Compatible transceivers
Compatible transceivers are standardised modules that are used among others products. The most common transceiver types are the following:
- GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter)
- SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable)
- XENPAK (10 Gigabit Ethernet)
- X2 (10 Gigabit Ethernet)
- XFP (10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable)
The advantage of “pluggable” transceivers is that they are easy to install as network components. This enables a fast adaptation to new interfaces (e.g. CWDM, DWDM, longer distances, etc.), reduction of spare parts and cost control. Top-quality transceivers contain integrated diagnostic functions for monitoring of temperature and optical input and output levels. “Pluggable” transceivers are equipped with an EEPROM that is used by system vendors for integrating extra vendor-specified information. Therefore those transceivers are “correctly” identified by the system components for providing full functionality. Compatible SFPs are available for nearly all major system vendors as shown below:
Cisco Systems; Nortel Networks; Juniper Networks; 3COM; Enterasys Secure Networks; Brocade certified; HP; Extreme Networks; Foundry Networks; Avaya; Huawei; QLogic certified; Marconi; Alcatel-Lucent; D-Link; Riverstone Networks; Linksys.
SFP transceivers are available for a multitude of protocols and physical interfaces. Typical data rates vary from 100 Mbps up to 4.25 Gbps. Fields of applications are for example: ESCON, Fast Ethernet, SDH/SONET, Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel. Transmission can be realized for electrical and optical (singlemode/multimode) interfaces. Wavelengths of 850 nm, 1310 nm, 1550 nm and C/DWDM to achieve distances up to 200 km are available for optical connection.
XFP transceivers support data rates of 10 Gigabit. Typical applications are 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel. All XFP transceivers support diagnostic functions for optical transmission and received power as well as temperature monitoring. XFP transceivers can also support CWDM and DWDM wavelengths.
The XENPAK Multi-source Agreement (MSA) defines optical transceivers according to the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard (IEEE802.ae). Thus XENPAK is a transceiver for 10 Gigabit applications. XENPAK transceivers are available for 850 nm, 1310 nm, 1550 nm and DWDM wavelengths.
X2 transceivers are smaller in size than XENPAK transceivers by having the same optical interfaces. Also the X2 Multi-source Agreement (MSA) defines optical transceivers with 850 nm, 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelength according to the 10G bps Ethernet standard IEEE802.ae).