Category Archives: SFP+ Transceiver

What Is The Difference: SFP vs SFP+

As we know, a SFP module just looks the same as the SFP+ module. And most switches can both support SFP module and SFP+ module. So, do these two modules really refer to the same one? What’s the difference between SFP vs SFP+?

SFP vs SFP+

SFP vs SFP+: SFP Definition
SFP stands for Small Form-factor Pluggable. It is a hot-pluggable transceiver that plugs into the SFP port of a network switch and supports SONET, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. SFP specifications are based on IEEE802.3 and SFF-8472. They are capable of supporting speeds up to 4.25 Gbps. Due to its smaller size, SFP replaces the formerly common gigabit interface converter (GBIC). Therefore SFP is also called Mini-GBIC. By choosing different SFP module, the same electrical port on the switch can connect to different fiber types (multimode or single-mode) and different wavelengths.

SFP module Cisco

SFP vs SFP+: SFP+ Definition
Since SFP supports only up to 4.25 Gbps, SFP+ that supports data rates up to 16 Gbps was later introduced. In fact, SFP+ is an enhanced version of the SFP. The SFP+ specifications are based on SFF-8431. In today’s most applications, SFP+ module usually supports 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Optical Transport Network standard OTU2. In comparison to earlier 10 Gigabit Ethernet XENPAK or XFP modules, SFP+ module is smaller and becomes the most popular 10 Gigabit Ethernet module in the market.

SFP+ module Cisco

SFP vs SFP+
Review the SFP and SFP+ definition mentioned above, we can know that the main difference between SFP and SFP+ is the data rate. And due to different data rate, the applications and transmission distance is also different.

Ethernet Application

SFP (1Gbps)

SFP+ (10Gbps)

1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m

1000BASE-LX/LH SFP 1310nm 20km

1000BASE-EX SFP 1310nm 40km

1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 80km

10GBASE-SR SFP+ 850nm 300m

10GBASE-LRM SFP+ 1310nm 220m

10GBASE-LR SFP+ 1310nm 10km

10GBASE-ER SFP+ 1550nm 40km

10GBASE-ZR SFP+ 1550nm 100km

Fiber Channel Application

SFP (2G, 4G)

SFP+ (8G)

2.125Gbps:

2G Fibre Channel SFP 1310nm 2km/15km/20km/40km

2G Fibre Channel SFP 1510nm 80km

4.25Gbps:

4G Fibre Channel SFP 850nm 150m

4G Fibre Channel SFP 1310nm 5km/10km/15km/20km

8.5Gbps:

8G Fibre Channel SFP+ 850nm 150m

8G Fibre Channel SFP+ 1310mn 10km/20km/40km

8G Fibre Channel SFP+ 1510nm 80km

SONET/SDH Application

SFP (155Mbps, 622Mbps, 2.5Gbps)

SFP+ (10G)

155Mbps:

OC-3/STM-1 1310nm 2km/15km/40km

OC-3/STM-1 1510nm 80km

622Mbps:

OC-12/STM-4 1310nm 500m/2km/15km/40km

OC-12/STM-4 1510nm 80km

2.5Gbps:

OC-48/STM-16 1310nm 2km/15km/40km

OC-48/STM-16 1510nm 80km

OC-192/STM-64 850nm 300m

OC-192/STM-64 1310nm 2km/10km/20km/40km

OC-192/STM-64 1510nm 80km

As we’ve explained the difference of SFP vs SFP+. Usually, SFP module plugs into SFP port of the switch and SFP+ module plugs into SFP+ port of the switch. But, sometimes SFP module can also be plugged into SFP+ port. Which SFP or SFP+ module should you choose all depends on your switch types. Fiberstore is a reliable SFP transceiver module manufactures, all SFP module and SFP+ module types are available in FS.COM. Besides, SFP+ cable is also provided. What’s more, the price of SFP module and SFP+ module is lower than many other manufactures. SFP test is strict in FS.COM. Matching fiber patch cable is also available.

