100G-DR Single Lambda QSFP28 500m Transceiver: 100G-QSFP28-SL500

The EdgeOptic 100G-QSFP28-SL500 is a multi-vendor 100GBASE-DR single-lambda QSFP28 module for 100 Gigabit Ethernet over single-mode fiber. It carries a full 100G on one optical lane using PAM4 modulation at 106.25 Gbps, which suits data center leaf-spine fabrics and short single-mode interconnects up to 500 meters.

The module transmits at 1310nm (1304.5 to 1317.5 nm) using a single lambda, a step up from the four-lane 4x25G NRZ designs that earlier 100G optics relied on. An EML transmitter and a PIN photodiode handle the optical path, and on-board CDR maintains signal integrity at PAM4 rates. Putting all 100G on one wavelength means the link runs over two fibers instead of the eight that parallel SR4 or PSM4 modules need.

The optical link budget is 3 dB, which sets the practical reach. Over standard single-mode fiber the module supports distances up to 500 meters. Stated reach is an indicative figure; the working distance depends on the available optical budget and the average attenuation of the deployed cabling. The single-lambda design keeps cabling simple while giving the single-mode reach that multimode 100G optics cannot match.

The 100G-QSFP28-SL500 is a hot-pluggable QSFP28 with a duplex LC/UPC optical interface. The management interface conforms to SFF-8636 and SFF-8665, so the module drops into standard QSFP28 host ports. It can be coded to the EEPROM format used by multiple vendor platforms, which lets one part number serve equipment from different switch and router vendors.

Digital diagnostic monitoring reports transmit and receive optical power, module temperature, laser bias current, and supply voltage in real time. The single-lambda PAM4 design carries RS(544,514) KP4 FEC inside the module's onboard DSP, so host-side FEC should be left disabled on the switch port; running FEC on both the module and the host double-corrects the same stream and destabilizes the link. Some platforms detect the module type and disable host FEC automatically, so confirm the correct setting against the switch transceiver documentation. The module operates from 0 to 70 degrees C with a maximum power draw of 4.5 W on a single 3.3 V supply.

Standards compliance covers IEEE 802.3cd Clause 140 for 100GBASE-DR, the 100G Lambda MSA for the duplex LC variant, and the QSFP28 MSA. The same module is marketed by some vendors as 100GBASE-DR1; both names refer to this single-lambda 500m specification, not to the separate 802.3cu FR1 and LR1 reach classes. The module is CE and RoHS marked and Class 1 laser safe to FDA and IEC 60825-1.

Typical deployments include leaf-spine interconnects, top-of-rack uplinks to spine switches, and high-density builds where reducing fiber count matters. Single-lambda 100G PAM4 is also the per-lane building block for 400GBASE-DR4, so a 400GBASE-DR4 QSFP-DD port can break out to four 100GBASE-DR links over an MPO-12 to duplex-LC breakout cable.

Backed by 15+ years of EdgeOptic compatibility engineering across vendor optical platforms, the 100G-QSFP28-SL500 is made to order on a 2-week lead time and ships with a lifetime warranty. For vendor coding requirements or volume quotes, contact our sales team.