Definition:

SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers are hot-swappable, compact media connectors that provide instant fiber connectivity for the networking gear. They are a cost effective way to connect a single network device to a wide variety of fiber cable distances and types. 

Common information:

By eliminating the need to maintain surplus units/ devices of various fiber types for network repairs or upgrades Small Form Pluggable Optical Transceivers reduce network equipment inventories. SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers allow one product the flexibility to expand by speed (Fast Ethernet and 1, 10, or 40 Gigabit), and/or distance (220 m to 80 km).

Network upgrades are also made easier because SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers are interchangeable fiber connectors that can adapt to any existing network. For example, by simply replacing the pluggable optical transceiver, a media converter that was originally used in a multimode network can be re-configured to operate over a CWDM network. 

SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers can be used and interchanged on a wide variety of Cisco or MSA compliant SFP products. They can be intermixed in combinations of 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-EX, 1000BASE-ZX, or 1000BASE-BX10-D/U on a port-by-port basis.

SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers are expected to perform at data speeds of up to five gigabits per second (5 Gbps), and possibly higher. Because SFP modules can be easily interchanged, electro-optical or fiber optic networks can be upgraded and maintained more conveniently than has been the case with traditional soldered-in modules. Rather than replacing an entire circuit board containing several soldered-in modules, a single module can be removed and replaced for repair or upgrading. This can result in a substantial cost savings, both in maintenance and in upgrading efforts.

What is SFP fiber module?

The selection of MSA Compliant Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) modules allows for an optical or electrical interface when using a managed switch, unmanaged switch or media converter. These interchangeable SFP modules are available for use with copper media, multimode optical fiber, or single mode optical fiber. The optical fiber SFP modules are available in Fast Ethernet one and two fiber versions and Gigabit Ethernet one and two fiber versions. They also are available with LC or SC optical connectors.

Conclusion:

Several companies have formed a consortium supporting the use of SFP Fiber Optical Transceivers to meet their common objectives of broad bandwidth, small physical size and mass, and ease of removal and replacement. Users can remotely monitor - in real-time - received optical power, transmitted optical power, laser bias current, transceiver input voltage and transceiver temperature of any transceiver in the network. These digital diagnostic functions provide network managers with a highly accurate, cost-effective tool for implementing reliable performance monitoring.

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