Generally, 10G SFP+ optical transceivers are divided into 10GBASE-T SFP+ electrical modules and 10GBASE-X SFP+ optical transceivers according to different connecting cables. 10GBASE-T SFP+ electrical modules are mainly used with network jumpers, while 10GBASE-X SFP+ Optical transceivers are mainly used with fiber jumpers; the latter can be further subdivided into general optical transceivers (mainly single-mode optical transceivers and multi-mode optical transceivers) and special optical transceivers (mainly WDM optical transceivers and BiDi optical transceivers).
10GBASE-T SFP+ electrical interface transceiver
10G SFP+ electrical port transceiver
The 10G SFP+ electrical interface module complies with the MSA standard and aims to realize 10G Ethernet transmission through Cat6a/Cat7 network jumpers. The size of the module is similar to that of the SFP module, and it also supports hot plugging. It has the characteristics of low power consumption, high performance, compact structure, and strong reliability. The maximum transmission distance can reach 30 meters when used with Cat6a/Cat7 network jumpers. . Since the cost of copper cables is lower than that of optical fibers, compared to 10G SFP+ optical transceivers matched with optical fibers, 10G SFP+ electrical interface modules are used with Cat6a/Cat7 network cables with lower wiring costs.
Compared with the power consumption of the 10G SFP+ DAC high-speed cable (average value is 4~8W), the power consumption of the 10G SFP+ electrical interface module is lower, only 2.5W.
10GBASE-X SFP+ optical transceiver
10G SFP+ multimode optical transceiver
The 10G SFP+ multi-mode optical transceiver is a small, pluggable 10 Gigabit optical transceiver, which mainly realizes short-distance transmission of 10G optical signals through multi-mode optical fibers, with a maximum transmission distance of 300 meters. At present, 10G SFP+ multimode optical transceivers are mainly divided into two types: 10GBASE-SR and 10GBASE-LRM.
10GBASE-SR optical transceiver
The 10GBASE-SR optical transceiver complies with the IEEE 802.3ae standard and is one of the most common optical transceivers in 10G Ethernet. SR stands for short distance, and the transmission distance can reach 300 meters when used with multi-mode fiber (OM3 fiber). The module uses a VCSEL laser, which has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption, high density, and small size. The 10GBASE-SRL on the market is a simplified version of 10GBASE-SR.
10GBASE-LRM optical transceiver
The 10GBASE-LRM optical transceiver is a substitute for 10GBASE-LX4, and the maximum transmission distance can reach 220 meters when used with multimode fiber (OM3 fiber), where LRM represents the length extension multipoint mode. It should be noted that Cisco (or some suppliers that can provide Cisco compatible products) 10GBASE-LRM optical transceiver can support single-mode fiber transmission, the maximum transmission distance can reach 300 meters. In addition, the 10GBASE-LRM2 optical transceiver on the market is an upgraded version of the 10GBASE-LRM optical transceiver with a maximum transmission distance of up to 2 kilometers and is often used for LAN connections.
10G SFP+ single-mode optical transceiver
The 10G SFP+ single-mode optical transceiver is a 10-Gigabit optical transceiver that supports hot-plugging. It mainly uses single-mode fiber to realize long-distance transmission of 10G optical signals. At present, the module is mainly divided into 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-ER and 10GBASE-ZR.
10GBASE-LR optical transceiver
The 10GBASE-LR optical transceiver complies with the 10GBASE-LR Ethernet standard, where LR stands for long distance. The central wavelength of the module is 1310nm, and the maximum transmission distance of 10 kilometers can be achieved on a single-mode fiber. Compared with 10GBASE-SR optical transceivers using VCSEL lasers, 10GBASE-LR optical transceivers use DFB lasers, which have higher power and longer wavelengths, and can effectively couple optical signals to single-mode fibers for long distances. transmission.
10GBASE-ER optical transceiver
The 10GBASE-ER optical transceiver is equivalent to an enhanced version of the 10GBASE-LR optical transceiver. The central wavelength of the module is 1550nm, and a transmission distance of up to 40 kilometers can be achieved through a single-mode fiber. Different from the above-mentioned optical transceivers, the 10GBASE-ER optical transceivers use EML lasers. Due to the high optical power of the laser, in order to ensure the normal operation of the optical transceiver, the input optical power is within the acceptable range to avoid saturation and distortion. For links with a transmission distance of less than 20 kilometers, an appropriate fiber attenuator is required. For example, ≤1km: 10dB; ≤10km: 7dB; ≤15km: 6dB; ≤20km: 5dB.
10G SFP+ WDM optical transceiver
10G SFP+ WDM optical transceivers are divided into two types, CWDM and DWDM, according to different wavelength division standards. Among them, 10G CWDM SFP+ optical transceivers perform data transmission in the 1270nm~1610nm band, and the transmission distance is 10~80 kilometers; while 10G DWDM SFP+ optical transceivers usually perform data transmission in the CH17~CH61 band, and the maximum transmission distance can reach 80 kilometers. 10G SFP+ WDM optical transceiver has the advantages of easy expansion, flexible service access, high bandwidth utilization and high reliability, which can improve the flexibility, economy and reliability of networking, and is suitable for scalable and flexible large-scale enterprise networks and data center.
10G SFP+ BiDi optical transceiver
Different from the above-mentioned ordinary 10G SFP+ optical transceiver, the 10G SFP+ BiDi optical transceiver adopts WDM technology, which realizes the bidirectional transmission of optical signals on an optical fiber, which means that optical signals can be transmitted and received using one port. The transmitting and receiving directions must use different center wavelengths. Because this module can maximize the utilization of optical fiber, effectively reduce the amount of optical fiber used, and reduce the cost of network deployment, it has become the first choice for building a 10G network architecture. It should be noted that this module needs to be used in pairs.
Conclusion
Although the market share of high-speed optical transceivers has gradually increased due to user requirements for higher bandwidth and continuous upgrades in data centers, this does not mean that the 10G SFP+ optical transceiver market will shrink. For switches or servers with 10G ports and data centers that realize network upgrades with 10G products, 10G SFP+ optical transceivers are still a necessity; and now different types of 10G SFP+ optical transceivers are widely used in various network environments, so 10G SFP+ optical transceivers will continue to exist for a certain period of time.