Overview of 400G QSFP-DD Types and Connection Solutions

NADDOD Holly Fiber Optic Technician Supervisor Jul 28, 2023

With its high speed, compact size, and hot-pluggable advantages, QSFP-DD packaging has gained popularity in the 400G realm. Among the next-generation data center network interconnects, 400G QSFP-DD optical transceivers have become one of the most sought-after options.

 

As 400G becomes standardized, various manufacturers and suppliers have developed different types of 400G QSFP-DD transceivers, such as NADDOD's high-volume 400G QSFP-DD SR8. This article will focus on introducing the types of 400G QSFP-DD optical transceivers and their connection solutions to help you better deploy your network.

 

Complete List of 400G QSFP-DD Optical Transceiver Types

The types of 400G QSFP-DD optical transceivers include 400G QSFP-DD SR8, 400G QSFP-DD DR4, 400G QSFP-DD FR4, 400G QSFP-DD LR4, and 400G QSFP-DD LR8. See the table below for details:

Type

Max Reach

Wavelength

Fiber Optic

Connector

Modulation

Protocol

400G QSFP-DD SR8

100m(OM4) 70m(OM3)

850nm

Multi-mode Fiber

MPO/MTP-16

50G

PAM4

IEEE P802.3cm/IEEE

802.3bs

400G QSFP-DD DR4

500m

1310nm

Single-mode Fiber

MPO/MTP-12

100G

PAM4

IEEE 802.3bs

400G QSFP-DD

XDR4/DR4+

2km

1310nm

Single-mode Fiber

MPO/MTP-12

100G

PAM4

/

400G QSFP-DD FR4

2km

CWDM4 wavelegnth

Single-mode Fiber

LC

100G

PAM4

100G lambda

(MSA)

400G QSFP-DD

2FR4(FR8)

2km

CWDM4 wavelegnth

Single-mode Fiber

CS

50G

PAM4

IEEE 802.3bs

400G QSFP-DD LR4

10km

CWDM4 wavelegnth

Single-mode Fiber

LC

100G

PAM4

100G lambda

400G QSFP-DD LR8

10km

1310nm

Single-mode Fiber

LC

50G

PAM4

IEEE 802.3bs

 

Among them, "SR" refers to the use of multimode fiber to achieve transmission distances of 70 meters, 100 meters, or 150 meters. The "8" indicates that the transceiver has 8 fiber channels. "DR" refers to the use of single-mode fiber to achieve a transmission distance of 500 meters, and the "4" indicates that the transceiver has 4 fiber channels. "XDR4" is an extended version of "DR4." "FR" refers to the use of single-mode fiber to achieve a transmission distance of 2 kilometers, and "LR" refers to the use of single-mode fiber to achieve a transmission distance of 10 kilometers.

 

Common Connection Solutions for 400G QSFP-DD Optical Transceivers

400G QSFP-DD SR8

As mentioned earlier, the 400G QSFP-DD SR8 enables 400G transmission through a multimode fiber, with a maximum distance of 100 meters (OM4). Therefore, the 400G QSFP-DD SR8 transceiver is suitable for short-distance interconnects or multi-channel data communication. The common connection solutions are as follows:

 

400G Interconnects

Two 400G QSFP-DD SR8 transceivers can be connected through MPO/MTP-16 fiber patch cords to achieve 400G transmission.