As noted at Lightwave, the Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (SFP-DD) Multi Source Agreement (MSA) Group says it has released an updated specification for its pluggable interface.
The MSA consortium initially released the SFP-DD specification (version 1.0) in September 2017. The SFP-DD version 1.1 specification demonstrates improvements to the mechanicals and drawings of the high-density SFP-DD electrical interface consisting of a module, and cage and connector system aimed at supporting as much as 3.5 W optical modules in an enterprise setting.
Meeting the technical demands of achieving a double-density interface, the SFP-DD form factor assures mechanical interoperability for module components produced by different manufacturers. The SFP-DD has a two-lane electrical interface, with each lane supporting up to 25 Gbps with NRZ or 56 Gbps via PAM4 to enable aggregate bandwidth of 56 Gbps or 112 Gbps with signal integrity, the MSA members assert.
An SFP-DD server port and QSFP-DD switch ports can double port density in network applications when combined. The SFP-DD interface contributes to addressing the increased need for port density and scalability in next-generation servers. The SFP-DD electrical interface expands upon the widely deployed SFP pluggable form factor to support speed and density. The SFP-DD port is backwards compatible with legacy SFP and SFP+style cables, modules and AOCs, and new SFP-DD electrical interfaces, say the MSA members.
The SFP-DD version 1.1 specification and drawings are available on the MSA's website. SFP-DD founding members include Alibaba, Broadcom, Cisco, Dell EMC, Finisar, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Lumentum, Mellanox Technologies, Molex, and TE Connectivity.
