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Here discusses OM3 and OM4 similarities, OM3 vs OM4 differences from their constructions, transmission distances, performance and applications.

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What's the  difference on specifications between the Cisco S-class and Non-S-class optics, such as Cisco SFP-10G-SR vs. SFP-10G-SR-S, or LR vs. LR-S?

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Here covers what is a network patch panel? What are the benefits of the patch panel? How to buy the best network patch panels?

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25G SFP28 assemblies like SFP28 module and SFP28 DAC & AOC are getting popular in the market. Hre discuss SFP28 vs SFP+, SFP28 vs QSFP28, and  SFP28 benifit

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When to Use Gigabit Ethernet Switch for Home Networks?

As one part of the Ethernet family, Gigabit Ethernet is now inexpensive and ubiquitous enough for home networks. Thus many people plan to buy the Gigabit Ethernet switch for upgrading their wired home and small office networks. It is true that we will benefit from Gigabit Ethernet switches since they provide 1000Mbps data rate theoretically. But do you really know or need a Gigabit Ethernet switch? Are your home network devices ready for upgrading to Gigabit Internet?

What Is A Gigabit Ethernet Switch for Home Network?

Like the other Ethernet switches, the Gigabit Ethernet switch is responsible for directing the bandwidth of your network connection to different home network wired devices such as computers. However, it can support 10, 100 and 1000Mbps data rate, which improves the reliability and functionality of a home network. For example, you may see better performance from your 4K streaming device or gaming system by connecting them to a Gigabit Ethernet switch. Now there are often 5-port, 8-port, 24-port and even 48-port Gigabit Ethernet switches in the market. While the commonly used ones are 8-port and 24-port switches. In addition, there are also managed and unmanaged, PoE and Non-PoE types. For home users who need a IP camera system, it’s better choice to buy a managed Gigabit Ethernet switch with PoE function.

When to Use A Gigabit Ethernet Switch for Home Network?

Before upgrading your home network to Gigabit Ethernet, you should know when it can offer a benefit and when it can't. Not all network operations will benefit from Gigabit Ethernet. For example, Gigabit Ethernet won’t speed up things like Web browsing or the uploading and downloading of files from the Internet. This is because those activities are limited by the speed of your broadband connection. However, if there are multiple users accessing the same network device, Gigabit Ethernet will provide more total bandwidth to go around, which in turn result in less congestion and better overall performance. In addition, Gigabit Ethernet is also helpful when large file transfers are involved, like when you perform backups over the network to a server.

If you decide to deploy the Gigabit Ethernet, there is another thing to consider - buying a Gigabit Ethernet switch or Gigabit router. Generally, home Gigabit routers usually come with three or four Gigabit Ethernet ports built in. And most devices in a home network can support Wi-Fi. Therefore, most people don’t really need the switch. But a Gigabit Ethernet switch is essential when you don’t have enough Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired devices. Moreover, if you prefer to use wires for faster speed or plan to install Gigabit Ethernet ports in your home wall, a Gigabit Ethernet switch is also a better idea.

Home Network Gigabit Ethernet Switch FAQ

Q1: What shall I prepare for moving to Gigabit Ethernet?

First of all, you need to make sure your home devices can support Gigabit Ethernet. However, there is a good chance that your devices already support it because Gigabit Ethernet capability has been standard fare on desktops and other devices for years. Second, it is suggested to use Cat5e or Cat6 cabling for Gigabit Ethernet. So if you use Cat5 cables now, you’d better replace them. Though this may be troublesome, it is desirable in the long run. The last thing is to buy a Gigabit Ethernet switch best for your needs.

Q2: If I buy a Gigabit Ethernet switch, do I still need a router?

Sure you will need. Though the switch and router perform some similar functions, they each has its own function. The Gigabit Ethernet Switch can not connect to the Internet by itself. In other words, it needs a router to connect to the Internet. The mission of a Gigabit Ethernet Switch is to extend home network capacity. 

Q3: How to buy a best Gigabit Ethernet switch?

A best Gigabit Ethernet switch here means it meets all your needs and the price is good. As mentioned above, the Gigabit Ethernet switch can be divided into managed and unmanaged, PoE and Non-PoE types with 5/8/16/24/48 ports. Unmanaged switches are plug-and-play, while the managed ones allow you to change network settings and other functions. Gigabit PoE switches are designed for home IP camera systems, or for situations where there is no power source for PoE enabled devices. As to the switch ports, you’d better choose one meets both your current and future growth needs. FS provides various Gigabit switches with competitive prices.

Originally published at Gigabit Ethernet Switch: Is It Needed for Your Home Network?

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RJ45 vs SFP Port: Which Should You Use to Connect Two Switches? It is not easy to decide between them, but knowing the principles can help.

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AC Switch vs DC Switch: What's the Difference?

The first step on integrating a switch into the network is to get it powered up. And as to power supply, there are AC and DC power for network switch, both of which are used for increasing network uptime. Then what’s the difference between AC power Switch and DC power switch? Which type shall we used for our network? This post will give a detailed introduction for the difference between AC Switch and DC switch, and set out how to make a proper decision over VPN vs MPLS.

AC Switch vs DC Switch: What Are They?

