How to choose Transceiver for 40 Gigabit Ethernet

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40GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) is Ethernet standard developed by the IEEE 802.3ba, enabling the transfer of Ethernet frames at speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second (Gbps). Now 40 Gigabit Ethernet is becoming more and more popular, suitable for high-speed, high-demand, and computing applications. For a 40GbE network, transceiver modules are one of the most basic components for transmission, used to plugged into either network servers or various of components such as interface cards and switches. 40GbE transceivers are being developed along several standard form factors. Some basic knowledge of 40GbE transceivers will be provided in the following text.
The CFP (C form-factor pluggable) transceiver features twelve transmit and twelve receive 10Gbps lanes to support one 100GbE port, or up to three 40GbE ports. Its larger size is suitable for the needs of single-mode optics and can easily serve multimode optics or copper as well. The following picture shows a CFP transceiver. 40GBASE CFP transceiver modules are hot-swappable input/output devices that plug into a 40 Gigabit Ethernet CFP port of a switch or router. CFP modules offer customers versatile 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options in core and distribution layers of data center, enterprise, and service provider networks. Main features of 40GBASE CFP modules include:
Support for 40GBASE Ethernet and OTU3 standards
Support for “pay-as-you-populate” model
Support for digital optical monitoring (DOM)
Variety of interface choices for 40 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
Interoperability with respective industry IEEE- and/or OTU3-compliant interfaces
Support for the Cisco quality identification (ID) feature, which enables a Cisco switch or router to identify whether the module is certified and tested by Cisco
CXP Transceiver
The CXP transceiver form factor also provides twelve lanes in each direction but is much smaller than the CFP and serves the needs of multimode optics and copper. The Roman number X means that each channel has a transmission rate of 10 Gbps. CXP is a kind of hot-pluggable transceiver with data rate up to 12×10 Gbps. It provides twelve 10 Gbit/s links suitable for single 100 Gigabit Ethernet, three 40 Gigabit Ethernet channels, or twelve 10 Gigabit Ethernet channels or a single Infiniband 12× QDR link. The C is the Roman numeral for 100 as a memory aid.
QSFP/QSFP+ Transceiver
The QSFP/QSFP+ (quad small-form-factor pluggable) is similar in size to the CXP and provides four transmit and four receive lanes to support 40GbE applications for multimode and single-mode fiber and copper today. It is the most popular interface of 40G transceivers now. Two main types of QSFP+ transceivers used in the data center are QSFP-40G-SR4 and QSFP-40GE-LR4. The following picture shows an Arista QSFP-40G-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver and a Cisco QSFP-40GE-LR4 QSFP+ transceiver. QSFP-40G-SR4 is used in 4x10G mode along with ribbon to duplex fiber breakout cables for connectivity to four 10GBASE-SR optical interfaces. 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ module supports link lengths of up to 10km over a standard pair of G.652 single-mode fibres with duplex LC connectors. In addition, there are other types of QSFP+ modules, such as QSFP-40G-ER4, 40GBASE-PLRL4, etc. Main features of 40GBase QSFP+ modules include:
Support for 40GBASE Ethernet
Flexibility of interface choice
Hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into a 40-Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ switch port
Interoperable with other IEEE-compliant 40GBASE interfaces available in various form factors
Support for “pay-as-you-populate” model

