BiDi Technology for Increasing Network Capacity

With the increasing of fiber network users, the existing network resources can't be satisfied with the growing demands for higher capacity and lower cost. So how to improve the capacity effectively for your network? Find the answers in the description of BiDi technology below.

What Is BiDi?

BiDi technology can allow transceiver modules to transmit and receive data to/from the interconnected network devices (like network switches or routers) via a single optical fiber, saving fiber costs. BiDi transmission is the most basic and actually the initial form of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and BiDi transceivers are equipped with WDM couplers/diplexers using two wavelengths, one for upstream and one for downstream communication.

For example, from point A we have installed a BiDi transceiver that transmits TX on 1310nm towards point B on a single fiber. In point B there is a transceiver that receives RX on 1310nm and transmits back to point A on 1550nm on the same fiber, then in point A the RX frequency is on 1550nm. It also means that BiDi transceivers should be deployed in pairs—each part transmits at an opposite wavelength.

Figure: BiDi Transmission

What BiDi Technologies Are Available?

BiDi transceivers are available at a few different rates, reaches, and wavelengths, with 1G/10G BiDi SFPs being the most common types used in today's networks. They are designed for 1G/10G deployment and can reach up to 80km distance. BiDi variants are also available for the form factor XFP for 10G. Apart from the common BiDi transceivers, 40G BiDi, 100G BiDi, and 400G BiDi transceivers have entered the market and become a suitable choice for delivering data in the optical portion of 10G wireless networks.

The QSFP 40G/100G BiDi supports connections up to 500m/150m on OM5 MMF respectively with a duplex LC connector interface. 40G BiDi and 100G BiDi transceivers can carry two distinct channels in different directions on a single strand of fiber, which simplifies optical design and keeps costs low by doubling the capacity of existing fiber infrastructure. As for the 400G BiDi module, it is a quad version of the 100G BiDi approach utilizing four fiber pairs (consistent with commonly installed infrastructure such as a 4+4 fiber MPO).

An Urgent Need for Network Capacity with BiDi Technology

The primary reason for implementing BiDi technology in your network is the increasing bandwidth demand nowadays.

• A larger number of new devices — With more and more new devices enters into the Internet of Things (IoT), companies need more additional bandwidth to handle the data which these devices are transmitting and receiving.

• Huger traffic in the cloud — As a result of a large number of new devices and with more companies look to take advantage of big data, it is necessary to maximize the capacity for huge traffic in the cloud.

• More complex traffic in data center — Data centers are now shifting increasing amounts of traffic internally which data primarily traveled from the data center to the client and back. So more bandwidths are required for the data center to keep traffic flowing smoothly.

• Increasing applications delivered as services — Now more and more companies regard software as a service rather than a product, which makes the online software solutions turn to additional bandwidth to function correctly.

• Additional bandwidth for virtualization — According to the IDC Worldwide Virtual Machine Forecast, organizations are using more virtual machines per server which creates a pressing need for greater I/O performance from each rack to provide the flexible capacity and scale they need.

FS 40/100G BiDi Solution

With built-in II-VI chips and low power consumption (lower than 3.5w) features, FS new launched 40G and 100G BiDi transceivers can offer a high-performance, fiber resources saving, and cost-effective 40G/100G connectivity for clouds and data centers. Besides, QSFP 40G BiDi and 100G BiDi transceivers can seamlessly upgrade short-reach links from 10G while using your existing 10G duplex LC MMF cabling infrastructure.

Equipped with these benefits, FS BiDi modules are the optimal solutions for increasing network capacity. You can get 40/100 Gbps performance without replacing the 10G fiber cable infrastructure, which saves fiber resources and the waiting time to maximize the network capacity you need can also be shortened.

Related Article:

Tutorial on Bi-Directional Transmission Technology

BiDi Transceiver: A Cost-effective 40G/100G Solution for Enterprise & Data Centers