Difference sfp and sfp+

 

What is an SFP?

An SFP, or small form factor pluggable, is a compact, hot-swappable transceiver designed to support 100/1000Mbps Ethernet, Fibre Channel and SONET, among other communication standards. SFP transceivers support speeds up to 4.25Gbps and are commonly used in telecommunications and data communications applications. SFP ports are found in a range of devices, from Ethernet switches to routers, NIC cards and firewalls. Small form factor pluggable specification is based on IEEE802.3 and SFF-8472.

What is SFP+

Since SFP supports only up to 4.25 Gbps, SFP+ that supports data rates up to 16 Gbps was later introduced. In fact, SFP+ is an enhanced version of the SFP. The SFP+ specifications are based on SFF-8431. In today’s most applications, SFP+ transceiver usually supports 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Optical Transport Network standard OTU2. In comparison to earlier 10 Gigabit Ethernet XENPAK or XFP transceiver, SFP+ transceiver is smaller and becomes the most popular 10 Gigabit Ethernet transceiver in the market.

SFP vs SFP+

SFP and SFP+ transceivers are virtually identical in size and appearance. The primary difference is that SFP+ is an updated version that supports higher speeds up to 10Gbps. The difference in data rate also accounts for a difference in transmission distance—SFP typically has a longer transmission distance. SFP+ specifications are based on SFF-8431. In terms of SFP vs SFP+ compatibility, SFP+ ports often accept SFP optics but at a reduced speed of 1Gbps. Be aware, however, that you cannot plug an SFP+ transceiver into an SFP port because SFP+ does not support speeds less than 1Gbps.

SFP vs SFP+

Same size with different speed and compatibility. SFP+ is used in 10-Gigabit Ethernet applications while SFP is for 100BASE or 1000BASE applications. SFP complies with standards of IEEE802.3 and SFF-8472 while SFP+ is based on SFF-8431. SFP+ ports can accept SFP optics but at a reduced speed of 1 Gbit/s. And an SFP+ transceiver can not be plugged into an SFP port, otherwise, the product or port may be damaged. Normally, SFP+ is more expensive than SFP.
SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) and SFP+ are both compact, hot-pluggable optical transceiver modules commonly used for both telecommunication and data communications applications. They are designed to support applications such as Fiber Channel, Gigabit Ethernet, SONET, and others. However, there are key differences between them, mainly concerning data rate:
Data Rate: The primary difference between SFP and SFP+ lies in data rate. An SFP transceiver supports speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps), whereas an SFP+ supports data rates up to 10 Gbps. This makes SFP+ a better choice for applications that require high data throughput.
Protocol Support: While both SFP and SFP+ modules can handle Gigabit Ethernet, only SFP+ can handle 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 8 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, and 10 Gbit/s Fibre Channel. This is due to the higher data rate supported by SFP+.
Compatibility: SFP+ slots are compatible with SFP modules, meaning you can insert an SFP module into an SFP+ slot and it will function at 1 Gbps. However, you cannot insert an SFP+ module into an SFP slot as it will not function due to the lower data rate supported by the SFP slot.
Physical Size: Both SFP and SFP+ modules share the same form factor, which is why SFP modules can fit into SFP+ slots.
Cost: Due to their higher data rates, SFP+ modules and the required equipment are generally more expensive than their SFP counterparts.

SFP vs. SFP+

Here is a table of comparison between SFP and SFP+

Item	SFP	SFP+
Stands for	Small Form-factor Pluggable	Small Form-factor Pluggable plus (standard form)
Data rate	155M/622M/ 1.25G/ 2.5G/3G/ 4.25G	6G/8.5G/10G
Terms	Dual fiber Single Fiber/WDM CWDM DWDM	Dual fiber Single Fiber/WDM CWDM DWDM
Distance	300m/2km/ 10km/15km/ 20km/40km/ 60km/80km/ 100km/120km/ 150km	220m/300m/ 2km/10km/ 20km/40km/ 60km/80km
Wavelengths	850nm/1310nm/1550nm 1310nm/1490nm/1550nm 1270nm-1610nm ITU17~ITU61	220m/300m/ 2km/10km/ 20km/40km/ 60km/80km/ 120km

(The table has been taken from sopto.com)

Conclusion:

SFP and SFP+ have the same size and appearance. From the price, SFP+ is usually more expensive than SFP. The main difference between SFP and SFP+ is that the SFP+ is used in Gigabit Ethernet applications while SFP is for 100Bse or 1000Base applications. SFP doesn't support 10G transmission data rate, which means they can't be used in the same network. SFP+ transceivers use the same dimensions of pluggable transceivers in the 10Gbs Ethernet and 8.5Gbs fiber channel with SFP. SFP comply with standards of IEEE802.3 and SFF-8472 while SFP+ is based on SFF-8431.
 
In summary, while SFP and SFP+ have similarities and share the same form factor, the key difference lies in the data rates they support, with SFP+ supporting much higher rates. This makes SFP+ more suitable for networks requiring high data throughput.