Optical transceivers are the core accessories of optical fiber communication. There are many varieties of optical transceivers in the market today. What factors should we consider when purchasing optical transceivers? This article comprehensively introduces the precautions in the purchase of optical transceivers to help you choose a suitable and cost-effective optical transceiver.
The packaging of the optical transceiver is as follows:
SFP: for 155M, 1.25G, 2.5G, 6G optical transceivers
SFP+: Mainstream packaging of 10G optical transceivers
SFP28: Packaging form of 25G optical transceiver
QSFP+: Package form of 40G optical transceiver
QSFP28: Package form of 100G optical transceiver
When selecting an optical transceiver, the relevant equipment will clearly list its compatible optical transceiver package and rate.
The transmission distance of optical modules can be divided into three types: short distance, medium distance, and long distance. Generally, short distance transmission refers to a transmission distance of less than 2km, while medium distance is between 10-20km. Long distance transmission, such as commonly seen 40km, 80km, 120km, etc., refers to a distance of greater than or equal to 30km. The appropriate transmission distance of the optical module should be selected based on the actual usage situation. In addition, it is important to note that the selected optical module transmission distance should be slightly larger than the actual application transmission distance to ensure transmission quality.
Optical modules can be divided into single-fiber optical modules and dual-fiber optical modules according to the transmission method. Single-fiber optical modules have only one fiber interface, with one fiber simultaneously transmitting and receiving optical signals, while dual-fiber optical modules have two fiber interfaces, connecting two fibers, with one for sending and one for receiving. When selecting an optical module, it is important to note whether the end optical module is a single-fiber or dual-fiber optical module, and choose one that matches in order to ensure connectivity.
Common optical module interfaces include LC, SC, and MPO interfaces, while electrical port modules use RJ45 interfaces. To exchange information between two different optical modules, they must be connected together. When selecting an optical module, it is important to choose one that matches the patch cord connector.
Common optical module wavelengths include 850nm, 1310nm, 1550nm, CWDM, DWDM, etc. It is important to note that the wavelengths of the two interconnected optical modules must be consistent in a dual-fiber transmission, while single-fiber optical modules need to be used in pairs. For example, if the wavelength of one end is TX1310/RX1550nm (TX is the transmitting wavelength and RX is the receiving wavelength), the opposite end must choose an optical module with a transmitting wavelength of TX1550/RX1310nm.
Optical modules can be classified based on temperature, including commercial-grade temperature (0-70℃) for use in data centers and enterprise computer rooms, extended-grade temperature (-20-85℃) for use in outdoor nodes in tropical areas, and industrial-grade temperature (-40-85℃) for use in environments where temperature changes greatly, such as outdoors, remote mountainous areas, and tunnels. Industrial-grade optical modules do come equipped with temperature compensation software to ensure stable power supply to the optical module. Temperature has a significant impact on the performance of optical modules. If the temperature is too high or too low, the optical power will decrease, sensitivity will decrease, and eye diagrams will become worse. This can even lead to data errors and module failure, so it is important to select an appropriate temperature-grade optical module based on the actual usage environment.
Equipment manufacturers of optical modules will encrypt their devices to varying degrees, also known as compatibility. Modules of a particular brand can only be used with devices of the same brand, and cannot be matched with other brand optical modules. Compatibility manufacturers need to conduct different compatibility adaptations on the optical modules. Whether or not they can perfectly solve compatibility issues is particularly important.
More and more suppliers now offer compatible optical modules, which are of the same quality as the original modules but with competitive prices, helping to save a lot of costs. If there are any problems with the optical module within the first 1-2 years of use, it is likely a quality issue. Therefore, when purchasing compatible optical modules, it is important to choose trustworthy manufacturers.
Above are the comprehensive tips for selecting optical modules compiled by WHGearlink. If you follow these points, it's basically a piece of cake to purchase a suitable and cost-effective optical module.