Related Article: SFP Module: What’s It and How to Choose It?

Related Article: Understanding Video SFP Transceivers

SFP+ Fiber vs SFP+ Twinax Cable vs 10GBASE-T, Which to Choose for 10G?

When you’ve selected the server, storage and switch to setup your data center, then how do you connect it all together? There’s no doubt that the answer is “with cables.” Let’s look at the three most common cables that used to connect the servers and storage to switches in a 10G network. They are SFP+ fiber solution (used with LC fiber patch cable), SFP+ twinax cable and 10GBASE-T solution. Which one should you choose? Let’s find the answer together!

SFP+ Fiber Solution
This connection methods requires two things on each device: 10G pluggable SFP+ transceiver and fiber optic patch cable. Once these are in place on both devices (server and switch), you can plug the patch cords into the transceiver on both sides. These SFP+ optical transceivers use approximately 1W per transceiver and have a latency of less than 0.1 microsecond. SFP+ transceiver comes in different types to drive signals across fiber optic cables with different maximum distances. The most common, and lowest in cost, is 10GBase-SR, which can span 300 meters. Other types can reach as far as 100 kilometers.

SFP+ transceivers

Pros: This connectivity method supports fiber cables that are really long, allowing you to connect a server at one end of a data center to a switch several racks away or even at the other end.
Cons: Pluggable transceiver parts are quite expensive.

SFP+ Twinax Cable
SFP+ twinax direct attach cable (DAC) integrates transceivers with twinax cable into an energy efficient, low-cost, and low-latency solution. It features SFP+ connectors on both ends, thus eliminating the need for expensive SFP+ transceivers. SFP+ twinax cables use only 1.5 watts of power per port and introduce only approximately 0.25 microsecond of latency per link. This makes it an optimal solution for handling high bandwidth transmission within short distances such as inside energy-efficient data centers.

SFP+ Twinaxial Cable

Pros: Lower latency, lower power and lower heat.
Cons: Transmission distance is usually less than 10 meter.

10GBASE-T Solution: Cat6 Copper Cable
This option probably looks familiar – like the RJ-45 ports and cabling you use to connect your laptop to a normal network jack. The difference is that you need specialized network adapters with ports that support faster 10G throughput. Cat6 cables have more individual copper wires, twisted tighter, with better shielding to prevent outside signal interference. They cost more than CAT5 but ensure better signal communication, which is a requirement to speed up to 10G. Cat6 copper cables use 5 watts of power per port and introduce approximately of latency per link, which is much higher than SFP+ optics and SFP+.

10GBASE-T structured-cabling

Pros: Longer distance – 100 meters. Backward compatibility to 1 gigabit Ethernet or 100 megabit Ethernet
Cons: Higher latency, higher power and higher heat. Not many data center switches support 10GBASE-T ports.

Conclusion
Vita differences of these three 10G cabling solutions are displayed in the table below. According to your demands to choose the right one.

Name	Transmission Distance	Latency	Power
SFP+ Fiber Solution	300 m – 100 km	0.1 microsecond	1 watts
SFP+ Twinax Cable	10 m	0.25 microsecond	1.5 watts
10GBASE-T Solution	100 m	2.6 microsecond	4 – 6 watts

10G SFP+ and 40G QSFP+ Transceivers Cabling Solutions

This article will discuss different connection methods between parallel Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP+) transceivers and Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP+) transceivers. As we know, a 40G QSFP+ transceiver can be either an 8-fiber parallel link or a 2-fiber duplex link. In this document when QSFP is used we will be discussing an 8-fiber parallel link. A SFP+ transceiver is usually an 2-fiber duplex link. According to standard, since QSFP+ is 40G interface, SFP+ is 10G interface, therefore four SFP+ transceiver must be needed to connect to one QSFP+ transceivers to achieve 40G transmission.

