With the rapid development of mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and other technologies, the whole communication industry, after 10G-40G-100G or 10G-25G-100G, demands high speed, large bandwidth and low latency for the network, and urgently needs to upgrade the network to a higher level. 200G and 400G Ethernet applications in data centres are receiving more and more attention, and the choice between 200G Ethernet vs. 400G Ethernet has also become a hot topic in the industry.
I, Background of 200G and 400G optical modules
200G optical module refers to the optical module with a transmission rate of 200Gbps, which is one of the mainstream optical modules in the market today.
400G optical module refers to the optical module products with a transmission rate of 400Gbps, which is a high-speed optical module interface specification, an upgraded version of QSFP interface, supporting 400G high-speed transmission. Using optical fibre as the signal transmission medium, by converting digital signals into optical signals and transmitting them in the fibre.
II, 200G and 400G optical module difference
The difference between optical module 200G and 400G mainly lies in the difference in transmission rate, as follows:
1, the transmission rate is different: 400G optical module transmission rate is 2 times that of 200G optical module, that is, the maximum transmission rate of 400G optical module is 2 times the maximum transmission rate of 200G optical module.
2, different package types: 200G optical modules mainly have two package types QSFP-DD and QSFP56. 400G optical modules are currently the mainstream package type QSFP-DD.
3, the cost is different: 400G optical modules cost more than 200G optical modules because 400G optical modules require more optical components and more complex manufacturing processes.
III, 200G/400G optical module development trend
A predictable trend in the data centre optical interconnect market is the phasing out of low-speed optical modules for core networks and data centres, with a major shift from 10G to 40G and higher to 40G to 100G. new developments in 100G optical devices pave the way for 200G/400G optical devices.
Compared to the previous generation of 100G optical modules, 200G optical modules offer a fivefold increase in transmission speed, as well as a significant reduction in cost. As a result, 200G optical modules have become one of the mainstream optical modules in the market today and are widely used in data centres, Internet data centres, enterprise data centres and other scenarios.
400G optical modules, on the other hand, can provide higher transmission speeds and greater bandwidth, which can meet the needs of higher performance computing, storage and network equipment, and are therefore widely used in cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and other fields. In the future, 400G optical module technology will continue to develop and mature.
IV, the industry environment forecast
The cost of 400G optical modules is higher than that of 200G optical modules, but with the continuous development of technology and the growth of market demand, the cost of 400G optical modules is gradually decreasing.
Low-cost and low-power DACs and AOCs based on optical module designs are also seeing significant growth in the use of short-haul high-speed interconnects. The optical module market is moving towards higher speeds, lower power consumption and smaller form factors or sizes. In the future, 400G optical modules are expected to become the top stream in optical communications, while 200G optical modules will continue to play an important role. Therefore, there are still huge opportunities in the optical module market.
