4Jul, 2025
    Why Choose 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 Optical Transceivers?

    Recently, GIGALIGHT has introduced the 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 optical transceivers, specifically designed for short-distance interconnections. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, these transceivers empower customers to effortlessly construct future-ready, efficient network architectures.

    Why Opt for 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2?

    Faced with the widely adopted 100G QSFP28 SR4 and 200G QSFP56 SR4 optical transceivers in the market, customers may wonder: Why choose these new offerings from GIGALIGHT? The answer lies in their tailored design to meet the demands of future network upgrades.

    While traditional optical transceivers are mature and cost-effective, they struggle to keep pace with the requirements of high-speed network architectures like 400G/800G amidst the AI-driven network upgrade wave.

    Technological Innovation to Meet Future Challenges

    With the advent of 100G PAM4 technology, most 400G/800G optical transceivers now employ this technology (4×100G PAM4 and 8×100G PAM4). In this context, continuing to use 4-channel 25G NRZ (100G QSFP28 SR4) or 4×50G PAM4 (200G QSFP56 SR4) technologies would lead to issues such as speed mismatch, port wastage, and soaring costs. GIGALIGHT’s 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 optical transceivers are precisely engineered to address these pain points.

    Case Study: Seamless Integration and Effortless Upgrades

    Consider the example of connecting an NVIDIA ConnectX-7 (dual-port 200Gb/s) network card with a 400G QSFP112 switch. Direct connection would result in link downtime, with the switch reporting an “Unsupported speed” error. However, introducing the 200G QSFP56 SR2 optical transceiver resolves the issue. By utilizing dual-channel PAM4 modulation technology, this transceiver intelligently splits the 400G QSFP112 port into two independent 200G channels, enabling perfect interconnection with the 200G QSFP56 network card without hardware modifications. Similarly, a 400G QSFP112 switch can automatically recognize a 4×100G link through four 100G QSFP28 SR1 optical transceivers.

    When connecting to an 800G switch, direct interconnection can be achieved using 8×100G QSFP28 SR1 or 4×200G QSFP56 SR4 transceivers. Moreover, GIGALIGHT’s 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 transceivers can also directly interconnect with each other, offering great convenience.

    100G QSFP28 SR1: Single-Channel Efficiency and Simplified Cabling

    Single-Channel Breakthrough: Utilizing PAM4 modulation technology, it achieves high-speed transmission of 100Gbps per channel, significantly reducing the number of optical fibers and simplifying cabling complexity.
    Multimode Fiber Support: Based on OM4 fiber, it offers a transmission distance of up to 100 meters, meeting short-distance high-bandwidth demands.
    Low Power Consumption Design: With power consumption below 3.5W, it enhances energy efficiency and is suitable for high-density deployment environments.

    200G QSFP56 SR2: Dual-Channel Interconnection, Empowering the Future

    Flexible Compatibility: Supporting PAM4 modulation technology, it is compatible with various baud rates from 25G to 200G, automatically adapting to mixed 400G/200G environments for seamless interconnection in heterogeneous data centers.
    High Performance and Low Power Consumption: Employing advanced DSP chips and VCSEL laser technology, it reduces power consumption by 30% while achieving a single-channel rate of up to 100Gbps, ensuring stability in high-density deployments.
    Plug-and-Play: With a standardized QSFP56 package, it supports hot-swapping and DDM real-time monitoring, enabling deployment in minutes and improving operational efficiency by 50%. Cabling costs are reduced by 70% compared to SR4, requiring only dual-core OM4 fiber for 100m transmission.

    Broad Application Scenarios to Meet Future Demands

    Whether for hyperscale cloud service providers, AI/ML data centers, or financial institutions with extremely high requirements for ultra-low latency, GIGALIGHT’s 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 optical transceivers provide bandwidth elasticity for the next decade.

    Conclusion: Unleash Potential Without Obsolescence

    By choosing GIGALIGHT’s 100G QSFP28 SR1 and 200G QSFP56 SR2 optical transceivers, you can immediately unlock the full potential of 400G/800G switches without discarding existing 100G/200G equipment, leading you into a new era of future network architectures.