40G QSFP+ to 10 SFP+ Direct Connectivity Solutions
When directly connecting a QSFP port to the four corresponding SFP ports, an eight fiber MTP-LC breakout cable is required. The harness will have four LC Duplex connectors and the fibers will be paired in a specific way, assuring the proper polarity is maintained. This type of direct connectivity is only suggested for short distances within a given row or in the same rack/cabinet.

Polarity Drawing for Above Scenario

Polarity Drawing for Direct Connectivity Solutions

40G QSFP+ to 10 SFP+ Interconnect Solutions
The 40G QSFP+ to 10 SFP+ interconnect solution shown in figure below shows one link with a breakout of the QSFP with the use of an MTP-LC module to four SFP links. A Type-B non-pinned MTP to non-pinned MTP cable is used between the MTP-LC module and QSFP transceiver. The connection to the SFP transceivers is accomplished with Uniboot LC duplexed jumpers. This is a solution that is only recommended for short distances, where the patching takes place within a given row of racks/cabinets. This solution does present some disadvantages which are that ports 5 & 6 of the module are not being used thus reducing the patch panel density. It may also create some confusion when patching occurs since these two ports are dark.

SFP+ QSFP+ Interconnect Solutions

Polarity Drawing for Above Scenario

Unlike the patching approach in figure above, the solution shown in figure below has no dark fibers or ports. The Type-B jumper is replaced with an eight-fiber harness. The modules are replaced with the LC-LC adapter panel. Using this approach allows full patch panel density that was lost in the previous example. Only two LC-LC adapter panels will be required for every three 8-fiber harnesses. All ports on the LC-LC adapter panels will be used and the connections to the 10GbE ports will be completed with an Uniboot LC duplexed jumper. This solution should also be deployed when there is a short distance between active components (within the same row). Note the LC panel does not support the LC Uniboot connector, only LC Duplex connectors with the triggers removed to avoid clearance issues with the panel cover.

10G 40G Interconnect Solutions

Polarity Drawing for Above Scenario

Polarity Drawing for 10G SFP+ and 40G QSFP+ Solution

Fiberstore (FS.COM) provide all the products mentioned above, including 10G SFP+ transceivers, 40G QSFP+ transceivers, MTP patch cables, MTP-LC harness cable, MTP-LC module and LC-LC adapter panel. All in stock and can be shipped the same day.

Unique Advantages of 10GBASE-T in Migrating Data Center to 10GbE

Over the last decade, large enterprises have been migrating data center infrastructures from 100MB Ethernet to 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) to support high-bandwidth, mission critical applications. However, many mid-market companies found themselves restricted from this migration to 10GbE technology due to cost, low port density and high power consumption. For many of these companies, the explosive growth of technologies, data and applications is severely taxing existing 1GbE infrastructures and affecting performance. So it’s high time for them to upgrade the data center to 10GbE. With many 10GbE interfaces options such as CX4, SFP+ Fiber, SFP+ Direct Attach Copper (DAC), and 10GBASE-T offered, which one is the best? In fact, the answer is 10GBASE-T.

Shortcomings of SFP+ in 10GbE Data Center Cabling
SFP+ has been adopted on Ethernet adapters and switches and supports both copper and fiber optic cables makes it a better solution than CX4, which is the mainstream 10GbE adoption today. However, SFP+ is not backward-compatible with the twisted-pair 1GbE broadly deployed throughout the data center. SFP+ connectors and their cabling were not compatible with the RJ-45 connectors used on 1GbE networks. Enterprise customers cannot just start adding SFP+ 10GbE to an existing RJ-45 1GbE infrastructure. New switches and new cables are required, which is a big chunk of change.

