Side-by-Side Comparison
Optical Transceivers
QSFP+ vs. SFP
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
Comparing:
QSFP+
SFP
Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (QSFP+) is a 40 Gbps transceiver standard defined by SFF-8436. Integrating four 10 Gbps electrical channels into a compact form factor, it supports 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE), InfiniBand QDR/FDR, and 4x10G breakout configurations using MPO/MTP-12 or duplex LC connectors.
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-8436 / IEEE 802.3ba | INF-8074i / SFF-8074 |
|
Physical Form Factor
|
QSFP+ (Quad SFP+) | SFP (Mini-GBIC) |
|
Electrical Channels
|
4 lanes @ 10.3125 Gbps NRZ | 1-lane |
|
Max Data Rate (Ethernet)
|
41.25 Gbps | 1.25 Gbps |
|
Typical Power Consumption
|
1.5–3.5 W | 0.5–1.0 W |
|
Max Data Rate (InfiniBand)
|
56 Gbps (FDR) | — |
|
Optical Connectors
|
MPO/MTP-12 (SR4) or Duplex LC (LR4 / BiDi) | — |
|
4x10G Breakout Mode
|
Supported (1x MPO to 4x duplex LC) | — |
|
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) |