives a 1490nm signal. A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) splitter integrated into the SFP to split the 1310nm and 1490nm light paths. The GLC-BX-D and GLC-BX-U SFPs also support digital optical monitoring (DOM) functions according to the industry-standard SFF-8472 multisource agreement (MSA). This feature gives the end user the ability to monitor real-time parameters of the SFP, such as optical output power, optical input power, temperature and transceiver supply voltage. The picture below show a Cisco GLC-BX-U compatible 1000BASE-BX-U SFP 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX transceiver.

Applications

• Gigabit Ethernet
• Fiber Channel Links
• Switch to switch interface
• Switched backplane applications
• Pouter/Server Interface
• Other optical transmission systems

Conclusion

New organizational applications, virtualization, and data center consolidation trends are pushing your server I/O requirements to meet higher needs than before. With new BiDi optical technology, SFP BiDi transceivers make it much easier for you to upgrade your networks.

DOM — A Fiber Tester Inside Your SFPs

When reading parameters of an SFP transceiver, you may see words like "DOM". Do you know what's the meaning of "DOM"? And why should an SFP transceiver be with DOM? In this post, some detailed information about DOM will be given.

What Is DOM?

DOM, short for digital optical monitoring, is used to monitor some parameters of the transceiver in real-time, helping to identify the location of the fiber link failure, simplify maintenance, and improve system reliability. DOM allows you to monitor the TX (transmit) and RX (receive) power of the module, temperature, and transceiver supply voltage. You can configure your device to monitor optical transceivers in the system, either globally or by specified port. When this feature is enabled, the system monitors the temperature and signal power levels for the optical transceivers in the specified ports. Console messages and syslog messages are sent when optical operating conditions fall below or rise above the SFP manufacturer's recommended thresholds. With DOM, network administrators can check and ensure that the module is functioning correctly in an easy and convenient way. This is why most of modern optical SFP transceivers support DOM functions. The following image shows a Brocade E1MG-SX-OM compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP DOM transceiver. With DOM function, it is able to assist network designers in detecting and digitizing parameter signals on circuit board inside the SFP module.

How to Use DOM?

To ensure the DOM capability function well, both the device and the platform must support the feature. When the transceiver module is DOM-enabled, a minimum software version may be required to support the feature in each platform. There are some restrictions of using DOM. Ensure that your optical transceiver supports DOM; specifies the time interval for monitoring optical transceivers; in case of combo ports with SFP and RJ45 provision, when SFP is inserted in slot or port and media type is not configured to SFP, DOM is functional only if global transceiver monitoring is enabled.

SFP Transceivers with DOM

With the popularity of DOM function, there are many SFP transceivers are with DOM, like 1000BASE-LX SFP DOM transceiver, 1000BASE-SX SFP DOM transceiver, 1000BASE-LX SFP DOM transceiver, 1000BASE-EX SFP DOM transceiver, and 1000BASE-ZX SFP DOM transceiver. And there are many third-party optical transceiver include the DOM functionality. What should be mentioned here is that although optical transceivers with DOM are much popular than those without DOM, some user still use the older optical transceivers in consideration of the upgrading costs.

Conclusion

SFP transceivers with DOM help to ensure that the business can be proactive in preventative maintenance of the network and ensure business continuity. And it would easy to explain why modern transceivers are with DOM. It is an irresistible development trend of industry and technology. Fiberstore is a professional optical transceiver manufacturer and supplier, which offers a with varity of compatible SFP transceivers with DOM functionality with a low cost. For example, Allied Telesis AT-SPSX compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP DOM transceiver costs only $6.00, and NETGEAR AGM732F compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP DOM transceiver costs only $7.00.

What Is 10G DWDM C-band Tunable XFP Module?

WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) technology, based on the concept of using multiple wavelengths of light on a single fiber, has been very popular in today's data transmission. Dense WDM (DWDM) is one type of WDM which uses the C-Band transmission window with denser channel spacing. In a 10G DWDM network application, there are multiple transceiver choices for you. Among them, this article will introduce one option for you, DWDM C-band tunable XFP module.

