SFP+ vs QSFP+: What's the difference?
2023-09-04

SFP+ vs QSFP+: What's the difference?

The primary difference between QSFP and SFP is the quad form. QSFP+ is an evolution of QSFP to support four 10 Gbit/s channels carrying 10-Gigabit Ethernet, 10G Fiber Channel, or InfiniBand, which allows for 4X10G cables and stackable networking designs that achieve better throughput. QSFP+ can replace 4 standard SFP+ transceivers, resulting in greater port density and overall system cost savings over SFP+.
 
SFP+ vs QSFP+: What's the difference?
SFP+ and QSFP+ are both types of optical transceivers used in data communication and telecommunication networks, but they have different specifications and applications:
1.Data Rate:
  • SFP+: It is designed to transmit data at rates up to 10 Gbps (gigabits per second).
  • QSFP+: It can transmit data at rates up to 40 Gbps. It achieves this by having four channels, each capable of transmitting up to 10 Gbps.
2.Form Factor:
  • SFP+: It is a single-lane transceiver and is smaller in size.
  • QSFP+: It is a 4-lane transceiver, which is larger than SFP+.
3.Applications:
  • SFP+: It is mainly used for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other applications requiring data rates up to 10 Gbps.
  • QSFP+: It is used for 40 Gigabit Ethernet, InfiniBand, and other applications requiring data rates up to 40 Gbps.
4.Number of Channels:
  • SFP+: It has a single channel for transmitting and receiving data.
  • QSFP+: It has four separate channels, each capable of transmitting data at rates up to 10 Gbps.
In summary, the key differences are the data rates they support, their form factors, and the number of channels they have. QSFP+ can handle higher data rates and is used for applications requiring higher bandwidth, while SFP+ is used for applications requiring up to 10 Gbps.
 
 

What do SFP+and QSFP represent respectively?

 

What is SFP+?

Compared to SFP transceivers, SFP+ transceivers are a more advanced version of the technology. SFP+ transceivers are most typically offered at 8Gbps, 10Gbps, or 16Gbps. They have the exact dimensions of SFPs, making it simple to integrate them into existing infrastructure. SFP+ transceiver is one of the most popular data center cabling applications.
 
SFP+ is a type of optical transceiver module used in telecommunications and data communications. The 'SFP' stands for 'Small Form-factor Pluggable' and the '+' indicates that it is an upgraded version of the SFP module.
Here are some key features of the SFP+:
1.Data Rate: It is designed to operate at data rates up to 10 Gbps (gigabits per second), which is ten times faster than the standard SFP modules that operate up to 1 Gbps.
2.Form Factor: SFP+ has the same physical form factor as the standard SFP module, which means it can fit into the same slots as a standard SFP module. This makes it an excellent choice for upgrading network equipment without needing to replace the entire device.
3.Applications: It is mainly used for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 8.5 Gbit/s Fibre Channel, and other applications that require data rates up to 10 Gbps.
4.Duplex: SFP+ modules can be either simplex or duplex. Simplex modules use one fiber to either transmit or receive, while duplex modules use two fibers, one for transmitting and one for receiving.
5.Distance: SFP+ modules are available for various distances, ranging from very short distances (like 1 meter) for copper SFP+ modules, up to several kilometers for long-range single-mode fiber SFP+ modules.
Overall, SFP+ modules are a common and convenient way to achieve 10 Gbps data rates in modern networks.
 
 

What is QSFP?

QSFP+, often known as QSFP, is an abbreviation for quad (4-channel) small form-factor pluggable. QSFP+ optics is yet another tiny, hot-pluggable transceiver used in data transmission. Compared to SFP+, QSFP+ supports 4x10G or 4x14G SFP+ data rates to enable increased bandwidth capabilities. It provides several data rate options for Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, and SONET/SDH technologies.
 
QSFP stands for Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable. It is a type of optical transceiver module used in telecommunications and data communications.
Here are some key features of QSFP:
1.Quad: The 'Quad' in QSFP refers to the four channels in each module. Each channel can operate at data rates up to 10 Gbps, giving a total data rate of 40 Gbps for the entire module.
2.Form Factor: Despite the increased data rate, QSFP modules are similar in size to XFP modules and smaller than CFP modules, making them a compact solution for high-speed data connections.
3.Applications: QSFP modules are commonly used in 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) and InfiniBand applications, as well as other high-speed data connections like data centers.
4.Variants: There are multiple variations of the QSFP module, including QSFP+, which can support data rates up to 100 Gbps (4 channels of up to 25 Gbps each), and QSFP28, which can support data rates up to 100 Gbps per channel, giving a total data rate of 100 Gbps for the entire module.
Overall, QSFP modules are a compact and cost-effective solution for high-speed data connections.
 
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Get solutions or consultation from the technical team.