Advantages of 10GBASE-T in 10GbE Data Center Cabling
10GBASE-T is backward-compatible with 1000BASE-T, it can be deployed in existing 1GbE switch infrastructures in the data centers that are cabled with CAT6, CAT6A or above cabling. As we know, 1GbE is still widely used in data center. 10GBASE-T is backwards compatible with 1GbE and thus will become the perfect choice for gradual transitioning from 1GbE deployment to 10GbE. Additional advantages include:

Reach
Like all BASE-T implementations, 10GBASE-T works for lengths up to 100 meters giving IT managers a far-greater level of flexibility in connecting devices in the data center. With flexibility in reach, 10GBASE-T can accommodate either top of the rack, middle of row, or end of the row network topologies. This gives IT managers the most flexibility in server placement since it will work with existing structured cabling systems.
Power
The challenge with 10GBASE-T is that even single-chip 10GBASE-T adapters consume a watt or two more than the SFP+ alternatives. More power consumption is not a good thing in the data center. However, the expected incremental costs in power over the life of a typical data center are far less than the amount of money saved from reduced cabling costs. Besides, with process improvements, chips improved from one generation to the next. The power and cost of the latest 10GBASE-T PHYs will be reduced greatly than before.
Reliability
Another challenge with 10GBASE-T is whether it could deliver the reliability and low bit-error rate of SFP+. This skepticism can also be expressed as whether the high demands of FCoE could be met with 10GBASE-T. In fact, Cisco has announced that it had successfully qualified FCoE over 10GBASE-T and is supporting it on its newer switches that support 10GBASE-T in 2013.
Latency
Depending on packet size, latency for 1000BASE-T ranges from sub-microsecond to over 12 microseconds. 10GBASE-T ranges from just over 2 microseconds to less than 4 microseconds, a much narrower latency range. For Ethernet packet sizes of 512B or larger, 10GBASE-T’s overall throughout offers an advantage over 1000BASE-T. Latency for 10GBASE-T is more than 3 times lower than 1000BASE-T at larger packet sizes. Only the most latent sensitive applications such as HPC or high frequency trading systems would notice any latency.
Cost
When it comes to capital costs, copper cables offer great savings. Typically, passive copper cables are two to five times less expensive for comparable lengths of fiber. In a 1,000-node cluster, with hundreds of required cables, that can translate into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Extending that into even larger data centers, the savings can reach into the millions. Besides, copper cables do not consume power and because their thermal design requires less cooling, there are extensive savings on operating expenditures within the data center. Hundreds of kilowatts can be saved by using copper cables versus fiber.

Conclusion
The 10GbE standards are mature, reliable and well understood. 10GBASE-T breaks through important cost and cable installation barriers in 10GbE deployment as well as offering investment protection via backwards compatibility with 1GbE networks. Deployment of 10GBASE-T will simplify the networking transition by providing an easier path to migrate to 10GbE infrastructure in support of higher bandwidth needed for virtualized servers. In the future, 10GBASE-T will be the best option for 10GbE data center cabling!

Great Compatible Cisco SFP+ Transceiver Modules

The enhanced small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) is an enhanced version of the SFP that supports data rates up to 16 Gbit/s. Since SFP+ is mostly used for 10G, we usually call it 10G SFP. It is a popular industry format supported by many network component vendors. In terms of the SFP+ transceivers, there are various major brands, such as Cisco, HP, Juniper etc. In the current market, the Cisco SFP+ transceivers are very popular with the customers, especially the Cisco SFP-10G-SR and SFP-10G-LR. However, these original transceiver modules are really expensive. To save cost, we usually use 3rd-party transceiver modules instead of the original brand. In this text, two kinds of compatible SFP+ modules that can severally replace the Cisco SFP-10G-SR and SFP-10G-LR will be introduced. These two kinds of compatible modules are all from the Fiberstore, the leading manufacturer and supplier of optical transceiver modules in China.

SFP+ is the Most Popular 10G Transceiver Module

Since there are many different 10GbE physical layer standards, many interfaces consist of a standard socket into which different PHY modules may be plugged. On the market, the common 10G transceiver modules are XENPAK, XPAK, X2, XFP and SFP+. XENPAK was the first MSA for 10GbE and had the largest form factor. X2 and XPAK were later competing standards with smaller form factors. XFP came after X2 and XPAK and it is also smaller. The newest module standard is SFP+. In comparison to earlier XENPAK or XFP modules, SFP+ modules leave more circuitry to be implemented on the host board instead of inside the module. Now SFP+ has become the most popular socket on 10GbE systems.

