What is the difference between GBIC and SFP?

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

GBIC (gigabit interface converter) is a standard for transceivers, commonly used with Gigabit Ethernet setups and fibre channel data networks in the 2000s. The standard offers hot swappable electrical interface, which supports a wide range of physical media, from copper to long-wave single-mode optical fiber, at lengths of hundreds of kilometers.

A GBIC module acts as a transceiver that converts between electrical and optical signals for high-speed networking. The module plugs directly into a system without turning off the computer. This flexibility eliminates the need to replace entire system networking boards.

NORTEL UE 3000 1 PORT 1000BASESX GBIC

SFP, also called mini-GBIC, was designed after the GBIC interface. A SFP module can link equipment like routers and switches. It supports other communication equipment like Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel, SONET, SFP Plus, and 10 Gbps data rates.

ADVA FSP-3000 - SFP/4GU/D1535.04V SM/LC#D07

SFP VS GBIC: main differences

Size

GBIC is larger than SFP. SFP is half the volume of GBIC and can be configured double number of ports on the same panel.

Performance

GBIC and SFP are equal in performance. Despite that, some users are still opting for GBIC because their old device cannot be updated to support SFP.

Prominent & obsolete

SFP is in prominent use while GBIC is already obsolete. Although GBIC and SFP are equal in performance, the difference in size is still a desirable factor for many. In fact, GBIC transceiver modules are gradually replaced by SFP modules on the market. You might find it difficult to find vendors that still carry equipment that is compatible with GBIC.

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What is the difference between GBIC and SFP?

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

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