The SFP 50G pluggable transceiver that will get you simple migration from 25G

Written by:
**Craig Pasek, Product Supervisor**
Cisco Optics

New 50G transceiver product household

As community operators look to improve their medium-speed Ethernet hyperlinks, they’ll benefit from a Cisco’s new optical transceiver product household “SFP-50G”. These modules are 50G transceivers in a type issue referred to as SFP56 (see Determine 1). They ship double the information price of SFP-25G (SFP28 type issue) and in the identical primary SFP type issue.

In contrast to QSFP-40G and QSFP-100G transceivers, which each use 4 electrical lanes at decrease speeds (4 x 10G and 4 x 25G, respectively), SFP-50G encompasses a single electrical lane. In consequence, it will probably interface straight with the newest technology swap ASICs that incorporate 50G serializers/deserializers (SerDes), eliminating the necessity for added gearboxes with PAM4 encoders/decoders. Thus, SFP-50G gives a lift in efficiency of 50G with a design that minimizes price, house and energy consumption.

From a historic perspective, let’s have a look at the evolution of the QSFP-100G and SFP-25G markets, each primarily based upon the 25G SerDes. The primary units to achieve the market have been the QSFP-100G optical modules, primarily based on 4 electrical lanes of 25G SerDes within the QSFP28 type issue. This allowed transceiver module suppliers to supply 100G functionality. SFP-25G modules weren’t broadly accessible till years later. An identical dynamic is in play now for SFP-50G. Due to the broad give attention to QSFP56-DD 400G modules, the marketplace for 50G SerDes and ASICs is now mature, leading to excessive reliability and low price. This case allows the event and industrial development of SFP-50G modules.

The SFP56 worth proposition

In comparison with the workhorse SFP-25G, the SFP-50G delivers double the information price in the identical type issue. Traditionally, that pattern has led to dramatic decreases in price per bit. Change distributors are already creating switches with SFP ports that may assist 1G, 10G, 25G, and 50G charges. These merchandise give community operators the liberty to function every hyperlink on the information price that most closely fits demand at any given time simply by choosing the suitable transceiver sort: copper, SMF or MMF and the specified velocity in SFP, SFP-10G, SFP-25G and now SFP-50G.

To assist this pattern, Cisco’s SFP-50G product household accommodates a complete portfolio of transceivers starting from copper-based options of some meters to optical modules with reaches of as much as 15 km and even higher sooner or later. These transceivers assist 50G and 25G twin price, which permits them to attach on the new the 50G price whereas additionally connecting with 25G transceivers. This offers community operators an economical migration path from 25G to 50G by enabling partial community upgrades.

Determine 2: Cisco’s SFP-50G transceivers assist dual-rates (25/50G)

Community operators want versatile, dependable improve paths to serve a wide range of shopper wants. SFP-50G provides them the choice of a big capability enhance in a well-recognized type issue that helps cut back price per bit. Cisco’s SFP-50G transceiver product line, a broad 50G portfolio, lets community operators select the optimum answer for a wide range of community segments.