The Ethernet Alliance has announced that members AMCC, Avago Technologies, Broadcom, ClariPhy, Cortina Systems, ExceLight Communications, Finisar, Gennum, Inphi, Intel, JDSU, MergeOptics, NetLogic Microsystems, Opnext and Vitesse have conducted multi-vendor interoperability testing of SFP+ short-reach (10GBASE-SR) and long-reach (10GBASE-LR) optical interfaces.

The testing was held at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL) by the Ethernet Alliance SFP+/EDC subcommittee, and demonstrated multiple SFP+ SR and LR optical transceivers and physical layer (PHY) ICs interoperating over 270 metres of OM3 multimode fibre and 10 km of single-mode fibre.

In addition, the group demonstrated multiple SFP+ SR and LR optical transceivers and PHY ICs interoperating with XENPAK, X2, and XFP optical transceivers over the same distances.

SFP+ interfaces currently offer the smallest and lowest-power solution for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, enabling increased density in enterprise applications.

SFP+ modules and PHY ICs are being developed for SR, LR, LRM (long-wavelength multimode) and ER (extra-long-wavelength) optical reaches as per IEEE Std. 802.3ae-2002 and IEEE Std. 802.3aq-2006.

Electrical and mechanical interface specifications for SFP+ modules, direct attach cables, and hosts are under definition by the SFF Committee.

The SFP+/EDC subcommittee plans to hold a second plugfest in 2008 to demonstrate interoperability of SFP+ 10GBASE-LRM optical interfaces and direct attach copper SFP+ interfaces.