page_title: Optical module
section_title: SFP and QSFP  family front-panel modules
hierarchical_section_title: Optical module / Front panel optical module MSAs / SFP and QSFP  family front-panel modules
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a 40GB QSFP Cisco Transceiver.
context_page_description: An optical module is a typically hot-pluggable optical transceiver used in high-bandwidth data communications applications. Optical modules typically have an electrical interface on the side that connects to the inside of the system and an optical interface on the side that connects to the outside world through a fiber optic cable. The form factor and electrical interface are often specified by an interested group using a multi-source agreement. Optical modules can either plug into a front panel socket or an on-board socket. Sometimes the optical module is replaced by an electrical interface module that implements either an active or passive electrical connection to the outside world. A large industry supports the manufacturing and use of optical modules.
context_section_description: The Small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) MSA has specified many optical module form factors over the years.
  Small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP)
  QSFP - Quad SFP
  QSFP28 - 4 x 28 Gb/s interface 
  QSFP-DD - double density QSFP
  MicroQSFP
  OSFP transceiver - slightly larger 400GbE transceiver standard
caption: QSFP-40G-SR4 Transceiver
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