Introduction to MPO/MTP Technology in 40 GbE

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

The increasing demands of bandwidth and high speed drive the emergence of 40 GbE, and even up to higher in the future. And the high-speed transmission requires high-density data center as the increasing created data need amount of cables and devices which take a lot of space and cost. Data centers have to achieve ultra-high density in cabling to accommodate all this cabling in the first place. Multimode fiber optics is the medium of the future for satisfying the growing need for transmission speed and data volume over short distances. Ultra-parallel connections involve tougher requirements in terms of the components and the handling of the connectors. The MPO/MTP technology has proven to be a practical solution. This article provides introductory information on MPO/MTP technology in 40 GbE.
MPO/MTP—Multi-fiber Connectors for High Port Density
Parallel optical channels with multi-fiber multimode optical fibers of the categories OM3 and OM4 are used for implementing 40 GbE. The small diameter of the optical fibers poses no problems in laying the lines, but the ports suddenly have to accommodate four or even ten times the number of connectors. This large number of connectors can no longer be covered with conventional individual connectors. That is why the 802.3ba standard incorporated the MPO multi-fiber connector for 40GBASE-SR4. It can contact 12 or 24 fibers in the tiniest of spaces. Next part describes this type of connector.
MPO Connectors: Structure and Function
The MPO connector (known as multi-fiber push-on and also as multi-path push-on) is a multi-fiber connector defined according to IEC 61754-7 and TIA/EIA 604-5 that can accommodate up to 72 fibers in the tiniest of spaces, comparable to an RJ45 connector. MPO connectors are most commonly used for 12 or 24 fibers. Eight fibers are needed for 40 GbE, which means four contacts remain non-interconnected in each case. MPO connectors and MTP (mechanical transfer push-on) connectors are no longer terminated on site because of the delicate multi-fiber structure and narrow tolerances involved. MPO/MTP connectors are therefore sold already terminated together with trunk cables. With this arrangement, customers have to plan line lengths precisely but are also assured top quality and short installation times. To achieve lower tolerances and better attenuation values, the American connectivity specialist US Conec developed the MTP connector. It has better optical and mechanical quality than the MPO. An MTP connector consists of a housing and a separate MT ferrule. The MT ferrule is a multi-fiber ferrule in which the fiber alignment depends on the eccentricity and positioning of the fibers and the holes drilled in the centering pins. The centering pins help control fiber alignment during insertion. Since the housing is detachable, the ferrules can undergo interferometric measurements and subsequent processing during the manufacturing process.
Conclusion
MPO/MTP connectors and fiber cables as the important part of the multi-fiber connection system, are designed for the reliable and quick operations in data centers. fiber-mart.com manufactures and distributes a wide range of MTP/MPO cable assemblies including trunk cables, harness cables and cassettes (or patch panels). And we also offer other kinds of transceiver and cable choices for your 40GbE applications, for example, HP JG709A 40GBASE-CSR4 QSFP+ transceiver, and Juniper QFX-QSFP-DAC-3M QSFP+ to QSFP+ passive copper cable, etc. Futhermore, customized service such as optional fiber counts, cable types and lengths are available.

EPON VS GPON

As the infrastructure for access networks, fiber is making rapid headway in the world’s leading technology markets.

As the infrastructure for access networks, fiber is making rapid headway in the world’s leading technology markets. With passive optical networking (PON) technology gaining popularity, Ethernet passive optical networking (EPON) and igabit passive optical network (GPON) are both in active deployment.

What’s the EPON?

EPON (Ethernet PON) generally delivers 1 Gbit/s symmetrical bandwidth.And its Gigabit Ethernet service actually constitutes 1 Gbit/s of bandwidth for data and 250 Mbit/s of bandwidth for encoding.Employs a single Layer 2 network that uses Internet Protocol (IP) to carry data, voice, and video, generally delivers 1 Gbit/s symmetrical bandwidth.

EPON is a device which serves as the service provider endpoint of apassive optical network. to perform conversion between the electrical signals used by the service provider’s equipment and the fiber optic passive component signals used by the passive optical network. To coordinate the multiplexing between the conversion devices on the other end of that network (called either optical network terminals or optical network units).

What’s the GPON?

GPON, FSAN and ITU have standardized it. Its technical feature is to use ITU-T-defined GFP (General framing procedure) to encapsulate and map multiple services such as Ethernet, TDM and ATM at the second layer, which can provide 1.25Gbps and 2.5Gbps downlink rate, and 155M, 622M, 1.25Gbps, 2.5Gbps several uplink rates, and has a strong OAM function. If you don’t consider EPON, you will see that it will increase to 10Gbps (10G Ethernet is mature). Currently, GPON has advantages in high-speed and multi-service support, but the complexity and cost of technology are currently higher than EPON.

