Tag Archives: SFP transceiver

Why Choose Third Party SFP Modules?

One concern you may frequently hear about is the issue of using third-party SFP optical transceivers. You know that many brand companies tend to be very strict about their warranty requirements, and they make no effort to hide their preference that you buy all components directly from them. You will ask: can I choose a 3rd party SFP module? Is it reliable? The answer to the question is that it’s possible. This post will provide you with an explanation on why you can choose 3rd party SFP modules.

Opinions on 3rd Party SFP Modules

People have different opinions on “Whether I should use 3rd party SFP modules”. It seems a difficult question for them as the attractive price but unknown performance of the 3rd party SFPs. Some people are worried about whether the 3rd party SFP module can be compatible with their devices. And there is a reason for that. Other people may think that a 3rd party SFP module can perform well and do exactly what an OEM SFP module can do, so why not choose it? And using 3rd party SFP modules seems to more and more popular now, for many 3rd party SFP module vendors are providing high quality and reliable 3rd party SFP modules with low prices. The image below shows a NETGEAR AGM732F compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP module.

NETGEAR AGM732F Compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP

Are Third-Party Compatible SFP Modules Safe?

Most “third party” transceivers are made and assembled in exactly the same plants assembling officially-branded transceivers. There’s a very small number of devices in this world with the specialty equipment needed to produce fiber optic hardware. As such, they supply pretty much everyone. There is almost no big difference between an official Cisco transceiver and a third-party plug, aside from the branding and about two hundred to a few thousand bucks. We have barely seen an actual case of a Cisco switch being damaged by a third-party transceiver. In fact, the failure rates on a good quality third-party SFP transceiver is very low. It is a very basic technology. If you want to make sure that a 3rd party SFP module can work safely with your devices, it is very necessary to use quality assurance SFP modules. Then you would not worry about compatibility of the usage. All the products are tested and 100% compatible with the major brands.

Benefits of 3rd Party SFP Modules

In general, the cost of an original brand SFP module is more expensive than a 3rd party one. Take Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP (GLC-SX-MM) for example, you can easily find a 3rd party SFP module that can take a discount at up to 80% off than an OEM one. As the cost of SFP modules keep adding up over time, many labs and companies are seeking for SFP alternatives to help cut down the costs on these expensive modules. Besides, third-party SFPs can be as reliable as official OEM products. If you buy a Cisco-compatible SFP transceiver from a reputable vendor who’s backing it by warranty, you have nothing to fear. You’re getting a transceiver that’s every bit as good as the official version, for a vastly reduced cost.

Conclusion

Various vendor-coded SFP, SFP+, GBIC, or XFP transceiver modules that are compatible to widespread networking equipment from well-known manufacturers. Fiberstore provides a variety of transceiver modules that are compatible to devices of important vendors in the market. For example, HP JD089B Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP, NETGEAR AGM732F compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP and Allied Telesis AT-SPSX compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP, from production to shipmet, all these products are tested and guaranteed 100% compatible and with high qulity.

Overview of 1000BASE-BX SFP Bidi Transceiver

In communication networks, many transmission lines need bidirectional transmission. This need leads to the development of Bidirectional (BiDi) transceivers, which can transmit and receive data to/from interconnected equipment through a single optical fiber. BiDi transceivers are fitted with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) diplexers, which combine and separate data transmitted over a single fiber based on the wavelengths of the light. BiDi transceivers must be deployed in matched pairs, with their diplexers tuned to match the expected wavelength of the transmitter and receiver that they will be transmitting data from or to. In this post, a kind of BiDi transceiver, 1000BASE-BX SFP BiDi transceiver will be introduced.

Introduction

1000BASE-BX is a part of the Gigabit Ethernet standard related to transmission over fiber optic cable. 1000BASE-BX SFP modules are compliant with SFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) specification and SFF-8472, and conform to the IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10 standard. 1000BASE-BX SFP modules include 1000BASE-BX-U SFP module and 1000BASE-BX-D SFP module. These two SFP modules must be used in pairs to permit a bidirectional Gigabit Ethernet connection using a single strand of single mode fiber (SMF) cable. These transceivers transmit and receive signals on one fiber strand using two wavelengths in each direction. These hot pluggable optical transceivers consist of two sections: the transmitter section uses 1490nm DFB laser/1310nm Fabry-Perot laser, and the receiver section uses 1310nm/1490nm receiver accordingly. The 1000BASE-BX-D SFP operates at wavelengths of 1490nm TX/1310nm RX, and the 1000BASE-BX-U SFP operates at wavelengths of 1310nm TX/1490nm RX. These transceivers use standard simplex LC connectors for fiber cable connection and provide a long transmission distance of up to 10 km.

Key Features
  • Data rate up to 1.25 Gbps
  • Hot-pluggable SFP footprint
  • 1490 nm DFB Transmitter and 1310 nm PIN Receiver
  • 1310 nm FP Transmitter and 1490 nm PIN Receiver
  • Transmission distance up to 10 km
  • Simplex LC connector
  • Low power dissipation
  • Digital diagnostic monitor interface is compliant with SFF-8472
  • Compliant with SFP MSA Specification
  • Compliant with IEEE 802.3z Gigabit Standard
  • RoHS compliance
1000BASE-BX-D SFP

1000BASE-BX-D SFP supports link length of up to 10km point to point on single mode fiber (1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX wavelength) at 1Gbps bidirectional SFP. This optic uses an LC connector. The picture below show a Cisco GLC-BX-D compatible 1000BASE-BX-D SFP 1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX transceiver. The GLC-BX-D is a small form factor pluggable module for Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-BX and Fiber Channel communications. The GLC-BX-D transceiver operates at 1490Tx/1310Rx wavelength. It is compatible with the IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10-D standards. A 1000BASE-BX-D device is always connected to a 1000BASE-BX-U device with a single strand of standard SMF.

Cisco GLC-BX-D Compatible 1000BASE-BX-D SFP DOM Transceiver

1000BASE-BX-U SFP

1000BASE-BX-U SFP supports link length of up to 10km point to point on single mode fiber (1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX wavelength) at 1Gbps bidirectional. This optic uses an LC connector. The communication over a single strand of fiber is achieved by separating the transmission wavelength of the two devices. 1000BASE-BX-D transmits a 1490nm channel and receives a 1310nm signal, whereas 1000BASE-BX-U transmits at a 1310nm wavelength and receives a 1490nm signal. A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) splitter integrated into the SFP to split the 1310nm and 1490nm light paths. The GLC-BX-D and GLC-BX-U SFPs also support digital optical monitoring (DOM) functions according to the industry-standard SFF-8472 multisource agreement (MSA). This feature gives the end user the ability to monitor real-time parameters of the SFP, such as optical output power, optical input power, temperature and transceiver supply voltage. The picture below show a Cisco GLC-BX-U compatible 1000BASE-BX-U SFP 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX transceiver.

Cisco GLC-BX-U Compatible 1000BASE-BX-U SFP DOM Transceiver

Applications
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Fiber Channel Links
  • Switch to switch interface
  • Switched backplane applications
  • Pouter/Server Interface
  • Other optical transmission systems
Conclusion

New organizational applications, virtualization, and data center consolidation trends are pushing your server I/O requirements to meet higher needs than before. With new BiDi optical technology, SFP BiDi transceivers make it much easier for you to upgrade your networks.