Fiber optic channel attachment options

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This table lists maximum unrepeated distance and link budget for each type of channel; longer distances are possible using repeaters, switches, or channel extenders. Minimum bandwidth requirement to achieve these distances is listed for multimode fiber only, this specification does not apply to single mode fiber. MCP denoted mode conditioning patch cable, which is required to operate some links over multimode fiber. Bit rates given below may not correspond to effective channel data rate in a given application due to protocol overheads and other factors. SC Duplex connectors are keyed per the ANSI Fibre Channel Standard specifications. Deviations from these specifications, including longer distances, may be possible and are evaluated on an individual basis by submitting a Request for Price Quote (RPQ) to IBM®. Various types of non-fiber optic interconnects are also supported, including 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps Ethernet using 1000BASE-T Ethernet over Category 5 or Category 6 copper cabling.

Note: Any reference to FICON® Express could apply to FICON Express, FICON Express2, FICON Express4, FICON Express8, and FICON Express8S. Any reference to OSA-Express could apply to OSA-Express, OSA-Express2, OSA-Express3, or OSA-Express4S
Note: ICA-SR and zHyperLink connections must follow Type A (i.e. Method A, or Straight-Through) wiring, as exemplified in Table 1. This allows for a 1:1 connection where at the end of the fiber link path, Fiber 1 is connected to Fiber 13. Key Up connectors are connected to Key Down connectors, in this configuration.
Table 1. MTP x24 Fiber Cable Wiring Chart - MTP Trunk Cable Method Type A: Straight Through
Key Up Connector A Key Down Connector B
Fiber Number Connector MTP-1 Connector MTP-2 Fiber Number
Fiber 1 MTP-1-1 MTP-2-13 Fiber 13
Fiber 2 MTP-1-2 MTP-2-14 Fiber 14
Fiber 3 MTP-1-3 MTP-2-15 Fiber 15
Fiber 4 MTP-1-4 MTP-2-16 Fiber 16
Fiber 5 MTP-1-5 MTP-2-17 Fiber 17
Fiber 6 MTP-1-6 MTP-2-18 Fiber 18
Fiber 7 MTP-1-7 MTP-2-19 Fiber 19
Fiber 8 MTP-1-8 MTP-2-20 Fiber 20
Fiber 9 MTP-1-9 MTP-2-21 Fiber 21
Fiber 10 MTP-1-10 MTP-2-22 Fiber 22
Fiber 11 MTP-1-11 MTP-2-23 Fiber 23
Fiber 12 MTP-1-12 MTP-2-24 Fiber 24
Fiber 13 MTP-1-13 MTP-2-1 Fiber 1
Fiber 14 MTP-1-14 MTP-2-2 Fiber 2
Fiber 15 MTP-1-15 MTP-2-3 Fiber 3
Fiber 16 MTP-1-16 MTP-2-4 Fiber 4
Fiber 17 MTP-1-17 MTP-2-5 Fiber 5
Fiber 18 MTP-1-18 MTP-2-6 Fiber 6
Fiber 19 MTP-1-19 MTP-2-7 Fiber 7
Fiber 20 MTP-1-20 MTP-2-8 Fiber 8
Fiber 21 MTP-1-21 MTP-2-9 Fiber 9
Fiber 22 MTP-1-22 MTP-2-10 Fiber 10
Fiber 23 MTP-1-23 MTP-2-11 Fiber 11
Fiber 24 MTP-1-24 MTP-2-12 Fiber 12
Table 2. Fiber optic channel attachment options
Channel Type Fiber Connector Bit Rate Distance/Bandwidth Link Loss Budget8
FICON (LX) at 1 Gbps Single Mode SC Duplex or LC Duplex 1.06 Gbit/s 10 km 7.8 dB
Multimode 62.5 (With MCP) SC Duplex 1.06 Gbit/s 550 meters/ 500 MHz-km 5 dB
Multimode 50.0 (With MCP) SC Duplex 1.06 Gbit/s 550 meters/ 400 MHz-km 5 dB
FICON Express (LX) at 2 Gbps Single Mode LC Duplex 2.13 Gbit/s 10km 7.8 dB
FICON Express (LX) at 4 Gbps Single Mode LC Duplex 4.25 Gbit/s 10 km 7.8 dB
4 km 4.8 dB
FICON Express (LX) at 8 Gbps Single Mode LC Duplex 8.5 Gbit/s 10 km 6.4 dB
FICON Express (LX) at 16 Gbps Single Mode LC Duplex 14.025 Gbit/s 10 km 6.4 dB
FICON/FCP/HPF (LX) at 32 Gbps Single Mode LC Duplex 28.05 Gbit/s 5 km7 6.34 dB1
FICON (SX) at 1 Gbps Multimode 62.52 SC Duplex or LC Duplex 1.06 Gbit/s 300 meters/ 200 MHz-km 3.0 dB
Multimode 50.02 SC Duplex or LC Duplex 1.06 Gbit/s
500 meters/ 500 MHz-km
3.85 dB
860 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 4.62 dB
FICON Express (SX) at 2 Gbps Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 2.13 Gbit/s 150 meters/ 200 MHz-km 2.10 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 2.13 Gbit/s
300 meters/ 500 MHz-km
2.62 dB
500 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 3.31 dB
FICON Express (SX) at 4 Gbps Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 4.25 Gbit/s 70 meters/ 200 MHz-km 1.78 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 4.25 Gbit/s 150 meters/ 500 MHz-km
