We Need to Know These FAQ about Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver Modules

In the last few weeks, we have respectively introduced transceiver modules from different aspects or some famous brands. I hope all these knowlegde will give you some help during your using or working with the transceiver modules. Today, we do not plan to begin a new topic about the transceiver modules, but make a summary of the FAQ of the transceiver modules. Though some of them are simple, this paper is mainly intended to help both new and experienced technicians as a learning tool and a reference source for better understanding or using the transceiver modules.

Ok, the following contents are all the frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers, we will introduce them from easy to difficult.

Q:What is Transceiver Module?

A:Transceiver module is the combination of a transmitter and a receiver into a single device which acts to connect the electrical circuitry of the module with the optical or copper network. In addition, most transceiver modules are hot-swappable I/O (input/output) devices which plug into module sockets. As we know, devices such as routers, switches, or network interface cards modules provide one or more transceiver module slot (e.g GBIC, SFP, XFP etc.), into which you can insert a transceiver module that is appropriate for that connection. The optical fibre, or wire, plugs into a connector on the transceiver module. There is a variety of transceiver modules available for using with different types of fiber optic patch cords, different wavelengths and different transmission distances.

Q:What does hot-swappable mean?

A:Hot-swappable is the capability of being able to disconnect and connect devices while the computer or other device is on and have those devices be detected without having to reboot the computer or device. A hot-swappable device is one which can be connected or disconnected from an electronic device without having to reboot. This is useful as it allows you to swap between transceiver modules without having to power off your device.

Q:Why would I use a Transceiver Module?

A:Transceiver modules have many uses, but much of their success lies in their inter changeability. An example would be in the event that multiple different optical technologies are used in your network, you can purchase transceiver modules when required, rather than in advance, furthermore these modules can be the specific type (wavelength) required for each link. This achieves 2 things; firstly it lowers the initial costs associated with building your network and then gives you greater flexibility in the future when expanding your network.

Transceiver modules also allow you to expand your network over distances of up to 80km, at data rates of up to 100GBase (100 Gigabit/s) when using Single Mode fibre (SMF). This allows you to connect multiple data centres, or office networks together with fibre optic cabling. The optical fibre plugs into a connector on the transceiver module, which then allows for bi-directional communication between the transceiver modules.

Another way in which transceiver modules can be used is to connect high speed peripheral devices to your network, such as NAS (Network Attached Storage) boxes or servers. In instances where the server has gigabit or greater networking capabilities, a transceiver module can be installed in a 10/100/1000 megabit switch which has an available high speed module slot. This increases the available bandwidth for the high speed device, and results in increased performance.

Q:Can I connect a GBIC to an SFP ?

A:Functions of GBIC and SFP are equal. They are different in the size, namely, GBIC is bigger than SFP. Thus, they can be connected to each other, provided that the media type is the same. For example you could connect a 1000Base-SX GBIC to a 1000Base-SX SFP using an LC/SC cable. For optical transceivers the wavelength is defined by the media type, so two different form factors with the same media type would be compatible. LC/SC cables are commonly available, and comprise an SC connector at one end, and an LC connector at the other.

Q:What are the main types of Gigabit Ethernet SFPs?

A:Gigabit Ethernet describes technologies which transmit Ethernet frames at a rate of 1 gigabit per second as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. These small, modular optical interface transceivers offer a convenient and cost effective solution for the adoption of Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel in data center, campus, metropolitan area access and ring networks, and storage area networks.

SFP SX

1000BASE-CX SFP Medium: Twinaxial Cabling Distance: 25 metres
1000BASE-SX SFP Medium: Multi-mode fibre (MMF) Distance: 220-550 metres Wavelength: 770-860 nm
1000BASE-LX SFP Medium: Multi-mode fibre (MMF) Distance: 550 metres Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 5km Wavelength: 1270-1355 nm
1000BASE-LX10 SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 10km Wavelength: 1310 nm
1000BASE-ZX SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 70km Wavelength: 1550 nm
1000BASE-BX10 SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 10km Wavelength: 1490 nm (downstream) Wavelength: 1310 nm (upstream)
1000BASE-T SFP Medium: Twisted Pair (Category 5 cable or higher) Distance: up to 100m
1000BASE-TX SFP Medium: Twisted Pair (Category 6 cable or higher) Distance: up to 100m

Q:How about Fiberstore Transceiver Modules?

A:Fiberstore provides a full set of comaptible fiber optic transceiver module solution cover all the famous brands, such as Cisco, HP, Finisar and so on, which can satisfy you with a full range of services. Finisar, especially, you can find a full product line of our Finisar Gigabit Ethernet SFP with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping, such as Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL, Finisar FTRJ8519P1BNL, Finisar FTLF8519P2BNL, Finisar FTLF8524P2BNV, etc. According to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. In addition, a variety of fiber patch cables are also offered with a good price and high quality. Fiberstore will give you a pefect solution for your network transmission.

Article Source: Transceiver Modules FAQ Pool