Ireland Solutions Active Optical Equipment QSFP-DD

QSFP-DD (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Double Density) active optical cables provide high-speed, high-density connectivity for 200G, 400G, and 800G Ethernet networks, optimized for data centers and high-performance computing.

Key Features and Specifications

QSFP-DD AOCs are designed to deliver high-bandwidth optical connectivity with compact form factors. They typically support:

• Data Rates: 200G, 400G, and up to 800G per link depending on the transceiver and cable type .
• Fiber Type: Multimode (OM4) or single-mode fibers for short- and long-reach applications .
• Lane Configuration: 8 lanes per end for 400G, doubling the density compared to QSFP28 modules .
• Standards Compliance: IEEE 802.3cd, OIF-CEI-04.0, QSFP-DD MSA, and QSFP-DD-CMIS-rev4p0 .
• Reach: Typically up to 100 meters over parallel multimode fiber for 200G AOCs, and up to 15 meters for 400G HPE cables .
• Modulation: NRZ or PAM4 depending on the speed and vendor .

Applications

QSFP-DD AOCs are widely used in:

• Data Centers: High-density rack-to-rack interconnects, cloud computing, and hyperscale environments .
• High-Performance Computing: Supercomputers and low-latency networks requiring reliable, high-bandwidth links .
• Metro and Regional Networks: Coherent DWDM QSFP-DD transceivers support amplified networks and ROADM architectures for flexible scaling .
• Flexible Network Scaling: Some QSFP-DD modules enable multiple independent connections (e.g., 2x100G) over a single fiber .

Advantages

• High Port Density: QSFP-DD doubles the number of electrical interfaces compared to QSFP, allowing more connections in the same rack space .
• Simplified Cable Management: Thin, lightweight AOCs improve airflow and reduce congestion in high-density racks .
• Interoperability: Many QSFP-DD modules are backward compatible with QSFP28 and support multi-vendor integration .
• Security: Some transceivers offer AES-256 encryption for Layer 1 security .

Vendor Examples

• HPE: 400GbE QSFP-DD/OSFP 15m active optical cables for secure, high-bandwidth connectivity .
• FS.com: 2m 400G QSFP-DD AOCs with IEEE and QSFP-DD MSA compliance, optimized for cloud and supercomputing .
• Smartoptics: 400G and 800G QSFP-DD transceivers for short-range multimode and coherent DWDM networks .
• Cisco: QSFP-DD Open Line System modules for pluggable coherent DWDM interfaces .
• Amphenol: 200G QSFP-DD AOCs supporting up to 100 meters over multimode fiber, doubling port density compared to QSFP28 . QSFP-DD active optical equipment provides a cost-efficient, high-performance solution for modern high-speed networks, offering flexibility, scalability, and simplified deployment for both data center and metro/regional applications.