Jun 13 2022
Can high-speed optical transceivers be used on low-speed ports?
People who are familiar with compatible optical transceiver know that some manufacturers will encrypt their network equipment (such as switches) which means the modules must match the equipment that they produce otherwise the modules cannot work. The quality of the module can directly affect the transmission of the optical fiber link. Although the quality of the original transceiver is very good, the price is very high. The compatible optical transceiver produced by Gearlink is completely comparable to the original one, but the price of compatible optical transceiver is much lower, such as qsfp28 qsfp+ compatibility transceiver, qsfp56 qsfp28 compatibility transceiver, sfp+ sfp compatibility transceiver and so on. As an optical transceiver manufacturer, we have strict compatibility testing standards and procedures. All the modules will undergo compatibility testing before shipment which can ensure they are 100% compatible with Cisco. Juniper. Huawei. HP and H3C etc.
When switch products leave the factory, some brand switch manufacturers will make some personalized restrictions on the switch to identify the type of optical module used on the switch or prevent the use of third-party modules, like putting a lock on the device. Only the matching key can be opened and used normally. If the module transceiver does not meet the switch requirements, the optical transceiver may fail to work or generate device alarms. We all know that the original switch brand optical module is very expensive, but whether it is a brand or a third-party manufacturer, it is necessary to ask a special optical module manufacturer (foundry) to make the compatible optical transceiver according to the protocol and standard of the optical module. That is to say, the quality of the modules produced by the foundry is the same as that of the products sold to other brands. Because of the brand effect, the compatible optical transceiver price has doubled after leaving the factory. In this case, compatible optical modules emerge as the times require, and third-party modules can independently decode and write codes through the analysis of the modules, which can ensure that the optical modules can be used normally on brand switches. This is a compatible optical module. Compatible optical modules make it much easier and more convenient for customers to purchase and install, and greatly reduce the cost of procurement. This is also the reason why compatible optical transceiver have become the mainstream optical modules in the market.
Cisco, HP, Juniper and other big companies advertise that only their own SFP modules can work with their devices, but at high prices. What's more, some vendors fail to declare whether the SFP slots on their devices are compatible with other vendors' standard SFP. This can cause problems for users when their devices can't communicate with SFP devices purchased from other vendors. Compatible SFP as long as it meets the MSA standard, is also a standard product. With the official hardware function consistent, compatible with different telecom manufacturers equipment. Therefore, using transceivers with sfp compatibility means you can save a lot of money and don't have to worry about your equipment and SFP coming from different vendors.
Here are some guidelines for using compatible optical transceiver correctly.
Step 1, check your transceiver module and device ports.
Some transceiver modules are easy to mix because of their similar appearance. For example, SFP and SFP+. If the SFP+ modules are plugged into an SFP port, they will still work, but the transfer speed will be limited to 1 Gbps. Otherwise, the SFP module will not be connected when it is inserted into the SFP+ port.
Step 2: Ensure that the SFP module has the same wavelength at both ends. Therefore, you'd better check the SPECIFICATIONS of the SFP module carefully.
Step 3: Select the right optical fiber type, which is the main factor to ensure SFP compatibility. Therefore, you must verify that the optical fibers at both ends of the SFP module should be of the same type.
Step 4, ensure that both ports are compatible with the SFP module.
1. Professional testing process
When you purchase a compatible optical transceiver, make sure you test it on the switch. Generally, a tested compatible optical module can guarantee perfect performance on your network.
2. Warranty policy
If the warranty lasts longer, the quality of the compatible optical transceiver may be more reliable and stable.
3. Professional Suppliers
With a rigorous quality control system and years of experience, Gearlink guarantees a reliable and stable connection to your high-speed fiber optic transmission system. All the raw materials we use are safe and their performance is comparable to the original.
WH Gearlink’SFP transceiver is hot pluggable optical module. SFP means small form-factor pluggable. It can be simply understood as an upgraded version of GBIC. Some switch manufacturers call SFP module a miniature GBIC (MINI-GBIC ). The China SFP optical module is mainly composed of lasers, and the maximum data rate can reach 1.25G.