Common 10GbE Standards for SFP+

Standards for SFP+

Two Kinds of Compatible Cisco SFP+ Transceiver from Fiberstore

For 3rd-party transceiver modules are much cheaper than the original brand (Cisco. HP, etc), they are become more and more popular in the market. As a result, suppliers to offer these effective modules are also become more than before. But in my opinion, the Fiberstore does the best among them. They provide all kinds of compatible transceivers, especially the SFP-10G85-3M-CO and SFP-10G31-10-CO, which can entirely replace the Cisco SFP-10G-SR and SFP-10G-LR.

SFP-10G85-3M-CO

The SFP-10G85-3M-CO series multi-mode transceiver is a SFP+ module for duplex optical data communications such as 10GBASE-SR and 10GBASE-SW. This transceiver offers the same function with Cisco SFP-10G-SR and is fully compatible with Cisco devices. It is a hot-swappable input/output device, which means no need to power down if installing or replacing. Its transmission distance can up to 300m with duplex LC multi-mode Fiber cable.

SFP-10G31-10-CO

The SFP-10G31-10-CO single mode transceiver is a small form factor pluggable module for serial optical data communications such as IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-LR/LW. This transceiver offers the same function with Cisco SFP-10G-LR and is fully compatible with Cisco devices. This module is designed for single mode fiber and operates at a nominal wavelength of 1310 nm. Its transmission distance can up to 10km with duplex LC single-mode fiber.

Cisco SFP+ Transceiver

All these products offered by Fiberstore are tested in-house prior to shipping to ensure that they will arrive in perfect physical and working condition. Fiberstore can guarantee these 10G SFP+ transceivers to work in your system and all of their 10G SFP+ transceivers come with a lifetime advance replacement warranty. Now they have many SFP-10G85-3M-CO and SFP-10G31-10-CO transceiver modules in stock. Therefore, Same-Day Delivery is available. If you want to know more about their products or services, please feel free to contact them at sales@fs.com.

Related Article: Cisco SFP-10G-SR: All You Need to Know

Complete 10G SFP+ Transceiver Solution From Fiberstore

The enhanced small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) is an enhanced version of the SFP that supports data rates up to 16 Gbit/s. As we all know, SFP+ can support 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 16G Fibre Channel. Therefore, there are three common SFP+: 8G SFP+, 10G SFP+ and 16G SFP+. In this text, I will mainly introduce the 10G SFP+ transceiver to you.

Introduction of 10G SFP+ Transceiver 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. Over the years the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 working group has published several standards relating to 10G SFP+ transceiver. Among these standards, in terms of the optical fiber, they can be seen clearly in the following table:

Interconnect	Media Type	Wavelength	Max range
10GBASE-SR	Multi-mode fiber	850 nm	300 m
10GBASE-LR	single-mode fiber	1310 nm	10 km
10GBASE-LRM	Multi-mode fiber	1310 nm	220 m
10GBASE-ER	single-mode fiber	1550 nm	40 km
10GBASE-ZR	single-mode fiber	1550 nm	80 km

Specifications of 10G SFP+ Transceiver
10G SFP+ transceivers are multi-purpose optical modules for 10Gbit/s data transmission applications at 850nm, 1310nm and 1550nm. Since 10 gigabit ethernet is used more and more widely, there are a lot of manufacturers produce 10G SFP+. The following table shows the specifications of 10G SFP+ from Fiberstore, which provides these products at the best quality but the lowest price.

