10G XFP Transceiver Guide

Optical ransceivers are used for the photoelectric conversion to convert the electrical signals into optical signals at the transmission side. After the transmission, the optical signals are transmitted into the respective electrical signals are the receiving side. The XFP transceiver is a small form factor hot pluggable module that is designed for the 10G network applications. This type of transceiver comes with a dual LC interface and the industrial acknowledged standards for the XFP is called the XFP MSA (Multi-Source Agreement).

XFP is a standard for transceivers for the high-speed computer network and telecommunication links that make use of the optical fiber. This transceiver module can be seen in the application of the 10Gigabit Ethernet and Packet-over-SONET/SDH (POS) connectivity.

The main features of the XFP modules is its support of the 9.95Gb/s to 11.1 Gb/s rates with transmission distances of up to 82m (50μm MMF) or 300m (high bandwidth MMF; 2000MHZ*Km) that us built in digital diagnostic functions.

What are the Types of XFP Transceivers Available on the Market?

There are four distinct categories of the XFP modules that determine these transceivers, 10G XFP, BIDI XFP, CWDM XFP and DWDM XFP. For 10G XFP transceiver types, are listed below.

(a) XFP 10G MM SR

The XFP SR 10Gbps fiber optic transceiver works at 850nm wavelength. Its typical working distance is 300 meters. XFP SR is suitable for the use of the 10G datacom (belly-to-belly for the high density applications) and the storage area network (SAN/NAS) applications that are based on the IEEE 802.3ae and Fiber Channel Standards.

(b) XFP 10G LR

The XFP LR is a hot swappable fiber optic transceiver that is used for the 10G networks like the 10 Gigabit Ethernet, SDH, SONET. The XFP LR supports data transfer from the rate of 9.95Gbps to 11.1 Gbps. The maximum working distance of the XFP LR fiber transceiver is 10km.

(c) XFP 10G ER

The XFP ER module adopts a cooled EML laser diode and a PIN photodiode. The XFP ER is a 10G fiber optic transceiver that is fully compatible with the XFP MSA and the IEEE 802.3ae-2002. It has a maximum working span of 40km.

(d) XFP 10G ZR

The XFP ZR is a 10Gbps fiber optic transceiver that is compatible with the IEEE 802.3ae and the Fiber Channel standard. It uses a single mode optical fiber with a working span that could reach 80km. The XFP ZR uses the 1550nm working wavelength. This XFP transceiver uses the dual LC fiber interface while the other end of the module could fit into the respective XFP slots or ports.

Features of the XFP Transceivers

- Hot pluggable
- Support 9.95GBb/s to 11.1 Gb/s bit rates
- XFP MSA package comes with the duplex LC connector
- Integrated with a DDMI- Digital Diagnostic Monitor Interface
- Accept +3.3V single power supply
- Have a very low EMI and excellent ESD protection
- Have less that 3.5 power dissipation
- Cover transmission distances of up to 80 km
- Do not require any reference clock
- Comply with the RoHS directive