    23Apr, 2025
    GIGALIGHT Unveils New Network Architecture for 400G QSFP-DD SR4 to 4×100G QSFP28 SR1/SFP112 SR1 Data Center Optical Transceivers

    April 23, 2025, Shenzhen, China. – To address the demands for high-speed, high-density, and cost-efficient modern data centers, GIGALIGHT, a global leader in open optical networking, has officially launched its 400G QSFP-DD SR4 to 4×100G single-lane QSFP28/SFP112 SR1 economical short-reach data center interconnection solution. This product leverages innovative architectural design to significantly reduce deployment complexity and total cost of ownership (TCO), offering a flexible and efficient connectivity option for cloud computing, AI compute clusters, and hyperscale data centers.

    Table 1: Core Product Technical Specifications

    High-Density Elastic Architecture

    • Modular Design: The 400G QSFP-DD SR4 acts as an upstream port, branching into four independent 100G QSFP28/SFP112 SR1 downstream links via multimode/single-mode fiber, supporting 1:4 non-blocking transmission. This design increases single-port bandwidth utilization by 300% and conserves switch port resources.
    • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Deeply aligned with mainstream data center Top of Rack (TOR) architectures, it seamlessly integrates with NVIDIA, Broadcom, and other leading switch chip platforms.

    Single-Lane Technology Revolution

    • Proprietary Innovation: Based on GIGALIGHT’s single-lane 100G PAM4 modulation technology, this solution overcomes traditional parallel multi-fiber schemes, enabling stable 100-meter transmission over OM4 multimode fiber with 20% lower power consumption than comparable alternatives, meeting stringent energy efficiency requirements for SR short-range scenarios.
    • Spectral Efficiency: By carrying 100G data on a single wavelength, it reduces fiber resource usage and enhances transmission density.

    Cost-Effective Deployment

    • Cost Optimization: Compared to traditional 400G full-optic module networks, this solution reduces high-speed optoelectronic conversion units by 75%, lowering equipment procurement costs. The 100G single-lane transmission also minimizes fiber usage, further reducing construction expenses.
    • Rapid Deployment: Supports hot-swappable and plug-and-play functionality, requiring no changes to existing cabling infrastructure and cutting deployment timelines by 60%.

    Full-Scenario Compatibility

    • Flexible Configuration: Downstream ports can switch between 100G QSFP28 SR1 or 100G SFP112 SR1, ensuring compatibility with existing 100G equipment and emerging single-lane standards, safeguarding customer investments.

    Typical Application Scenarios

    • AI/GPU Cluster Interconnection: Enhances data transfer efficiency between compute nodes via low-latency, high-bandwidth connections, reducing power consumption.
    • Cloud Data Center Spine-Leaf Architecture: Optimizes east-west traffic, alleviates core layer bandwidth strain, and improves network scalability.
    • Storage Network Upgrades: Seamlessly integrates with high-speed storage protocols like NVMe over Fabric, accelerating data read/write speeds.

    Industry Insights and Future Outlook
    With the explosive growth of AI and compute demands, data centers urgently require cost-effective 400G/100G interconnection solutions. GIGALIGHT’s innovative design balances performance and cost, enabling customers to transition smoothly to next-generation network architectures at minimal expense. Looking ahead, GIGALIGHT will continue to advance single-lane technology, driving data center interconnection toward higher density and lower power consumption.

    GIGALIGHT’s latest solution not only provides a new choice for data center interconnection but also leads the industry toward more efficient and economical futures through technological innovation.

    About GIGALIGHT

    As an open optical networking explorer, Gigalight integrates the design, manufacturing, and sales of both active and passive optical devices and subsystems. The company’s product portfolio includes optical modules, silicon photonics modules, liquid-cooled modules, passive optical components, active optical cables, direct attach copper cables, coherent optical communication modules, and OPEN DCI BOX subsystems. Gigalight focuses on serving applications such as data centers, 5G transport networks, metropolitan WDM transmission, ultra-HD broadcast and video, and more. It stands as an innovative designer of high-speed optical interconnect hardware solutions.