Introduction:

In this article we will discuss about the 10GBASE-CX4 Ethernet standard and what is the difference between 10GBASE-CX4 and 1000BASE-T, So you can have a basic understanding for 10GBASE-CX4 technology to understand the basic solutions to 10GBASE-CX4. 

What is the 10GBASE-CX4 technology?

10GBASE-CX4 was the first 10G copper standard published by 802.3 (as 802.3ak-2004). It uses the XAUI 4-lane PCS (Clause 48) and copper cabling similar to that used by InfiniBand technology. It is specified to work up to a distance of 15 m (49 ft). Each lane carries 3.125 GBd of signaling bandwidth. 10GBASE-CX4 offers the advantages of low power, low cost and low latency, but has a bigger form factor and more bulky cables than the newer single lane SFP+ standard and a much shorter reach than fiber or 10GBASE-T. This cable is fairly rigid and considerably more costly than Category 5 or 6 UTP.