Introduction and Application of QSFP28 CWDM4 Optical Transceiver

Currently, the QSFP28 is considered as the primary form factor for 100G Ethernet in enterprise networks and data centers. But how much do you know about them? In the previous post, the QSFP28 SR4, QSFP28 LR4, and QSFP28 PSM4 have been narrated in detail. Here, we are going to talk about the QSFP28 CWDM4 optical transceiver through the perspectives of definition, working principle, specifications, applications.

What Is 100G QSFP28 CWDM4?

The QSFP28 100G CWDM4 is a hot-pluggable, full-duplex, and photonic-integrated optical transceiver designed to comply with the QSFP MSA, CWDM4 MSA, and portions of IEEE P802.3bm standard. It features with LC duplex connectors, which can provide a high-speed 100Gbps transmission with a maximum distance of 2km on SMF. More specifically, the QSFP 100G CWDM4 module adopts WDM technology that enables four wavelengths to be multiplexed to transmit on a single fiber, which greatly saves optical fiber resources. The maximum transmission distance of QSFP28 LR4 is 10km which includes the transmission distance of the 100G QSFP28 CWDM4 module. So why don’t we use the QSFP 100G LR4 to transmit 2km directly? The reason is that the QSFP28 LR4 transceiver has a higher consumption and higher laser cost than QSFP 100G CWDM4. Thus the 100G CWDM4 modules make up for the drawback that the cost for QSFP 100G LR4 transmitting 2km is too high.

How Does QSFP28 CWDM4 Work?

The QSFP28 CWDM4 optical transceiver module converts four input wavelengths of 25Gb/s electrical data to four channels of CWDM optical signals and then multiplexes them into a single channel for 100Gb/s optical transmission. On the other end, the QSFP 100G CWDM4 de-multiplexes a 100Gb/s optical input into four channels of CWDM optical signals and then converts them to four output channels of electrical data on the receiver side.

Figure 1: QSFP28 CWDM4 Module Working Principle

QSFP28 CWDM4 Datasheet

All QSFP 100G CWDM4 optical transceivers are manufactured to satisfy the industry standard and have been recognized by numerous customers. They are proven to be compatible with over 200 vendors, such as Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Brocade, Dell, and so on.

QSFP 100G CWDM4 Specification

QSFP 100G CWDM4 Benefits

• All QSFP28 CWDM4 modules must run through programming and an extensive series of platform diagnostic tests to ensure their performance and compatibility. And 100GBASE-CWDM4 optical modules are fully interoperable with non-Opticswave 100G CWDM4 transceivers as long as they meet the associated industry standard specifications.

• All QSFP 100G CWDM4 transceivers from Opticswave are provided with exchange service within a year and five-year warranty.

• 100G QSFP28 CWDM4 modules can be reconfigured for any network hardware at a moment’s notice with the help of the transceiver coding tool - Opticswave Box. In this way, the QSFP 100G CWDM4 modules are programmed on-site to be compatible with over 200 OEM devices efficiently and flexibly.

• With large stock, QSFP28 CWDM4 100G modules can be shipped the same day after ordering.

QSFP 100G CWDM4 Cabling and Connectivity

The QSFP 100G CWDM4 adopts WDM technology to transmit signals with a maximum transmission distance of 2km on a single fiber, greatly saving optical fiber resources. In most cases, QSFP28 CWDM4 transceivers can be used for 100G to 100G interconnection in enterprise networks and data centers.

100G-100G Interconnect Cabling Solution with Fiber Adapter Panel

The method to connect with the FHD fiber adapter panel is very straightforward. As the following diagram shows, two QSFP28 CWDM4 modules are plugged into two 100G switches. And the 100G to 100G interconnection can be achieved by using FHD fiber patch panel, rack mount fiber enclosure, and LC duplex single-mode fiber patch cable. In this solution, the fiber enclosure and adapter panels are used for structured cable management.

Figure 2: QSFP28 CWDM4 Module 100G to 100G Interconnection