Arista Compatible 100G QSFP28 Optical Transceivers

Arista Compatible 100G QSFP28 Optical Transceivers

Product Overview

Arista leaf, spine and campus switches that ask for Arista optics are the reason this range exists. The modules are third party products built to the QSFP28 MSA; they are not manufactured by, and are not affiliated with, Arista.

Why buy a compatible part at all? Because the port is the asset and the module is the consumable. When a factory module is priced above the link it serves, or sits on a long lead time, a coded module of the same grade restores the port today and keeps a handful of spares affordable.

Each module leaves with an EEPROM image written for the platform you name, which is what the host reads at link up. That is also where compatible supply fails: an uncoded part can be optically perfect and still be rejected. We confirm the coding against your platform and part number before the order is released.

Key Features

• 100G QSFP28 range covering SR4, CWDM4, PSM4, DR, FR, LR4 grades
  
• EEPROM coded for the platform and the part number you name
  
• Third party product, not manufactured by or affiliated with Arista
  
• Same grade and reach class as the factory part at a lower cost per port
  
• Digital Diagnostic Monitoring (DDM) with live optical, temperature and voltage readings
  
• Tested for optical power and error rate, with a test report supplied
  
• Common grades held in stock for same-day quoting
  
• RoHS compliant, supplied with a three year warranty
  

Technical Specifications

Ordering Options by Grade

The 100G QSFP28 grades are listed below as plain text so they can be copied into an RFQ or a spreadsheet. Each grade is ordered with the coding for the platform you name.

Applications

Leaf to Spine Backbone

100G uplinks between leaf and spine switches, where the grade has to match the fibre already in the trays: multimode for SR4, duplex single mode for CWDM4 and LR4.

Metro and Data Center Interconnect Spans

2km to 80km links between buildings and sites on CWDM4, FR, LR4, ER4 and ZR4 grades with the same platform coding.

100G Breakout into 4x25G

One 100G port feeding four 25G ports for server access, which keeps the switch port count free for the next upgrade.

Compatibility and Coding

The part that decides whether the link comes up is the EEPROM image, not the optics. Written for the named platform, it makes the host accept the module and report the expected values through DDM. Tell us the platform, the firmware version and the incumbent part number, and the coding is confirmed before the order is released.

Apex supplies these modules as a third party source. The products are not manufactured by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Arista, and no Arista warranty or support applies to them. Where a platform enforces vendor locking beyond the EEPROM image, we say so before the order rather than after.

Deployment and Selection Notes

Two things decide the grade in a {brand} build: the fibre that is already installed and the reach the link has to cover. Multimode trays point to the SR classes, single mode trays to the duplex and parallel single mode classes, and the reach class follows the longest span you have to serve.

The second decision is spares. Holding one coded module per grade in use costs less than a single maintenance window held up by lead time, and the coding on the spare has to match the installed base, not the newest order.

If the platform is not certain, send the switch model, the firmware version and the part number being replaced. We confirm the grade and the coding before the order is released, and we say so when a platform will not accept a third party module at all. For background on how coding works across platforms, see our Optical Module Coding and Compatibility Guide.

Related Products

• Arista Compatible Transceivers
  
• 100G Optical Transceivers QSFP28
  
• Optical Module Coding and Compatibility Guide
  
• Broadcom Compatible Transceivers
  

Frequently Asked Questions

Which 100G grade covers a 2km link between two buildings?

CWDM4 and FR both cover the 2km class on duplex single mode. If the fibre is already multimode and the run is under 100m, SR4 costs less and needs no new cabling.

Will the switch report the compatible module as its own part?

The EEPROM image can be written so the platform accepts the module and reports the expected values. Whether the inventory name matches exactly depends on the firmware; send the part number and we confirm what the switch will show.

What about platforms that enforce stricter checking?

Some platforms check more than the EEPROM image. Send the switch model and firmware version and we will say before the order whether a compatible module will link, rather than shipping something that is blocked.

Are 100G spares something operators keep on the shelf?

Yes. A failed 100G port is expensive downtime, so the common practice is to hold one or two coded spares per grade, and to order them in the same coding as the installed base.

Why Choose Apex

• Optical supply from 1.25G to 1.6T, including compatible and coded ranges for the main switch platforms.
  
• Coding confirmed against the platform and the part number before the order is released.
  
• Every module tested for optical power and error rate, with a test report supplied.
  
• Backed by a three year warranty and technical support before and after the sale.