Universal software and hardware solution for coding fiber optical transceivers

General information

SFPTotal coding boards are designed for coding fiber optic transceivers. Different hardware revisions support popular form factors including GBIC, SFP, SFP+, SFP28, XFP, QSFP, QSFP28 and QSFP-DD, as well as RJ45 modules, DAC and AOC cables. SFPTotal boards support coding for transceivers with DDM function and write-protected transceivers also.

The coding boards made without a case to provide access for contact pads and control elements which are required for coding some AOC/DAC and optical transceivers based on hardware protection scheme.

Programmers make able to improve compatibility options with brand equipment such as 3com, Alcatel, Cisco, Extreme, Juniper, Lucent, Moxa, HP, Meriton, Ericsson / Marconi, Mellanox, Nortel, Net Insight, Nokia, Redback, Siemens, Transmode, Qlogic, Westermo, Allied Telesis, Cyan, DCN, Dlink, Enterasys, Foundry, Hitachi, Apresia, Huawei, Linksys, Netgear, Mikrotik, Orion, Ruijie, Tejas Network, Transitfion, ZTE, Zyxel and etc.

Quick start

SFPTotal coding board connects to PC with USB cable included to the kit. Connected device detects by operation system at first connection of the board. To get started follow next steps:

1. Install SFPTotal driver for coding board
2. Download and run SFPTotal Wizard software

The programming board work based on a proprietary protocol SFPTotal and operating wih an official software SFPTotal Wizard which provides an interface for access to main features and opportunities of the device. The device does not need special settings. SFPTotal Wizard software detects a coding board automatically when the device connected to PC.

Sometimes PC working under OS Windows control is needed a system reboot for stable work of virtual serial port driver.

Compatibility issues

SFPTotal programmers are designed in accordance with MSA SFF specifications, support the GBIC, SFP, SFP +, XFP and QSFP transceivers, and are also able to successfully reprogram the modules of most manufacturers.

The coding boards support all address spaces of transceivers (for example: A0H, A2H). That means all available memory pages of the transceiver could be read and write with special permissions.

The hardware is maden with the conditions for compatibility and security of memory chips and control chip, as well as stable power supply of the transceiver circuit.

For default, the coding board does write into transceivers memory with 8 bytes block size and clocking speed rate 10 kHz. This ensures the most compatible with optical transceivers which manufactured with various hardware design. The operation settings (data bus speed rate, block size and intervals value) can be changed if necessary. Therefore, you will not have any problem in reprogramming conventional transceivers.

Also, SFPTotal Wizard software makes able to proceed single-byte read and write operations for transceivers with specific requirments to data exchange.

Coding write-protected transceivers

Most write-protected transcievers can be recoded using 4-bytes password unlocks transceiver's memory for commit new changes. SFPTotal software has a special interface to set up the params and execution a write operation with a password entry.

Also, the software supports a scripts which make able to implement difficult algorithm or save command for programming write-protected transceivers with especial programming logic is different than MSA standard. The software is able to do a password search for transceivers with unknown password value.

Our technical support provides a scripts and passwords for programming transceivers of respective manufacturers.

The programming ability may have limitationsg for some transceiver manufacturers or a hardware design. It could be associated with replacing the chip in a new batch or setting a password that has not been found and tested by SFPTotal Team yet.

You can use prepared scripts or, create your own coding solution, using SFPTotal command protocol, for coding locked modules if you know an original algorithm (or a password).

Where get codes?

Most compatibility issues linked with using optical transceivers and network switching equipment are associated with mistakes in the code declaration that presents the transceiver parameters, with wrong checksums and in use an incompatible vendor code. You need to upload a correct vendor code into transceiver to resolve compatibility issues.

As part of technical support, we provide our customers with access to the vendor codes database, as well as advise on ensuring the compatibility of transceivers with switching equipment.

Please, contact to Tech support to get more information.