 

Comparison of EPON and GPON

 

GPON and EPON Differences

Perhaps the most dramatic distinction between the two protocols is a marked difference in architectural approach. GPON provides three Layer 2 networks: ATM for voice, Ethernet for data, and proprietary encapsulation for voice. EPON, on the other hand, employs a single Layer 2 network that uses IP to carry data, voice, and video.

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GPON vs EPON: Data Rate

EPON, based on a 10-Gbit/s Ethernet version designated 802.3av. The actual line rate is 10.3125 Gbits/s. The primary mode is 10 Gbits/s upstream as well as downstream. A variation uses 10 Gbits/s downstream and 1 Gbit/s upstream. The 10-Gbit/s versions use different optical wavelengths on the fiber, 1575 to 1580 nm downstream and 1260 to 1280 nm upstream so the 10-Gbit/s system can be wavelength multiplexed on the same fiber as a standard 1-Gbit/s system.

GPON, based on the GPON packets can handle ATM packets directly. Recall that ATM packages everything in 53-byte packets with 48 for data and 5 for overhead. GPON also uses a generic encapsulation method to carry other protocols. It can encapsulate Ethernet, IP, TCP, UDP, T1/E1, video, VoIP, or other protocols as called for by the data transmission. Minimum packet size is 53 bytes, and the maximum is 1518. AES encryption is used downstream only.

Conclusion: GPON is better than EPON

 

Technology Comparison

EPON, based on Ethernet is the best carrier for carrying IP services; it is easy to maintain, easy to expand, easy to upgrade; EPON equipment is mature and available, EPON has already laid millions of lines in Asia, third-generation commercial chips have been introduced, related optical modules, chip prices Both have dropped significantly, reached the scale of commercial level, and can meet the requirements of recent broadband services; EPON protocol is simple and low in implementation cost, equipment cost is low, and the most suitable technology is needed in the metro access network, not the best technology.

GPON, based on Access network for telecom operation; high bandwidth: line rate, downlink 2.488Gb/s, uplink 1.244Gb/s; high transmission efficiency: 94% (actual bandwidth up to 2.4G) behavior 93% (actual bandwidth up to 1.1) G); business support: G.984.X standard strictly defines the support of carrier-class full service (voice, data and video); strong management capabilities: rich in features, reserved sufficient OAM domain in the frame structure, and The OMCI standard has been developed; the service quality is high: multiple QoS levels can strictly guarantee the bandwidth and delay requirements of the service; the comprehensive cost is low: the transmission distance is long, the split ratio is high, the OLT cost is effectively allocated, and the user access cost is reduced.

Conclusion: As the parts of PON, they have something in common. For example, they both can be accepted as international standards, cover the same network topology methods and FTTx applications, and use WDM (wavelength-division multiplexing) with the same optical frequencies as each other with a third party wavelength; and provide triple-play, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and cable TV (CATV) video services

Costs Comparison

PON, as a FTTH technology, is an ideal solution to deliver last-mile broadband access. The optical line terminal (OLT), optical network unit (ONU) and optical distribution network (ODN), which comprise a PON system, decide the costs of GPON and EPON deployments.

The cost of OLT and ONT is influenced by the ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) and optic module. Recently, the chipsets of GPON are mostly based on FPGA (field-programmable gate array), which is more expensive than the EPON MAC layer ASIC. On the other hand, the optic module’s price of GPON is also higher than EPON’s. When GPON reaches deployment stage, the estimated cost of a GPON OLT is 1.5 to 2 times higher than an EPON OLT, and the estimated cost of a GPON ONT will be 1.2 to 1.5 times higher than an EPON ONT.

