The transceiver form factor will be different as speeds increase. In Table2, we see that different data transmission schemes in the left most column are supported by various form factors. The form factors, themselves, are spelled out by industry Multi Source Agreements(MSA’s). When reviewing the table, it is apparent that there are different form factors available to support 40G and 100G systems. Since both 40G and 100G solutions can be installed using “4by” parallel optics (i.e. four separate channels transmitting and receiving) it maybe prudent for the data center manager to select a form factor for “future proofing” that uses this protocol, so that little or no changes are needed.
The green box in Table2 contains the “standard” transceiver in use today for 40Gbs. As previously noted, it uses 4 parallel fibers for transmission and 4 lanes.The red box outlines a four lane solution for 100Gbs systems. Obviously, if the distance and link loss requirements are met, a 100Gbs upgrade from 40Gbs should be a straight forward process.
