Will Single-mode Fiber Work Over Multimode SFP Transceiver?

Network installers usually come across a situation that device you have in your network does not always fit and work perfectly with the fiber. They plan to make a cable plant based on the multimode cabling, but owing to the link limitation or other reasons, they have to connect multimode equipment with single-mode devices. Is it feasible? Or put it more specifically, can I use the multimode SFP over single-mode fibers or vice versa? This article will give you a detailed illustration about the feasibility of the solutions, and introduce two relevant devices (mode conditioning cable and multimode to single-mode fiber media converter).

Single-mode Fiber Over Multimode SFP—You Can If You Are Lucky

This is the question that has been asked so many time, but no one can give the exact answer—yes or no. Hence, let’s illustrate it in details.

Most people think single-mode and multimode fibers are not interchangable because of the wave length of the laser and core size of the fiber. Single-mode fiber (MMF) uses a laser as a light source (the light beam is very concentrated), while multimode fiber (MMF) uses an LED to generate the signal. This would require two significantly different devices to generate the signal.

The core sizes are drastically different between SMF and MMF. SMF is 9 micron and multimode is 62.5 or 50 micron. If users try to mix the single-mode and multimode cabling in the same network, they might have trouble dealing with the two different types of signal.

However, it is possible to interconnect two devices using SMF interfaces at one end and MMF receiver at the other end. Keep in mind that it depends on the devices, so you can if you are lucky. When plugging LC single-mode duplex fibers on the multimode fiber transceiver (1000GBASE-SX) in the network, you will find the link came up (the light on the switch turns green). Therefore, the multimode fiber transceiver connected by the single-mode fibers works for short-reach application. The following image is the real screenshot of the single-mode fibers inserting into the 1000BASE-SX SFP.

While it should be stressed that the link is not reliable and it only works for particular brand devices with a very short link length. Many sophisticated vendors like Huawei, Alcatel or Cisco do not support it. Nevertheless, owing to the differential mode delay (DMD) effect, signal loss of this connection is not acceptable, either.

To sum up, this might be feasible but not advisable. If you need to make a connection between single-mode and multimode interfaces, you’d better use the intermediate switch that is able to convert the signals between single-mode and multimode fibers. The following part will introduce two solutions that might be helpful for the multimode and single-mode conversion.

Solution 1: MCP Cable—Single-mode In and Multimode Out

As to the multimode fiber with single-mode SFPs, most people mention the mode conditioning patch (MCP) cables. The MCP cable is launched to support 1000BASE-LX optics over multimode cable plant. The mode conditioning cables allow customers to successfully run Gigabit Ethernet over our multimode cable using single-mode fiber transceivers, Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP is the special type of transceiver that can both support single-mode and multimode fibers. The image below displays the difference between standard SC multimode patch cable and SC mode conditioning patch cable.

Then, in this situation, you can run successfully from a single-mode fiber transceiver over multimode fiber with the use of MCP cables, but the distance will not exceed the link specification for multimode transceivers. Otherwise, there will be much signal loss in the cable run.

In general, if you want to run multimode fiber optic cable over 1000BASE-LX SFPs, you can use the mode conditioning cable. However, mode conditioning patch cords are required for link distances greater than 984 feet (300 meters). For distance less than 300 m, please omit the mode conditioning patch cords (although there is no problem using it on short links).

Solution 2: Fiber to Fiber Media Converter—Conversion Between Multimode and Single-mode Fibers

As noted before, mode conditioning cables, to some extent, can realize the connection between single-mode to multimode, but you can not say that you can convert single-mode to multimode or vice versa. Mode conversion between multimode and single-mode fibers often requires fiber to fiber media converters or the single-mode to multimode fiber converter.

In the above diagram, two Ethernet switches equipped with multimode fiber ports are connected utilizing a pair of fiber-to-fiber converters which convert the multimode fiber to single-mode and enable network connectivity across the distance between Gigabit switches.

Conclusion

It doesn't really make much sense to use the single-mode fiber transceivers with multimode fibers in your network or vice versa, although the link will come up. Like I said above, you can if you are lucky connect. MCP cables and fiber to fiber converter are the two available options for single-mode and multimode connection. If you bought the wrong fiber optic cables, just replace it into the right one. Fiber optic cables and optical transceivers modules nowadays are very cheap. You won’t need to risk of mixing them in the same network.

