400G: Titanic Revolution in Data Center

Nowadays, with the rapid growth of data centers, people’s need for better network capacity and higher speed is increasing dramatically. Consequently, the Ethernet speed upgrade has become a hot issue in recent years. The past few years have witnessed the titanic revolution of Ethernet speed from 1G, 10/25G to 200G. And 400G will be the next driving force of the data center. Recently, FS has launched several 400G direct attach cables to follow the trend. Then what is 400G Ethernet network? And what is new in the current 400G market? This post will give you the answer.
What Is 400G Ethernet?
400G Ethernet is also known as 400 Gigabit Ethernet. It is developed by IEEE P802.3bs Task Force and is published in 2017. And 400 Gigabit Ethernet is an advanced version of 100 Gigabit Ethernet because the speed of 400 Gigabit Ethernet is four times as fast as 100 Gigabit Ethernet and it can provide a denser configuration than 100 Gigabit Ethernet. Besides, the products of 400 Gigabit Ethernet adopt 8x 50G serial links, which are based on the latest PAM-4 module technology.
What Is New in Current 400G Market？
Although 400G is not common in the current market, there are many new products of 400G such as 400G transceivers, 400G DAC cables, 400G WDM and so on. And the following part will focus on 400G DAC in FS and 400G transceivers.
400G DAC
Nowadays, several DACs such as 400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD DAC and 400G QSFP-DD to 8x SFP56 DAC have been launched in the market. Detailed information about these two types of DACs will be illustrated below.
400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD DAC
The connectors of 400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD DAC allow this cable backward compatible with existing QSFP modules. Consequently, we can use one cable for both channel speed and provide flexibility for end users and system designers. Its data rate can reach 400Gbps at maximum, which can be applied in data centers, high performance computing and so on. Companies like Arista, Mellanox and Bizlinktech already have launched this product. FS has three kinds of 400G QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD DAC ranging from 1m to 3m, and the price of three types is different, ranging from 170 to 300 dollars.
400G QSFP-DD to 8x SFP56 DAC
The 400G QSFP-DD to 8x SFP56 DAC has better signal integrity. Its maximum data rate can reach 400Gbps. This DAC uses SFP56 pluggable modules. And the SFP56 pluggable modules are one of the form factors of 50G modules. The SFP56 pluggable module has the same size as SFP, SFP+ and SFP28. Companies like Ecinetworks has launched this DAC. Besides, this 400G QSFP-DD to 8x SFP56 DAC in FS has three types ranging from 1m to 2.5m. And the price ranges from 290 to 470 dollars.
400G Transceivers
Currently, based on different form factors, 400G transceivers in the market can be divided into 400G CFP8, QSFP-DD, OSFP, and COBO transceivers. Some detailed information about these transceivers will be elaborated below.
400G CFP8
Currently, CFP8 FR8/LR8, CFP SR16, and CFP DR4 are the four common types of 400G CFP8 transceivers in the market. These types have the same bandwidth of 400Gb/s. 400G CFP8 can allow for 16 x 25 Gb/s and 8 x 50 Gb/s mode, and its transmission distance can reach 10km at maximum. And these four types of 400G CFP8 have higher power consumption and large size, so the cost of this transceiver may be higher. Currently, 400G CFP8 has been launched by Finisar.
400G QSFP-DD 
400G QSFP-DD is known as Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Double Density. It can support more high-speed electrical interfaces and has higher density than QSFP28. 400G QSFP-DD has the same appearance of QSFP transceiver, but this transceiver has an additional row of electrical contacts. The connector of QSFP-DD has eight 50G lanes which can support high speed transmission. The biggest advantage of 400G QSFP-DD is that it can backward compatible with QSFP series modules, such as QSFP and QSFP28, which is a flexible choice for system designers. But this transceiver can not better solve the problem of heat dissipation. And companies like Vitex-Tech, Mitscomponent have already sold this transceiver on their website.
400G OSFP
400G OSFP refers to 400G Octal Small Form-factor Pluggable. Its connector has eight 50G lanes just like QSFP-DD. This transceiver is equipped with a radiator, which can realize better heat dissipation. But it can not be back compatible with QSFP series modules because it has a bigger size than the QSFP. And Vitex-Tech and Eoptolink have already sold 400G OSFP transceivers on their website.
400G COBO
COBO means Consortium for On-Board. Although its flexibility is not so good as the above transceivers, this transceiver has high module density and better network performance. Therefore, COBO is regarded as the next-generation transceiver for 800G or beyond. In addition, 400G COBO transceivers are installed internally to the line-card equipment in a controlled environment. Currently, 400G COBO transceiver is only a concept, which means it has not been launched by any company yet. But Microsoft is one of the main supporters for this kind of transceiver.
FAQs About 400G Transceivers
1.Can I plug in an OSFP module into a QSFP-DD port, or a QSFP-DD module into an OSFP port?
No. Just as mentioned above, QSFP-DD port and OSFP port don’t have the same size and they are two different form factors of the module. And they must be matched with corresponding systems and modules.
2.Can I have an OSFP on one end of a 400G link, and a QSFP-DD on the other end?
Yes. Just as mentioned above, the OSFP and QSFP-DD are two different form factors of the module. When the Ethernet media and both ends of the link are the same, you can have an OSFP on one end of a 400G link and a QSFP-DD on the other end.
Summary
Although 400G Ethernet network is not widely used in the current market because it faces many challenges, such as higher power consumption and expensive price. The occurrence of the 400G network is more likely to be a titanic revolution of the current network. FS is always following the trend of cutting-edge technology. If you are interested in these new products or want to get more information about this, please contact us via sales@fs.com.

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