Model Number	Transceiver Description
SFP-10G85-3M-xx	10GBASE-SR SFP+ for MMF, 850-nm wavelength, up to 300m
SFP-10G31-10-xx	10GBASE-LR SFP+ for SMF, 1310-nm wavelength, up to 10km
SFP-10G31-20-xx	10GBASE-LR SFP+ for SMF, 1310-nm wavelength, up to 20km
SFP-10G31-2M-xx	10GBASE-LRM SFP+ for MMF, 1310-nm wavelength, up to 220m
SFP-10G31-2-xx	10GBASE SFP+ for MMF, 1310-nm wavelength, up to 2km
SFP-10G31-40-xx	10GBASE SFP+ for SMF, 1310-nm wavelength, up to 40km
SFP-10G55-40-xx	10GBASE-ER SFP+ for SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, up to 40km
SFP-10G55-80-xx	10GBASE-ZR SFP+ for SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, up to 80km
SFP-10G55-100-xx	10GBASE SFP+ for SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, up to 100km

Note: 10GBASE-LR has a specified reach of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), but 10GBASE-LR optical modules can often manage distances of up to 25 kilometres (16 mi) with no data loss.

CWDM SFP+ and DWDM SFP+ are all operate on 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is a technology which multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths of laser light. WDM is divided into different wavelength patterns, conventional/coarse wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM) and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM). CWDM and DWDM SFP+ are transceiver modules which are combined the CWDM or DWDM technology. This kind of SFP+ can allow you to expand your networks capacity without the need for physical fibre optic cabling.

CWDM SFP+

CWDM SFP+ series single mode transceiver is small form factor pluggable module for bi-directional serial optical data communications such as IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-LR/LW/ER. The following table shows the specifications of CWDM SFP+ from Fiberstore:

Model Number	Transceiver Description
CSFP-10GXX-10-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1270nm~1330nm wavelength, up to 10km
CSFP-10GXX-10-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1350nm~1610nm wavelength, up to 10km
CSFP-10GXX-20-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1270nm~1330nm wavelength, up to 20km
CSFP-10GXX-20-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1350nm~1450nm wavelength, up to 20km
CSFP-10GXX-40-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1270nm~1450nm wavelength, up to 40km
CSFP-10GXX-40-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1470nm~1610nm wavelength, up to 40km
CSFP-10GXX-60-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1270nm~1450nm wavelength, up to 60km
CSFP-10GXX-60-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1470nm~1610nm wavelength, up to 60km
CSFP-10GXX-80-xx	10GBASE CWDM SFP+,1470nm~1610nm wavelength, up to 80km

DWDM SFP+

The DWDM SFP+ is specifically designed for carriers and large enterprises that require a scalable, flexible, cost-effective system for multiplexing, transporting and protecting high-speed data, storage, voice and video applications. DWDM enables service providers to accommodate many hundreds of aggregated services of any sub-rate protocol without installing additional dark fiber. DWDM SFP+ transceiver is therefore the choice for the highest-bandwidth applications. The following table shows the specifications of DWDM SFP+ from Fiberstore:

Model Number	Transceiver Description
DSFP-10GXX-40-xx	10GBASE 100GHz DWDM SFP+ for SMF, up to 40km
DSFP-10GHXXX-40-xx	10GBASE 50GHz DWDM SFP+ for SMF, up to 40km
DSFP-10GXX-80-xx	10GBASE 100GHz DWDM SFP+ for SMF, up to 80km
DSFP-10GHXXX-80-xx	10GBASE 50GHz DWDM SFP+ for SMF, up to 80km

Conclusion
10G SFP+ transceivers are used in Ethernet switches, routers, firewalls and network interface cards. Storage interface cards, also called HBAs or Fibre Channel storage switches, also make use of these modules. For high bandwidth, CWDM SFP+ and DWDM SFP+ will be the tendency in the future.

Fiberstore Supply Compatible Cisco 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cables

What are Compatible Network Products?

Compatible products can include transceivers, direct-attach cables (DAC), active optical cables (AOC), and media converters, among others. Compatibles are designed to work with all manufacturers’ equipment and can be used in virtually any industry, from telecommunications and education to healtchcare and financial services.

