QSFP Specification Completes Public Review and Increases Speed to 10 Gb/s: The Industry's Highest Density Pluggable Optical Module.

Highest Density Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) optical module complements industry standard SFP optical module for Telecommunications and Data Communications Equipment 

EATONTOWN, N.J. -- Multiple industry-leading communications companies today announced the release of a Quad (4-channel) Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) optical module specification in its final form. Key feedback from the public review of the QSFP specification increased the speed capabilities of the QSFP from 5 gigabits/second (Gb/s) to 10 Gb/s. With four channels each running at 10 Gb/s, the QSFP is the most practical solution for 40 Gb/s applications such as quad 10 Gb/s Fibre Channel (10GFC), quad 10 Gigabit/s Ethernet (10GE) and 4x quad data rate (QDR) InfiniBand.

Current members of the QSFP MSA (Multi-Sourcing Agreement) group include the following companies:

* Avago Technologies 

* Beam Express

* Emcore

* Emulex

* Fiberxon

* Finisar

* Force10 Networks

* Helix AG

* JDSU 

* McDATA

* Merge Optics

* Molex

* OCP, Inc.

* Opnext, Inc.

* QLogic

* Picolight, Inc.

* Reflex Photonics

* The Siemon Co.

* Tyco Electronics 

* Xloom Communications

* Zarlink Semiconductor

The QSFP specification defines a highly integrated 4-channel optical transceiver that provides increased port density and total system cost savings when replacing four standard SFP transceiver modules. The device will support Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SONET/SDH standards with different data rate options. The QSFP MSA document specifies a transceiver module mechanical form factor with latching mechanism, host board electrical edge connector and cage. The hot-pluggable module integrates four transmit and four receive channels with a standard MPO parallel optical connector.

The QSFP device features digital diagnostic capability to monitor link performance. The module is designed to enable extremely high-density applications with stacked and ganged configurations. This highly integrated transceiver module will enable network equipment manufacturers to increase port density and system data throughput and consequently reduce costs per Gigabit per second.

With a port density three times higher than traditional SFP transceivers, the QSFP replaces four standard SFP modules in a space that is only 30 percent larger than a single SFP; the QSFP requires approximately the same front-panel space of an XFP module. Due to the increased capabilities, over 3 times (3.11) more transceivers can be placed in a given area on a switch or product. The QSFP's unique design repackages the existing SFP transceiver to utilize a 12-fiber ribbon instead of individual fibers.

Additionally the QSFP design supports Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SDH/SONET with data rates up to 10Gb/s per channel. The QSFP platform demonstrates potential for aggregated higher volumes and improved economics realized from several protocols/applications using the same transceiver. The QSFP MSA is the world's first Z-pluggable parallel optical transceiver with multi-vendor support offering customers a variety of purchasing options.

The QSFP group brings together leading networking, system, optical module, semiconductor and connector companies from both the telecommunications and data communications markets. In addition, the inherent 4+4 channel architecture of QSFP lends itself to increase distances supported by multi-lane serial I/O electrical interconnects like PCI Express (PCIe) and InfiniBand.

Benefits of the QSFP include:

* Industry's first Z-pluggable parallel optics transceiver module with multi-vendor support - Port Density nearly 3x higher than SFP module and 4x higher than XFP modules; uses approximately same front panel space as XFP module

* Support of Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SDH/SONET with data rates up to 10Gb/s per channel

* Transceiver Package and Electrical/Optical Connectors derived from designs currently in production

About the QSFP MSA:

The specification and member list can be found at www.qsfpmsa.org.

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This release may contain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and are based upon the information available to us at this time. Such information is subject to change, and we will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

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Individual MSA members can be contacted directly by visiting the QSFP MSA website at http://www.qsfpmsa.org/gpage3.html.