Optical Transceiver: The core driving force in the field of optical communication

In the torrent of modern information society, data flows through every vein of the network like blood, and the optical transceiver (optical module), the core device in the field of optical communication, is the high-speed engine that drives this information flow. Optical module, or optical transceiver integrated module, is a key device for realizing the conversion between optical signals and electrical signals. It plays an irreplaceable role in the physical layer (the bottom layer of the OSI model).

The basic working principle of the optical module is to convert the electrical signal into an optical signal at the transmitting end and transmit it through the optical fiber; at the receiving end, the optical signal is converted back to an electrical signal. This process seems simple, but it involves multiple technologies such as modulation, demodulation, amplification and extinction. The optical module is mainly composed of three parts: optical fiber interface, signal processing unit and circuit interface. These components work together to ensure high-speed and stable optical signal transmission.

With the rapid development of science and technology, the application fields of optical modules are becoming more and more extensive, including data centers (clouds), telecommunications networks (pipes) and access terminals (ends). Especially under the trend of "optical fiber in and copper fiber out", optical modules have gradually replaced traditional copper cable communication methods with their high speed, long-distance transmission and low loss characteristics, and have become the infrastructure of modern communication networks.

The evolution of optical modules is full of marks of technological innovation and industrial upgrading. From the early GBIC modules to the later SFP, SFP+, XFP, QSFP, CFP, etc., optical modules have made continuous breakthroughs in size, transmission rate, transmission distance and compatibility. In particular, SFP and SFP+ modules have won wide recognition in the market with their small size, high compatibility and hot-swappable characteristics. These innovations have not only promoted the rapid development of the optical module industry, but also provided a strong guarantee for the efficient operation of modern communication networks.

In the 5G era, optical modules have become an indispensable key component. The 5G network consists of three parts: wireless network, bearer network and core network. As the basic component unit of the physical layer, the performance of optical modules directly affects the transmission efficiency and coverage of the 5G network. Especially in the construction of 5G base stations, the demand for optical modules continues to expand. From the fronthaul optical modules between AAU and DU, to the midhaul optical modules between DU and CU, to the backhaul optical modules of the bearer network, the demands for optical modules at different levels of bearer networks are different, but they all put forward higher requirements for the transmission rate, stability and compatibility of optical modules.

With the continuous expansion of the scale of data centers and the rapid development of cloud computing, optical modules are also playing an increasingly important role in data transmission within data centers. The expansion, new construction and optimization of network performance of large data centers are inseparable from the support of optical modules. Especially driven by the co-packaging of optoelectronics (CPO) technology, the close integration of optical modules and electronic chips will further improve the transmission efficiency and energy efficiency of data centers.