Do SFP MSA Benefits the Optical Transceiver?

When you purchase the 1000BASE-T SFPs for your switch, you may always see such description of them: This 1000BASE-T SFP transceiver is based on the SFP Multi Source Agreement (MSA). So, what's the SFP MSA? What's defined by the SFP MSA? Do SFP MSA benefits the optical Transceiver?

Multi-source Agreement(MSA)

A multi-source agreement (MSA) is an agreement between multiple manufacturers to make products which are compatible across vendors, acting as de facto standards, establishing a competitive market for interoperable products. Products created via multiple source agreements include SFPs and other network device interfaces.New MSA will define 1550nm silicon photonics based QSFP optical transceiver for 100G data center networks on single mode fiber (SMF) infrastructure.

SFP Multi-Source Agreement: This document establishesinternationally compatible sources of a pluggable fiber optic transceiver module in support of standards for fiber optic systems including Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), FDDI, Fibre Channel, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) / Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) applications.

This MSA document strictly defines sufficient characteristics of a SFP transceiver so that system (e.g. Ethernet switch, Router, and media converter) vendors may Implement ports on their devices so MSA compliant pluggable optical transceivers SFP from any vendor will function properly. That is, transceivers could be purchased from any of the multiple sources in the open market, like Fiberstore. See Cisco GLC-T 1000BASE-T price on Fiberstore.

SFP transceivers also include a management (I2C) interface, an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) and optional Digital Diagnostics Monitoring (DDM, Aka Digital Optical Monitoring or DOM). The EEPROM memory space is defined in the MSA and includes information describing the transceiver's capabilities, standard interfaces (e.g., SX, LX, EX, ZX), manufacturer and other data. This data makes available to the host system over the I2C interface, as is the status of the optional DDM functions.

What is defined by the SFP MSA?

The major elements or characteristics defined in the SFP MSAs are:

Mechanical Interface

• Transceiver edge connector to host PCB-mounted electrical connector mating
• Mechanical dimensions of the device (H: 8.5mm, W: 13.4mm, D: 56.5mm)
• Insertion, Extraction and Retention forces
• Host board mechanical layout (location/size of solder pads, etc.)
• Electrical connector mechanical aspects
• Bezel design considerations for host systems
• Cage assembly dimensions

Electrical Interface

• Timing requirements and Status I/O
• Pin definitions
• Module definition interface and data field description

Digital Diagnostics Monitoring (DDM) feature common in many modern SFP transceivers is defined by reference to the industry-standard SFF-8472.

Do SFP MSA benefits the optical Transceiver?

Optical transceiver form factors, defined through SFP multi-source agreements (MSAs), benefit equipment vendors by ensuring there are numerous suppliers to select from. No longer must a system vendor develop its own or be locked in with a supplier. Pluggables also decouple optics from the line card. A line card can address several applications simply by replacing the module. In contrast, with fixed optics the investment is tied to the line card. A system can also be upgraded by swapping the module with an enhanced specification version once it is available.

I propose that all such tries to undermine the value of these standards and subvert the free operation of the marketplace be vigorously resisted by consumers. Since there are many excellent choices, network operators should specifically avoid purchasing SFP modules directly from system vendors who attempt such coercive tactics. One reason should be to save money. System vendors primarily use these tactics to protect their grossly inflated prices. Second is to aid and encourage the creation and adherence to standards and, in addition, rebuke tries to undermine them. If you plan to buy the 3rd party or OEM transceivers (e.g. Cisco SFP compatible) for your switch, you had better to choose a vendor with high reputation. I recommend Fiberstore for you. Why? You may know the answer after you try.

The Development Of The SFP Optical Module

First of all, let me introduce the development of GBIC and SFF.

A Gigabit Interface Converter is a hot-swappable transceiver for networking equipment. It could connect a Gigabit Ethernet, fibre channel as well as other direct attach cable to a compatible network card. It is usually found in computer networks that depend upon flexibility in the kinds of connections they could accommodate.

Also known from the acronym GBIC, a Gigabit Interface Converter can be quickly replaced without powering down the server it is attached with. A GBIC-compatible network card can be linked to any of the supported high-speed media. A GBIC is available for every of several fibre channel cable types and also Gigabit Ethernet. This provides network designers and maintainers the pliability to increase and reconfigure their networks when needed.

