Champion ONE’s new portfolio of 200G and 400G optical transceivers will include two new form factors developed for high-data rate transmission: the OSFP and QSFP-DD. In the past, we’ve discussed the advantages and disadvantages of both of these options. However, this move will also introduce new standards which may be unfamiliar to users accustomed to 100G and below. In this article, we’ll explore these new standards and how to select the right option for your application.
The New Standards
Our preliminary portfolio of 200G and 400G transceivers will focus on rated distances 10km and under, which will include the following new standards:
What These Standards Mean
SR8: The logical successor to SR4, this standard will also cover distances of approximately 100m. However, it will employ 8 lanes of traffic to do so (8x25G for 200G using NRZ modulation, and 400G using PAM4 modulation).
DR4: The DR4 standard will cover distances of 500m using 4 lanes of 100G transmission via PAM4 modulation.
FR4: The FR4 standard includes a rated distance of 2km, offering 400G transmission via 4 lanes of 100G each. This can be seen as a replacement for the 100G CWDM4 standard.
LR4 and LR8: These standards will support distances of up to 10km, serving the same roles as 100G LR4 optics. The 200G LR4 uses 4 lanes of 50G traffic, while the 400G LR8 employs 8 lanes of 50G.
AOCs: Active optical cables terminating in QSFP-DD transceivers will succeed 100G QSFP28 AOCs for intra-rack connections and similar applications.
If you’d like to explore your network upgrade options further, Champion ONE’s experts are available for a complimentary consultation. Stay tuned to our blog for more on this new technology as we near our launch date.