Conclusion: the cost of EPON and GPON would be the same.

 

Summary

Currently, we are still unclear whether EPON or GPON will prevail. EPON and GPON have their own advantages and disadvantages. But one thing is clear: PON system is undoubtedly one of the best, EPON and GPON, both technologies have their own advantages, whether it is EPON technology or GPON technology, its application is largely determined by the rapid reduction of fiber access costs and business needs. For more information,welcome to visit www.fiber-mart.com or contact us service@fiber-mart.com

Everything you need to know about OM1 vs OM2 vs OM3 vs OM4 vs OM5

There are four commonly used OM (multimode) fibers: OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4. Each type of them has different characteristics. The article will compare these four kinds of fibers from history,the side of core size, bandwidth, data rate, distance, color and optical source in details.

Fiber optic cable can be divided into several types. Usually we see single-mode and multimode fiber types available on the market. Multimode fibers are described by their core and cladding diameters. The diameter of the multi-mode fiber is either 50/125 µm or 62.5/125 µm. At present, there are four commonly used OM (multimode) fibers: OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4. Each type of them has different characteristics. The article will compare these four kinds of fibers from history,the side of core size, bandwidth, data rate, distance, color and optical source in details.

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The picture above shows the development of OM multimode fibers. The Lime Green OM5 fibers are newly released and sure to be the mainstream transmission media in the near future.

specification of OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4

Core Size

Multimode fiber is provided with the core diameter from 50 µm to 100 µm. Apart from OM1 with a core size of 62.5 µm, other three types are all using the 50 µm. The thick core size makes them able to carry different light waves along numerous paths without modal dispersion limitation. Nevertheless, in the long cable distance, multiple paths of light can cause signal distortion at the receiving end, resulting in an unclear and incomplete data transmission. And this is why all the types of multimode fiber can only be used for short distance.

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Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the bit-rate of available or consumed information capacity expressed typically in metric multiples of bits per second. The higher bandwidth is, the faster transmission speed can be. According to overfilled launch (OFL) and effective modal bandwidth (EMB) measurements, OM1 and OM2 fibers can only support OFL, but OM3 and OM4 are able to support both measurements. At the wavelengths of 850/1300 nm under OFL, the respective bandwidth of OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4 is 200/500 MHz*km, 500/500 MHz*km, 1500/500 MHz*km and 3500/500 MHz*km. And at the wavelength of 850 nm under EMB, the bandwidth of OM3 is 2000 MHz*km and OM4 even reaches 4700 MHz*km.

Data Rate

Data rate is a technical term that describes how quickly information can be exchanged between electronic devices. With a higher data rate, the transmission can be more effective. OM1 and OM2 support the Ethernet standards from 100BASE to 10GBASE with a minimum data rate of 100 Mbps and a maximum data rate of 10 Gbps. Compare with OM1 and OM2, OM3 fibers and OM4 fibers are enhanced to support much higher data rates of 40 Gbps and 100Gbps in 40G and 100G Ethernet.

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Distance

Multimode fiber is typically used for short distance transmission. But the maximum reaches are varied in different multimode fiber types. Also, on account of different data rates, the transmitting distances are different. However, the common feature is that OM1 always supports the shortest distance yet OM4 supports the longest. For instance, based on the same data rate of 10 Gbps, the maximum reach of OM1 is 33 m, OM2 is 82 m, OM3 is 300 m and OM4 is 550 m. Thus, if a medium-sized transmission is required, OM3 and OM4 fibers are the best choices.

Color & Optical Source

The outer jacket can also be a method to distinguish OM1, OM2 from OM3, OM4. The common jacket color of OM1 and OM2 is orange, and OM3, OM4 are in aqua. In addition, OM1 and OM2 are using a light-emitting diodes (LEDs) optical source but OM3 and OM4 adopt the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSELs) optical source.

