Development of 100G optical module standards below 40km
Dec 19, 2025|
Summary of 100G optical module standards below 40km:
| Standard | Rate | Distance | Fiber Type | Wavelength (nm) | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 802.3bm 100G SR4 | 4×25 | 70–100 m | Multimode | 850 | MPO-12 |
| 802.3ba 100G SR10 | 10×10 | 100–150 m | Multimode | 850 | MPO-12/24 |
| 10×10 MSA | 10×10 | 2 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| 10×10 MSA | 10×10 | 10 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| 802.3ba 100G LR4 | 4×25 | 10 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| 10×10 MSA | 10×10 | 40 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| 802.3ba 100G ER4 | 4×25 | 40 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| PSM4 | 4×25 | 0.5 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
| CLR4 | 4×25 | 2 km | Single-mode | 1550 | TBD |
| CWDM4 | 4×25 | 2 km | Single-mode | 1310 | Duplex |
The main standards for 100G optical modules are IEEE 802.3ba (released in 2010) and 802.3bm (released in March 2015).
- IEEE 802.3ba: In 2010, IEEE released 802.3ba, which defines two speeds: 40G and 100G.
This is also the first time in IEEE history that two rates have been defined for networks involving different media:
01
Multimode fiber and single-mode fiber
02
Dual-axis copper cable
03
PCB signal
- IEEE 802.3bg: In March 2011, IEEE officially released the 802.3bg standard, which supplemented 802.3ba and defined 40 G-FR single-mode fiber transmission within 2km.
- IEEE 802.3bj: In September 2011, IEEE established the P802.3bj group to define 100G signal parameters for PCBs and coaxial cables.
Optional:
01
40GBASE-KP4, PCB
02
40GBASE-CR47m Coaxial
03
100GBASE-CR10 Dual-Axis Copper Cable
- IEEE 802.3bm: In May 2013, IEEE established P802.3bm, a 40/100G optical transmission standard.
The specifications for 4-channel 100G multimode and single-mode physical layers have been added, and 40GBASE-LR4 and 100G BASE-LR4 have been specified as options for Energy Efficient Optical Ethernet (EEE). Additionally, 40Gb/s single-mode fiber transmission specifications for lengths greater than 10km have been defined.
- IEEE 802.3bq: In May 2013, IEEE established P802.3bg, 40GBASE-T; balanced twisted pair cable up to 30m with 40G parameters.
Other standards for 100G optical modules:
Major companies in the industry have formed different alliances and are actively developing and promoting (mainly to lay out their own technical ideas and not lose the rules of the game) different 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s related standards, such as: 100 GPSM4MSA, 100G CLR4, CWDM-MSA, Open Optics MSA, etc. (The word "etc." is very important, as more and more companies are coming to share and expand the 100G market).
100 G PSM4 MSA:
100GPSM4MSA is a new industry standard involving multiple vendors and technologies. The "100GPSM4 Specification Parallel Single-Mode Four-Channel Transmission" was released on March 5, 2014.
It utilizes single-mode fiber for parallel transmission, with four transmit and four receive channels, 25G per channel, enabling low-cost 100G networks within 500m.Compatible with various small packages of optical modules: QSFP, embedded optical engines, etc.
100 G CLR4:
100GCLR4 is another alliance comprised of major companies in the industry.
In April 2014, this alliance (official wording sounds impressive) announced that it would use single-mode fiber with four bands (around 1310) for transmission, four transmit and four receive, with 25G per channel, to support 100G networks within a range of 500m to 2 km in large data centers.
In addition, CWDM4-MSA and Open Optics MSA are also competing with CLR4, offering features such as 2km, 4×25G, single-mode, and 1310nm...