Demystifying Transceiver Part Numbers Part 1: Understanding Form Factors

What’s in a name? When it comes to transceivers, everything. Using an alphanumeric code for a naming system means that a part number is more than just a title, it’s a way to communicate essential details about the product and its technology.

Understanding transceiver part numbers, however, can be daunting, especially when dealing with the vast array of options available. In this blog series, we will delve into the intricacies of optical transceiver part numbers, breaking them down bit by bit in the interest of helping you find the best fit for your project. Whether you’re a network engineer, an IT procurement professional, or simply someone curious about telecom technology, this guide will assist in clarifying the complexities so you can feel confident and informed.

Introduction to Form Factor Codes

Transceiver part numbers serve as unique identifiers, providing essential information about the transceiver’s capabilities and compatibility. The key to decoding these part numbers lies in understanding the industry standards and the specific conventions used by suppliers like Precision OT. This article will examine the element of a part number called the form factor, which denotes the physical size, shape, and electrical interface of a device, defining how it connects and interacts with other hardware. If you learn the ins and outs of form factor codes, they tell you all you need to know about a particular transceiver’s compatibility with different network equipment, such as switches and routers.

Here at Precision OT, the base hardware of generic wideband transceivers comes in a three-part format that typically looks something like this: XXX-XXXXX-XXX. Channelized optics and some variations of data rates and extended temperature specifications will have extra information added that will be explained in part 2 of this series. Typically, the first part of the Part Number format will include our company Precision OT as “PRE”. The second part is the form factor, and the last part is the optical standard related to a certain reach and the number of lanes if applicable. For instance, let’s say you see a transceiver called PRE-SFP10G-SR. The part of this name representing the form factor is in the middle stanza, SFP10G, also known as SFP+. All SFP form factors, by default, have one optical lane, so the final stanza – SR – refers to the optical standard related to a certain reach, in this case Short Range (SR) for distances up to 300m via Multi-Mode Fiber.

Even more information can be placed inside this kind of naming convention. Let’s look at another example: PRE-QSFP56DD-FR4. In this case, the form factor is QSFP-DD. QSFP denotes Quad-SFP, which means 4x electrical lanes. The double-density configuration, denoted by DD, doubles the total amount of electrical lanes to 8 and we’ve also included the max electrical data rate of 56 Gbps to define the max data rate of the transceiver at >400Gb. The final section, FR4, indicates that this transceiver has an optical reach of up to 2km (FR) and “4” for the number of optical lanes. In Figure 1 we can see a visual representation of the different data rates and electrical/optical lanes that can be interpreted from the Part Number nomenclature.

Figure 1 Diagram of a PRE-QSFP56DD-FR4 transceiver

Figure 2 gives a quick reference on how to interpret a few Part Numbers for 100G and 400G transceivers and how those relate to the electrical and optical specifications.

Armed with this information, let’s look at some other common form factor types, and how they are expressed through their transceiver form factor codes.

Precision OT Transceiver Form Factors Explained

Among our wide range of transceivers, Precision OT has a unique part numbering scheme providing additional layers of information necessary to make room for new technologies and solutions designed to meet specific customer needs. Here’s a breakdown of some of our most common transceiver form factor offerings, outlining how our naming conventions align with industry standards and cater to specialized requirements, organized from basic to more advanced configurations. In the second column we’ve added an additional line to explain the nomenclature and electrical data rate and lanes.

*Data rate is shown here as a general speed, some specific transceivers such as the ones capable of OTUx rates will have slightly higher total speed.

The Game of the Name

Precision OT’s transceiver lineup ensures that you have the right tools for every stage of your network’s growth and evolution. By understanding the various transceiver form factor names, their configurations, and the technology behind them, you can make informed decisions to meet your networking needs effectively and select the right components for your network needs.

In the next part of this series, we will delve into more advanced transceiver form factors including dual rate, multi rate, tunable and bidirectional optics. We’ll also cover naming conventions for transceivers supporting DWDM and CWDM. In the meantime, learn more about our selection of transceivers here.