Before entering today’s new topic, let’s have a brief review of the last subject—SFP+ cable. As we all know, SFP+ DAC cables transmit 10Gbps signals over copper cabling. Well, 10GBASE-T is a different kind of technology which transmits data via copper cable. As both are 10G copper cabling solutions, which one do you choose? In this article, we will discuss 10GBASE-T vs SFP+, what are their pros and cons.

Introduction of 10GBASE-T

10GBASE-T, a standard released in 2006, is specifically designed for high speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet communication over unshielded or shielded twisted pair cables. It is compliant with the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and 10GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T, 2.5GBASE-T, 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE STD 802.3an, 802.3ab and 802.3au. 10GBASE-T provides users with not only backward compatibility with their existing networks but also flexibility in network designs, helping users to protect their investment in existing copper cabling infrastructure. Moreover, 10GBASE-T can be used for long-reach networks up to 100 meters or short-reach networks as short as a few feet.

The new 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver module delivers the flexibility and port density well known to the SFP+ form-factor, utilizing Cat 6a UTP structured cabling for network connectivity. It is a power optimized solution for lengths up to 30m, engineered to deliver a minimum power saving of at least 0.5W per port compared to an equivalent embedded 10GBASE-T RJ45 for the same length (Cat 6a, up to 30m). As the first transceiver that offers 10GbE communication over copper, 10GBase-T SFP+ module delivers what you need most in your network connections: reliable performance.

SFP+ Direct Attach VS 10GBASE-T

The overall information have been listed in the above chart. To help you understand further, let’s translate it into words. 10GBASE-T transceivers are commonly used for 10MB, 100MB and 1GB network connections, while SFP+ Direct Attach Cable only for 10Gigabit Ethernet Network. In many cases, 10GBASE-T can reduce the deployment cost and is easier to install and migrate. 10GBASE-T can offer more design flexibility using a structured cabling approach for longer distances up to 100 meters. A structured cabling approach means that Category 6A cables can be field terminated on patch panels to any length for clean, slack-free cable management. However, SFP+ DAC offers less than 10m distance, and they are factory terminated and must be purchased in pre-determined length. But it is worth mentioning that SFP+ DAC can intermix fiber and DAC freely to meet distance requirements. SFP+ DAC also offers better latency—typically about 0.3 microseconds per link, while 10GBASE-T latency is about 2.6 microseconds per link due to more complex encoding within the equipment.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, both 10GBASE-T transceiver and SFP+ direct attach cable have their own advantages and benefits. It is not easy to conclude which one is better. When it comes to the trade-off between them, you need to consider you actual requirements in the first place. With equipment from multiple vendors available in the marketplace, the next step you need to take is just give the rest to FS.COM, because it will provide you with the best quality and reasonable price.

 ?Have you noticed the changes happened in just a few years ago?— The faster internet speed? The thinner computer screen? Or the smaller computer case? Well, one special thing that I want you know is the fiber optic cable. The emergence of it has made the copper cable gradually disappear in front of the public. Today, we will center on the topic that how and why it happens in our life, and provide you with some hints about this magic wire.

What Is Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cables carry communication signals through pulses of light produced by small lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compared to wired cables, fiber optic cables provide higher bandwidth and can transmit data over longer distances.

The cable consists of one or more strands of glass, each only slightly thicker than a human hair. The center of each strand is called the core which provides the pathway for light to travel. The core is wrapped by a layer of glass called cladding that reflects light inward to avoid loss of signal and allow the light to pass through bends in the cable. 

Fiber Optic Cable Types

The two primary types of fiber cables are called single mode and multi-mode fiber. Single mode fiber uses very thin glass strands and a laser to generate light while multi-mode fibers use LEDs. The core diameter of single mode fiber is 9μm, and multi-mode is 62.5μm or 50μm.

Single mode fiber networks often use Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) techniques to increase the amount of data traffic that can be sent across the strand. WDM allows light at multiple different wavelengths to be combined (multiplexed) and later separated (de-multiplexed), effectively transmitting multiple communication streams via a single light pulse.

