There are many different transmission rates and transmission distances for optical modules, so when we select fiber patch cord for optical modules, we need to select the type of fiber patch cord that matches it. Otherwise, it will cause unnecessary waste or loss. So what kind of optical fiber patch cord is used for different optical modules?

This complete matching guide sorts out standard fiber patch cord collocation schemes for 1.25G/10G/40G/100G mainstream optical modules, clarifies core matching rules of fiber mode, wavelength, connector type and transmission distance, and lists common engineering mismatching faults & troubleshooting methods for data center, campus and telecom network engineers.

Core Universal Matching Principles For All Optical Modules
Before matching fiber cables for different rate transceivers, you must follow 3 golden engineering rules to avoid port down and heavy packet loss:
1).Fiber Mode Consistency: Multimode optical module only matches OM1/OM3/OM4 multimode patch cords; Single-mode module must use OS2 single-mode fiber. Mixing SM/MM will cause ultra-high insertion loss and link failure.
2).Connector Matching: LC duplex for SFP/SFP+/SFP2 LR/SR modules; MPO multi-core connector for 40G/100G parallel SR4 transceivers.
3).Distance & Wavelength Matching: The actual fiber cable length cannot exceed the module’s rated distance; SR 850nm only pairs multimode, LR/ER 1310/1550nm only pairs single-mode OS2 fiber.

Matching Scheme For 1.25G SFP Optical Module

It refers to the optical module with a transmission rate of 1.25G. Its package form is SFP, and it can be transmitted to 160km at most. Then how can 1.25G be connected with optical fiber patch cord? Here are two examples:

1. The working wavelength of 1.25G SFP SX optical module is 850nm. It adopts LC duplex interface, and the transmission distance can reach 550m when it is used with OM1/OM2 multi-mode dual fiber optical patch cord.1000BASE-SX standard, OM1 62.5μm fiber max 220m, OM2 50μm fiber up to 550m, suitable for intra-building LAN cabinet interconnection.

2. The working wavelength of 1.25G SFP LX module is 1310nm. It adopts LC duplex interface, and the transmission distance can reach 10km when used with OS2 single-mode dual fiber optical patch cord.Extended 1.25G long-distance models: 40km/80km/160G ZX single-mode SFP modules all adopt 1550nm wavelength + OS2 LC duplex patch cord for cross-building campus and rural broadband access.

Matching Scheme For 10G Optical Module Series

Refers to the optical module that can send and receive 10G data signals per second. According to the different packaging, 10G Optical module can be divided into XENPAK optical module, X2 optical module, XFP optical module and SFP+ optical module. At present, 10G SFP+ optical module is more popular.

1. The working wavelength of 10G SFP+ LR optical module is 1310nm. With LC duplex interface, the transmission distance can reach 10km when used with OS2 single-mode dual fiber optical patch cord.

2. The working wavelength of 10G SFP+ SR optical module is 850nm. It adopts LC duplex interface, and the transmission distance can reach 300m when it is used OM3 with multi-mode dual fiber optical patch cord.

10GBASE-SR: OM3 fiber max 300m, OM4 high-bandwidth multimode up to 400m, used for data center intra-cabinet short-distance ToR interconnection.
10G ER 40km / ZR 80km single-mode SFP+ use 1550nm wavelength + OS2 LC duplex fiber; 10G BiDi single-fiber SFP+ must pair matched simplex LC single-mode jumpers.

Matching Scheme For 40G QSFP+ Optical Module

It refers to the optical module with a transmission rate of 40G. Its package forms are CFP and QSFP+, which are mainly used for backbone network transmission. 40G QSFP+ optical module is one of the most widely used optical modules, but it has many models. Let's list the types of optical fiber patch cord corresponding to 40G QSFP+ SR4 optical module.

The working wavelength of the 40G qsfp SR4 optical module is 850nm, and MPO connector is used. The transmission distance is 100m when it is used with OM3 multimode fiber patch cord and 150m when it is used with OM4 multimode fiber patch cord.

Matching Scheme For 100G QSFP28 Optical Module

The transmission rate of 100G optical module is 100G. The main types of 100G optical module launched on the market are: CXP optical module, CFP optical module, CFP2 optical module, cfp4 optical module and QSFP28 optical module. QSFP28 optical module is widely used in the market.

The working wavelength of 100G QSFP28 LR4 optical module is 1295.56-1309.14nm, adopting CWDM transmission technology and LC duplex interface. The transmission distance can reach 10km when connected with single-mode dual fiber OS2 fiber patch cord.

100G SR4 QSFP28 matches 12-core MPO OM4 multimode trunk cable (max 100m); 100G ER4/ZR4 long-distance transceivers use 1550nm OS2 single-mode LC duplex fiber for metropolitan DCI interconnection; 100G breakout modules support MPO-to-4SFP28 branch fiber splitters.

In general, multimode optical modules are used with multimode fiber patch cords, and vice versa. Generally, with the same transmission rate, the corresponding transmission distance of optical modules with different operating wavelengths is also different. Thank you for your support!

ETU-LINK complete supporting fiber products matched with all rate optical modules:
1.Single-mode series: OS2 LC/SC simplex/duplex patch cords, MPO trunk cable for long-distance DWDM links;
2.Multimode series: OM1/OM3/OM4 LC duplex, MPO 12-core parallel trunk cable for 10G/40G/100G SR;
3.Special cables: BiDi simplex single-fiber jumpers, MPO-LC breakout branch fiber, APC/UPC low-loss polishing fiber;
All fiber cords match commercial & industrial optical modules of Mainstream brands switches.

Last updated: August 6 2026