Copper medium usually does not require any transceivers, as they are part of the interface module. However, a few of Brocade’s products use an SFP copper transceiver with an RJ-45 female connector for Gigabit Ethernet connectivity over copper medium, or XFP copper transceiver for 10Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) connectivity over CX4 copper. For more information about 10G SFP copper modules, please visit 10GBASE-T SFP+ Copper RJ45 Transceiver Module
As a kind of SFP copper transceiver, the SFP 1000BASE-TX module uses an RJ-45 connector to provide a connection to up to 100 meters over Cat5e or higher copper cable. It is used in applications such as LAN 1000Base-T Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet over Cat5e cable, switch to switch interface, router/server interface, and other optical transmission systems.
Here is an example of Fiberstore’s SFP copper module. This module has the following features.
- Supports 1000BASE-T operation in host systems
- For 100m reach over Cat 5 UTP cable
- Hot-pluggable SFP footprint
- Supports RX_LOS as link indication function
- Fully metallic enclosure for low EMI
- Low power dissipation (1.05 W typical)
- Compact RJ-45 connector assembly
- Compliant with SFP MSA and IEEE Std 802.3-2002
- Detailed product information in EEPROM
While the copper SFP modules are used in the Gigabit Ethernet applications, the 10G SFP copper modules such as 10G-SFPP-LR Brocade transceivers are used for the 10GbE and 8G Fibre Channel applications.
As a kind of copper XFP transceiver, the XFP 10GBASE-CX4 module uses a CX4 connector to provide a connection to up to 15 meters over CX4 grade copper cable. Transparently to the user, the module transfers the 10GbE data stream over four full-duplex 3.125 Gbps channels over a single parallel copper cable. The product offers the ability to scale bandwidth in 10G increments, and directly with the industry standard MDI electrical socket.
CX4 is an extension of the four-channel 10 Gbps XAUI interface and is available in 70-pin MSA transponder modules, otherwise known as Xenpak, XPAK and X2. The 10GBASE-CX4 solution employs an Infiniband-style Twin-AX cable (click to see the Cisco 10G twinax). In this case, eight 100-ohm differential Twin-AX cables are bundled into a single outer shield. The center conductors are 24 AWG wire for compatibility with printed circuit board termination inside the connector housing. The limitation of the 10GBASE-CX4 solution is that it requires a 70-pin MSA socket and only supports the IEEE802.3ae 10GE data format.
The XFP format also offers the distinct feature of being data agnostic, which opens the market for the copper based solution to telecommunications applications as well. The 10 Gbps serial solution over copper adds the final link option to the XFP industry, offering everything from the ultra low-cost sub-20m 10 Gbps shelf-to-shelf and rack-to-rack links to 80 km or longer optical links.
About Fiberstore:
Fiberstore designs, develops, manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost-competitive fiber optic communication products for all applications. We are mainly engaged in providing complete sets of optoelectronic device solutions to gain more brand extensions and influence in the world.