Introduction

The tunable DWDM transceiver is a unique product which enables you to set the channel or "color" that the laser emits. This type of transceiver has been around for a number of years but it was not until 2008 that the first tuneable optics were available in the pluggable XFP form factor. Tunable transceivers are only available in DWDM form because the CWDM grid is too wide. Typically these tunable optics are for the C-Band 50GHz. Around 88 different channels can be set with intervals of 0.4nm, which is the 50GHz band. Tunable transceivers are typically used as "spare-optics", in case of emergency, because you can tune them to the right channel and reduce the amount of spare optics you need to hold in stock.

DWDM tunable XFP 10 Gbps multiprotocol optical transceiver is an integrated fiber optic transceiver that provides a high-speed serial link of signaling rates. The module complies with the 10 Gigabit small form factor pluggable (XFP) multi-source agreement (MSA), and the ITU-T G.698.1 S-D100S1-2D standard. It features a hot-pluggable XFI-compliant electrical interface. DWDM tunable XFP transceiver integrates the receive and transmit path on one module. On the transmit side, the 10 Gbps serial data stream is recovered, retimed, and passed to a modulator driver. The modulator driver biases and modulates a C-band-tunable integrated laser, enabling data transmission over single-mode fiber through an industry-standard LC connector. On the receive side, the 10 Gbps optical data stream is recovered from an APD/transimpedance amplifier, retimed, and passed to an output driver. DWDM tunable XFP transceiver is designed to support full range of C-band ITU-T wavelength data rates from 9.95Gbps to 11.3Gbps and distances up to 80km. The image below shows a Cisco ONS-XC-10G-C compatible 10G DWDM C-band tunable XFP transceiver.

Features of DWDM C-band Tunable XFP

• XFI electrical interface compliant
• Hot-pluggable XFP footprint
• 80km MZM tunable TOSA
• RoHS6 compliant
• Client side and line side loopback functions
• XFP MSA compliant form factor connector
• Supports 50GHz ITU-based channel spacing (C-Band)
• With wavelength locker function, wavelength precision about 0.02nm

Applications of DWDM C-band Tunable XFP

DWDM tunable XFP pluggable module allows enterprise companies and service providers to provide scalable and easy-to-deploy 10 Gigabit LAN, WAN, and Optical Transport Network (OTN) services in their networks. This module is a high performance and cost effective XFP transceiver module designed for 10G SDH/SONET, IEEE DWDM 10GBASE-ZR for 40 or 80 km reach (Ethernet), and DWDM 10G FC (Fibre Channel) for 40 or 80 km reach applications.

Conclusion

Fiberstore offers a variety of optical modules for extensive applications like telecommunication, datacommunication, and CWDM/DWDM network. Fiberstore's DWDM C-band tunable XFP transceivers can be designed to be compatible with many major brands while delivering the deployment flexibility and inventory control. And Fiberstore provides a variety of industry standard from factors including SFP+, X2, XFP, SFP, like Avago AFBR-709SMZ compatible 10GBASE-SR/SW SFP+ and Allied Telesis AT-SPSX compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP transceivers, which can make the customers satisfied with the broad choices and high performance.

Introduction to 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP Module

The SFP transceiver modules are hot-pluggable I/O devices that plug into module sockets. The transceiver connects the electrical circuitry of the module with the optical or copper network. There are many choices of SFP modules. You may see an SFP module labeled as 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP. As we know, 1000BASE-T is a standard for Gigabit Ethernet over copper wiring. How about 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP module? What is a 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP module? In this post, a brief introduction about 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP module will be given.