There are not many large equipment manufacturers, and there are only so many user choices. In the case of occupying most of the market, the market transceiver price can only be customized by large manufacturers, which leads to the expensive price of optical modules. There are more third-party compatibility modules manufacturers, so the price will be much lower.
Compatible optical modules are generally applicable to equipment of any brand and have a wider range of transceiver applications. Original optical modules can only be used on equipment of their own brand. Once the branded modules are out of stock, the equipment will not work properly, affecting the project process.
There are many brands of optical transceiver s. Well-known ones include Cisco, Huawei, Ruijie, Brocade, and Juniper. Compatible optical transceiver products are of good quality and cost-effective. After sales service is also very good. And the price is much cheaper. It can completely replace the brand optical transceiver .
The use of optical transceiver s in data centers can be divided into three categories according to the connection type:
① Inside the data center, it is mainly used for information storage, generation and mining;
② Data center interconnection, mainly used for data replication, software and system upgrades;
③From the data center to the user, from accessing the cloud to our daily use, such as watching videos, browsing articles, sending and receiving emails, etc.
The optical transceiver s in the data center have relatively high requirements on parameters and should be carefully selected.
The communication base station is composed of computer room, base station, antenna, feeder (transmission line between transmitter and antenna) and supporting equipment. The antenna is on the top of the signal tower, and there is a computer room below the tower. The base station is placed in the computer room. A base station is a device that sends wireless signals. The base station is divided into two parts: BBU and RRU. The BBU is used for signal processing, and the RRU is used for signal sending and receiving. The feeder is used to connect the antenna and the base station. The supporting equipment includes power supply and constant temperature equipment to ensure the normal operation of the base station in extreme weather. The optical transceiver is used between the BBU and the RRU. 4G networks mainly use Gigabit and 10 Gigabit optical transceiver s. The 5G network mainly uses 25G optical transceiver s, usually with a working wavelength of 850nm. The working environment of the base station is generally harsh, so industrial-grade optical transceiver s should be selected.
The transmission distance of an optical transceiver is mainly affected by three factors: light source, dispersion and loss. The intensity of light emitted by different light sources is different, and the distance of light transmission is also different; the dispersion is mainly determined by the type of fiber, the dispersion of single-mode fiber is smaller than that of multi-mode fiber, single-mode fiber is suitable for long-distance transmission, and multi-mode fiber is suitable for short-distance transmission; The loss is mainly determined by the transmission distance, the longer the transmission distance, the more the loss in the middle.
1. When using the optical transceiver , handle it with care to avoid damage to the components of the optical transceiver caused by bumps.
2. When installing, insert the transceiver to the bottom, and pay attention to whether the optical transceiver is stuck with the latch. If it is not locked, it will cause the transceiver to loosen and cause signal interruption. When taking it out, bend the pull ring 90° to the outside, and gently pull the pull ring to take out the transceiver . Be careful not to touch the gold finger part of the optical transceiver , do not pull it out with excessive force, and do not perform hot swap frequently.
3. When using the optical fiber, the end face must be kept clean to avoid cross-contamination of the optical port due to contamination of the end face of the optical jumper.
4. Do not let the receiving optical power of the optical transceiver exceed the overload point for a long time, so as not to cause damage to the receiving device.
5. The optical port of the optical transceiver cannot be exposed to the outside for a long time, otherwise the components inside will be polluted and the transceiver will be damaged. When not in use, it should be plugged with a dust-proof plug.
6. Never face the end of the optical fiber directly to the eyes.
First of all the quality is about the same. The difference is that compatible transceiver s are much cheaper, and the compatibility is relatively strong. Original transceiver s can only be compatible with one brand of switches. Compatible transceiver s can specify compatible brands, which is more flexible. In addition, the general compatibility transceiver warranty is longer than the original transceiver , generally 3 years, and the original optical transceiver is 1 year.