SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) is a compact, hot-swappable transceiver module that converts electrical signals into optical signals (and vice versa), enabling long-distance communication between devices. One of the main advantages of SFP modules is their hot-swappable nature, which allows them to be inserted or removed without powering down network devices.
A BIDI optical module is a single-fiber bidirectional optical module, or BiDi (Bidirectional). Conventional modules are dual-fiber modules (connected by two optical fibers), with two fiber ports at the interface: a transmit port (TX) and a receive port (RX). BIDI modules, however, are single-fiber modules with only one fiber port. Different optical signals are transmitted and received within a single fiber; therefore, BIDI optical modules must be used in pairs. Visually, a BIDI module has only one port and uses only one optical fiber for connection.
The continued growth of global data traffic is driving the upgrade of data center networks from 100G to 400G. As a common, efficient, and cost-effective solution for 400G networks, 400G optical transceivers can significantly improve system performance, increase transmission rates, expand bandwidth, and reduce broadband costs.
When the geometric dimensions of an optical fiber (primarily the core diameter d1) are significantly larger than the wavelength of light (approximately 1 μm), dozens or even hundreds of propagation modes can exist within the fiber. Different propagation modes have different propagation velocities and phases, resulting in time delays and broadening of optical pulses over long transmission distances. This phenomenon is called modal dispersion (also known as intermodal dispersion).
Mobile communications network applications are currently transitioning from 4G to 5G. 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications technology) will rapidly develop and become a hot topic in the information and communications sector. The advanced construction and upgrade of bearer networks will drive a continued increase in demand for telecom network optical equipment. Simultaneously, demand for data center networks is exploding in the cloud computing era, and domestic internet companies, led by BAT, are entering a period of expanding IDC demand. This is leading to a rapid increase in demand for high-speed optical modules, such as 25G and 100G.
As optical communication systems develop toward longer distances, greater capacity, and higher speeds, especially as single-wavelength rates evolve from 40G to 100G and beyond, transmission effects such as chromatic dispersion, nonlinear effects, and polarization mode dispersion in optical fibers will severely impact further increases in transmission rates and distances. To address this, industry experts are continuously researching and developing higher-performing FEC code types to achieve higher net coding gain (NCG) and improved error correction performance to meet the demands of the rapid development of optical communication systems.
The key metrics for evaluating data center optical modules are density, power consumption, and cost. Thermal capacity is one of the indicators used to measure optical module power consumption; the greater the thermal capacity, the greater the power consumption the module can withstand. 400G optical modules are primarily categorized by package type: CDFP, CFP8, QSFP-DD, and OSFP. CDFP and CFP8 are larger in size and have higher thermal capacity, primarily used in the telecommunications market. QSFP-DD, backwards compatible with the previous QSFP-28, offers the smallest size and higher density. It is more suitable for short-distance data center use and has numerous supporters, including companies such as Facebook, Alibaba, and Tencent. Supporters of the OSFP MSA include Google and Arista. OSFP is slightly larger than QSFP-DD. QSFP-28 optical modules require an adapter to be compatible with OSFP sockets.
As AI advances, data center computing power is further squeezed. Traditional data center networks can no longer meet the high bandwidth, low latency, and scalability requirements of AI development. To address this issue and accommodate the massive east-west traffic generated by AI computing, engineers are choosing leaf-spine network architectures for next-generation high-performance data centers. This article will introduce you to 100G leaf-spine networks, their topology, and their architecture, to help you better understand high-performance data center networks.
The QSFP-DD technology can double the number of ports used in data transmission while keeping the same size as the previous version, QSFP. It has been developed to provide better use of bandwidth and supports 400G applications. The interface of QSFP-DD carries both optical and electrical signals over eight lanes that transmit at a rate of 50G each, which adds up to an overall throughput speed of 400 G. This design is backward compatible with current QSFP connections, thus enabling easy adoption into existing network systems.
It adopts single-fiber bidirectional transmission (WDM) technology, requiring only one fiber to complete bidirectional data transmission, saving 50% of fiber resources; it features a high-density design, using a small-size QSFP28 package, compatible with high-density switch ports; it has strong compatibility, supporting interconnection with mainstream brand switches, allowing for smooth upgrades to existing networks; it supports transmission distances from 100m to 80km, suitable for solutions in data centers and telecom operators.
Why should Data Centers Deploy QSFP-DD 400G FR4?With the development of optical communication technology, the market size of optical modules continues to grow. 400G QSFP-DD packaging has become one of the most popular optical modules for hyperscale data centers due to its advantages of low power con
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance computing (HPC), the requirements for network bandwidth and latency in intelligent computing centers are increasing exponentially. Against this backdrop, 800G optical transceivers, with their ultra-high throughput and low power consumption, have become a core component for building next-generation intelligent computing networks. This article will analyze 800G optical transceivers from the perspectives of package form, network application scenarios, mainstream models, and device compatibility.
Generally speaking, there are two types of optical fiber: Fiber that supports multiple propagation paths or transverse modes is called multimode fiber (MMF), while fiber that supports a single mode is called single-mode fiber (SMF).
800G optical modules perform optical-to-electrical conversion. They enable data transmission rates of 800G per second over optical fibers. 800G optical modules support IEEE 802.3cK and QSFP-DD 800MSA standards, as well as the CMIS 4.0 interface protocol. 800G optical modules are available in QSFP-DD, OSFP, and QSFP112 form factors. QSFP-DD stands for "Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable - Double Density."
Optical modules are primarily used in data communications, converting optical and electrical signals.
A 400G optical module, also known as a 400G optical transceiver, converts electrical signals into optical signals at the transmitting end, which are then transmitted via optical fiber. At the receiving end, the optical signals are converted back into electrical signals. They are primarily used for the conversion of electrical and optical signals in optical communications. Optical modules are very small and are generally used in servers, switches, routers, and wireless base stations across various network architectures.
The QSFP28 100G CWDM4 optical module uses the QSFP28 form factor. It is a 100G transmission mode based on single-mode Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) technology. It is hot-swappable and employs a duplex LC interface. It transmits optical signals at four central wavelengths: 1271nm, 1291nm, 1311nm, and 1331nm. Each wavelength transmits 25G. Using CWDM technology, the QSFP28 100G CWDM4 optical module multiplexes these four central wavelengths onto a single-mode fiber for transmission. When used with single-mode fiber, the transmission distance can reach 25G. km, meeting the various long-distance transmission requirements of data center networks.
SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) is a compact, hot-swappable module used in network devices such as switches, routers, and servers to provide network connectivity and is widely used in network communications. By using different interfaces and single-mode or multimode fiber depending on the distance, it enables network flexibility, facilitating deployment and maintenance, making it an indispensable component for network construction.
A 1G SFP module, also known as a 1 Gigabit Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP), is a transceiver used in telecommunications and data communications applications. It is designed to support communication over optical fiber or sometimes copper network cables at speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps).
The QSFP28 (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable 28) transceiver is a compact module that can be hot-swapped and is designed to support high-speed data transfer in today’s network. With up to 100 Gbps speeds, it is frequently used within data centers, enterprise networks, and telecommunications infrastructure. The QSFP28 transceiver supports Ethernet, Fiber Channel, InfiniBand, and many other communication standards, but at the same time, it allows both optical and electrical connections. Therefore, this highly efficient transceiver is indispensable when there is a need to meet the growing bandwidth requirements in high-performance networking environments.