Compatible Cisco 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cables on Fiberstore

The compatible Cisco 10GBASE SFP modules also enable to give you 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for your data center, enterprise wiring closet or service provider transport applications. 10GBASE-CU SFP+ cables, also known as SFP+ copper Twinax direct attach cables, are suitable for very short distances and offer a cost-effective way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Fiberstore offers passive Twinax cables in lengths of 1,1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 5 meters, and active Twinax cables in lengths of 7 and 10 meters. For more details about relevant products, we can see the table below:

Compatible Cisco Direct Attach Twinax Copper Cable Assemblies with SFP+ Connectors

Products	Cable Type	Cable Distance
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1M	Twinax cable, passive, 30AWG cable assembly	1m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1-5M	Twinax cable, passive, 30AWG cable assembly	1.5m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU2M	Twinax cable, passive, 30AWG cable assembly	2m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU2-5M	Twinax cable, passive, 30AWG cable assembly	2.5m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU3M	Twinax cable, passive, 30AWG cable assembly	3m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU5M	Twinax cable, passive, 24AWG cable assembly	5m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-ACU7M	Twinax cable, active, 30 AWG cable assembly	7m
Cisco SFP-H10GB-ACU10M	Twinax cable, active, 28AWG cable assembly	10m

Advantages of Compatible Cisco 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cables

Cable Compatible With Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1M Compatible Cisco 10G SFP+ direct attach cables are cables that offer the same function with Cisco 10G SFP+ cable (SFP-H10GB-CU/ACU) and they are fully compatible with Cisco devices. They provide a low power and low latency interconnect solution for 10-Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Channel and other industry standards, and are direct attached compliant and fully conform to the SFP+ MSA specifications. Above all, with this compatible cables, the cost savings are undeniable, which is supposed to achieve potential savings of 50–70% over comparable products from original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

Three Types Physical Media Systems For 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Overview

Dramatic growth in data center throughput has led to the increasing usage and demand for higher-performance servers, storage and interconnects. As a result, we are seeing the expansion of higher speed Ethernet solutions, specifically 10 and 40 gigabit Ethernet. This text will take an overview of 10 gigabit ethernet as well as introducing some common 10-gigabit physical media systems: fiber optic media systems, DAC cable media systems and twisted-pair media systems.

Introduction of 10 Gigabit Ethernet

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. Unlike previous Ethernet standards, 10 Gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point-to-point links which are generally connected by network switches. Like previous versions of Ethernet, 10GbE can use either copper or fiber cabling. However, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard encompasses a number of different physical layer (PHY) standards. A networking device may have different PHY types through pluggable PHY modules, such as those based on XENPAK, XFP and SFP+.

Classification of 10 Gigabit Ethernet

When comes to 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), IT managers are now faced with the challenge of selecting the appropriate 10-gigabit physical media. Broadly, this media is usually offered in the following three categories:

10 Gigabit Ethernet Fiber Optic Media Systems Solution

There are two classifications for optical fiber: single-mode (SMF) and multimode (MMF). SMF is used for long distance communication and MMF is used for distances of less than 300 m. There are also active optical cables (AOC). These have the optical electronics already connected eliminating the connectors between the cable and the optical module. They plug into standard optical module sockets. They are lower cost than other optical solutions because the manufacturer can match the electronics to the required length and type of cable. AOC Cable provides very short distance (same shelf) inexpensive connectivity at 10G rates between two 10G data ports. The following picture shows the SFP+ active optical cables (AOC):

NOTE: Dramatically reducing 10G interconnectivity costs, the 10G cables can provide inexpensive and reliable 10G speed connections using either copper cables with distances reaching up to 15 meters or active optical cables reaching even 100 meters.

