Optical Transceiver: The core driving force of fiber-optic communication

In modern high-speed communication networks, optical transceivers play a vital role. As a key component of fiber-optic communication systems, optical transceivers not only realize the conversion between electrical signals and optical signals, but also promote a significant improvement in data transmission rate and reliability.

Optical Transceiver, that is, an integrated optical transceiver module, is mainly composed of an optical transmitter (Optical Transmitter) and an optical receiver (Optical Receiver). The optical transmitter is responsible for converting electrical signals into optical signals and transmitting them through optical fibers; while the optical receiver is responsible for converting the received optical signals back into electrical signals. This process seems simple, but it actually involves complex optoelectronic conversion technology and precise optical path design.

The optical transmitter contains a driver chip and a semiconductor laser (such as LD or LED). After the input electrical signal is processed by the driver chip, the laser is driven to emit an optical signal at a corresponding rate. The optical receiver uses a photodetection diode (such as PIN or APD) to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, which is then amplified by a preamplifier and output. The core components of optical transceivers include TOSA (Transmitting Optical Components), ROSA (Receiver Optical Components) and BOSA (Transmitting Optical Components), and the cost of these components accounts for more than 60% of the total cost of optical modules.

Optical transceivers are classified in many ways, such as packaging form, transmission rate and network topology. According to the packaging form, optical transceivers can be divided into 1×9, GBIC, SFF, SFP, XFP, SFP+, SFP28, CFP4, QSFP and other types. Among them, SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) modules are widely used in devices such as switches and routers due to their small size and high port density.

According to the transmission rate, optical transceivers range from 155Mb/s to 400Gb/s, and high speed is an important trend in the development of optical transceivers. With the rapid development of data centers and cloud computing, the demand for data transmission rate is increasing, and 400Gb/s or even 1Tbps optical transceivers are gradually being introduced to the market.

Optical transceivers are widely used in various communication scenarios and have become an indispensable part of modern communication networks. In data centers, optical transceivers are used to connect servers, storage devices, and network devices to achieve high-speed data transmission and network interconnection. In enterprise networks, optical transceivers are used to connect network devices within the enterprise, expand network coverage, and increase data transmission rates. In telecom operator networks, optical transceivers are used to connect network devices in different regions to achieve high-speed data transmission across regions.

Optical transceivers are also used in TV and radio stations to transmit high-quality audio and video signals to ensure lossless transmission of signals. In military communication systems, optical transceivers provide highly secure and reliable communication guarantees for transmitting sensitive information and command instructions.

With the development of emerging technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things, the requirements for data transmission rate and reliability are getting higher and higher. Future optical transceivers will support higher transmission rates, such as 400Gbps or even 1Tbps, to meet the growing demand for data transmission. At the same time, the power consumption of optical transceivers will be further reduced to meet the needs of green data centers and edge computing.