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QSFP 100G CWDM4 Lite is the lite version of QSFP 100G CWDM4 MSA transceiver module, with shorter transmission distance and cheaper price. This transceiver module is a short distance single mode transmission module optimized for data centers. Its core feature is to adjust the transmission distance from 2km to 500 m based on standard CWDM4 technology, thereby achieving lower power consumption and cost. 100G-CWDM4 lite is an economical and efficient choice for interconnection between cabinets and data centers on the same floor.
Technical Parameters
| Part no | QSFP 100G CWDM4 Lite |
| boxed type | QSFP28 |
| interface type | Duplex LC |
| Fiber optic type | Single mode fiber (SMF, G.652) |
| transmission distance | 500 meters (standard, no FEC required) |
| working wavelength | 4 CWDM wavelengths: 1271nm, 1291nm, 1311nm, 1331nm |
| modulation scheme | NRZ (Non Return to Zero Encoding) |
| Rate per channel | 25.78Gbps (4×25G NRZ) |
| emitter type | 4 x CWDM DFB laser (uncooled) |
| Receiver type | PIN (photodetector) |
| Transmitting optical power | -5.5 ~ +2.5 dBm |
| reception sensitivity | Approximately -10.0 dBm |
| power consumption | Typical value<3.5W, some products can be as low as 2.5W |
| FEC requirements | No FEC required (sufficient budget for 500 meter link) |
| Operating Temperature | Commercial grade 0 ℃ ~ 70 ℃ (partially supports industrial grade -40 ℃~+85 ℃) |
Working principle: 4 × 25G NRZ+CWDM technology
CWDM4L adopts the same technical architecture as the standard CWDM4, with the core difference being the reduction of transmission power and reception sensitivity requirements in exchange for lower power consumption and cost.
Transmitting end:
- Four 25Gbps electrical signals drive four uncooled CWDM DFB lasers
- The laser operates at four specific wavelengths: 1271nm, 1291nm, 1311nm, and 1331nm
- Combine four wavelengths of optical signals using an array waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer
- Output to single-mode fiber through duplex LC interface
Receiver end:
- The input optical signal is separated into four wavelengths by a splitter (DEMUX)
- PIN photodetectors convert optical signals of various wavelengths into electrical signals
- Output 4 channels of 25Gbps electrical signals
- Compared with the standard CWDM4 (2km), CWDM4 lite has a higher lower limit of transmission power (-5.5dBm vs -6.5dBm) and lower requirements for reception sensitivity (-10.0dBm vs -11.5dBm), which enables error free transmission within a distance of 500 m without FEC.
Difference 100G CWDM4 vs LR4 vs CWDM4L
| Item | 100G CWDM4L | 100G CWDM4 | 100G LR4 |
| transmission distance | 500m | 2km | 10km |
| Working wavelength | 1271/1291/1311/1331nm | 1271/1291/1311/1331nm | 1295/1300/1304/1309nm (LAN-WDM) |
| Transmit power | -5.5 ~ +2.5 dBm | -6.5 ~ +2.5 dBm | -4.3 ~ +4.5 dBm |
| Reception sensitivity | -10.0 dBm | -11.5 dBm | -10.6 dBm about |
| FEC requirements | No need | Required at 2km | No need |
| Typical power consumption | <3.5W (can be as low as 2.5W) | ~3.5W | ~3.5W |
| Cost | Minimum | Moderate | Higher |
| Typical scenario | Same floor/machine room | Between buildings/within the park | Park/city access |
Typical application scenarios
- Internal interconnection of data centers: connections between different cabinets and rows within the same data center (usually within a distance of 500 meters)
- TOR to EOR connection between cabinets: Short distance interconnection from top mounted switches to end of row switches
- High performance computing cluster: HPC and InfiniBand EDR interconnected
- Enterprise Core Network: High bandwidth links within the enterprise data center
Core deployment advantages:
- No need for FEC, simple deployment: Within a transmission distance of 500 meters, FEC can be enabled to achieve the required bit error rate, avoiding the delay and configuration complexity caused by FEC
- Lower power consumption: Compared to the standard 100G CWDM4 2km, the power consumption of CWDM4L can be as low as 2.5W, making it more friendly to high-density deployed data centers
- Cost effectiveness optimization: In scenarios within 500 meters, CWDM4 Lite is the lowest cost 100G single-mode solution, with a price advantage over LR4 and standard CWDM4
- Good wavelength compatibility: using standard CWDM wavelengths, it can be combined with CWDM multiplexers to achieve multi service aggregation
100G CWDM4 buying advice
- Confirm transmission distance: choose CWDM4 lite within 500 meters; buy standard CWDM4 for 500m to 2km; and buy LR4 for 2km-10km
- Pay attention to power consumption requirements: If the deployment density is high and sensitive to heat dissipation, the low power consumption characteristics of 100G CWDM4 Lite are important advantages
- Confirm industrial grade requirements: Industrial grade versions (-40 ℃ ~ +85 ℃) should be selected for outdoor or extreme temperature environments
- Compatibility verification: The CWDM4 Lite transceiver module follows the 100G CWDM4 MSA standard, and mainstream brands (Huawei, Cisco, Arista, Juniper, etc.) are usually compatible. It is recommended to confirm the compatibility list before deployment
Conclusion
QSFP 100G CWDM4 Lite is a 100G single mode fiber module optimized for short distance scenarios within 500 meters. It adopts 4 × 25G NRZ modulation and 4 wavelength CWDM technology, achieving lower power consumption and better cost-effectiveness by shortening the transmission distance from 2km to 500 meters. In the interconnection scenario on the same floor within the data center, CWDM4 Lite is the most cost-effective 100G single-mode solution and an ideal complementary product between the SR4 multimode solution (100 meters) and the standard CWDM4 (2km).