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color and optical source of OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4

Application

OM1 fibers and OM2 fibers are widely employed for short-haul networks, local area networks (LANs) and private networks. OM3 is applied to a larger private networks. Different from the previous multimode types, OM4 is more advanced to be used for high-speed networks in data centers, financial centers and corporate campuses.

Conclusion

It is very important to choose the right fiber type for your application. Future-proofing network design is crucial for network planning, but there is often a cost for that speed. With a higher performance, OM3 fibers and OM4 fibers are definitely more expensive than OM1 and OM2 fibers . So plan well and spend wisely.

Should you Buy OEM Optics or Third Party Optics?

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Most IT networking professionals are well aware of the high cost of the OEM Optics (SFP, SFP+, XFP, QSFP, CFP, QSFP28 etc.) when sourced from Original Equipment Manufacturers like Cisco, HPE, Juniper, and Extreme. While the customers search the optics price by Google, you will quickly find the huge pricing disparity between OEM optics and many other third party optics suppliers, then you are confused? Why is there such a huge price difference?
OEM Optics vs Third Party Optics, What’s the difference?
First of all, we need to know the definition of “third party optics” (3rd party optics) and “OEM optics”.
OEM optics refers to a brand new optics supplied or manufactured by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). So an original optics for a Cisco switch is branded by Cisco.
3rd party optics refers to the optical transceiver that is not supplied and branded by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) but provided by another vendor (third party) who can offer or make the optics with same specifications. For example, Cisco really doesn’t manufacture transceivers by themselves, so they go to the people who do. In fact, they sourcing the item from optics manufacturers such as Finisar, Avago, and Lumentum under contract, rebranding the optics with their logo, and then sell them to end users by distributors with a quite high price. In this case, Cisco is the first party(OEM), the end user is the second party, but Finisar or another vendor is third party supplier.
Advantages of Buying OEM Optics?
OEM optics are manufactured to the highest quality and ensure working with their network equipment. These transceiver optics are ideal for providing the best quality and compatibility. They have a much lower failure rate and have no any compatibility issues with your switches.
This is why the switches manufacturers recommend that you use their original optics. Their guys also suggest that the life of the equipment is shortened by usage of unbranded third party optics. If you have enough budget but learn little of the third party optics and concern about any quality or incompatibility issues, just pay for the OEM brand optics.
However, when you search the SFP optics price by Google, you will quickly find the huge pricing disparity in optical transceiver pricing between OEMs and many third parties. For most customers, the savings from purchasing third party optics far exceeds what you expect. However, then most of the sales representative from network equipment manufacturer’s will treat the customer that if third-party optics installed in the system, this will void the system manufacturer’s warranty. In this way, the sales try to coerce customers into purchasing transceiver optics from the same system manufacturer, but all of that comes at a much higher price. Is it true?
Will use third party optics void the switches warranty?
The short answer is No. If the switch is defective, the vendors are obliged to fulfill the terms of the warranty per Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that prohibits a manufacturer from revoking warranty support merely for the use of unapproved hardware.
7 Key Benefits of 3rd Party Optics
Price
The OEMs make their huge profit from selling optics, so they always charge exorbitant prices for their optics. Our 3rd party optics are much cheaper than original ones – sometimes even 10 times. It allows you to save much money especially when you’re working with a limited budget, buy a better quality of systems equipment, the huge savings make you make extra network upgrade in the future.
Quality
Most of factories in the world produce optics according strict standards of MSA (Multisource Agreement), and they make the optics for every end users. They even provide a quality part with a long time warrantty.
Availability
A professional 3rd party optics provider can offer a wide line of transceivers that even OEMs can not provide. If you need long reach 1G SFP ZX 160km optics for your fiber slot in Cisco switch, you won’t find original ones, but many 3rd party can meet your needs and deliver it within 1 week. Many 3rd party suppliers have a huge stock of optics and you can get most of the them with the same day shipping.
Streamline Your Support
By providing you with a single contact window, third party vendors can save you valuable time by providing support for multiple manufacturers all wrapped up in a single contract. As a result, you won’t have to juggle several service contracts from OEM manufacturers. You can also eliminate any disputes that would likely occur from dealing with multiple service providers. Depending on the issue you’re having with your network systems, 3rd party vendors are capable of delivering an array of customized optics to meet your special needs.
Experienced Technicians
If you have many brands of network equipment products, you won’t find OEM service offerings that will provide support for equipment other than their own. You have to face complicated service contracts through multiple providers. Third party optics suppliers should consist of one team of technical experts in a variety of networking equipment from a wide spectrum of manufacturers. Just like if you want to know if a Juniper SFP works with Cisco platform, the 3rd party will tell you based on their test and experience.
Long Time Warranty
Most of reputable third party optics supplier will provide great support service after you’ve bought their products. They are highly focused and specialize in the optical transceiver market, and they will offer even a lifetime warranty on their products. It is inevitable that at one point or another, even with name brand OEM optics, a few optics that you buy will fail. When the software switches or routers is updated, failures occurs such as incompatibility issues with existing optics. Most of the suppliers will be able to troubleshoot and replace the optics for you quickly and at minimal to no cost.
So which should you choose?
The choice is yours. If you demand the highest quality and compatibility 100% of the time, and it is within you. But saving money is always a good thing, if you are still using the overpriced OEM optics, just go ahead to test quality third party optics and you should love it.