AC powered Ethernet switch often has a fixed AC power supply connector, thus it generally gets powered up through power cables such as IEC power cord, NEMA power cord, etc. PoE switches are typical AC switches. Take FS 24 port PoE switch as example, which is equipped with a single 100-240V AC power supply connector (as shown below). It is easy to power up AC switch. All you need to do is connect it to the power socket with proper power cable. For some advanced network switch, turning on its power switch is also necessary.

DC powered Ethernet switch can be configured with an internal or external DC power supply. And the external DC power supply is more popular nowadays, which is also known as redundant power supply. Modern fiber switch often has more than one redundant power supply (e.g the following FS 10GbE switch is equipped with two DC power supply). Except for powering up switch, the DC redundant power supply can also protect other power supply when it fails with shorted outputs.

AC Switch vs DC Switch: What's the Difference?

In the market, there are Ethernet switches that support only AC power supply or DC power supply, and there are also some switches which can be used with both AC and DC power supplies. However, the switch can only support one type of power supply at the same time. That’s to say, if you use DC power supply to power up your switch initially, the switch will detect it and operate with DC power. In this case, AC power supply installed in the switch will be disabled. Even if you try to install AC power supply when the switch is operating with DC power, it will also disable the AC power and generates an alarm. So remember not to mix AC and DC power supplies in a switch.

Conclusion

AC and DC power supplied Ethernet switches are all commonly used nowadays. You can select one or the other according to your own case and needs. FS provides both AC and DC switches. For example, we have AC switches such as 8/24/48 port PoE+ Managed Switches which support up to 600W. High quality DC switches are also available. Customers can also custom the power type of switches.

Originally published at http://www.fiber-optic-transceiver-module.com/ac-switch-vs-dc-switch-whats-the-difference.html

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8 Port PoE Switch Selection Guide And Tips

POE(Power over Ethernet) is ideal for using in smart applications which makes CCTV even more effective and easier to manage. The network can be monitored, controlled, and managed from a smartphone or tablet. With a POE switch such as the Netgear ProSAFE 8 port switch, remote IP surveillance cameras can be controlled and managed no matter where they are located. Facing the selection of 8 port PoE switch, most of people would occur allodoxaphobia. For fixing this hard-decision problem, this article would put emphasis on 8 port PoE switch selection guide and tips.

Overview on 8 Port PoE switch

There is a variety of 8 port PoE switches with different brands. Today, we would take FS.COM 8 port switch as an example to introduce 8 port PoE switches. FS.COM S1130-8T2F managed PoE+ switch comes with 8x 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1x console port, and 2x gigabit SFP slots. It can supply power to network equipment such as weather-proof IP cameras with windshield wiper and heater, high-performance AP and IP telephone. This managed PoE+ switch are highly flexible, the transmission distance of the SFP fiber port can be up to 120km, and with high resistance to electromagnetic interference. It also features superior performance in stability, environmental adaptability. FS.COM PoE+ Gigabit switch comes with a one-year limited warranty, including any quality problems during the free maintenance. The detailed specification of FS.COM S1130-8T2F managed PoE+ 8 port switch is shown in the below.

8 Port PoE switch Selection Guide & Tips

—Power Requirements

Review the data sheets of the camera’s you have specified on the installation to see if any have higher power requires known as PoE+. If you have 1 or more camera’s requiring PoE+ power you will need to heavily consider this when choosing your switch. (Please note PoE+ switches will happily power standard PoE devices but a standard PoE switch cannot power any PoE+ device, regardless of the amount of wattage unused by the other connected equipment). However some switches are designed to power both PoE and PoE+ devices, please check the specification sheet of that exact switch model to see if this is possible on your selection. If this is the case you will usually find a the switch will handle half the PoE+ devices. An 8 port switch can power 8 standard PoE devices or 4 PoE+ devices.

—Cable Run Length

Make sure when planning your network you do not have cable runs longer than 90 meters. This is particularly important when using PoE due to voltage drop. PoE is particularly hard to measure voltage on so if you break the 90 meter cable rule you could be in for a world of pain if devices do not operate correctly.

—8 Port Switch Price

There are many 8 port PoE switches of major brands on the market, such as Cisco, Netgear, HP, TP-Link and etc. The 8 port switch price varies in difference brands. But they all controlled in a certain range, it’s around $40~$300. For brand selection of 8 port PoE switch, that depends on your preference. You can check the price discrepancy with major brands in the following table. Notice: All the following prices except FS.COM are from Amazon.

Conclusion

This article mainly introduce FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8 port PoE switch and provide 8 port switch selection guide and tips. How to choose a reliable supplier from so many 8 port switch manufacturers? Before buying 8 port PoE switch, the quality, power requirement, price, cable run length should be considered. As one of well-known 3rd-party optics manufacturers, FS.COM is suggested to be a good choice for 8 port PoE switch.

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Cisco SFP Datasheet

As a world renowned enterprise in communication and information technology industry, Cisco’s networking products have been gained worldwide reputation among these years. Fiber optical transceiver is a networking technology used within buildings in local-area networks and across great distances in wide-area networks. 1000BASE SFP modules with various protocols offer optimized 1G Ethernet connectivity for diverse networking environments. Cisco SFP modules include 1000BASE-T SFP, 1000BASE-SX SFP, 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, 1000BASE-EX SFP, etc. This passage would put emphasis on Cisco SFP modules and comprehensively present the Cisco SFP datasheet.

