How to Select A Right SFP Transceiver

The small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver is also called mini Gigabit Interface Converter (MINI-GBIC) module due to its smaller size and is the second generation product after the standardized pluggable optical module GBIC. It is a compact, “hot-pluggable” optical transceiver used in optical communications for both telecommunication and data communications application. Nowadays SFP transceivers are being more and more widely used for bi-directional transmission of data between an electrical interface and an optical data link. And SFP transceivers are available with a variety of transmitter and receiver types. Here are some tips for users to select their appropriate SFP tansceiver.

According to different types of optical fiber, SFP transceiver can be divided into the following categories:

1) For multi-mode fiber, with black or beige extraction lever

Only one type of SFP transceiver is available, whose specs is SX-850 nm, for a maximum of 550 m at 1.25 Gbit/s (Gigabit Ethernet) or 150m at 4.25 Gbit/s (fiber Channel).

2) for single-mode fiber, with blue extraction lever

There are many kinds of SFP transceiver available for this type of fiber. For example:

① LX-1310 nm, for distances up to 10 km.

②BX-1490 nm/1310 nm, Single Fiber Bi-Directional Gigabit SFP Transceivers, paired as BS-U and BS-D for Uplink and Downlink respectively, also for distances up to 10 km 1550 nm 40 km (XD), 80 km (ZX), 120 km (EX or EZX).

③Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) and Dense WaveLength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) transceivers at various wavelengths achieving various maximum distances.

3) for copper twisted pair cabling

1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver Modules are available, which incorporate significant interface circuitry and can only be used for Gigabit Ethernet, as that is the interface they implement. They are not compatible with (or rather: do not have equivalents for) fiber channel or SONET.

According to the wavelength of SFP transceiver, users can select an appropriate one among 850 nm/1310 nm/1550 nm/1490 nm/1530nm/1610 nm. To be specific, the 850nm wavelength is SFP multimode, and the transmission distance is 2 km below. While the 1310/1550 nm is SFP single-mode, and the transmission distance is longer than 2 km. In the market, the prices of 850 nm/1310 nm/1550 nm SFP transceiver are relatively cheaper than that of the other three.

The SFP transceiver modules are designed to support Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, fiber Channel and other communications standards. By choosing the appropriate SFP transceiver module, the same electrical port on the switch can connect to fibers of different types (multimode or singlemode) and different wavelengths. Fiberstore manufactures and supplies a complete range of SFP transceiver modules which can be Customized. In addition, all of its SFP transceiver modules come with a lifetime advance replacement warranty and are 100% functionally tested.