The types of SFP transceivers

SFP transceivers are available with a variety of transmitter and receiver types, allowing users to select the appropriate transceiver for each link to provide the required optical reach over the available optical fiber type (e.g. multi-mode fiber or single-mode fiber). Optical SFP modules are commonly available in several different categories:

for multi-mode fiber, with black or beige[1] extraction lever
SX - 850 nm, for a maximum of 550 m at 1.25 Gbit/s (Gigabit Ethernet) or 150m at 4.25 Gbit/s (Fibre Channel)[2]

for single-mode fiber, with blue[1] extraction lever
        LX - 1310 nm, for distances up to 10 km
        BX - 1490 nm/1310 nm, Single Fiber Bi-Directional Gigabit SFP Transceivers, paired as BS-U and BS-D for Uplink and Downlink respectively, also for distances up to 10 km[3][4]
        1550 nm 40 km (XD), 80 km (ZX), 120 km (EX or EZX)
        CWDM and DWDM transceivers at various wavelengths achieving various maximum distances

for copper twisted pair cabling
1000BASE-T - these modules incorporate significant interface circuitry[5] and can only be used for Gigabit Ethernet, as that is the interface they implement. They are not compatible with (or rather: do not have equivalents for) Fibre channel or SONET.

April 27, 2012

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