Overview on Cisco 1000BASE SFP Modules

Cisco's industry-standard SFP is a hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into a Gigabit Ethernet port/slot, linking the port with the fiber optic network. SFPs can be used and interchanged on a wide variety of Cisco products and can be intermixed in combinations of IEEE 802.3z- compliant 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX/LH, or 1000BaseZX interfaces on a port-by-port basis. All of the Cisco 1000BASE SFP modules were certified and tested for superior performance, quality, and reliability. So the customers could rest assured to plug these hot-swappable input or output device into the 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports.

  Nowadays, they have been widely applied to data center, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications. Basically, there are totally 12 form factors of Cisco 1000BASE SFP modules. Owing to time and space limitation, we would briefly introduce Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP, Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP, and Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP.

Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX standard. It operates on legacy 50 μm multimode fiber links up to 550 m and on 62.5 μm Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)-grade multimode fibers up to 220 m. This Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP module can support up to 1 km over laser-optimized 50 μm multimode fiber cable. This Cisco multimode SFP module can be used to connect the 1000BASE SFP port on Cisco switch. The Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP is compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-LX standard. It operates on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 10 km and up to 550 m on any multimode fibers. When used over legacy multimode fiber type, the transmitter should be coupled through a mode conditioning patch cable. This Cisco singlemode SFP datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP operates on standard singlemode fiber optic link spans of up to 40 km in length. A 5-dB inline optical attenuator should be inserted between the fiber-optic cable and the receiving port on the SFP at each end of the link for back-to-back connectivity. Like the last one, the Cisco 1000BASE-EX is also a Cisco singlemode SFP module, the detailed datasheet is shown in the following table.

Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP module operates on standard singlemode fiber optic link spans of up to approximately 70 km in length. The SFP provides an optical link budget of 21 dB, but the precise link span length depends on multiple factors such as fiber quality, number of splices, and connectors. This Cisco singlemode SFP datasheet is shown in the following table.

Conclusion

1000BASE SFP transceiver is the most commonly used component for Gigabit Ethernet application. And Cisco SFP modules account for a large share on Gigabit Ethernet optics’ market, which are paramount for data centers, enterprises and etc. With so many types available in the market, careful notice should be given to the range of differences, both in distance and price of Cisco multimode SFP and Cisco singlemode SFP module. FS.COM will be a good choice with good compatibility, support offerings and great reputation.

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Fiber Optic Connector Types, Market, & Installation

Over the years, fiber optic connectors are no longer a deep concern for network installers. The industry standards of making connectors replaced the complex installation. A number of fiber optic connector types have been evolved and withstood the test of time to become industry standards. The main types of fiber optic connectors include: ST, FC, SC, and LC. These connectors come in many configurations and usages. This article touches on the very basics of fiber optic connectors types, market as well as its installation.

Fiber Optic Connector Types

The common fiber optic connector types include ST, SC, FC, LC, MU, E2000, MTRJ, SMA, DIN as well as MTP & MPO etc. Each one has its own advantages, disadvantages, and capabilities. All fiber optic connectors have four basic components, which are the ferrule, connector body, cable, and coupling device. They have been widely used in the termination of fiber optic cables, such as fiber optic pigtail, fiber optic patch cables and so on. In this passage, we would mainly give brief introduction to the four most common fiber optic connector types.

—ST Connector (Straight Tip)

One most common of fiber optic connectors is the ST connector. This simplex fiber connector evolved from previous designs and was finally introduced by AT&T in the mid-late 1980s. It has become the de-facto standard in the security market and is commonly used in the AV market on such products as HDSDI, RGB/DVI, and others. It is available in both multimode and singlemode versions. The insertion loss of the ST connector is less than 0.5 dB, with typical values of 0.3 dB being routinely achieved. It is relatively easy to terminate in the field. Besides, it has good strain relief and good, but not exceptional attenuation characteristics.

—LC Connector (Lucent Connector)

Developed by Lucent Technologies, the LC fiber optic connector has become the ubiquitous fiber optic connector for telecom applications. But LC connector does not stand for Lucent Connector. It is used in conjunction with small form pluggable (SFP) optical transceivers. These SFP devices are now becoming very common in Pro AV applications for such products as HDMI, DVI, audio, optical distribution amplifiers, optical/electrical/optical (OEO) switches, and so forth. The LC connector is smaller than all other connectors and is a push-pull design connector.

—SC Connector (Subscriber Connector)

The SC fiber optic connectors are common in singlemode fiber optic telecom applications and analog CATV. Like the LC connector, this is also a push-pull design and is also commonly used in patch panels that act as the connector interface between the main field cable and smaller patch cords connected to the fiber transmission equipment. Some manufacturers of fiber AV equipment also use SC connectors in conjunction with their optical emitter and detector devices.

—FC Connector (Ferrule Connector)

The FC fiber optic connector has become the connector of choice for singlemode fiber. It is mainly used in fiber optic instruments, singlemode fiber optic components, and high-speed fiber optic communication links. This high-precision, ceramic ferrule connector is equipped with an anti-rotation key, reducing fiber endface damage and rotational alignment sensitivity of the fiber. The key is also used for repeatable alignment of fibers in the optimal, minimal-loss position. Multimode versions of this connector are also available. The typical insertion loss of the FC connector is around 0.3 dB.

