What’s the difference between transceiver & transponder and different package of the optical transceiver module

1. What’s the Difference Between Transceiver & Transponder
And Different package of the optical transceiver module
Difference between Transceiver & Transponder
In a fiber optic communication network, there are many equipment and
facilities to support the normal operation of the system. Fiber optic transponder
and fiber optic transceiver are the one of these devices. Literally, both of them
are with a prefix “trans”. It seems to imply that there is a similarity between
them. Actually, they are not the same. So, what’s the difference between them,
something difference on principle or applications? Today, we are going to have
a discussion on this topic.
First, in order to better understand the difference between a fiber optic
transceiver and a fiber optic transponder, we need to define what each one
does.
Most systems use a “transceiver” which includes both transmission and
receiver in a single module. Its purpose, in broad terms, is to transmit and
receive data. In fiber optic communication, the commonly used transceiver
modules are hot-swappable I/O (input/output) devices which plug into
module sockets. The transceiver acts to connect the electrical circuitry of the
module with the optical or copper network. Devices such as routers or network
interface cards provide one or more transceiver module slot (e.g GBIC, SFP,
XFP), into which you can insert a transceiver module which is appropriate for

2. that connection. The optical fiber, or wire, plugs into a connector on the
transceiver module. There are multiple types of transceiver module available
for use with different types of wire, fiber, different wavelengths within a fiber,
and for communication over different distances. The most commonly used fiber
optic transceivers include GBIC, SFP, SFP+, XFP, X2,XPENPAK,CFP, QSFP
etc. They are widely used for different application, eg. 10G, 40G fiber optic
transmission.
“Transponder” includes a transmitter and a responder. It is a similar device
with transceiver. In optical fiber communications, a transponder is the element
that sends and receives the optical signal from a fiber. A transponder is
typically characterized by its data rate and the maximum distance the signal
can travel. According to its specific applications, it is also known as
wavelength-converting transponder, WDM transponder or fiber to fiber media
converter. Fiber optic Transponders extend network distance by converting
wavelengths (1310 to 1550), amplifying optical power and can support the
“Three Rs” to Retime, Regenerate and Reshape the optical signal. In general,
there is an O-E-O (optical-electrical-optical) function with this device. Fiber
optic transponders and optical multiplexers are usually present in the terminal
multiplexer as an important component for WDM (Wavelength Division
Multiplexing) system. In addition, in nowadays market, many transponders are
designed as protocol and rate-transparent fiber media converters that support
SFP, SFP+ and XFP transceivers with data rates up to 11.32 Gpbs, and with

3. seamless integration of different fiber types by converting multi-mode fiber to
single-mode fiber, and dual fiber to single-fiber.
Fiber Optic Transceiver vs Fiber Optic Transponder
A transponder and transceiver are both functionally similar devices that convert
a full-duplex electrical signal in a full-duplex optical signal. The difference
between the two is that fiber transceivers interface electrically with the host
system using a serial interface, whereas transponders use a parallel interface.
So transponders are easier to handle lower-rate parallel signals, but are
bulkier and consume more power than transceivers. In addition, transceivers
are limited to providing an electrical-optical function only (not differentiating
between serial or parallel electrical interfaces), whereas transponders convert
an optical signal at one wavelength to an optical signal at another wavelength.
As such, transponders can be considered as two transceivers placed
back-to-back.
Different package of the optical transceiver module

4. In reality, the classification according to package of the optical module is the
most common method.
1 X9 package
1 X9 package optical modules, sometimes also called the 9-pin or 9PIN
optical module, the name suggests, this fiber optic module nine PIN angle is
the most common of the early optical module package, the type of very large
market demand ,mainly used in fiber optic transceiver, PDH Optical, optical
switches, single Multi-mode converter as well as some industrial control
applications.
GBIC package
GBIC transceiver, the abbreviation of the Giga Bitrate Interface Converter
upcoming gigabit electrical signal is converted to optical signals module. GBIC
designed for hot-plug. GBIC is interchangeable products meet international
standards. This Gbic optical module used widely before SFP package. That is
gradually being replaced after the SFP optical module lauched. They have
basically been eliminated on the currently market in addition to some older
models of equipment still using.
SFP package
SFP transceiver, Small Form-factor Pluggables, small hot-pluggable optical
module is an upgraded version of the early GBIC module, the volume smaller,
higher integration than the GBIC fiber module, which is currently on the
market’s most popular optical module,

5. XFP package
XFP transceiver, 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable, is a hot-swappable,
independent of the communication protocol optical transceivers, the XFP is
usually used to 10G bps SONET / SDH, Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet and
other applications, but also of CWDM DWDM link.
Relative to the 1X9 and SFP modules, XFP has a higher transmission rate and
transmission capacity, so the price is much higher than ordinary fiber module.
SFP + package
SFP + optical modules, SFP PLUS optical module, SFP optical module
upgrade, with a higher transmission rate, usually up to 8.5G or 10G, the size
of the XFP module, this module than earlier smaller at the same time have the
same rate, so for communications equipment manufacturers in the same
space to deploy a more intensive light module offers the possibility, so more
and more applications.
XPAK package
The XPAK optical module definition same with Xenpak, because it is a
4-channel (10 Gbps attachment-unit interface) connection at the physical
layer /
Media access controller interface to partition the modular I / O channels. Use
Xpak the Xenpak output pin, but there is one exception, that is, it including
Xenpak standard version in the future not on the clock signal. Compared with
Xenpak module size Xpak share space on the I / O cards .Between than the

6. Xenpak small. In fact Xpak Xenpak module directly improved version of the
volume reduced by half of the optical interface, electrical interface with the
original Consistent.
XENPAK package
XENPAK transceiver 10 Gigabit Ethernet optical transceivers (independent of
the transceiver circuits and optical components of optical signals for small
devices, with Standard Specification for switches and routers, the interface
part). Agere, Agilen,, Mitsubishi, Pine Photonics, Tyco and Defined Optillion
companies xENPAK Working Group, provides for the product dimensions, light
plug type and electrical pin-out configuration and power Energy and other
parameters
X2 package
X2 transceiver is based on the XENPAK Multi-Source Agreement optical
module that occur before, but more than XENPAK optical modules more of the
smaller size and volume of the module and Parameters similar to XENPAK,
about the size of the XENPAK the half the size of.
SFF is divided into 2X5 pin or needle 2X10 can be soldered directly on the
device.

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