Original Source : Single-mode Fiber Work Over Multimode SFP Transceiver

C3KX-NM-10G Network Module Overview

Questions like whether a 1G SFP can be used on the SFP+ port of the switch and support 10G data rate are frequently asked by overall users. Generally, you will get the answer “no”. Because Most (95+%) SFPs and SFP+s will only run at the rated speed, no more, no less. Even though SFP and SFP+ have the same port size, it doesn’t mean that you can insert a SFP in a SFP+ port to achieve a 10G connectivity. Not to mention that some SFP+ port can only support 10G SFP+ optics. However, this article will introduce a Cisco Network module in Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3650-X Series switches that can both support 1 GbE SFP and 10 GbE SFP+ transceivers.

C3KX-NM-10G Network Module

The Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X series switches support four optional network modules for uplink ports, namely C3KX-NM-1G (four GbE port network module), C3KX-NM-10G (two 10GbE SFP+ ports network module with four physical ports with two SFP+ and two regular SFP ports), C3KX-NM-10GT (two 10GB-T ports network module), C3KX-SM-10G (service module with two 10GbE SFP+ ports network module for Netflow and MACsec encryption). C3KX-NM-10G module on the Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X has two installation screws on each side, which make it easy to switch things out and make new connection without a fuss. What’s more, when business demands changes, the C3KX-NM-10G network module allows customers to only upgrade their modules from 1 GbE to 10 GbE without replacing a comprehensive upgrade of switch.

As the above image shows, the C3KX-NM-10G network module has four slots—two SFP+ slots and two SFP slots. These four slots usually work in pair, with one pair supporting 1 GbE data rate and the other achieving 10 GbE. Note that you must use the same form factor transceiver in a pair and never mix the SFP module with SFP+ module. SFP+ can’t auto-negotiate down to 1G to support with SFP module.

To put it simply, let’s name the port from left to right as slot 1, slot 2, slot 3, slot 4. Usually a 10-Gigabit SFP+ module takes precedence over a 1-Gigabit SFP module. But it’s another case when an SFP module is first inserted in Slot 1 and has link. For example, if the SFP in Slot 1 retains link, you insert an SFP+ module in Slot 2 and it will not operate. If the SFP module in Slot 1 is shut down or removed, the SFP+ module in Slot 2 turns on. The SFP module in Slot 1 does not work as long as an SFP+ module is in Slot 2. The following chart concludes the accessible combination of SFP and SFP+ modules.

Suitable Cisco Transceivers for C3KX-NM-10G Network Module

As note before, C3KX-NM-10G module on the Cisco Catalyst 3750-X or 3560-X series switch can both support 1 Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet data links. We will list the available Cisco modules attached with detailed information in the below charts.

Cisco SFP transceiver for C3KX-NM-10G module:

Cisco SFP+ transceiver for C3KX-NM-10G module:

There are many other compliant Cisco SFP+ DAC and AOC cables that I haven’t listed above, if you are interested, you can visit fs.com.

Conclusion

This post lists all of the functions of the Cisco C3KX-NM-10G network module, all the basic and advanced features and tells you how to select the compliant Cisco SFP modules and SFP+ modules. If you want to expand your database from 1GbE to 10GbE, with the Cisco C3KX-NM-10G network module, you only need to upgrade your Cisco SFP and plug it with a brand new SFP+ transceiver, then that’s it.

1.25G SFP Transceiver Solution

SFP optical module is a compact optical transceiver module used in communication field. SFP optical transceivers are designed to support SONET/SDH, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel and other communications standards. It interfaces a network device motherboard (switch, router, media converter or similar device) to a Fiber Channel or Gigabit Ethernet optical fiber cable at the other end. SFP transceivers are available in a wide range of data rates including 155M, 622M, 1.25G and 2.5G, which allows users to choose the most suitable transceiver for each link. Today’s article will illustrate the most popular 1.25G SFP transceivers.

Description of SFP Transceiver

SFP modules can be divided into different types according to different standard. Here is what you need to know about SFP modules. The transmission distance of a SFP is up to 120km for single-mode and 2km for multimode fiber. The SFP fiber transceiver could be dual fibers with LC connectors, or single fiber with LC or SC connectors. The wavelengths could be 850nm, 1310nm and 1550nm. The 1.25G SFP optical transceiver modules are available in different standard such as 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, etc. The following part explains such types.

1000BASE-SX SFP Transceiver

1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver is a cost effective 850nm module supporting dual data-rate of 1.25Gbps/1.0625Gbps. It is compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX standard and operates multimode fibers link up to 550 m. The fiber optic transceiver consists of three sections: a VCSEL laser transmitter, a PIN photodiode integrated with a trans-impedance preamplifier (TIA) and MCU control unit. This SFP type (e.g. J4858B) is usually applied for Fiber Channel links, Gigabit Ethernet links, Fast Ethernet links, etc. J4858B (see in Figure 1) is HP 1000BASE-SX SFP that is widely welcomed by overall users.