You can check the detailed specification of the above four fiber optic connectors on the below table.

Fiber Optic Connector Market

The business of global fiber optic connectors have achieved big success over the past few years. The global fiber optic connector market is expected to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. and is expected to gain traction over the forecast period. The global marketplace is majorly driven by the growing adoption of the fiber optic technology. The fiber optic connector market type includes different fiber optic connectors such as SC connector, LC connector, FC connector, ST connector, MTP connector, and others. Based on fiber optic applications, the market is segmented into military & aerospace, oil & gas, telecom, medical, BFSI, railway, and others.

Fiber Optic Connector Installation

It is easy to install fiber optic connector, a fiber optic cable connection can be completed within 30 minutes. Just follow the following steps:

Step Ⅰ: Strip the plastic jacket at the end of the fiber optic cable. Optic cable ends have jackets to prevent any damage in shipping from the manufacturer. Clamp the plastic jacket, using a fiber optic stripper tool, which has a designated slot to fit the size of a fiber optic jacket. Squeeze the handles of the stripper like pliers. Pull the jacket away from the fiber optic cable.

Step Ⅱ:Open the back chamber of the epoxy glue gun by twisting off the back cap. Insert the epoxy glue tube into the chamber and squeeze lightly. You will only need a few ounces of glue for the task. Screw the cap back on the epoxy glue gun chamber.

Step Ⅲ:Inject epoxy glue into the fiber optic connector socket. Each fiber optic connector has two sockets on each side of it to form the connection. Insert the glue gun into the connector socket. Press and hold the trigger to insert the glue. The glue should spot should not be larger than an eye pupil.

Step Ⅳ:Insert one fiber optic cable end into the connector sockets. Hold the cable in the socket and count to 10. Let go of the fiber optic cable and connector. Check that the cable stays in position once you let go of it.

Step Ⅴ:Place the new fiber optic connection into an an epoxy curing oven. Turn on the oven and turn the timer knob to six minutes. Insert the fiber optic connector attached to the cable into one of the curing oven slots. Press the start button on the oven. Pull out the connector from the oven slot. Wiggle the connector end to test the stability of the connection. If it seems fragile, reinsert the connector into the oven and cook it for a few more minutes. Repeat steps three to five to seal the fiber optic connector on both sides.

Conclusion

This article mainly discussed about the fiber optic connector type, fiber optic connector market, as well as its installation. With the wide variety of fiber optic connectors available today, companies can easily convert to fiber optic networks and start enjoying the benefits of a faster, more efficient work environment. If you need fiber optic connectors, FS.COM is a wise choice. They provide a full range of fiber optic connectors and offer customdized service. The fiber optic connect market ahead will be more beoyant, we shall see.

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Why not Use Third-party Dell SFP Transceivers for Your Dell Switches?

As a giant in IT technology, Dell’s products have been warmly welcomed by many Ethernet users over the years. From low-end Dell N1500, N3000 and N4000 series to the advanced Dell Z-Series, Dell provides a range of switch products for smaller enterprises and large campus networks. As basic and indispensable fiber optic components in fiber optic communication, SFP transceiver module plays a prominent role in optical transmission. This article will discuss what kind of third-party Dell SFP transceivers are compatible with Dell switches and which fiber optic transceiver manufacturer is the most reliable.

Dell SFP Transceivers

Dell divided their switches series as: web-managed switches, managed campus switches, modular chassis switches, data center switches, M-Series blade switches, Fibre Channel SAN switches, and high-performance computing switches. Dell puts emphasis on 1G/10G/40G switches. And thus, they manufactured a number of SFP transceiver modules, SFP+ modules, QSFP+ transceivers and DAC cables. Dell SFP transceiver delivers fiber connectivity to extend the range of your network. Dell 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-ZX, 1000Base-Bidi, 1000Base-T are designed for SFP ports on Dell switches to support 1G Ethernet transmission.

The Dell networking 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver module provides 1GbE connectivity up to 550 m. This hot-pluggable transceiver with SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) footprint features a duplex LC connector. Additionally, it provides a unique enhanced digital diagnostic monitoring interface, which allows real-time access to device operating parameters such as transceiver temperature, laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, and transceiver supply voltage.

Third-party Dell SFP Transceivers for Dell Switches

In addition to Dell original SFP transceivers, there are many third-party vendors who produce Dell compatible SFP transceivers, such as cablesandkits, C2G, FS.COM. Just take FS.COM as an example, our Dell SFP Transceivers are designed and tested to be fully compatible in all Dell switches, networking, and data center product lines and applications. We offer a wide variety of Dell SFP transceivers compatible for Dell switches, such as Dell Networking SFP-1G-LX 850nm (multimode), Dell Networking SFP-1G-LX 1310nm (singlemode), Dell PowerConnect 1000BASE-EX SFP 1550nm (singlemode), Dell Force10 Networks 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm (multimode), and etc.

Comparison Between Dell and FS.COM Dell SFP Transceivers

There are so many third-party transceiver manufacturers providing compatible Dell SFP transceivers modules for Dell switches. But which fiber transceiver supplier should you choose? The answer is FS.COM. Now let’s see why FS.COM is more advantageous by comparing Dell with FS.COM Dell SFP.

