Tunable SFP

Mailman List Mirror (Read Only)
1

Anyone know if tunable SFPs exist? I've googled around on this, but only
found fixed wave-length SFPs.

Or of a tunable SFP+ that can operate in SFP port as 1G?

Frank

2

They do exist. They tend to have tighter link budgets as compared to XFP tunable optics. Don't expect to go as far due to the receiver sensitivity.

Jared Mauch

3

Thanks -- can you point me to any suppliers?

Frank

4

https://www.finisar.com/optical-transceivers/ftlx6872mcc

Finisar is now selling direct now. Let me know in private if you need a sales contact there.

Jared Mauch

5

Thanks, that's very helpful. They have several models there:
https://www.flexoptix.net/en/produkte/transceiver.html?fo_tra_formfactor=sfp
#fo_tra_formfactor=sfp&fo_tra_interface=05_dwdm_100ghz&gan_data=true

Frank

6

Upon second look, these are "reconfigurable". Doesn't appear to be the same
as tunable. =(

Frank

7

Hi Frank - we have DWDM SFP TUNABLES - stateside. They are both tunable and reconfigurable.

Eric Litvin
Luma Optics
650 996 7270

8

Hi Frank,

Frank wrote:
Upon second look, these are "reconfigurable". Doesn't appear to be the
same
as tunable. =(

These tuneables have three features:

1. Tune 80-DWDM-channels in the 50 / 100 GHz grid -> You can change the
wavelength of the SFP+
2. Reconfigurable -> configure these SFP+ to operate in your used host
system today. Reconfigure these SFP+ to operate in a different host
tomorrow.
3. Combining 1. + 2. -> You can use these tunable SFP+ also in hosts which
do not support wavelength tuning - in this scenario wavelength tuning is
done externally via flexbox. The tunable SFP+ acts like a fixed DWDM SFP+
in your host (or even regular SFP+ ZR if there is no support for fixed
DWDM SFP+) but the physics is still a full tunable DWDM SFP+

Jared wrote:
They do exist. They tend to have tighter link budgets as compared to XFP
tunable optics. Don't expect to go as far due to the receiver
sensitivity.

One comment regarding the receiver sensitivity. For both (XFP and SFP+
tunable) it is -24dBm because for both formfactors the same APD receiver
is used.

Thanks
    Thomas

9

Hi,

I believe nobody actually answered the original question: is there any
tunable SFP module available. Notice the lack of a + in that statement. The
datasheets for modules cited in this thread are all 10G modules with
minimum speed of 8.5G. Nothing that will work at 1G.

But correct me if I am wrong, the real reason this is not available is
because tunable optics is so extremely expensive. It is expensive for 10G
and would be insane for a 1G link.

When will I be able to buy tunable optics with only a modest price premium?
I would love to stock tunables... but it is just so expensive that it is
much cheaper to have spare parts for many different wavelengths lying
around. Only organisations where money is unlimited can afford to use this
stuff just for the convenience!

Regards,

Baldur

10

I don't quite see why you would want to use a tuneable 1G optic now days. Generally people use coloured optics to either increase the capacity they can push down a Dark Fibre or to interconnect with a DWDM OTN. In days past using different wavelengths for traffic separation would be not unheard of but in today's world there are many better ways of doing that. The use of tuneable optics reduces sparing and complexity but it is a very difficult and expensive manufacturing task and I can understand why no manufacturer would bother with 1G as that seems like a very small market. If you really want 1G there are plenty of CWDM fixed optics available. If you need more capacity, well really 10G is not at all expensive now days. If you want traffic separation then use MPLS. If you have old 1G only switches, well, you know the answer to that.

My 2c

11

Dwdm tunable 10G can run at 1G with rate select.

12

Eric wrote:

Dwdm tunable 10G can run at 1G with rate select.

+1 already tested and deployed in the field. The configuration/programming
of the tunable needs to be modified because pure 1G gear can not handle
the 10G configuration of the tunable in most cases.
For sure the mayor (economical) case for tunable SFP+ is 10G Ethernet but
beside 1G ETH it also works for 4/8G FC datarate.

Thomas