1000BASE-LX/LH SFP Transceiver

1000BASE-LX/LH SFP transceiver is a high performance 1310nm transceiver for single-mode fibers. It is compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-LX standard and also supports dual data-rate of 1.25 Gbps/1.0625 Gbps with a transmission distance of 10 /15 /20 km. Cisco GLC-LX-SM-RGD (shown in Figure 2) is 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP that can operate on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 10 km and up to 550 m on any multimode fibers. HP J4860C is a 1000BASE-LH SFP that can operates over 1550nm for a distance of 70km. Unlike Cisco GLC-LX-SM-RGD SFP, J4860C can support a much longer distance of 70km, which is ideal for long-haul network application.

10/100/1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver

10/100/1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver is compatible with the Gigabit Ethernet standard as specified in IEEE STD 802.3. It supports data rates of 10/100/1000 Mbps, fully satisfying 10/100/10001000BASE-T applications such as LAN 10/100/1000Base-T Fiber Channel links, Gigabit Ethernet over Cat 5 Cable, Switch to Switch Interface, Router/Server interface, etc.

Why Choose Compatible SFP Module

We have introduced several SFP modules above including the HP SFPs. The original SFP optical transceivers are very expensive, the simple solution to this is to find a reliable OEM vendor. Besides saving cost, there are many others reasons that you should choose to purchase a compatible SFP, SFP+ or XFP fiber optic transceiver. For example in a scenario where gigabit speed is required to run across a point-to-point link, the distance between the link length is assessed and an appropriate SFP transceiver module native to the host device is chosen. If a HP platform was in situation, then the selection of module will be limited by among the following: 550 meter (J4858B), 10km (J4859B), 40km (JD061A) or the maximum 70km (J4860C). Using a compatible SFP you can choose from a variety of distance limits from 550meters up to 100km in numerous increments with distances of 160km being achievable on the top product lines.

Another advantage of use compatible SFP transceivers is the freedom to tailor the transceiver to your individual requirement. Custom serial numbers can be added both to the product label and also hard coded to the device itself. Latches can be color coded for high density link identification Fiberstore also provide a recoding service in China, this specific service means existing SFP's can be adapted if the host device is to be changed. In some instances, even cross-device compatibility is quite possible.

Conclusion

Because of its high performance and small size, SFP transceiver replaces the former GBIC module and becomes the most used fiber optic transceiver module in the telecommunication industry. Currently, many optical vendors supply optical transceiver modules. Fiberstore, as a professional telecom manufacturer and supplier, offers a full range of SFP optical transceivers that are 100% compatible with large brands. We are committed to provide high-quality products and long-term customer services to our customers. Any interested in our products, you can contact us directly.

Is the GLC-SX-MMD Transceiver Right for Your Network?

Growing businesses typically requires higher-bandwidth networks. It is an unavoidable trend. The old-decade technology like Base-T Ethernet works just fine for small office, but it isn’t sufficient to handle heavier network. Thus if you are in the situation to consider purchasing a large property, or opening up a second office, it is time for you to think about upgrading to Gigabit Ethernet, which moves at ten times the speed of traditional Ethernet. However, there are a number of issues involved in a major network infrastructure transition.

When planning a move to gigabit Ethernet, one of the most urgent concerns is how much new hardware designers have to purchase. The basic components like fiber optic cable and optical transceiver modules are indispensable. These inexpensive Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) slots allow transceivers like the GLC-SX-MMD to be plugged in and provide instant gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The Cisco standard SFP transceiver allows data rate of 1000Mbps with DOM support. The max transmission distance is 550m over OM2 multimode fiber. So here comes the question, is the GLC-SX-MMD transceiver (see in Figure 1) right for your network?

Fiber Optic Gigabit Ethernet vs Twisted Copper

As noted before, GLC-SX-MMD transceiver operates over multimode fiber at rate of up to 1000Mbps. Using copper-wire cabling or fiber optic cabling like above is the unsolved dilemma when contemplating a network. It is the common sense that fiber optic cabling is more expensive than twisted copper cabling, but fiber optic provides several advantages over copper with the same gigabit speeds.