—SFP Transceiver Module Category

The alternative Dell SFP transceivers are limited at Dell 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-ZX, 1000Base-Bidi, 1000Base-T. You can rarely find 1G SFP transceiver modules on their official website. FS.COM provides a wide range of Dell SFP transceivers. Like being mentioned, Dell switches support some fiber transceivers from third-party fiber optic transceiver manufacturers. FS.COM offers many Dell compatible SFP transceivers, Dell networking compatible 1000BASE-T SFP copper transceiver, Dell PowerConnect compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver, Dell Force10 Networks compatible 1000BASE-ZX SFP transceivers, and etc, which can meet your various requirements for Dell switches.

—Fiber Transceiver Quality

Optical fiber transceiver attaches great importance to every brand, retails and customers. Reputation always comes first. Some manufacturers, however, produce SFP transceiver modules with low cost to attract more buyers and make profit. But their Dell SFP compatibility cannot be guaranteed. For FS.COM, we have switches from Cisco, Dell, Extreme, Juniper and other famous brands in our test center. Every fiber transceiver offered by FS.COM before shipping has to go through strict test to assure 100% compatibility and high performance.

—Fiber Transceiver Price

In addition to fiber transceiver quality, fiber transceiver price is another vital factor before you buy optical fiber transceivers. Comparing Dell SFP transceivers’ price of FS.COM with that of other fiber optic transceiver manufacturers, it is obvious that FS.COM has more advantages. That is one of the reasons why FS.COM wins popularity among customers. You can check the following table about price discrepancy between original Dell SFP transceiver and FS.COM Dell compatible SFP transceiver.

Conclusion

If you need Dell SFP transceivers for your Dell switch, you can buy it from both Dell and third-party vendors. How to choose a reliable supplier from so many third-party Dell compatible fiber transceiver manufacturers? Before buying fiber optical transceiver, the quality, compatibility, price, shipping, after-sales service should be considered. As one of well-known third-party fiber optic transceiver manufacturers, FS.COM is suggested to be a good choice for Dell SFP transceiver.

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QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

With the thriving 100G market, QSFP28 has become the dominant form factor for 100G networks. The QSFP28 transceiver offers four channels of high-speed differential signals with data rates ranging from 25 Gbps up to potentially 40 Gbps, and meets 100 Gbps Ethernet (4×25 Gbps) and 100 Gbps 4X InfiniBand Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) requirements. As a world leader in IT and networking, Cisco 100G transceivers have been highly favored by many Ethernet users. Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S are two different form factors of Cisco 100G optics. This article would give brief introduction to Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S, and further analysis QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S.

Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR

The maximum transmission distance of the Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR QSFP module is kilometers via a standard pair of G.652 singlemode fiber with duplex LC connectors. The 100 Gigabit Ethernet signal is carried over four wavelengths. Multiplexing and demultiplexing of the four wavelengths are managed within the device. The operating temperature range is from +10 to +60°C with an optical link budget of 4.2 decibels. This 4.2-decibel link budget offers the ability to support the loss from patch panels in the link in a data center environment. QSFP-100G-SM-SR is interoperable with QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S.

Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

As same as Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR, Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S supports link lengths of up to 2 kilometers as well. The QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S optical transceiver is for singlemode fiber. There are 4 CWDM-WDM lanes in the 12761-1331-nm wavelength window. This 100GBASE QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100G transceiver converts 4 input channels of 25Gb/s electrical data to 4 channels of CWDM optical signals and then multiplexes them into a single channel for 100Gb/s optical transmission. It uses a duplex LC connector on the optical interface and uses an MSA-compliant 38-pin edge type connector on electrical interface. This QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100G transceiver is equivalent to Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR.

QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

From the above descriptions, it is obvious that the Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR is compatible with Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S 100G optical transceivers. They are used interoperably. And thus, they have many things in common.

—Technology

Multiplexing and demultiplexing of the four wavelengths are managed within both Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S. They convert 4 input channels of 25Gb/s electrical data to 4 channels of CWDM optical signals and then multiplexes them into a single channel for 100Gb/s optical transmission.They all use a standard pair of G.652singlemode fiber.

—Transmission distance

The transmission reach of both Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S all can be up to 2 kilometers.

—Price

The original Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S optical module is pricey, so nowadays many enterprises and data center workers would choose to buy Cisco compatible optical modules from third party vendor. For the price of QSFP-100G-SM-SR and QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S, they are identical at fs.com. At Amazon.com, the price is much higher. You can check them by clicking the following link.

Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR: https://www.fs.com/products/65210.html

Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S: https://www.fs.com/products/65219.html

Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S:https://www.amazon.com/Third-Party-100GBASE-CWDM4-QSFP28-Cisco/dp/B01G656GGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513073676&sr=8-1&keywords=Cisco+QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

Conclusion

Through this article, we are clear that the QSFP-100G-SM-SR and QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S can be used interoperably. And they are totally identical at large extent. And thus, there are basically no difference on QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S. Nowadays, they have been applied to data center, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications.

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A Comprehensive Understanding of CFP Modules

As a new emerging technology, 100G is some sort of evolution and part of revolution. The new CFP (C form-factor pluggable) optics is now a revolutionary step as one form factor of 100G optic transceiver. The CFP modules offer the enabling step for cost-effective and successful 100G deployment. So what is it? And how does it work in 100G network? This article would give a comprehensive introduction to CFP modules.