2.06 dB
380 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.88 dB
400 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 2.95 dB
FICON Express (SX) at 8 Gbps Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 8.5 Gbit/s 21 meters/ 200 MHz-km 1.58 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 8.5 Gbit/s
50 meters/ 500 MHz-km
1.68 dB
150 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.04 dB
190 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 2.19 dB
FICON Express (SX) at 16 Gbps Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 14.025 Gbit/s3
35 meters/ 500 MHz-km
1.63 dB
100 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 1.86 dB
125 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 1.95 dB
FICON/FCP/HPF (SX) at 32 Gbps Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 28.05 Gbit/s3 35 meters/ 500 MHz-km 1.57 dB4
100 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 1.75 dB4
125 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 1.86 dB4
OSA- Express GbE LX Single Mode LC Duplex 1.25 Gbit/s 5 km 4.6 dB
Multimode 50.0 (with MCP) LC Duplex 1.25 Gbit/s 550 meters/ 500 MHz-km 2.4 dB
OSA- Express GbE SX Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 1.25 Gbit/s 275 meters/ 200 MHz-km 2.6 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 1.25 Gbit/s 550 meters/ 500 MHz-km 3.6 dB
550 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 3.6 dB
OSA- Express 10 GbE (LR) Single Mode LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 10 km 6.0 dB
OSA- Express 10 GbE (SR) Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 33 meters/ 200 MHz-km 1.6 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 82 meters/ 500 MHz-km 1.8 dB
300 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.6 dB
400 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 2.9 dB
OSA- Express 25 GbE SR Multimode 50.0 Multimode 50.0 25.78125 Gbit/s
OM3 (.5 - 70m) 2000 MHz-km
1.8.dB
OM4 (.5 - 100m) 4700 MHz-km
 1.9 dB
OSA Express7S 25 GbE (LR) Single Mode LC Duplex 25.78125 Gbit/s 10 km 6.3 dB
Coupling Express LR 10G Single Mode LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 10 km 6.0 dB
Coupling Express LR 25G Single Mode LC Duplex 25.0 Gbit/s 10 km n.n dB
RoCE 10 GbE (SR) Multimode 62.5 LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 33 meters/ 200 MHz-km 1.6 dB
Multimode 50.0 LC Duplex 10.0 Gbit/s 82 meters/ 500 MHz-km 1.8 dB
300 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.6 dB
400 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 2.9 dB
PSIFB (1x IFB) Single Mode LC Duplex 2.5 / 5.0 Gbit/s 10 km 5.66 dB
PSIFB (12x IFB) Multimode 50.0 12x MPO 3.0 GB/s 150 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.06 dB
6.0 GB/s 150 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 2.06 dB
ICA and zHyperLink Multimode 50.0 24x MPO 8.0 GB/s 100 meters/ 2000 MHz-km 1.9 dB5
150 meters/ 4700 MHz-km 1.5 dB6
Notes:
  • 1Link loss assumes 2 dB connection loss.
  • 2Indicates channels which use short wavelength (850 nm) optics; all link budgets and fiber bandwidths are measured at this wavelength. Unless noted, all other links are long wavelength (1300 nm).
  • 3Mbit/s, reduced to an effective data rate of 100 Mbit/s by protocol overhead.
  • 4For max operating distance and loss budget for different connection losses, see Table 3.
  • 51.5 dB is allocated for connection loss.
  • 61.0 dB is allocated for connection loss.
  • 7FICON Express32S LX (FC=0461) supports a 32 Gbps link speed at distances up to 5 km between each channel and its nearest neighbor.
  • 8Link budget refers to channel insertion loss values and includes fiber cable, connector, and splicing loss for specified wavelengths, distances, penalties, and attenuation values specified in each module's respective IEEE 802.3 standards documentation.
Table 3. 3200-SN multi mode maximum operating distance and loss budget for different connection losses
Distance (m) / Loss Budget (dB)
Fiber Type Connection loss
3.0 dB 2.4 dB 2.0 dB 1.5 dB 1.0 dB
M5F (OM4) 20 / 3.04 65 / 2.64 80 / 2.36 100 / 1.86 110 / 1.48
M5E (OM3) 12 / 3.03 45 / 2.64 60 / 2.24 70 / 1.87 80 / 1.41
M5 (OM2) NA 15 / 2.52 15 / 2.52 20 / 2.02 25 / 1.29