What are the Differences of SFP, SFP+, XFP?

Transceivers are essential for wireless communication devices.SFP, SFP+ and XFP are all terms for a type of transceiver optics. and the commonly used SFP, SFP+ and XFP are all with LC connector. SFP and SFP+ with an identical pinout that is different with XFP optics. This article , we will talk about the difference of  SFP,SFP+ ,XFP.

Difference of SFP,SFP+ and XFP module

SFP stands for “Small Form-factor Pluggable.” It is most often used for Fast Ethernet of Gigabit Ethernet applications. They are capable of supporting speeds upto 4.25 Gbps. It interfaces a network device motherboard (for a switch, router, media converter or similar device) to a fiber optic or copper networking cable. It is specified by the SFP transceiver multi-source agreement.

SFP+ can be referred to as an expansion of the SFP standard. It has the capability to support speeds of 10 Gbps or even higher over fiber. The SFP+ product family includes cages, connectors, and copper cable assemblies. It is also similar to the performance requirements of SFF-8431 and also supports 8G Fiber Channel and 10G Ethernet applications. SPF+ comes with various advantages. It is a more compact factor package than compared to that of XFP. The cost of SFP+ is also less than that to the XFP.

XFP is a standard for the transceivers. This type of transceiver is not dependent on the protocol. Generally, it operates at optical wavelengths corresponding to 850nm, 1310nm or 1550nm. The modules belonging to the XFP are hot swappable which means that the function of replacing the computer system components can be performed without shutting down the system. The specifications of XPF were developed by the XFP Multi Source Agreement Group.

SFP module:

• SFP stands for Small Form Factor Pluggable and it is also called as mini GBIC.
• SFP transceiver modules support SONET, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards.
• Copper cables and fiber cables can be used in SFP module.
• SFP supports data rate up to 5 Gbps.

SFP+ module:

• SFP+ stands for small form factor pluggable plus.
• SFP+ transceiver modules support Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards.
• Twinax cables, Copper Cables and fiber cables can be used in SFP+ module.
• SFP+ supports data rate upto 10 Gbps.

 XFP module:

• XFP stands for 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable.
• XFP transceiver modules support SONET, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel, and other communications standards.
• XFP is a slightly larger form factor than the popular small form-factor pluggable transceiver, SFP, and SFP+.
• XFP modules are hot-swappable and protocol-independent.
• XFP supports data rate up to 10 Gbps.

Conclusion: