CodingBox Documentation

Optical PMD reference by rate

Every optical Ethernet interface is a PMD (Physical Medium Dependent) defined in IEEE 802.3 or an industry MSA. The tables below list the ones you meet in practice, with fibre type, wavelength, nominal reach and connector — the facts a module's memory must agree with.

1 Gigabit

PMDFibreλReachConnector
1000BASE-SXMMF850 nm550 m (OM2)LC
1000BASE-LXSMF (MMF with MCP)1310 nm10 kmLC
1000BASE-EXSMF1310 nm40 kmLC
1000BASE-ZX (MSA)SMF1550 nm80 kmLC
1000BASE-BX-U/DSMF, single fibre1310 / 1490 nm10–20 kmLC simplex

10 Gigabit

PMDFibreλReachConnector
10GBASE-SRMMF850 nm300 m OM3 / 400 m OM4LC
10GBASE-LRMMMF1310 nm220 m (legacy OM1/OM2)LC
10GBASE-LRSMF1310 nm10 kmLC
10GBASE-ERSMF1550 nm40 kmLC
10GBASE-ZR (MSA)SMF1550 nm80 kmLC
10GBASE-BXSMF, single fibre1270 / 1330 nm10–40 kmLC simplex

25 Gigabit

PMDFibreλReachFEC
25GBASE-SRMMF850 nm70 m OM3 / 100 m OM4RS-FEC
25GBASE-LRSMF1310 nm10 kmRS-FEC
25GBASE-ERSMF1310 nm40 kmRS-FEC

40 Gigabit (4 lanes)

PMDFibreλReachConnector
40GBASE-SR4MMF ×8850 nm100 m OM3 / 150 m OM4MPO-12
40GBASE-LR4SMF4 × CWDM (1271–1331)10 kmLC
40GBASE-ER4SMF4 × CWDM40 kmLC
40G PSM4 (MSA)SMF ×81310 nm10 kmMPO-12
40G BiDi (vendor)MMF2 × 850/900 nm100–150 mLC

100 Gigabit

PMDLanesFibreλReachConnector
100GBASE-SR44×25GMMF ×8850 nm70 m OM3 / 100 m OM4MPO-12
100GBASE-SR1010×10GMMF ×20850 nm100–150 mMPO-24
100G CWDM4 (MSA)4×25GSMF4 × CWDM2 kmLC
100G PSM4 (MSA)4×25GSMF ×81310 nm500 mMPO-12
100GBASE-LR44×25GSMF4 × LAN-WDM (1295–1310)10 kmLC
100GBASE-ER44×25GSMF4 × LAN-WDM40 kmLC
100GBASE-DR1×100G PAM4SMF1310 nm500 mLC
100GBASE-FR / LR1×100G PAM4SMF1310 nm2 km / 10 kmLC

200 and 400 Gigabit

PMDLanesFibreReachConnector
200GBASE-SR4 / DR4 / FR4 / LR44×50GMMF / SMF100 m / 500 m / 2 km / 10 kmMPO-12 / LC
400GBASE-SR88×50GMMF ×16100 mMPO-16
400GBASE-SR4.2 (BiDi)4×2×50GMMF ×8100 mMPO-12
400GBASE-DR44×100GSMF ×8500 mMPO-12 APC
400GBASE-FR4 / LR44×100GSMF, 4 × CWDM2 km / 10 kmLC
400GBASE-FR8 / LR88×50GSMF, 8 × LAN-WDM2 km / 10 kmLC
400ZR (OIF)coherentSMF~120 kmLC

800 Gigabit

PMDLanesFibreReachConnector
800G-SR88×100GMMF ×1650–100 mMPO-16
800G-DR88×100GSMF ×16500 mMPO-16 APC
800G 2×FR42×(4×100G)SMF2 kmdual LC

Reading it against module memory

A module states its PMD through the compliance codes and wavelength bytes in its identity block (SFF-8472 for SFP-class, SFF-8636/CMIS for QSFP-class), using values from SFF-8024. The Check transceiver screen decodes these so you can confirm a module is the PMD its label claims — and when recoding, keep the codes consistent with the real optics (an SR module coded as LR will not reach 10 km).