When making a decision between single mode and multi-mode fiber cables, the first element to consider is the fiber distance you actually need. For example, in a data center, multi-mode fiber cables is enough for the distance of 300-400 meters. While in applications that require distance up to several thousands of meters, the single mode fiber is the best choice. And in applications which can use single mode and multi-mode fiber, other factors like cost and future upgrade requirements should be taken into consideration for your choice.

How To Install Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable has now penetrated into all aspects of our lives. Understanding the basic knowledge of fiber optic cable installation may help us build a fiber optic network system with high performance and stability. Therefore, one cannot be too cautious when installing fiber optic cables. The end of each cable must be ground and connected to the optical interface through an electric grill or chemical chlorination process to ensure that the optical channel is not obstructed. Moreover, fibers cannot be pulled too tight or form a right angle. Remember to avoid moisture, operate within the cable’s temperature range, and bear in mind the bend radii, crush load and use load along with vertical rise distance.

In the last passage, we have gained a deep and comprehensive understanding of 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Next, we will shed light on 40 Gigabit Ethernet which was introduced by the IEEE 802.3ba in 2010. 802.3ba is the designation given to the higher speed Ethernet task force which completed its work to modify the 802.3 standard to support speeds higher than 10 Gbit/s. 40G is slowly taking the place of the 10G network market as the latter is becoming out-dated due to its slow speed and other shortcomings. Therefore, it is beneficial to study the 40G transceivers in detail.

40G Transceiver: QSFP+ Module

A 40G optical module is a derivative product capable of delivering high density ports and considerable data transmission speed. It is a high performance, hot-pluggable interconnect solution finding its rampant use in data centers. An integrated model of four independent transmit and receive signals work coordinately to deliver the high density but power-efficient 40G Ethernet connectivity. The 40G applications, apart from in data centers, are also being used widely in high performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and telecom operators. The new demands of 40G transceiver modules pushed the high-speed optical transceiver market to grow. This article would put emphasis on introducing 40G optical transceiver, especially the QSFP+ module.

What’s 40G QSFP+ Module?

The 40G QSFP+ module is a hot-swappable, parallel fiber optical module. The 40G QSFP+ transceiver complies with the Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, and SONET/SDH standards. It adopts four 10Gbit/s transmission channels to transmit data and the transmission of four channels can get 40Gbps at the same time. In addition, 40G QSFP+ connector can be either duplex LC or 12-fiber MTP/MPO connector.

Types of 40G QSFP+ Module

In this part, three kinds of 40G QSFP+ transceivers will be introduced respectively, that is, QSFP 40G SR4, QSFP BiDi, QSFP 40G LR4.

QSFP 40G SR4, Short-reach (SR) transceivers for 40G connectivity in a QSFP form factor, uses independent transmitter and receiver sections, each with 4 parallel fiber strands. It can transmit 150 meters over OM4 MMF. For a 40G connection, 8 fiber strands are required, and 12-fiber MPO connectors are used.

The QSFP BiDi transceiver is a short-reach optical transceiver that delivers 40 Gbps over a duplex OM3 or OM4 MMF connection, which can reach 100 meters on OM3 or up to 150 meters over OM4. It has two 20G channels, each transmitted and received simultaneously on two wavelengths over a single MMF strand.

The QSFP 40G LR4 Module supports link lengths of up to 10km over a standard pair of G.652 single-mode fiber with duplex LC connectors. The 40 Gigabit Ethernet signal is carried over four wavelengths. Multiplexing and demultiplexing of the four wavelengths are managed within the device.

Conclusion

As is shown in the table, there are many types of QSFP+ transceivers. We(www.fs.com) offer a wide range of 40GBASE QSFP+ optical modules that are compatible with major brand network devices, and can also provide OEM customized services. All of our 40G QSFP+ optical modules are tested in multiple performances at the test center for superior performance.