Overview

The 10/100/1000BASE-T SFP small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver is based on the SFP Multi Source Agreement (MSA). It is a copper SFP supporting 10/100/1000BASE-T copper Ethernet standards. It is compatible with the Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ab. 10/100/1000BASE-T electrical SFP transceivers use an integrated RJ-45 connector with transformer and PHY IC. The link length is up to 100m over four pair Category 5 UTP cabling. With the hot pluggability, the module offers a flexible and easy way to be installed into SFP MSA compliant ports at any time without the interruption of the host equipments operating online. Besides, this 10/100/1000Mbps SFP transceiver operates at wide temperature ranges and provides high performance. It is ideal for full-duplex Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to high-end workstations and wiring closets utilizing existing copper network infrastructure. And it provides a convenient way to add a copper connection to an SFP type switch that would typically be used for fiber SFPs. Picture below shows a Juniper EX-SFP-1GE-T SFP copper transceiver. It is a 10/100/1000BASE-T copper SFP, which is compliant with the Gigabit Ethernet standard as specified in IEEE STD 802.3 and can fully satisfy the 10/100/1000BASE-T application.

Key Features

• Compliant with SFP Multi-Source Agreements standards (MSA)
• 10/100/1000 Mbps Auto-Negotiation
• Up to 1.25Gbps bidirectional data links
• Hot-pluggable SFP footprint
• Fully metallic enclosure for low EMI
• Low power dissipation
• Compact RJ-45 connector assembly
• Access to physical layer IC via 2-wire serial bus
• 10/100/1000 BASE-T operation in host systems with SGMII interface
• Link length up to 100m with four pair UTP cabling

Applications

10/100/1000BASE-T SFP modules are extremely versatile, working with many equipment that support the SFP type of interface: Ethernet switches, routers and any other networking equipment. They support 10/100/1000 Mbps data-rate in excess of 100 meters and are ideally suited for implementing small form-factor Network Interface Cards (NICs) and uplinks. As such, it is highly appropriate for use in such high-density applications as LAN 10/100/1000BASE-T Fiber Channel, Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch applications, Gigabit Ethernet media converters, switch-to-switch interfaces, switch to switch SerDes interface, switch to switch SGMII interface, switched backplanes, gaming devices, router/server interfaces and other optical transmission systems.

Conclusion

Fiberstore offers a wide variety of SFP modules (T, TX, SX, LX, ZX, CWDM, DWDM and BiDi) to meet your requirements, for example, Meraki MA-SFP-1GB-TX compatible 1000BASE-TX SFP copper transceiver, and HP JD089B compatible 1000BASE-T SFP copper transceiver. Our SFP modules have been tested and guaranteed 100% compatible with various Ethernet switches from major manufacturers like Cisco, HP, Nortel, Extreme, or Netgear. Fiberstore optics are thoroughly tested and are subject to an extensive qualification process before being considered certified to work in modules and switches.

10GBASE-LR SFP+ Transceiver Overview

SFP+, an enhanced version of SFP (small form-factor pluggable), can support data rates of 10 Gbit/s. 10G SFP+ transceiver is a popular industry format supported by many network component vendors. It plays an important role in today's network applications. There are different types of SFP+ modules, like 10GBASE-SR SFP+ module, 10GBASE-LR SFP+ module, 10GBASE-LRM SFP+ module, 10GBASE-ER SFP+ module, and 10GBASE-ZR SFP+ module. This article will introduce one of them, 10GBASE-LR SFP+ module.

Introduction

10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver is designed for single-mode fiber and operates at a nominal wavelength of 1310nm. The 10GBASE-LR transmitter is implemented with a distributed feedback laser (DFB). DFB lasers are more expensive than VCSELs but their high power and longer wavelength allow efficient coupling into the small core of single-mode fiber over greater distances. Compared with 10GBASE-SR, the maximum range of 10GBASE-LR is 10 km.

Features

10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver is a hot-swappable SFP+ module that plugs into SFP+ slots on switches. You can connect a 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver while the system is powered on without causing any problems. This permits modules to be added or removed without interrupting the network. The SFP+ form factor is smaller than other form factors such as Xenpak, X2, and 10G XFP, ensuring lower costs, lower power disruption, and higher port density. It provides the necessary signal amplification for data to be transmitted to the network cable from the port, and vice versa, for the port to receive data from the network cable. 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver supports 10G Ethernet, which results in very fast data transmissions of up to 10 Gbit/s. This is 10 times faster than Gigabit Ethernet and enables the switch to handle faster and higher data transmissions, making it very suitable for business needs.