First, fiber optic supports longer link distance than twisted copper. For instance, copper can only run for around 100 meters, whereas fiber can go between 200 and 500 feet, or more, without signal loss. Fiber has given off no radio interference, allowing it to coexist more easily in an office with a lot of wireless devices. Because of the lack of interference, fiber is also harder to hack into than copper. What’s more, for future proofing, moving away from copper is probably a good idea, as the fiber optics are growing steadily in popularity among businesses which have taken over large twisted-copper office buildings, created expansive complexes, or need to collaborate with remote offices in real time. Figure 2 shows a standard GLC-SX-MMD transceiver links fiber optic Ethernet with Cisco Switch.

Using a GLC-SX-MMD for Fiber Optic Gigabit Ethernet

GLC-SX-MMD, as a representative of the standard Cisco SFP, is widely utilized for short-reach Gigabit Ethernet. As we know, the biggest advantage of Cisco's SFP system is that it's entirely hot-swappable. It doesn't matter what the device is, from servers to your switch to simple Ethernet cards: If it has an SFP port on it, it can support a multitude of transceivers for different functions, through one standardized interface. In fact, that standardization means that third parties can produce transceivers which are as good as official Cisco units.

Cisco even maintains a Compatibility Matrix, to help you pick the right transceiver for the job. So, if you decide that fiber optic gigabit Ethernet is what you need for your future business communications, the GLC-SX-MMD transceiver is truly simple to install and use. Simply plug it into your switch or other device, plug in the new network cable, and it should recognize the network in a few moments.

Conclusion

For those who still use copper network or lower-bandwidth application, it’s time for them to think about upgrading their infrastructure. And there are several different gigabit Ethernet standards out there, you can see which best fits your vision for the future of your business. Just keep in mind that you will need an optical transceiver like the GLC-SX-MMD to connect your existing devices to the new network. Fiberstore manufactures high-quality fiber optical transceivers, like 100BASE SFP, 1000BASE SFP, BiDi SFP, CWDM/DWDM SFP Transceiver Module and SONET/SDH SFP, besides Compatible GLC-SX-MMD transceiver with lower price. GLC-SX-MM-RGD and GLC-SX-MM are also offered. If you have any requirement of our products, please contact us directly.

Dig Deeper Into SFP Transceivers

Small form-factor pluggable (SFP) is a prevailing type of optical transceivers in the market widely utilized for Gigabit Ethernet application. As it has the same function with GBIC but with a smaller size, SFP transceiver is also called mini-GBIC. Optical transceivers are typically designed to both transmit and receive electrical optical signals under the Multi-Source Agreement. Each SFP module can support data rates from 1Gbps to 10Gbps. And there are a number of SFP modules and network accessories available for you to select from. Which one suits you better? The following article will dig deeper into the SFP transceivers that will help decide which one will work best for you.

SFP transceivers have a variety of different transmission and receiving type, users can select the appropriate transceiver for each link, to provide the optical performance can be achieved based on the available fiber type (such as a multimode fiber or single-mode fiber). Optical SFP modules available are generally divided into the following categories. Figure 1 displays the basic components of a SFP transceiver.

 

1000BASE-LX—Specified in IEEE 802.3 Clause 38, 1000BASE-LX uses a long wavelength laser (1270-1355 nm), and a maximum RMS spectral width of 4nm. 1000BASE-LX is designed to cover a distance of up to 10 km over 10µm single-mode fiber. 1000BASE-LX can also run over all common types of multimode fiber with a maximum segment length of 550 m. For link distances greater than 300 m, the use of a special launch conditioning patch cord may be required. E1MG-LX-OM is Brocade 1000BASE-LX SFP that can work over a distance of 10km.

1000BASE-EX—1000BASE-EX is not a standard but industry accepted term for Gigabit Ethernet transmission. It is very similar to 1000BASE-LX10 but achieves longer distances up to 40 km over a pair of single-mode fibers due to higher quality optics than a LX10, 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 using 1,550nm wavelength to achieve distances of at least 70 kilometers over single-mode fiber. Some vendors can specify distances up to 120 kilometers over single-mode fiber. Ranges beyond 80 km are highly dependent upon the path loss of the fiber in use, specifically the attenuation figure in dB per km, the number and quality of connectors/patch panels and splices located between transceivers.

1000BASE-SX—1000BASE-SX is a Gigabit Ethernet standard for operation over multimode fiber using a 770 to 860 nm, near infrared (NIR) light wavelength for a maximum of 550m at 1.25 Gbit/s (gigabit Ethernet) or 150m at 4.25 Gbit/s (Fibre Channel). Take EX-SFP-1GE-SX as an example, it is 1000BASE-SX SFP that can support a link length of 550m over OM2 cable. Figure 2 shows that EX-SFP-1GE-SX inserts into a Juniper SRX210.

