Transceiver

A transceiver is a component that both transmits and receives signals, forming the interface between network equipment and the transmission medium. The term combines transmitter and receiver. In fibre optic technology, the transceiver converts electrical signals into light signals and back. Common formats are pluggable modules such as SFP, SFP+, SFP28, QSFP and QSFP28, supporting data rates from 1 to 100 Gbit/s and above depending on the model. Variants are available for multimode and singlemode fibre, for copper via RJ45 and as direct attach cables. Key specifications include wavelength, reach, fibre type and power budget. As many manufacturers apply their own coding, compatibility with the specific switch or router should be verified before procurement.