How to Convert SFP to Ethernet?

SFP ports and RJ45 ports are the most common interfaces which are used in Gigabit Ethernet applications. And we complete the fiber to Ethernet or Ethernet to fiber conversion via these ports. How much do you know about SFP ports and RJ45 ports? And do you know how to convert SFP to Ethernet? This article will explain these questions.

What Are SFP Ports?

SFP ports are the input and output interfaces that are able to be hot-pluggable. They are seen in network switches or network interface cards. And SFP port is capable of working with the standards of 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX or 1000BASE- BX10-D/U.

At present, network switches are usually designed with two or more SFP ports, which comply with IEEE 802.3ab standard. Note that in all cases, the SFP transceiver module must be inserted then the SFP ports can work. The ports make it possible for Gigabit switches to connect to the fiber and copper cables, converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP and completing the switching function.

What Are RJ45 Ports?

RJ45 port, which stands for registered jack 45, is the ubiquitous Ethernet style data port seen on switches, routers and network cards, following the 1000BASE-T Ethernet standard. It only supports RJ45 cables like CAT5e, Cat6 with the transmission speed of 1Gbit/s. By far, the most common use of RJ45 port is with Ethernet data connections from computers network cards, wireless access points, network switches and routers in home and enterprises networks. RJ45 ports on a data switch use the built-in design. Connecting two RJ45 copper switches, we just need a Cat5e or Cat6 copper cables. But if we want to convert Ethernet to SFP, an RJ45 SFP transceiver is required.

FS Solutions to Convert SFP to Ethernet

From the above, we have a good understanding of SFP ports and RJ45 ports. They are the interfaces for converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP. But how? Here FS provides two solutions for you.

Solution 1: Using SFP Transceiver Module

As we have mentioned above, the network switches on the market are generally equipped with SFP ports. Thus, under this circumstance, we can use SFP modules to complete the interconnections between switches or servers. Insert the Ethernet SFP module into the network switches, then plug one end of Cat5e or Cat6 cables into the transceivers and the other end is connected with other terminal devices. This figure shows how we can use SFP transceiver for our conversion need.

We can see this is a full solution, covering the following equipment.

Sequence Number	Product ID	Description
①	11773	Cisco GLC-T Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m
②	70595	3ft (0.9m) Cat6 Snagless Unshielded (UTP) PVC CM Ethernet Network Patch Cable with Transparent Sheath, Blue
③	69180	24 Ports Cat6 Feed-Through Patch Panel, UTP Unshielded, 1U Rack Mount
④	69066	3m (10ft) 6 Plug to 6 Plug Cat6 Unshielded PVC CMR (Blue) Pre-Terminated Copper Trunk
⑤	29127	S5800-48F4S (48*1GE+4*10GE) High Performance Data Center Switch
⑥	20057	Generic Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m

Solution 2: Using Ethernet Media Converters

If your switch doesn’t have SFP ports, then you need an Ethernet media converter. It’s a device used to interconnect fiber and copper cables to facilitate communication between them. This device looks like a small box where fiber and copper cables could be plugged in. Here is the SFP to Ethernet converter from FS.COM. It has one RJ45 port and one SFP port. And the mini converter can support 1000Base-X to 10/100/1000Base-T UTP convention. Designed with compact package size, it’s a reliable plug and play converter. Therefore, just plug the fiber and copper cables into the slots and connect the other ends of cables to the terminal devices, ensuring the whole network works properly. The following video shows you how to use FS fiber optic media converters to convert SFP to Ethernet.

Conclusion

Using SFP transceiver module or Ethernet media converter can help us convert SFP to Ethernet, which can better expand network function. FS.COM offers an extensive choice of full SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP solutions. Choose FS.COM for the right product to meet your conversion project needs.

What Is QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD Transceiver Module?

Optical transceiver is one of the most important elements in data centers. Currently, QSFP28 transceiver module is the leading product on the market that supports 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet application. However, the world is constantly changing and evolving, new applications such as 4K HD video, webcast, VR and cloud computing have driven a sharp growth of network traffic. Therefore, today, QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD are developed to provide 200G or 400G applications, in order to satisfy people’s higher transmission speed.

Introduction of QSFP

In order to have a good understanding of QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD, we’d better know what QSFP is first. QSFP means Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable, which is a compact, hot-pluggable transceiver. It’s an industry format that is developed and supported by many network component vendors, and it’s widely used to connect network switch, computer, server, video and some other communication systems. QSFP, QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD transceivers share the same package form, but their transmitting rates are different. This has lead to some other differences such as functions and applications, which will be explained in the following parts.

What Is QSFP56 Transceiver Module?

QSFP56 optical transceiver is the solution for 200G applications. It’s a pluggable transceiver module that has the same size as QSFP. However, this 200G transceiver can provide the top data rate of 50Gb/s of each channel. In addition, products of the transceiver will be compatible with previous QSFP standards. Therefore, the data center are able to reuse and easily refresh their systems designs and cost in an effective way. Communication specialists forecast that QSFP56 transceivers may accelerate the upgrade of the next generation network switches that the density of their front panel would be doubled, which will create more network throughput. QSFP56 will be the most competitive product due to its powerful processing capacity.

Figure 1: Example of QSFP56 Transceiver Connection

What Is QSFP56-DD Transceiver Module?

QSFP56-DD refers to a double-density QSFP optical transceiver that supports 200Gbps and 400Gbps Ethernet applications. It’s designed to employ eight lanes that operate up to 25Gb/s NRZ modulation or 50Gb/s PAM4 modulation. This means the new 400Gbps optical transceiver will increase the bandwidth and panel density by several times compared to the similarly sized QSFP transceivers. It’s based on the widely applied QSFP interconnection system, which is particularly suitable in data centers and HPC centers. In addition, this transceiver provides backward compatibility to lower-speed QSFP forms, so that when the technicians need to upgrade their networks to a higher speed, they could continue to use the other existing cabling infrastructure.

Figure 2: QSFP-DD vs QSFP

Conclusion

Traffic growth for data centers operators and service suppliers requires the adoption of 200G and 400G optical interfaces in the next generation of network devices. QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD transceiver modules are the best innovations to support customers with high speed and reliable connections. With these optical transceivers, technicians are able to achieve a breakthrough in network transmitting capability. We believe that the applications of QSFP56 and QSFP56-DD are the general trend in the future.

Related Article: Global Optical Transceiver Market: Striding to 200G and 400G