 

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 uses the 1490nm wavelength, and the one transmitting upstream uses the 1310nm wavelength.

1000BASE-T—It is a standard for Gigabit Ethernet copper cabling. The maximum length of 1000GBASE-T is 100 meters. 1000BASE-T must use Category 5 cable or better (including Cat 5e and Cat 6. 1000BASE-T can be used in data centers for server switching, for uplinks from desktop computer switches, or directly to the desktop for broadband applications.

1000BASE-TX—Created by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), 1000BASE-TX (TIA/EIA-854) is a standard similar to 1000BASE-T that was simpler to implement. Compared with 1000BASE-T, this simplified design would have reduced the cost of the required electronics by only using two unidirectional pairs in each direction instead of 4 bidirectional. However, this solution has not been widely used largely due to the required Category 6 cabling and the rapidly falling cost of 1000BASE-T products.

Recommended Information It is known that there is no visual difference between the bare SFP modules, so how to differ them? Smart manufacturers figure a way out by marking the color of pull ring to distinguish generally. For example: black pull ring is multimode, the wavelength is 850 nm; blue is the 1310nm module; yellow is the 1550nm module; purple is the 1490nm module and so on. If you are confused with the specifications of the SFP modules, you should find a reliable vendor to help you. Fiberstore provides a variety of SFP modules including 100BASE SFP, 1000BASE SFP, BiDi SFP, CWDM/DWDM SFP, SONET/SDH SFP and 2G/4G FC SFP. Our SFP modules are fully compatible with major brand. For more information about SFP transceivers, please feel free to contact us.

The Basics of 1000BASE-SX and 1000BASE-LX SFP

Gigabit Ethernet has been regarded as a huge breakthrough of telecom industry by offering speeds of up to 100Mbps. Gigabit Ethernet is a standard for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second. There are five physical layer standards for Gigabit Ethernet using optical fiber (1000BASE-X), twisted pair cable (1000BASE-T), or shielded balanced copper cable (1000BASE-CX). 1000BASE-LX and 1000BASE-SX SFP are two common types of optical transceiver modules in the market. Today’s topic will be a brief introduction to 1000BASE-LX and 1000BASE-SX SFP transceivers.

1000BASE in these terms refers to a Gigabit Ethernet connection that uses the unfiltered cable for transmission. “X” means 4B/5B block coding for Fast Ethernet or 8B/10B block coding for Gigabit Ethernet. “L” means long-range single- or multi-mode optical cable (100 m to 10 km). “S” means short-range multi-mode optical cable (less than 100 m).

1000BASE-SX
1000BASE-SX is a fiber optic Gigabit Ethernet standard for operation over multi-mode fiber using a 770 to 860 nanometer, near infrared (NIR) light wavelength. The standard specifies a distance capability between 220 meters and 550 meters. In practice, with good quality fiber, optics, and terminations, 1000BASE-SX will usually work over significantly longer distances. This standard is highly popular for intra-building links in large office buildings, co-location facilities and carrier neutral internet exchanges. 1000BASE-SX SFP works at 850nm wavelength and used only for the purposed of the multimode optical fiber with an LC connector. 1000BASE-SX SFP traditional 50 microns of multimode optical fiber link is 550 meters high and 62.5 micron fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) multimode optical fiber is up to 220 meters. Take EX-SFP-1GE-SX as an example, its maximum distance is 550m with DOM support. The 1000Base-SX standard supports the multimode fiber distances shown in table 1.

1000BASE-LX
Specified in IEEE 802.3 Clause 38, 1000BASE-LX is a type of standard for implementing Gigabit Ethernet networks. The "LX" in 1000BASE-LX stands for long wavelength, indicating that this version of Gigabit Ethernet is intended for use with long-wavelength transmissions (1270–1355 nm) over long cable runs of fiber optic cabling. 1000BASE-LX can run over both single mode fiber and multimode fiber with a distance of up to 5 km and 550 m, respectively. For link distances greater than 300 m, the use of a special launch conditioning patch cord may be required. 1000BASE-LX is intended mainly for connecting high-speed hubs, Ethernet switches, and routers together in different wiring closets or buildings using long cabling runs, and developed to support longer-length multimode building fiber backbones and single-mode campus backbones. E1MG-LX-OM is Brocade 1000BASE-LX SFP that operates over a wavelength of 1310nm for 10 km.

