40GBASE-ER4 Application Overview
40GBASE-ER4: 40 Gb/s wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) serial transmission over 2 single-mode optical fibers, with reach up to at least 40 km
40GBASE-ER4 supports four long wavelength WDM serial transmission over duplex (2-fiber) single-mode optical fiber cabling. The application’s equivalent symbol rate is 41.25 GBd per lane and the supported distance varies according to the type of single-mode cable used. Network equipment interface connections include a duplex optical fiber connector and a standard socket into which physical (PHY) layer transceiver modules may be plugged.
- Connector type: LC
- Transceiver module: QSFP+
- Defined in clause 87 of the IEEE 802.3 Standard for Ethernet
- Initially published as IEEE Std 802.3bm™: Physical Layer Specifications and Management Parameters for 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Operation over Fiber Optic Cables in 2015
Optical Fiber Cabling (Channel) Characteristics:
| 40GBASE-ER4 | ||||
| Parameter | OS1a | Indoor/Outdoor | OS2 | |
| Operating wavelengths: | 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm | |||
| Specification wavelength: | 1310 nm | |||
| Insertion loss (min)1: | 9.0 dB | |||
| Insertion loss (max): | 18.5 dB | |||
| Cabled fiber attenuation (max): | 1.0 dB/km | 0.5 dB/km | 0.4 dB/km | |
| Operating range2: | 2 m to 15 km3 | 2 m to 30 km3 | 2 m to 40 km4 | |
| 1 Minimum channel insertion loss may be achieved by use of an optical attenuator. 2 Maximum operating ranges are calculated using a 2.0 dB connection and splice loss allocation. 3 Operating range for cabled fibers having other than 0.4 dB/km attenuation is not specified by IEEE 802.3. These calculations are provided for information only. 4 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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Key Application Capabilities:
- Defines a 40 Gb/s PHY using four WDM lanes for operation over at least 40 km of SMF
- Supports full-duplex operation only
- Preserves the Ethernet frame format utilizing the Ethernet MAC
- Preserves minimum and maximum FrameSize of current 802.3 Standard for Ethernet
- Provides appropriate support for optical transport networks (OTNs)
- Supports a BER of better than or equal to 10-12 at the MAC/PLS service interface
- Supports optional Energy-Efficient Ethernet operation
Related Applications:
The IEEE P802.3bm Task Force also specified the following Ethernet application:
| Application | Operating Wavelength(s) | Media | Operating Range1 |
| 100GBASE-SR4 | 850 nm | Multimode | up to 150 m |
| 1 Supported distance varies according to the type of optical fiber cable used. | |||
Back to TIA FOTC IEEE 802.3 Single-mode Optical Fiber Ethernet Standards Explorer