MMA1B00-C100D 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Wiki

Mellanox MMA1B00-C100D is a 100G optical module based on QSFP28 package, designed for short-distance high-speed transmission on multimode fiber (MMF). The module supports the 100GBASE-SR4 standard and achieves a maximum transmission distance of 100 meters on OM4 multimode fiber through 850nm wavelength VCSEL laser, and 70 meters on OM3 fiber. It uses MPO-12 interface and is compatible with mainstream switches (such as Mellanox SN4700, Arista 7060, etc.), suitable for data centers, high-performance computing and other scenarios.

How Does MMA1B00-C100D Work?

The 100GBASE-SR4 MMA1B00-C100D module achieves 100 Gbps bandwidth through four-channel parallel transmission technology:

Electrical signal end: Aggregate 4x 25.78Gbps electrical signal inputs into a total rate of 100G.

Optical signal end: Each channel uses an 850nm VCSEL laser to complete bidirectional data transmission through 8-core optical fiber (4 transmit and 4 receive) in the MPO-12 connector.

Signal management: Supports forward error correction (FEC), which allows the transmitter to use error correction code (ECC) to redundantly encode information to achieve the purpose of transmission error correction. It also supports digital diagnostic monitoring (DDM/DOM), which can monitor parameters such as temperature and optical power in real time to ensure link stability.

What are the Advantages of MMA1B00-C100D?

Low power consumption and high efficiency: The typical power consumption is only 2.5W-3.5W, which is more than 30% energy-saving than similar products and meets the requirements of green data centers.

High compatibility: Supports multi-source agreement (MSA), can adapt to mainstream brand equipment such as Mellanox, Cisco, Arista, and is compatible with 40G Ethernet (through speed reduction mode).

Cost-effectiveness: As the table show, the price of third-party compatible modules (such as QSFPTEK) is only ⅙ to ⅕ of the original factory price. 

Also, these compatible optics have passed strict compatibility and performance tests, and their reliability is close to that of the original factory.

Plug and Play: The hot-swappable design simplifies deployment, and the MPO pre-terminated jumper reduces the complexity of wiring.

What are the Typical Application Scenarios of MMA1B00-C100D?

Data center Interconnection: used for 100G high-speed connection between switches in the Spine-Leaf architecture, supporting non-blocking data transmission, suitable for cloud computing and virtualization environments.

High-performance computing (HPC): HIn AI training clusters or supercomputing centers, the low latency characteristics of the module (<0.1μs) can accelerate communication between GPU/TPU nodes.

Enterprise network upgrade: reuse the existing OM3/OM4 fiber infrastructure, smoothly upgrade 10G links to 40G/100G, and save 90% of the wiring transformation costs. It also supports 25G to 100G migration, for instance, through MPO to LC multimode breakout fibers.

Video streaming and storage network: Supports real-time transmission of 4K/8K video streams and high-speed data synchronization of distributed storage systems to meet the needs of media production and broadcasting industries.

Technology Expansion and Future Outlook

The module supports a smooth transition to higher-speed networks. For example, 25G server access can be adapted through breakout solutions (such as 100G to 4x SFP28 ), and 200G/400G network architecture can be compatible in the future. In addition, the introduction of silicon photonics technology is expected to further reduce power consumption to less than 2W and increase transmission density.

Summary

Mellanox MMA1B00-C100D has become the preferred solution for short-distance 100G networks due to its high performance, low cost and wide compatibility. Whether it is a data center upgrade or an enterprise network expansion, the 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 module can provide stable and reliable high-speed connections to help with digital transformation.