Difference Between LX, LH and LX/LH
Many vendors use both LH and LX/LH for certain SFP modules, this SFP type is similar with the other SFPs in basic working principle and size. However, LH and LX/LH aren’t a Gigabit Ethernet standard and are compatible with 1000BASE-LX standard. 1000BASE-LH SFP operates a distance up to 70km over single-mode fiber. For example, Cisco MGBLH1 1000BASE-LH SFP covers a link length of 40km that make itself perfect for long-reach application. 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP can operate on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 10 km and up to 550 m on any multimode fibers. In addition, when used over legacy multimode fiber type, the transmitter should be coupled through a mode conditioning patch cable.

Conclusion
1000BASE SFP transceiver is the most commonly used component for Gigabit Ethernet application. With so many types available in the market, careful notice should be given to the range of differences, both in distance and price of multimode and single-mode fiber optics. Fiberstore offers a large amount of in-stock 1000BASE SFP transceivers which are compatible for Cisco, Juniper, Dell, Finisar, Brocade, or Netgear in various options. If you have any requirement of our products, please send your request to us.

10G Connectivity – Comparing XFP With SFP+

Defined in 2002, XFP (10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable) is a hot-swappable and protocol-independent transceiver for 10G high-speed computer network and telecommunication links. Except for XFP, there are SFP and SFP+ transceivers available for 10G connectivity. These devices plug into a special port on a switch or other network device to convert to a copper or fiber interface. So what is the difference between them? The following passage will provide a satisfying solution to you.

What Is XFP?
XFP is 10 Gigabit transceiver operating at wavelengths of 850nm, 1310nm or 1550nm. This module combine transmitter and receiver functions in one compact, flexible, and cost-effective package. The physical dimensions of the XFP transceiver are slightly larger than the original small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP). XFP transceiver modules are available with a variety of transmitter and receiver types including the SR, LR, ER and ZR. The maximum working distance of XFP SR is 300 meters. 10GBASE-LR XFP transceivers have a wavelength of 1310nm and a transmission distance up to 10 km. For example, XFP-10G-L-OC192-SR1 covers a distance of 10km with LC connectors. XFP-10GLR-OC192SR is Cisco XFP 10GBASE-LR/-LW operating at wavelength of 1310nm over singlemode fiber with a links length of 10km. Both 10GBASE-ER XFP and 10GBASE-ZR XFP modules have a wavelength of 1550nm, and the maximum transmission distance of 40km and 80km, respectively.

What Is SFP/SFP+?
SFP is most often used for Fast Ethernet of Gigabit Ethernet applications and can support speed up to 4.25Gbps. It interfaces a network device motherboard (for a switch, router, media converter or similar device) to a fiber optic or copper networking cable. It is specified by the SFP transceiver multi-source agreement. The standard SFP transceiver, SFP+ supports speeds of 10Gbps or higher over fiber. The SFP+ product family includes cages, connectors, and copper cable assemblies. It is also similar to the performance requirements of SFF-8431 and also supports 8G Fiber Channel and 10G Ethernet applications. Take 46C3447 as an example, it is 10GBASE-SR SFP+ that can support a distance of 300m over OM3 cable.

What’s the Difference Between XFP and SFP+?
First of all, both of them are 10G transceiver modules and can contact with other types of 10G modules. The primary difference between SFP+ and the slightly older XFP standard is that the SFP+ moves the chip for clock and data recovery into a line card on the host device. This makes SFP+ smaller than XFP, enabling greater port density. Because of the smaller volume, SFP+ transfer signal modulation function, serial/deserializer, the MAC, clock and data recovery (CDR) and electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) function from the module to the Lord on the card. In addition, SFP+ compared to XFP, is a more compact factor package. The cost of SFP+ is also less than that to the XFP, X2 and XENPAK. It can connect with the same type of XFP, X2 and XENPAK as well. Therefore, SFP+ is more popular than XFP for 10G network.

Summary
10G optical transceivers are designed for 10G or 10Gbit/s data transmission applications including 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gbit/s Fibre Channel, Synchronous optical networking. After years of development, there has been various different form factors and optics types introduced including XENPAK, X2, XFP and SFP+. But up to now, SFP+ is the most commonly used 10G transceivers available on the market. Fiberstore provides a large selection of 10G transceivers with minimum price and high quality. If you have any requirement of our products, please contact us directly.

Basic Information About Fiber Optic Transceiver

Optical fiber transceivers are also called fiber optic transmitter and receiver, which are used to send and receive optical information in a variety of different applications. The role of the optical module is photoelectric conversion. These optical modules are scalable and flexible in their use, and this is why they are preferred by designers. Here is what you need to know about the basics of fiber optic transceivers.