Two Types of 10GBASE-LR SFP+

SFP-10G-LR-S 10GBASE-LR SFP+: The Cisco SFP-10G-LR-S compatible 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver, as shown in the following picture, supports a link length of 10 kilometers on standard single-mode fiber (SMF) (G.652). It is implemented with a DFB laser to support longer distances. And it uses a duplex LC connector.

SFPP-10GE-LR 10GBASE-LR SFP+: The Juniper SFPP-10GE-LR compatible 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceiver, as shown in the following picture, is guaranteed 100% compatible and functional in its intended equipments. This 1310nm DFB 10Gbps SFP+ transceiver is designed to transmit and receive optical data over single mode optical fiber for link length of 10km. Every SFPP-10GE-LR is environmentally tested in its specific port/platform prior to shipping to ensure that they are in perfect physical and working condition.

Conclusion

SFP+ transceiver is widely used to support communication standards including synchronous optical networking (SONET)/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), gigabit ethernet and fiber channel. Fiberstore manufactures a complete range of SFP+ transceivers. Fiberstore 10GBASE SFP+ module series transceivers offer a wide variety of 10G Ethernet connectivity options for data centres, enterprise wiring closets, and service provider transport applications. All of our 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceivers are tested and fully compatible with major brands like Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade and Finisar. We offer high performance and low cost 10GBASE-LR SFP+ transceivers to fulfill customers' requirements.

SFP Transceivers for Gigabit Ethernet Applications

SFP, small form-factor pluggable, a hot-swappable input/output device plugs into a Gigabit Ethernet port or slot. It is a popular industry format jointly developed and supported by many network component vendors. SFP transceivers have a wide variety of transmitter and receiver types, which allows users to select the appropriate transceiver for their link needs. Several different categories of SFP modules will be introduced in this article.

1000BASE-SX SFP for Multimode Fibers

The 1000BASE-SX SFP, compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX standard and SFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) standards, is a cost effective transceiver module with a wavelength of 850nm which supports data rates of up to 1.25 Gbps. It operates on 50/125μm multimode fiber links up to 550m and on 62.5/125μm multimode fiber links up to 300m. It also can support up to 1km over laser-optimized 50μm multimode fiber cable. Its electrical interface is compliant with SFF-8431. And it supports Digital Diagnostic Monitoring (DDM). The following is a picture of TRENDnet TEG-MGBSX compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver.

1000BASE-LX/LH SFP for Both Multimode and Singlemode Fibers

The 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-LX standard, is similar with the other SFP transceivers in basic working principle and size. 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP can be used for both single-mode and multi-mode. It 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. It operates on standard singlemode fiber optic link spans of up to 10km and up to 550m on multimode fibers. 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP transceiver is a high performance 1310nm transceiver for singlemode fibers. It supports dual data-rate of 1.25 Gbps/1.0625 Gbps. 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP transceiver is commonly applied for Gigabit Ethernet links, Fiber Channel Switch Infrastructure and other optical transmission systems. The following picture shows a Cisco SFP-GE-L compatible 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP transceiver module.

1000BASE-EX SFP for Long-Reach Singlemode Fibers

The 1000BASE-EX SFP operates on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 40 km in length. An inline optical attenuator should be inserted between the fiber optic cable and the receiving port on the SFP at each end of the link for back-to-back connectivity.

1000BASE-ZX SFP for Long-Reach Single-Mode Fibers

1000BASE-ZX SFP supports link length of up to 80km on single mode fiber at 1Gbps. The precise link span length depends on multiple factors such as fiber quality, number of splices, and connectors. This optic works at 1550nm wavelength and uses an LC connector.

