QSFP-DD MSA Group releases 3.0 Hardware specification

The Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) Multi Source Agreement (MSA) group has released an updated 3.0 Hardware specification for the new QSFP-DD form factor. In total, 62 companies have come together in support of the QSFP-DD MSA to address the industry need for a high-density, high-speed networking solution.

Established in March 2016, the QSFP-DD MSA group accepted the challenge to meet the market demand for a next-generation high-density, high-speed pluggable backwards-compatible module form factor. The MSA group has now released a 3.0 Hardware specification with broad market support that is said to overcome the technical challenges of specifying a QSFP28-compatible double-density interface. The QSFP-DD specification defines mechanical, electrical, and thermal management requirements to enable multi-vendor interoperability.

QSFP-DD pluggable modules can support quadruple the bandwidth of conventional QSFP modules, allowing networking equipment to keep pace with advances in application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology. Systems designed for QSFP-DD modules will be backwards compatible with existing QSFP form factors and provide increased flexibility for end users, network platform designers and integrators.

The QSFP-DD 3.0 Hardware specification defines a module and both a stacked-height integrated cage/connector system and a single-height cage/connector system. The MSA has redefined the scope on the QSFP form factor, the industry’s leading multi-lane pluggable form factor used across Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand. QSFP was initially launched at 40Gbps and 100Gbps network applications and now QSFP-DD supports up to 400Gbps in aggregate over an 8 x 50Gbps electrical interface.

QSFP-DD MSA founder-promoters include Broadcom, Brocade, Cisco, Corning, Finisar, Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Huawei, Intel, Juniper Networks, Lumentum, Luxtera, Mellanox Technologies, Molex, Oclaro, and TE Connectivity.

Contributors include Acacia, ACON, Alibaba, Amphenol, Applied Optoelectronics, APRESIA Systems, Cavium, Celestica, Ciena, ColorChip, Dell EMC, Delta Products, Fujitsu Optical Components, Genesis, H3C, Hisense Broadband, Hitachi Metals, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Innovium, Inphi, Ixia, JPC, Kaiam, LEONI, Lorom, Luxshare-ICT, MACOM, MaxLinear, MultiLane, NeoPhotonics, Nokia, Panduit, PHY-SI, Ranovus, Samtec, SENKO, Semtech, Sicoya, Siemon, Skorpios Technologies, Source Photonics, Spectra7 Microsystems, Spirent, Sumitomo Electric, US Conec, Xilinx, and Yamaichi Electronics.