The document discusses 10GbE interconnect solutions for increasing bandwidth demands. It describes that 10GbE using fiber optics or copper cables is suitable. Fiber optics includes single-mode and multi-mode fiber, while copper solutions include 10GBASE-CX4, SFP+ DAC cables up to 15m, and 10GBASE-T over twisted pair up to 100m. Choosing a solution depends on factors like distance, power, cost, and future needs.

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Fiberstore (FS.COM) | 10GbE Interconnect Solutions Overview
New sophisticated networking services, coupled with the increase of Internet users push the
Internet traffic to an even higher point, driving the need for increased bandwidth consequently. One
Ethernet technology—10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is adequate for such bandwidth demand, and has
become widely available due to the competitive price and performance, as well as its simplified
cabling structure.
Several cable and interconnect solutions are available for 10GbE, the choice of which depends on
the maximum interconnect distance, power budget and heat consumption, signal latency, network
reliability, component adaptability to future requirements, cost. Here cost includes more than what
we call the equipment interface and cable cost, but more often the labor cost. Thus, choosing a
10GbE interconnect solution requires careful evaluation of each option against the specific
applications. This text aims to introduce two main 10GbE interconnect solutions: fiber optics and
copper.
Fiber Optics Solution
Fiber optic cables include single-mode fiber (SMF) and multi-mode fiber (MMF). MMF is larger in
diameter than that of single-mode, thus portions of the light beam follow different paths as they
bounce back and forth between the walls of the fiber, leading to the possible distorted signal when
reach the other end of the cable. The amount of distortion increases with the length of the cable.
The light beam follows a single path through thinner single-mode cable, so the amount of distortion
is much lower.
The typical 10GBASE port type that uses MMF is 10GBASE-SR which uses 850nm lasers. When used
with OM3 MMF, 10GBASE-SR can support 300m-connection distances, and when with OM4 MMF,
10GbE Interconnect
Solutions Overview

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Fiberstore (FS.COM) | 10GbE Interconnect Solutions Overview
400m link length is possible through 10GBASE-SR SFP+ transceiver.
10GBASE-LR (eg. E10GSFPLR), 10GBASE-ER and 10GBASE-ZR are all specified to work via SMF. SMF
can carry signals up to 80km, so it is more often used in wide-area networks. But since SMF requires
a more expensive laser light source than MMF does, SMF is replaced by MMF when the required
connection distance is not so long.
Copper Solution
10GBASE-CX4, SFP+ Direct Attach (DAC) and 10GBASE-T are all specified to operate through copper
medium.
 10GBASE-CX4
Being the first 10GbE copper solution standardized by the IEEE as 802.3ak in 2002, 10GBase-CX4
uses four cables, each carrying 2.5gigabits of data. It is specified to work up to a distance of 15m.
Although 10GBase-CX4 provides an extremely cost-effective method to connect equipment within
that 15m-distance, its bulky weight and big size of the CX4 connector prohibited higher switch
densities required for large scale deployment. Besides, large diameter cables are purchased in fixed
lengths, causing problems in managing cable slack. What’s more, the space isn’t sufficient enough
to handle these large cables.
 SFP+ DAC
SFP+ Direct Attach Cable (DAC), or called 10GSFP+Cu, is a copper 10GBASE twin-axial cable,
connected directly into an SFP+ housing. It comes in either an active or passive twin-axial cable
assembly. This solution provides a low-cost and low energy-consuming interconnect with a flexible
cabling length, typically 1 to 7m (passive versions) or up to 15m (active versions) in length. Below is
the SFP+ to SFP+ passive copper cable assembly with 1m length, 487655-B21, a HP compatible
10GbE cabling product.

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Fiberstore (FS.COM) | 10GbE Interconnect Solutions Overview
 10GBASE-T
10GBASE-T, known as IEEE 802.3an-2006, utilizes twisted pair cables and RJ-45 connectors over
distances up to 100m. Cat 6 and Cat 6a are recommended, with the former reaching the full length
at 100m, and the latter at 55m. In a word, 10GBASE-T permits operations over 4-connector
structured 4-pair twisted-pair copper cabling for all supported distances within 100m. Besides,
10GBASE-T cabling solution is backward-compatible with 1000BASE-T switch infrastructures,
keeping costs down while offering an easy migration path from 1GbE to 10GbE.
Conclusion
In summary, two main media options are available for 10GbE interconnect: copper and fiber optics,
including 10GBASE-CX4, SFP+ DAC, 10GBASE-T, 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-ER,
10GBASE-ZR, and so on. Fiberstore offers all these 10GBASE SFP+ modules and cables for your
10GbE deployment, which are quality-assured and cost-effective, like E10GSFPLR and 487655-B21
mentioned above. For more information about 10GbE interconnect solutions, you can visit
www.fs.com.

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Fiberstore (FS.COM) | 10GbE Interconnect Solutions Overview
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Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or
implied, concerning any equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by Fiberstore.
Fiberstore reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no
responsibility for its use. This information document describes features that may not be currently available.
Contact a Fiberstore sales team for information on feature and product availability.
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