1000BASE-T SFP for Copper Networks

1000Base-T is an extension of standard Ethernet technologies to gigabit-level network speeds. 1000BASE-T SFP operates on four pairs of the commonly installed category 5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable or enhanced category 5 cabling version of UTP cabling of link lengths up to 100m. The following picture shows an HP JD089B compatible 1000BASE-T SFP transceiver.

Summary

SFP transceivers are designed to support SONET, gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. Each optical interface operates and is managed like a fixed port but gives the customer flexibility to hot-swap or interchange to different optical module types. There is a number of 1000 BASE SFP optics from Fiberstore that are available depending on the customer application and distance capability required. Each optical interface operates and is managed like a fixed port but gives the customer flexibility to hotswap or interchange to different optical module types. Fiberstore optics are thoroughly tested and are subject to an extensive qualification process.

SFP+ AOC Assemblies — A Preferable Interconnect Solution for SFP+ Applications

Dramatically reducing 10G interconnectivity costs, the 10G SFP+ cables can provide inexpensive and reliable 10G speed connections using either SFP+ copper cables or SFP+ active optical cables (AOCs). SFP+ AOC is a cabling technology that accepts the same electrical inputs as a traditional copper cable. It uses optical fiber and electrical-optical conversion on the cable ends to improve speed and data transmission distance of the cable while not sacrificing compatibility with standard electrical interfaces. Nowadays, SFP+ AOC has been a preferable interconnect solution for SFP+ applications. Before choosing it for your applications, you need to have a basic understanding about it.

Description

AOC consists of multimode optical fiber, fiber optic transceivers, control chip and modules. SFP+ to SFP+ active optical cable is composed of SFP+ optical transceivers in both ends and fiber optic cable in between. This integrated optical module solution removes the complicated optical fiber interface and brings friendly and intuitive electrical-to-electrical interface to users. SFP+ AOC is designed to meet the requirements of high speed, high density and low power consumption for applications in today's data centers via optical fiber wire. SFP+ AOC is compliant to industrial standard SFP MSA and provides high performance SFP+ interfaces, supporting 10Gb/s bi-directional operation. The demand for more bandwidth for data center is challenging interconnect technologies like Ethernet, Infiniband, and Fibre Channel. SFP+ AOC is one of the best solutions to solve this problem. The image below shows a Cisco SFP-10G-AOC10M compatible SFP+ to SFP+ AOC. It is a 10Gb/s, hot pluggable active optical cable for Ethernet data transmission.

Advantages

Compared to SFP+ copper cables for data transmission, SFP+ AOCs provide more advantages, as shown below:

• Longer reach
• Lower weight and tighter bend radius enable simpler cable management
• Thinner cables allows better airflow for cooling
• Lower power consumption
• No need for power-hungry conditioning ICs on the host board

Application

SFP+ active optical cable is a 10Gbps and cost effective solution for 10G Ethernet (10GbE) applications. With industry-leading VCSEL technology and an advanced new light engine design, the SFP+ AOC assemblies are ideal for high-performance computing clusters, 10G Ethernet applications (10GbE), 4G and 8G Fiber Channel applications (4GFC/8GFC), 1x InfiniBand QDR, DDR, SDR, servers, switches, storage and network interfacing applications.

Conclusion

Fiberstore is a leading provider of optical and copper network equipment. We do provide a good selection of 10G SFP+ copper cables, both passive and active and options for SFP+ active optical cables. For example, IBM 95Y0326 compatible SFP+ to SFP+ active copper cable, HP J9285B and HP JG081C compatible SFP+ to SFP+ passive copper cables, and SFP+ AOC cables with various length choices like 1m, 3m, 5m, 7m, 10m, etc., all our SFP+ cables are 100% compatible with major brands like Cisco, HP, Juniper, Enterasys, Extreme, H3C and so on. If you would like to order high quality compatible SFP+ cables and get worldwide delivery. With a wide range of copper and optical networking equipment on offer, Fiberstore is sure to have the network equipment to fit your requirements.