10 Gigabit Ethernet Copper Direct Attach Cable Media Systems (10GSFP+Cu) Solution

SFP+ direct attach cable (DAC), also known as 10GSFP+Cu, is a copper 10GBASE Twinax Cable which comes in either an active or passive twinax cable assembly and connects directly into an SFP+ housing. SFP+ direct attach cable has a fixed-length cable, typically 1 to 7 m (passive cables) or up to 15 m (active cables) in length. And like 10GBASE-CX4, is low-power, low-cost and low-latency with the added advantages of using less bulky cables and of having the small form factor of SFP+. Besides, SFP+ direct attached Twinax copper today is tremendously popular, with more ports installed than 10GBASE-SR. The following picture shows the SFP+ passive direct attach cable(DAC):

10 Gigabit Ethernet Twisted-Pair Media Systems (10GBASE-T) Solution

10GBASE-T is a standard released in 2006 to provide 10 Gbit/s connections over unshielded or shielded twisted pair cables, over distances up to 100 metres. 10GBASE-T cable solution can also be used for 1000BASE-T allowing a gradual upgrade from 1000BASE-T using auto negotiation to select which speed to use. 10GBASE-T uses the IEC 60603-7 8P8C (commonly known as RJ45) connectors already widely used with Ethernet. Transmission characteristics are now specified to 500 MHz. To reach this frequency Category 6A or better balanced twisted pair cables are needed to carry 10GBASE-T up to distances of 100m. The following picture shows the Category 6A cable:

Cisco SFP and SFP+ Transceiver Modules Installation Guide

Cisco is one of the worldwide major fiber optic network equipments provider, the networking engineers may time and again facing the problems of install fiber optic transceivers to other Cisco devices for optical signal transmission. This article provides the installation instructions for Cisco small-factor pluggable (SFP) and SFP+ transceiver modules. These modules are hot-swappable input/output (I/O) devices that plug into 100Base, 1000Base and 10Gbase ports, to connect the module ports with the fiber optic or copper network.

Cisco SFP+ transceiver modules installation is the combination of Cisco original SFP+ or compatible Cisco SFP+ transceiver modules with your Cisco devices. Each port must match the wavelength specifications on the other end of the cable and that the cable must not exceed the stipulated cable length for reliable communications. Using only Cisco or compatible Cisco SFP+ transceiver modules on your own Cisco devices, as it allows a Cisco switch or router to identify and validate that the transceiver modules is certified and tested by Cisco.

Cisco SFP transceiver module product number and description at Compatible cisco SFP transceiver:
Cisco SFP+ transceiver module product number and description at Compatible cisco SFP+ transceiver

Take SFP module for example, let’s discuss the installation guid and note.
To begin the installation, tools you need is listed below:
Wrist strap or other personal grounding device to prevent ESO occurrences
Antistatic mat or antistatic foam to set the transceiver on
Fiber optic end-face cleaning tools and inspection equipment.

SFP transceiver module have three types of latching devices to secure an SFP transceiver module in a port socket: mylar tab latch, actuator button latch, bail clasp latch. Knowing which type of latch your SFP transceiver module uses is crucial before the installation.

Disconnect all fiber optic cables before the installation
Attache an ESD-preventive wrist strap to your wrist and to the ESD ground connector or a bare metal surface on your chassis.
Removing the SFP transceiver module from its protective packaging.
Check the label on the SFP transceiver module body to verify that you have the correct model for your network.
Find the send (TX) and receive (RX) markings that identify the top side of the SFP transceiver module.
Position the SFP transceiver module in front of the socket opening. Different Cisco devices have different SFP module socket configurations. Your Cisco device could have either a latch-up or a latch-down orientation. Ensure that you are installing the SFP transceiver module in the correct orientation for your Cisco device.
Insert the SFP module into the socket until you feel the connector latch into place.
Press the SFP into the slot firmly with your thumb to ensure that the transceiver is properly latched in the socket.

After the installation steps above, the verification is needed. Grasp the SFP and try to remove it without releasing the latch. If the SFP can not be removed, it is installed and seated properly. If the SFP can be removed, you need to re-insert it and press harder with our thumb, repeat it until it is latched securely into the socket.

Popular 10G Transceivers: 10G XENPAK, 10G X2, 10G XFP, 10G SFP+

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