CFP Wiki

Abbreviated as CFP transceiver, C Form-Factor Pluggable transceiver is a multi-sourced pluggable transceiver used in the transmission of high-speed digital signals. It is specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA) between competing manufacturers. The c stands for the Latin letter C used to express the number 100 (centum), since the standard was primarily developed for 100 Gigabit Ethernet systems. It is a hot-swappable input/output transceiver that is used in the data communication and telecommunication networks.

The CFP transceiver was designed after the small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) interface, but is significantly larger to support 100 Gbit/s. While the electrical connection of a CFP transceiver uses 10 x 10 Gbit/s lanes in each direction (RX, TX) the optical connection can support both 10 x 10 Gbit/s and 4 x 25 Gbit/s variants of 100 Gbit/s interconnects (typically referred to as 100GBASE-SR10 in 100 meter MMF, 100GBASE-LR10 and 100GBASE-LR4 in 10 km SMF reach, and 100GBASE-ER10 and 100GBASE-ER4 in 40 km SMF reach respectively.)

Core Features of CFP Modules

- Support to 103 Gbps and 112 Gbps aggregate bit rates.

- Connector Interface

- Operating Case Temperature

- Diagnostic Monitoring

- RoHS6 Compliant

- Single 3.3V Supply for Power and a Power dissipation < 12W

One distinctive feature of CFP modules is that they support digital diagnostic monitoring functions or the digital optical monitoring. This is the feature that gives users the ability to monitor the real-time parameters such as the optical output power, the optical input power, the temperature, the laser bias current and the transceiver supply voltage.

Inner Structure of CFP Modules

The basic CFP modules consist of the following parts.

1. An Integrated Coherent Optics Transmitter which sends the TX optical signal.

2. An Integrated Coherent Optics Receiver which receives the RX optical signals.

3. The CFP connector

4. Coherent DSP

Most of the CFP optical transceivers adhere OIF CFP-ACO (Analog Coherent Signals) and are connectable to multiple DSP's. The biggest engineering challenge that CFP2 faces is the adoption of the high-speed 25 Gbps electrical interface due to the reason that the CFP was based on the third generation.

It can be a multimode parallel optic transceiver module that is designed to offer high-density 100G Ethernet and Optical Transport Network (OTN). The device is designed to offer maximization of the delivery of the 10G data channels for the 100G networks that support 100 Gbps SR10 and 10 X 10 Gbps.

Development of CFP Modules

The original CFP specification was proposed at a time when 10 Gbit/s signals were far more achievable than 25 Gbit/s signals. As such to achieve 100 Gbit/s line rate, the most affordable solution was based on 10 lanes of 10 Gbit/s. However, as expected, improvements in technology has allowed higher performance and higher density. Hence the development of the CFP2 and CFP4 specifications. While electrical similar, they specify a form-factor of 1/2 and 1/4 respectively in size of the original specification. Note that CFP, CFP2 and CFP4 optical transceiver are not interchangeable (but would be inter-operable at the optical interface with appropriate connectors). The following table shows the basic parameter of CFP, CFP2 and CFP4 transceivers.

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly introduced the definition, core features, inner structure and development of CFP modules. Comparing to 100G QSFP28 transceiver, CFP price is not so competitive. But CFP optical transceiver is still the key to cost-effective and reliable 100G deployment, and it has been widely deployed in OTU4 411-9D1F, 100GBASE-LR4 Ethernet and data centers.

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100G CFP to QSFP28 Adapter Converter Module Datasheet

With the explosive growth in mobile data traffic, data centers, and cloud services, people’s call for 100G Ethernet is more higher than ever before. To build and support the 100G Ethernet, a variety of technologies and devices are needed. 100G CFP modules, QSFP28 modules and 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module are of necessity. This article would put emphasis on introducing four 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter modules and their applications.

Overview on 100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

The 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module is a high performance, hot pluggable, and interconnect solution supporting 100G Ethernet and Telecom. The converter module converts a CFP MSA interface to 1-port of 100GE QSFP28. It is compliant with the CFP MSA. The converter module supports FEC (Forward Error Correction) function; the user can enable the FEC function through the register configuration.

100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module converts 10 bidirectional 10G channels to 4 bidirectional 25G channels operating at up to 28Gbps per channel. By plugging 100G QSFP28 transceiver into the QSFP28 connector on the 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module, CFP module and QSFP28 module are interconnected. The 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

Cisco CVR-CFP-100G supports modules with a 4x25G electrical interface. The CVR-CFP-100G supports modules with a 10x10G electrical interface such as 100G CFP. The CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module supports the two aggregate data rates of 100Gbps Ethernet and Optical Transport Network (OTN) rates. The CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module supports only the 100GBase Ethernet data rate. The Cisco CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

Like being mentioned 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module, 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module converts 10 bidirectional 10G channels to 4 bidirectional 25G channels operating at up to 28Gbps per channel. By plugging 100G QSFP28 transceiver into the QSFP28 connector on the 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 adapter converter module, 100G QSFP28 transceiver is in the CFP2 port of your device. In this way, power consumes less than using an equivalent CFP2. The 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

The Cisco CVR-CFP2-100G adapter converter module allows a Cisco 100G QSFP28 transceiver module to be plugged into a CFP2 port and to emulate an optical CFP2 100G Module. The Cisco CVR-CFP2-100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

Conclusion

This article mainly introduced four types of 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module, the principles of converting, as well as the method of usage. The price of 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module is just a little bit higher than CFP price. But the CFP to QSFP28 converter module has lower power consumption than CFP. Thus, the 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter is more cost-effective. Nowadays, the 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter modules have been widely deployed to high-speed core router connections, datacom/telecom switch, data aggregation and backplane applications, and proprietary protocol and density application.

