Answer all questions regarding Optical Transceiver(SFP+/QSFP+/QSFP28/CFP)

[OpticalTransceiver]

I am a engineer in Optical transceiver for over 10+years in a CM manufactory(OEM SFP+/QSFP+/QSFP28/CFP basiclly from 1G to 100G) in China for CISCO, HW, ZTE, Nokia plus ALU, Ericsson. Probablly from most of the equipment vendors you know. And also been widely adapted by white box switches from Mega datacenter in Google...

These companies does not make optical transceiver themself but instead they make multi-source agreement to define this optical transceiver so the whole industry suply chain manufature the same components to reduce the costs. Further to this MSA, each company define the specs of transceivers, contents in EEPROM(which makes the transceiver to be identical to the swithes) and send the specs to the factory that meets their standards in terms of quality, cost, capacity, R&D ability and financial states.

Take CISOC 10G SFP+ multi-mode 850nm SR for example, the annual volume they purchase from manufactory is 5million pcs with around $12.00/pcs. it is basiclly the same hardware in this optical transceivers we supply to HW, Nokia, ZTE and other equipments with different EEPROM content for the switches to read.

All SFP, SFP+, CFP, QSFP+, QSFP28 modules contain a number of recorded values by the buyer in their EEPROM and include:

l Vendor Name
l Vendor ID
l Serial Number
l Security Code
l CRC

There are a bunch of so called compatible transceiver online claim to be functional in your switches. the chances are, they are probably some junk hardware assembly in a hand workshop.

Let me know if you have any question.

 

[Jerry Renwick]

There is always a dilemma between costs and performance. Even thought people sometimes compliant about the compatibility issue about the OEM products, they still take the risk of buying them for the tempting price. However, lately, we cannot deny the fact that most of them worked.

 

[OpticalTransceiver]

There is always a dilemma between costs and performance. Even thought people sometimes compliant about the compatibility issue about the OEM products, they still take the risk of buying them for the tempting price. However, lately, we cannot deny the fact that most of them worked.

I need to extend this "worked" concept on the perspective of CM manufactory. Most compatible transceivers you purchase online just assembly in a hand workshop. They have no respect of quality control and follow the industry standards. To make it work in certain switches just need to write the right EEPROM information in the transceivers. But to make it work continouns without causing any trouble requires a lot of cost put into quality control, screen, burn in to rule out any potential quality issues.

Even under millions pcs of optics transceiver we shipped out each year to HW, CISCO, Nokia, ZTE and Ericsson. They are around a thousand fail each year for various reasons after so many means applied on quality controls. Quality control tells something regarding quality control for a qualified manufactory.

If you value your network stablility and take cost efficiency into consideration, I recommend you to buy transceivers from a CM of these big switch company(CISCO, HW, ZTE, Nokia and Ericsson). Some of the big CM name is Finisar, Avago, Accelink, Hisense, HG Genuine. Or if you specificly require to compatible with certain brand. you can find it. They help you to do customization on those CM transceivers.

 

[pc_doom]

At least I have bought many compatible transceivers or the "junk" in your eyes, all of them are working well. So you are working in a optical transciever factory to produce these junk transceiver, and you suggest people do not to purchase?

 

[OpticalTransceiver]

At least I have bought many compatible transceivers or the "junk" in your eyes, all of them are working well. So you are working in a optical transciever factory to produce these junk transceiver, and you suggest people do not to purchase?

1. Sample base is too small to justify "all of them are working well". The quality goal our factroy need to reach is "300 FIT". It means that you can not have more than 300failures over a million pcs each year on your customer side, which is the criterion of a CM for those switch vendor need to meet.

2. These factories develop transceivers follow below stages and applied those tests to ensure the quality of their design
Develop stages
Stages Major Purposes

EVT

• Verify product design;
• Identify key material suppliers;
• Test functionalities and major performance of engineer sample;
• Make preparation for next stage;

DVT

• Verify DVT sample to finalize product design;
• Finish production process design;
• Make preparation for next stage;

PVT

Verify pilot run to fix any defect that could potentially happen during massive production

NPI

Transfer to massive production


Reliability Tests
Test name Test condition
HTOL(High Temperature Operating Life)

2000hrs running under 85℃ to accelerate ageing the modules, test performance on 168hrs, 336hrs, 500hrs, 1000hrs, 2000hrs to see if any deterioration occurred;

HTS(High Temperature Storage)

Increase environment temperature to 85℃(-40℃) from room temperature within 1hr, remain 85℃(-40℃) for 2000hrs(72hrs) and then decrease to room temperature within 1hrs. checking both performance and mechanical structure if any defect happens;

LTS(Low Temperature Storage)

DH(Damp Heat)

500rs running under 85℃ and 85% RH to accelerate ageing the modules, test performance on 168hrs, 336hrs, 500hrs to see if any deterioration occurred;

TC(Temperature Cycle)

500hrs running under temperature range -40（-10，+0）℃～85（-0，+10）℃, temperature change by 10℃/min and remain 10min at both -40℃ and 85℃ when reached for 500cycles. Testing on 168cycles, 336cycles and 500cycles to see if any deterioration occurred;

CMR(Cyclic Moisture Resistance)

22cycles（24hours/cycles）running under 95%（-2%，+3%）RH and temperature range 25（±2）℃～62（±2）℃(temperature change follow certain model), then test to see if any deterioration occurred;

TS(Thermal Shock)

2000hrs power on(3.3V) under 85℃ to accelerate ageing the modules, test performance on 168hrs, 336hrs, 500hrs, 1000hrs, 2000hrs to see if any deterioration occurred;

ESD(HBM)

±2000Voltage discharge on module to see if any deterioration occurred;

Salt Spray Test

(5±1)% NaCl spray with PH 6.7~7.2 under 35±2℃ spray for 16hrs to see if any deterioration occurred;

Vibration Test

20-2000Hz vibration under 20G acceleration for 16 min with 4min/cycle on change vibration direction(z-y-x axis);

Mechanical Shock

1500G acceleration for 0.5s on 6 axis with 5 times per axis;

Thermal Shock

15cycles(remain on peak temperature 5min and 10s from maximum to minimum) running under 0（-10，+2）℃～100（-2，+10）℃ temperature range;

3. A 10G SFP+ LR we sold to HW on $25ish price based on a 5million annual volume. So what makes you think you can purchase the same product online for about roughly the close price??? Does this even make sense to you?

 

[Andrewyi08]

Like being said, there is always a dilemma between costs and performance. But some good third-party suppliers could offer the assured product. I bought Cisco compatible fiber optical transceiver and fiber optical cable for several times from monoprice, fs.com, C2G... They all worked well on my switches. And +1 for this, "So you are working in a optical transciever factory to produce these junk transceiver, and you suggest people do not to purchase?".

 

[am4593]

I have no problem using a transceiver which just just has its eeprom reprogrammed. I could see problems with other differences though