Do you know the difference between optical fiber and optical fiber cable?

by http://www.fiber-mart.com

Now many cables use optical fiber cable, because of optical fiber cable stability, the price is much cheaper than ordinary cable. The optical fiber is the main medium for the transmission of information, so before the study of optical fiber communication, we need to know the optical fiber structure and classification, optical fiber transmission principle and optical fiber. Many people have doubts for optical fiber and optical fiber cable and don’t know the difference between optical fiber and optical fiber cable. Let us understand this point first from the optical fiber and optical fiber cable meaning then sees the difference between them.
What is optical fiber and optical fiber cable ?
The optical fiber is a thin, soft medium that transmits light beams. In the actual optical fiber communication line, in order to ensure that optical fiber can be used for a long time under various playing conditions and in a variety of environments, it must be formed to optical fiber cable, because optical Fiber must be covered by several layers of protective structure before use, the cable that is covered is called optical fiber cable. So optical fiber is the core part of optical fiber cable, optical fiber through some of the components of the protection of the subordinate protective layer constitutes an optical fiber cable.
The protective structure of the outer layer protects the optical fiber from the surrounding environment. Optical fiber cable includes optical fiber, buffer layer, and drape. optical fiber and coaxial cable are similar, but no mesh shield, the center is the glass core of light transmission.
The optical fiber is usually tied into a beam, outside with the shell protection. Fiber Core is usually made of quartz glass that cross-sectional area is a very small double concentric cylinder, it is crisp and easy to break, so need a protective layer. So their difference lies in this.
What are the advantages of optical fiber cable?
Optical fiber cable is a new generation of transmission media, compared with copper media, optical fiber security, reliability or network performance has been greatly improved. Optical fiber transmission bandwidth is much higher than the copper cable, and support the maximum distance of more than 2 kilometers. It has the advantages of good anti-electromagnetic interference, strong confidentiality, fast speed, large transmission capacity.
At present, there are two different types of optical fiber, namely Single-mode optical fiber and multimode optical fiber. Multimode optical fiber is generally used for network connections in the same office building or in areas with relatively close proximity. The single-mode optical fiber transmits data at higher quality, longer transmission distances and is often used to connect offices or geographically dispersed networks. If using optical fiber cable as network transmission medium, we also need to increase Ethernet to Fiber Media Converter and other equipment.
Optical fiber cable as the main transmission medium of optical fiber communication, we should pay attention to the quality of optical fiber cable, especially when ordering optical fiber cable, we should consider many factors comprehensively.