XFP Transceiver Module Basic

XFP transceiver is a hot-swappable optical transceiver, independent of the communication protocol, usually the size is 850nm, 1310nm or 1550nm for the 10G bps SONET / SDH, Fibre Channel, gigabit Ethernet, 10 gigabit Ethernet and other applications, including DWDM link. XFP contains similar SFF-8472 digital diagnostic modules, but extended to provide a robust management tools. XFI electrical interface specification is part of the XFP Multi Source Agreement specifications. XFP developed by the XFP Multi Source Agreement Group.
Increasingly high degree of integration of the optical transceiver module, 10G Ethernet optical interface completely by an optical module. 10G optical modules include optical/electrical conversion, clock extraction and synchronization, and multiplexing/demultiplexing 64B/66B codec WIS codec of 8b/10b sub-function modules.

LIGHT READING magazine report shows 10G optical module will be the next few years, the most market potential for optical devices. Now used widely 10G optical module the following: 300pin Xenpak, Xpak, X2 and XFP . Which 300pin belongs to the first generation of modules, mainly used in SDH electrical interface changed can also be applied to 10G Ethernet 10G Ethernet 16 the interface (XSBI) after; Xenpak is the launch of the first generation of 10G Ethernet optical module using the standard IEEE 802.3ae 10G additional unit interface (XAUI) as the data path; Xpak and X2 Xenpak optical modules directly improved version, about 40% smaller; XFP A compact, inexpensive optical modules, somewhat similar to the miniaturization of Gigabit Ethernet pluggable optical module (SFP).

Led manufacturers with the Xenpak camp to rival the United States Finisar Corporation, which unites about 10 companies, including system integrators, Brocade the Emulex, ONCiena, light module provider Finisar, JDSU, Sumitomo Electric, Tyco Electronics and chip manufacturer Broadcom, Maxim , Velio et XFP Multi-Source Agreement Organization (MSA) was established in March 2002. Compared with other optical module, XFP optical module is the the shape most compact cost is the lowest, and therefore has a great advantage. XFP has been following Xpak or X2 after a new generation of products, there are already many manufacturers have released XFP optical module products.
Compared to other optical module, XFP optical transceiver is not Transponder. The optical transceiver is actually just a photoelectric conversion device, only responsible for the completion of the optical / electrical signal conversion, other functions, such as multiplexing/demultiplexing, 64B/66B codec by the chip implementation of the circuit board. XFP optical module can easily achieve high port density applications, XFP occupied area of only the Xenpak the 20% of the printed circuit board (PCB), the power consumption is only 1.5 to 2 W, can be used to achieve up to 16-port line card.

XFP interface with the circuit board using the 10G serial circuit interface (XFI-). Now provided by the manufacturer XSBI-to-XFI and XAUI-to-XFI chip, the XGMII-to-XFI chip manufacturers in the development.
Because 10G XFP is just an optical transceiver, so has nothing to do with the protocol can be generally applied to 10G Ethernet 10GFC and OC-192 SDH, universality of application conducive to equipment manufacturers increase purchases, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing costs. Addition, XFP provides a two-wire serial interface, can achieve the data diagnosis function, real-time monitoring of the optical module of various parameters, such as temperature, the laser bias current, transmitted light power, the received optical power, working voltage, etc..
Source: XFP Transceiver Module