With the development of fiber optic transceiver, SFP transceiver have been occupying a big share in the market. SFP transceiver which is a compact, hot-pluggable optical transceiver is known as small form-factor pluggable or mini GBIC (gigabit interface converter). It is widely used for both telecommunication and data communications applications. This article will introduce one type of SFP—RJ45 SFP and take a comparison between RJ45 SFP and optical SFP.

An Introduction of RJ45 SFP

RJ45 SFP is a high performance integrated duplex data link for bi-directional communication over Category 5 copper cable. It is fully complied with the SFP Multi-Sourcing Agreement (MSA), IEEE802.3u and IEEE802.3ab. The specification of RJ45 SFP has been optimized to save more port power. And then, we will talk its feature and some applications after these basic introduction.

The Feature and Application of RJ45 SFP

The maximal cable distance is 100m and its maximal data rate can be up to 1000Mbps. Then it has low power dissipation. And its commercial temperature ranges from 0°C to +70°C. The compatibility with existing structured cabling devices and existing low-speed devices of RJ45 SFP makes it uniquely suited for widespread deployment of Gigabit Ethernet. Broad deployment on RJ45 SFP will simplify data center infrastructures, making it easier to manage server and storage connectivity. At last, the shell of it is fully metallic which can protect it from EMI. It can be applied in networking switches and routers.

RJ45 SFP VS Optical SFP

In this paragraph, we will make a comparison between RJ45 SFP and optical SFP. The two kinds of SFPs have some similarities. The maximal data rate of RJ45 SFP can reach up to 1000Mbps which is the same as optical SFP and there is no difference for the operating temperature of RJ45 SFP and optical SFP. Except that, they have some differences.

At first, the RJ45 SFP interfaced with RJ45 connector operates on standard Cat5 unshielded twisted-pair copper cabling. The maximal cable distance of RJ45 SFP is up to 100m. And the maximal cable distance of optical SFP is longer than RJ45 SFP which can be up to 10km or more over duplex LC fiber patch cable. Since optical SFP offers different wavelengths and optical power budget to allow more longer distance. If we want longer transmission distance, we can choose optical SFP rather than RJ45 SFP. From this point, optical SFP offers the substantial advantages over RJ45 SFP. Secondly, when we turn to the security, optical SFP is safer than RJ45 SFP. Because fiber does not conduct electricity. Finally, the price of RJ45 SFP is more expensive than optical SFP.

Conclusion

We can have a general understanding of RJ45 SFP after this article. Comparing RJ45 SFP VS optical SFP, we can see that each technology has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. From the introduction of their transmission distance, operating temperature, security and price, you must get the idea of how to choose a suitable one.