te connectivity (te), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, announced the showcasing of osfp and qsfp-dd connectivity products at designcon that will soon enable 400-gigabit ethernet in a range of data center devices.

targeted for massive aggregation of data across an array of applications, 400 gigabit ethernet (gbe) has completed the standardization process and was published in december 2017 by the ieee 802.3bs ethernet working group.

development of new and faster electrical and optical signaling technologies is simultaneously underway across the ever-expanding ethernet ecosystem.  

the qsfp form factor is today's industry workhorse for delivering 40 and 100gbe. the "q" is for "quad" — a nod to the four-channel electrical interface, with each lane running at 25 gbps for 100gbe.

te's qsfp-dd connector adopts the same basic concept as its predecessor, but doubles the electrical contact density, via eight differential pairs capable of 50 gbps each, to achieve 400gbe while allowing existing qsfp modules to be plugged into the same cage. 

the osfp form factor is designed for maximum thermal and electrical performance but does not provide backwards compatibility to existing form factors without an adapter. the "o" is for "octal" — it is being designed to use eight electrical lanes to deliver 400gbe — and "sfp" is for "small form factor pluggable.  

"at te, we are focused on delivering products that make our world smarter, faster and more connected. our osfp and qsfp-dd products bring data center equipment into the 400gbe age," said nathan tracy, technologist for te's system architecture team and manager of industry standards.

"by giving customers a choice between fully-optimized thermal performance and backward compatibility with existing qsfp connectors, we support the complete range of 400gbe solutions for system designers."