Fiber Optic Transmitters and Receivers
Fiber optic transmission system consists of a transmitter on one end of a fiber and a receiver on the other end. The transmitter end takes in and converts the electrical signal into light, after the optical fiber transmission in the fiber cable plant, the receiver end again converts the light signal into electrical signal. Both the receiver and the transmitter ends have their own circuitry and can handle transmissions in both directions. Fiber optic cables can both send and receive information. The cables can be made of different fibers, and the information can be transmitted at different times. The following picture shows a fiber optic datalink.

Sources of Fiber Optic Transceiver
There are four types of fiber transmitters used to convert electrical signals into optical signals. These sources of fiber optic transmitters include: distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, fabry-perot (FP) lasers, LEDs, and vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). They are all semiconductor chips. Take QSFP-40G-UNIV as an example, it is Arista QSFP-40G-UNIV compatible 40G QSFP+ transceiver. It uses DFB lasers as sources for fiber optic transmitters, which are used in long distance and DWDM systems. DFB lasers have the narrowest spectral width which minimizes chromatic dispersion on the longest links.

The choice of the devices is determined mainly by speed and fiber compatibility issues. As many premises systems using multi-mode fiber have exceeded bit rates of 1 Gb/s, lasers (mostly VCSELs) have replaced LEDs. Fiber optic transceivers are reliable, but they may malfunction or become out-dated. If an upgrade is necessary, there are hot-swappable fiber optic transceivers. These devices make it easy to replace or repair without powering down the device.

How Fiber Optic Transceiver Works?
Information is sent in the form of pulses of the light in the fiber optics. The light pulses have to be converted into electrical ones in order to be utilized by an electronic device. Thanks to the conversion by fiber optic transceivers: In its fiber optic data links, the transmitter converts an electrical signal into an optical signal, which is coupled with a connector and transmitted through a fiber optic cable. The light from the end of the cable is coupled to a receiver, where a detector converts the light back into an electrical signal. Either a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode is used as the light source.

Packaging
Optical fiber transceivers are usually packaged in industry standard packages like SFP, SFP+, XFP, X2, Xenpak, GBIC. According to the fiber type it connects to, there are MM (multi-mode), SM (Single-mode), as well as WDM fiber (CWDM, DWDM modules). The SFP modules support up to 4.25 Gbps with a connector on the optical end and a standard electrical interface on the other end. The QSFP are for 40 Gigabit networks using a LC duplex connection. Take compatible Brocade 40G-QSFP-LR4 as an example, it supports link lengths of 10km on single-mode fiber cable at a wavelength of 1310nm.

Summary
Keep in mind that fiber optic 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. Be aware of all aspects of fiber optic transceivers to purchase what you need for your application. Fiberstore supplies a wide variety of 40GBASE QSFP+ transceiver modules for you to choose from. More detailed, please contact us directly.

Guide to SFP+ Transceiver For 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Introduction to SFP+ transceiver
The small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) transceiver is based on SFP and developed by the ANSI T11 fibre channel group. SFP+ has become the most popular socket on 10GE systems due to its smaller size and lower power. SFP+ modules can further be grouped into two types of host interfaces: linear or limiting. Limiting modules are preferred except when using old fiber infrastructure which requires the use of the linear interface provided by 10GBASE-LRM modules.

10 Gigabit Ethernet Standards
10 Gigabit Ethernet is a group of computer networking technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of 10 gigabits per second. It was first defined by the IEEE 802.3ae-2002 standard. Like previous versions of Ethernet, 10GbE can use either copper or fiber cabling. However, because of its bandwidth requirements, higher-grade copper cables are required: category 6a or Class F/Category 7 cables for links up to 100m. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard encompasses a number of different physical layer (PHY) standards. A table is listed below to offer you a visual impression of the standards of 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Types of SFP+ transceiver for 10 Gigabit Ethernet
SFP+ transceiver complaint with the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standards can be classified into 10GBASE-T SFP+, 10GBASE-SR SFP+, 10GBASE-LR SFP+, 10GBASE-ER SFP+, 10gBASE-LRM SFP+, etc. Next I will provide a brief introduction of the most common SFP+ transceivers for 10 Gigabit Ethernet—10GBASE-SR SFP+, 10GBASE-LR SFP+, 10GBASE-ER SFP+.

10GBASE-SR SFP+
The 10GBASE-SR SFP+ is a port type of multi-mode fiber and uses 850nm lasers. Over OM1, it has a range of 33 m, over OM2 a range of 82 m, over OM3 300 m and over OM4 400 m. 10GBASE-SR delivers the lowest cost, lowest power and smallest form factor optical modules, which was projected to make up a quarter of the total 10GbE adapter ports shipped in 2011. Take 10GB-SR-SFPP ( see in the below image) as an example, it is fully compatible with Extreme devices and the SFP+ 20-pin connector to allow hot plug capability.

