Fast single-channel I/O connectors are backwards-compatible

The TE Connectivity zSFP+ interconnect is currently one of the fastest single-channel I/O connectors on the market today, transferring data at 28Gbps NRZ and 56Gbps PAM-4. The connectors are available now from RS Components.

Through a design that provides backward-compatible with SFP/SFP+ products, the interconnect is hotswappable with existing SFP+ connectors for fast system upgrades of 28-56Gbps. Alternatively, users can design-in the zSFP+ connector for 10-16Gbps data rates, building a progressive path to higher speeds–an upgradeability that can produce long-term cost savings as this eliminates the requirement to completely redesign for higher performance.

The interconnect is compliant to SFF-8402 and has been adopted for Fibre Channel 32G (28.05Gbps line rate).

Typical application fields include telecommunications, data centres, medical equipment, and networking.