The Small Form Factor (SFF) Committee, an ad hoc industry group, developed a Gigabit Interface Converter specification in the late 1990s. Called SFF-8053, it establishes a standard electronic interface and a mechanical form factor for these devices. Originally written for a fibre channel converter design, the spec now includes Gigabit Ethernet-specific information too. It also details algorithms that can be used for GBIC management and error recovery.

A Gigabit Ethernet GBIC generally carries a microcontroller and a 1000Base-T SFP Transceiver. They are able to make contact with each other over the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus. Signals to and from the network card connector can also travel over this serial bus. On the network side, a transformer couples the transceiver signals to a Registered Jack 45 (RJ45) connector. 

The form factor of a Gigabit Interface Converter was originally designed for a fibre channel connection. A physically smaller variety known as a Small Form Factor Pluggable transceiver (SFP Transceiver) also exists. Sometimes called a mini-GBIC, it offers a similar flexibility as a standard GBIC in a smaller package. A 10 Gigabit SFP transceiver, specially designed for the higher-speed network technology, is slightly larger.

The development of the SFP optical module

SFF and GBIC module in the process of development have very special history, with the rapid development of network, they are gradually replaced by the SFP optical module.

SFP optical module, the development of SFF and module GBIC light because of SFF and module GBIC is 1 x9 light after two direction of products, have their own advantages: miniaturization and hot plug.

Inherited the SFP optical module GBIC hotplug characteristics, also draw lessons from the SFF miniaturization advantage.By LC, the volume is only 1/2 to 1/3 of the GBIC module, greatly increased the port density of network equipments, conform to the trend of rapid development of network, so has been the most widely fan used, the main equipment manufacturers, with no exception to discard the GBIC products, only USES the SFP optical module products.Due to adopt a unified standard, each manufacturer of SFP product can be compatible, SFP products can be used as a single network equipment procurement.

Although currently there has been many higher technology, update of light module products, however the SFP module is constantly exist for a long time.After the SFP optical module development mainly toward a higher rate of development, now has 10g, 40g to 100g optical module, etc.After the SFP + light module believe SFP is widely used a generation of products.

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SFP Transceiver Introduction

What Is SFP?

A small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver is a compact, hot-swappable, input/output transceiver used in data communication and telecommunications networks. SFP interfaces between communication devices like switches, routers and fiber optic cables, and performs conversions between optical and electrical signals. SFP transceivers support communications standards including synchronous optical networking (SONET)/synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), gigabit ethernet and fiber channel. And also they permit the transport of fast Ethernet and gigabit Ethernet LAN packets over time-division-multiplexing-based WANs, along with the transmission of E1/T1 streams over packet-switched networks.

SFP Module is usually called a mini gigabit interface converter (GBIC) because its function is comparable to the GBIC transceiver however with smaller sized dimensions.The SFP transceiver is specified by the SFP Transceiver Multisource Agreement (MSA), that is developed and it is followed by different transceiver manufacturers.

SFP Transceivers have a diverse range of detachable interfaces to multimode/single-mode fiber optics, which allows users to select the appropriate transceiver according to the required optical range for the network.

SFP transceivers are available with copper cable interfaces, which allows a host device designed primarily for optical fiber communications to also communicate over unshielded twisted pair networking cables. Modern optical SFP transceivers support digital diagnostics monitoring (DDM) functions, also known as digital optical monitoring (DOM). This feature gives users the capability to monitor the real-time parameters of SFP, such as optical output power, optical input power, temperature, laser-bias current and transceiver supply voltage.

Kinds Of SFP Transceiver Modules

SFP Transceivers can be purchased with a number of transmitter and receiver types, allowing users to select the appropriate transceiver for each link to provide the required optical reach over the available optical fiber type (e.g. multi-mode fiber or single-mode fiber).

On the market, optical SFP modules are generally for sale in several different categories:

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

SX - 850 nm, for a maximum of 550 m at 1.25 Gbit/s (Gigabit Ethernet) or 150m at 4.25 Gbit/s (Fibre Channel).

2.For single-mode fiber, with blue extraction lever

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

BX - 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.

CWDM and DWDM SFP transceivers at various wavelengths achieving various maximum distances: 1550 nm 40 km (XD), 80 km (ZX), 120 km (EX or EZX).

3.For copper twisted pair cabling

1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver - these modules incorporate significant interface circuitry and can just be used in Gigabit Ethernet, as that is the interface they implement. They are not suitable for (in other words: don't have equivalents for) Fibre channel or SONET.

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