10GBASE-LR SFP+
10GBASE-LR SFP+ is designed for single-mode fiber and operates at a nominal wavelength of 850 nm. The 10GBASE-LR transmitter is implemented with a Fabry–Pérot or 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.

10GBASE-ER SFP+
10GBASE-ER SFP+ transmits over single-mode fiber. Its operating wavelength is 1550 nm. 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.

Conclusion
SFP+ transceiver is widely used to support communication standards including synchronous optical networking (SONET)/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), gigabit ethernet and fiber channel. From this text, we have acquired some information about SFP+ transceiver for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Fiberstore manufactures a complete range of SFP+ transceivers such as 10GB-SR-SFPP, SFP-10G-ER, JG234A, etc. For more information, please feel free to contact us.

Reference:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/interfaces-modules/transceiver-modules/data_sheet_c78-455693.pdf

Unveiling 10G Transceiver Modules

As the core of optoelectronic device in the WAN, MAN or LAN application, fiber optic transceivers have developed various types along with the increasing in complexity. Take 10G transceiver module as an example, it has experienced developments from XENPAK, X2, XFP and finally realized with SFP+. Many users raised the questions related to the main difference between these optical modules. So, in the following part, we will provide some main tips about the difference among the XENPAK, X2, XEP and SFP +.

Four Transceiver Modules—Description & Comparison
Those four transceivers (see in Figure 1) are all used to transmit 10G signal using Ethernet protocol. They are the result of Multi-Source Agreement (MSAs) that enable vendors to produce 802.3ae-compliant pluggable transceivers. The following part will provide a general guide to these module types.

XENPAK—the first 10GbE pluggable transceiver optics. Presents SC connectors
X2—the successor to the XENPAK (the smaller brother of the XENPAK). Presents SC connectors
XFP—the first of the small form factor 10GbE optics and newest pluggable transceiver. Presents LC connectors
SFP+—a 10GbE optics using the same physical form factor as a gigabit SFP. Because of this, many of the small SFP+ based 10GbE switches use 1G/10G ports, giving an added degree of flexibility. Presents LC connectors.

The first published XENPAK was by far the largest in physical size, which totally limited its popularity on the market. Many vendors then began to work on alternative standards. Finally in 2003, MSAs published another two 10G transceiver modules called X2 and XFP. X2 and XFP modules have been developed that support all of the high-power, long-distance applications once reserved for the larger XENPAK transceivers. But nowadays, SFP+ has gradually replaced the XFP and becomes the main stream of 10G transceivers markets. Why? The following part will answer you.

Contrast Between XFP and SFP+
XFP modules are hot-swappable and protocol-independent. They typically operate at near-infrared wavelengths of 850nm, 1310nm or 1550nm. They can operate over a single wavelength or use dense wavelength-division multiplexing techniques. SFP+ published on May 9, 2006, is an enhanced version of the SFP that supports data rates up to 16 Gbit/s. 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 mention 16G Fibre Channel, it can be used at this speed.

Both SFP+ and XFP are 10G transceivers, and can connect with other 10G transceivers. The main reason why SFP+ gain more market share than XFP is that SFP+ is more compact sized than XFP. The smaller SFP+ transfers the modulation functions, serial/deserializer, MAC, clock and data recovery (CDR) and EDC functions from the module to the motherboard on the card. In addition, cost of SFP+ is lower than XFP. Because XFP relies on a high-speed interface (10.3125Gbps), high-priced serializer/deserializer (SERDES) is required inside the switch to support it. They add an unacceptable cost to the base system of XFP. XFP complies with protocol of XFP MSA while SFP+ complies with IEEE802.3, SFF-8431, SFF-8432. SFP+ is the mainstream design currently.

Conclusion
SFP+, with its advantages of smaller size, low-cost and meeting the demand of high-density fiber transceivers, is anticipated to give rise to the realization better speed communication networks of the next generation. Fiberstore, as a professional optical transceiver modules manufacturer, supplies a complete range of 10G transceiver modules that can be customized as well. SFP-10G-ER, HP J9150A, F5-UPG-SFP+-R, Finisar FTLX1471D3BCL, QFX-SFP-10GE-SR—these compatible 10G transceiver modules are all available at Fiberstore. If you want to know more about 10G transceiver modules, welcome to contact us.

Reference:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/interfaces_modules/transceiver_modules/compatibility/matrix/10GE_Tx_Matrix.html