May 21, 2002 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (www.agilent.com) has introduced two new 2-Gbit/sec small-form-factor pluggable (SFP) fiber-optic transceivers for Fibre Channel storage area networks (SANs).
The new devices offer extended operating temperature and voltage specifications and include a new de-latch mechanism that eases the process of unplugging the transceiver. This combination of features, which is unavailable from any other vendor according to Agilent, eases design and increases performance for 2-Gbit/sec SAN products, including mass storage systems, switching systems, and host bus adapters.
The new 2-Gbit/sec SFP transceivers' extended operating temperature range reduces the need for system cooling, and their extended operating voltage simplifies board layout and power supply design. In high-density applications where transceivers are packed closely together on both sides of a circuit board, network operators often have a hard time grasping transceivers in order to unplug them. Agilent's new pull de-latch feature solves this problem.
The Agilent SFP transceivers are "hot-pluggable," meaning they can be inserted or removed from a board without removing power. This benefit is critical to SAN switch environments that cannot afford system downtime for online transaction processing applications. Additionally, this helps to reduce inventory costs by allowing units to be stocked without optical transceivers.
Designed for multimode applications up to 300 m, the transceivers operate at 3.3 V 10 percent and are supplied in the industry-standard SFP package with the LC-duplex connector. The transceivers use 850-nm VCSEL lasers and offer an extended operating temperature range of -20 C to +85 C. The Agilent transceivers are also compatible with both the 2.125-Gbit/sec and 1.0625-Gbit/sec Fibre Channel specifications.
The Agilent HFBR-5720AL and HFBR-5720ALP SFP fiber optic transceivers are shipping now and are priced at less than $40 in high-volume orders.
Agilent is also offering a pin-through-hole (PTH) transceiver with the same features, and singlemode 1310-nm transceivers in both SFP and PTH packages. For more information, see www.agilent.com/view/storage.