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A Glimpse Into The Future: 25G & 50G Ethernet

With the ever growing usage of 10G network, 10G could not satisfy the requirement for some Ethernet network users who urge for a higher demand on speed, distance, media and cost. Under this circumstance, upgrading network is paramount. For 100G network upgrading, there are three available approaches, “10G—40G—100G”, “10G—25G—100G” or “10G—25G—50G—100G”. The latter two are announced to better satisfy the data center and cloud network. Comparing to 40G and 100G, people heard less about 25G and 50G. So what are they? This article would put emphasis on 25G Ethernet and 50G Ethernet as well as their optics.

  25G Ethernet

25 Gigabit Ethernet, abbreviating as 25G Ethernet, is standard for Ethernet network connectivity. Developed by IEEE P802.3by 25 Gb/s Ethernet Task Force, 25G Ethernet is a standard for Ethernet connectivity. The 25 Gigabit Ethernet Consortium is an open organization to all third parties who wish to participate as members to enable the transmission of Ethernet frames at 25 or 50 Gigabit per second (Gbps) and to promote the standardization and improvement of the interfaces for applicable products. The main features of 25G Ethernet are listed in the following:

A single lane per physical port maximizes the number of connected servers or uplinks per switch.

Single higher speed 25 Gb/s lanes maximize bandwidth and switch fabric utilization vs. 4 x 10 Gb/s lanes.

Overall higher port count, utilization and total server interconnect bandwidth vs. 40 GE.

Connections to switch ASICs is limited by SERDES count and bandwidth.

SFP28 Pluggable Modules

SFP28 is the abbreviation of Small Form-Factor Pluggable 28, which is the third generation of SFP interconnect systems. The SFP28 optical module is designed for 25G performance and developed by the IEEE 802.3by specification. According to the SFP28 Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and SFP28 specification, the SFP28 is designed with a form factor, optical/electrical connection and digital diagnostic interface. In addition, the SFP28 optical transceiver has also been designed to meet the harshest external operating conditions including temperature, humidity and EMI interference. Below are the industry standard 25G optics:

50G Ethernet

Comparing to 40G Ethernet, 50G Ethernet is more rarely known by people. Being led by the 25G Ethernet Consortium, 50G Ethernet is initially based on 2 lanes of 25 Gb/s. IEEE802.3bs is the 50G per lane specifications to support Nx50G configurations. And the standard expected in September 2018 while the interface expected on the market in 2018+. Different from 40G Ethernet, 50G initial limited deployment as proprietary 2x25G. In terms of technology, 40G and 50G per lane (Serial) technology will be defined together (40G as reduced speed 50G). With the respect of cost, 40G and 50G Serial will have similar cost, i.e. 50G Serial will offer 25% more bandwidth for the same cost. The core features of 50G Ethernet are listed in the below:

A faster base signaling rate is needed to for higher capacity.

Similar to 25 GE, 50 GE extends existing common network topology for higher speed.

The server and data center market requirements vary widely.

50G Pluggable Modules

New 50 GE pluggable modules are in the same common form factor sizes as other common pluggable modules. There are two form factors of 50G modules, SFP56 and QSFP56. The SFP56 pluggable module has the same size as SFP, SFP+ and SFP28 while the QSFP56 pluggable module has the same size as QSFP, QSFP+ and QSFP28.

Conclusion

Through this article, we are cleared the 25G and 50G Ethernet as well as their optics respectively. With the ever increasing usage of network data due to millions of new connected devices to servers and storages data centers, 25G Ethernet and 50G Ethernet provide a flexibility, scalibilty, cost-efficient way for adapting to future network growth.

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How to Select Fiber Optic Cables of High Quality?

With the growing numbers of fiber optic patch cord manufacturers, it is difficult to distinguish the quality of fiber optic cables. Poor fiber jumpers could result in many adverse consequences, such as data loss, signal delay and etc. When selecting fiber optic cables, you should pay much attention to the trap of the low price so as to avoid picking up production made by recovered materials. In this article, we would introduce some detailed process to guide you to make right decision for selecting decent fiber optic cables.

About Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable, also called fiber optic jumper or fiber optic patch cord, is a length of fiber cabling fitted with LC, SC, FC, E2000, DIN, MTRJ or ST connectors at each end. Ferrule is paramount to fiber, which is a ring or cap attached to an object to protect against damage, splitting, or wear. As an essential component in fiber optic, it is used to align and protect the stripped end of a fiber.

Manufacturing Process of Fiber Optic Cable

Place of origin attaches great importance to any products, so does the fiber optic cable. Besides the origin, method of manufacture also matters. The production process of fiber optic patch codes is very complicated unless you master it very well. Following is the production process of fiber optic patch cords.

