Side-by-Side Comparison
Optical Transceivers
QSFP28 vs. SFP
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
Comparing:
QSFP28
SFP
QSFP28 (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable 28) is a 100 Gbps transceiver standard defined by SFF-8665 and IEEE 802.3bm. Integrating four 25 Gbps electrical lanes within the exact QSFP mechanical dimensions, it is the primary high-density interconnect for 100 Gigabit Ethernet and EDR InfiniBand.
Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP, also known as mini-GBIC) is a hot-pluggable network interface transceiver standardized under INF-8074i / SFF-8074. Operating across a single electrical channel, it supports data rates up to 1.25 Gbps for Gigabit Ethernet and 4.25 Gbps for Fibre Channel using duplex LC optical interfaces or RJ45 copper.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standard / MSA
|
SFF-8665 / SFF-8636 / IEEE 802.3bm | INF-8074i / SFF-8074 |
|
Physical Form Factor
|
QSFP28 | SFP (Mini-GBIC) |
|
Electrical Channels
|
4 lanes @ 25.78125 Gbps NRZ | 1-lane |
|
Max Data Rate (Ethernet)
|
103.125 Gbps | 1.25 Gbps |
|
Typical Power Consumption
|
3.5–5.0 W | 0.5–1.0 W |
|
Max Data Rate (InfiniBand)
|
100 Gbps (EDR) | — |
|
Optical Connectors
|
MPO/MTP-12 (SR4, PSM4) or Duplex LC (CWDM4, LR4) | — |
|
4x25G Breakout Mode
|
Supported (to 4x SFP28 ports) | — |
|
Max Data Rate (Fibre Channel)
|
— | 4.25 Gbps |
|
Optical Connector
|
— | Duplex LC (or RJ45 copper) |
|
Hot Pluggable
|
— | Yes |
|
Digital Diagnostics Monitoring
|
— | SFF-8472 (DOM / DDM optional) |