Connecting to the QSFP cage

Zebra Rapixo CoF Product Reference Guide

Zebra CoF comes with one QSFP cage to which you must connect QSFP+ or QSFP28 transceiver. The QSFP+ and QSFP28 form factors are identical; however, QSFP+ supports 40 Gbits/sec speeds and QSFP28 supports 100 Gbits/sec speeds, across all lanes. Zebra CoF supports direct-attach copper, AOC, and single-mode/multi-mode fiber QSFP+/QSFP28 transceivers.

Zebra CoF QSFP cages support the following types of transceivers and cables. Be aware that this table only lists the compatible transceivers for 40 and 100 Gbits/sec rates and is only provided for reference and is liable to change:

Standard	Description	Supported distance
40GBASE-SR	4 x 10 Gbits/sec Short Reach QSFP+ Transceiver	Up to 300 m over OM3 multi-mode fiber
40GBASE-LR	4 x 10 Gbits/sec Long Reach QSFP+ Transceiver	Up to 10 km over single-mode fiber
40GBASE-AOC	4 x 10 Gbits/sec QSFP+ Active Optical Cable (AOC)	Up to 30 m pre-terminated 40 Gbits/sec QSFP+ active optical cable
40GBASE-CR	4 x 10 Gbits/sec QSFP+ Direct Attach Twinax Copper Cable (DAC)	Up to 7 m pre-terminated 40 Gbits/sec QSFP+ twinax copper cable
100GBASE-SR	4 x 25 Gbits/sec Short Reach QSFP28 Transceiver	Up to 70 m over parallel OM3 multi-mode fiber and 100 m over parallel OM4 multi-mode fiber
100GBASE-LR	4 x 25 Gbits/sec Long Reach QSFP28 Transceiver	Up to 10 km over single-mode fiber
100GBASE-AOC	4 x 25 Gbits/sec QSFP28 Active Optical Cable (AOC)	Up to 30 m pre-terminated 100 Gbits/sec QSFP28 active optical cable
100GBASE-CR	4 x 25 Gbits/sec QSFP28 Direct Attach Twinax Copper Cable (DAC)	Up to 5 m pre-terminated 100 Gbits/sec QSFP28 twinax copper cable
100GBASE-CR-S	4 x 25 Gbits/sec QSFP28 Direct Attach Twinax Copper Cable (DAC)	Up to 3 m pre-terminated 100 Gbits/sec QSFP28 twinax copper cable

The supported speed and the supported cable length vary by module manufacturer. Confirm with the manufacturer of the module whether it supports the speed and cable length that you expect to use.

Changing QSFP transceivers

If you need to change your transmission speed, you might also need to physically change your transceiver to one that supports your required speed. Each brand of QSFP transceiver will vary both in size and specific installation instructions, but as a general rule, you should hear a small click sound after the QSFP makes proper contact with the connector. Also, be aware of the orientation of the QSFP connector and ensure that you are installing it according to the instructions from the manufacturer. The QSFP transceiver is connected as follows:

To reduce unnecessary wear, only plug and unplug the QSFP+/QSFP28 transceivers when absolutely required. The QSFP cages are rated for a maximum of 250 module insertions.

Once the transceiver is connected to the board, Link Speed Auto negotiation will automatically establish the speed of any newly connected transceiver. You can now also remove any dust cap that might be covering the connector and plug a cable into the connector like any other Ethernet port.