Step1: Pretreatment of fiber optic. Peel fibers by using technical instrument, the main propose of it is to peel the fiber jacket.

Step2: Installment of Fiber ferrule. Fiber ferrule is an important part of fiber optic patch cables, so when installing fiber ferrule, the quality of it should be concerned.

Step3: Preparation of grouting glue.Get the glue ready since fiber stub need to be grouted later. Gel injection of fiber ferrule. The standard of a good gel injection is that a little glue can be seen at the front end of fiber ferrule.

Step4: Solidification of colloid. Insert the fiber into fiber ferrule which has been injected gel, and then put it in curing oven to be solidified. Usually, the temperature of solidification is 80 to 90 degree.

As being mentioned, fiber ferrule is a vital part in fiber optic cable, which is used together with the connector that connects the fiber cable either to another cable or to a transmitter or receiver. The ferrule keeps the fibers accurately aligned within the connector. And thus, the quality of fiber jumpers depends on the quality of fiber ferrule in a large extent. However, in order to achieve more benefits, many manufacturers buy in inferior fiber ferrule or reuse fiber ferrule. As a result, the fiber optic patch cables they made are of poor quality. So it is not a good way to buy cheap jumpers without putting the fiber optic patch cord manufacturers into consideration.

Conclusion

So how to choose a decent fiber optic patch cord manufacturer? Here are some indispensable and refined characteristics of reliable fiber optic cable suppliers: have a good sense of service, treat customers as friends, provide reasonable price but not the cheapest, have a sense of service, and also conscientious, instead of those sell their products randomly just concerning about their performance and benefits.

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400G CDFP Vs. CFP8 Module

400 Gigabit Ethernet was planned to be released in December this year. It is designed to meet IEEE P802.3bs Task Force standard and to apply to both metro and long-haul networks. The 400GbE operates over 100 m of multimode fiber, 500 m of singlemode fiber, 2 km of SMF, and 10 km of SMF. 400G CDFP and CFP8 are two form factors of 400G Ethernet technology. This article would give a introduction to 400G CDFP and CFP8 modules and make a comparison between them.

Introduction to 400G CDFP Module

The CDFP is short for 400 (CD in Roman numerals) Form factor Pluggable, which is designed to provide a low cost, high density 400 Gigabit Ethernet solution. It features as front panel, hot-pluggable, 16 channel and 400 Gbps module. CDFP will be a short reach module, which enables 4 Terabit line cards. From the perspective of interface, it is very similar to the QSFP and CXP modules. CDFP developers have targeted using the developing IEEE802.3bs specification for Ethernet 400GBaseSR, 400GBaseLR.

5 meter direct attach cables

100 meter multimode fiber

500 meter parallel singlemode fiber

2 kilometers of duplex singlemode fiber

Figure2: 400G CDFP Module

Information About 400G CFP8 Module

Following CFP2 and CFP4 naming, CFP8 module was proposed in the year 2015. CFP8 is a new form factor which is still under development by members of the CFP multisource agreement (MSA). The form factor of CFP8 is amounting to CFP2, but it supports 4 × 100G and 400G, for example, 4×CFP2’s 1×100G. The CFP8 uses a new 16 × 25G electrical I/O connector. The CFP8’s interface has been generally specified to allow for 16 × 25 Gb/s and 8 × 50 Gb/s mode. From the point of bandwidth density, the CFP8 module is eight times larger than the CFP module and four times larger than the CFP2 module.

Figure3: 400G CFP8 module operation

Example IEEE specifications supported by CFP8:

400GBASE-SR16 parallel MMF (16x25G NRZ)

400GBASE-FR8/LR8 duplex SMF (8x50G PAM4 WDM)

400GBASE-DR4 parallel SMF (4x100G PAM4)

CDAUI-16, CDAUI-8

Figure4: Form factors of CFP modules

Among all the specifications on the above, 400GBaseDR4 is the most revolutionary one. 400GBaseDR4 uses 4x100G parallel SMF PAM4 signaling technology. This technology is also aimed at fitting in the CFP4 21.5-mm width module size, while using 12 (SMF) fibers within a 1×12 MPO optical connector and the host board electrical 56-pin edge connector.

Low power consumption is also a distinctive feature of CFP8. Active optical modules have been widely deployed in the process of data transmission, but some of them or some copper applications really cost a lot and consumes much power. CFP8 module uses internal mid-board optical or electrical interconnect flyovers and bulkhead MPO or MXC connectors to connect the switch. This reduces power consumption to a great extent.

400G CFDP Vs. CFP8

—Form factor

CDFP was proposed earlier than CFP8, it has larger form factor than CFP8.

—Supported fiber type

CDFP supports passive and active copper cable, active optical cable and multimode fiber while CFP8 supports singlemode and multimode fiber.

—Transmission distance

CFP8 modules support longer data link distance compared with CDFP modules.

—Applications

The CDFP modules provide a very versatile solution for data center interconnects. CFP8 would be used in high-density 4x100GbE fan-out applications, such as datacom applications or in ITU-T for telecom applications.

Conclusion

This article mainly discussed about CDFP, CFP8 and their differences in form factor, supported fiber type, transmission distance and applications. There is no doubt that 400G Gigabit Ethernet is an irresistible trend for future Ethernet development.