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Xenpak, X2, XFP, SFP+ are four different optical communications transmission module standards that result from MSA (multi-source agreements) among several manufacturers with regard to 10 Gigabit Ethernet optical transmission cords. XENPAK, X2, XFP, SFP+ define optical transceivers that comply with the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard as stated by the IEEE802.3. XFP and SFP+ are the newest 10G modules that developed and most used nowadays. XENPAK and X2 are the older versions. XFP is superior to XENPAK technically, and is cheaper to produce, but you'll find a lot of existing hardware that is still XENPAK based. X2, which is essentially XENPAK technology in a smaller form factor (closer to original GBIC size), is still in production to have any market penetration. X2 and Xenpak transceivers are most easily be mix up by peoples because that the almost have the similar functions and structures and almost same specifications as specified at Cisco official websites. Now, in this article, let’s mainly discuss about the difference between the 10G X2 and 10G Xenpak modules to guide you better use the two modules in 10G 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options. Physically, the Xenpak and X2 are in different sizes. The Xenpak looks longer than X2 from their appearance. Besides the blades they support are different such as when you purchase a 4port tengig blade (6704-10G) for a 6500 and only XENPAK modules are supported BUT for the 8 and 16port version you have to use X2. The XFP 10GE would be IQ2 PICs, also supporting WAN-PHY and all sorts of clever queueing/shaping. The "CompactFPC" 10 GigE for the M120 uses XFP, but doesn't have all the IQ2 features. XENPAK generally utilizes SC fiber optic connectors on one end and utilizes an industry standard 70 pin electrical connector on the other end to connect with client computing devices to facilitate data communications to anetwork or any suitable type of computing and/or telecommunications device. X2 modules with X2 board assemblies are extremely similar in structure to Xenpak, One difference between the X2 board assembly and the XPAK board assembly is that the X2 board assembly utilizes SC connectors as opposed to LC connectors. Besides the obvious differences of size/form factor and fiber connectors, XENPAK and XFP are very different technologies on the backend. The biggest difference for the end user is that on XENPAK the framer is located on the optic itself, which essentially makes that optic "hard coded" for a particular media and framing. XFP implements the framer on the host board, making the optic itself media agnostic (not to mention cheaper to produce). You can take the same XFP and use it for 10GE LAN PHY, 10GE WAN PHY, OC192, even 10G fibre channel. Generally speaking this means that any vendor producing anything less than an extremely low-end device can easily implement LAN/WAN PHY framing on the board, and control it via a simple software switch. I can only speak to the 10G XFP cards on the MX960 specifically, but they implement LAN/WAN PHY support about as well as you could possibly hope for (with full SONET alarms when in WAN PHY mode). With XENPAK, you have to change out the entire optic, and you usually end up paying a huge premium for "LW" optics (and good luck even trying to FIND EW). The other major difference is the interconnection technology used. XENPAK uses XAUI, which is four (4) lanes of 3.125G serial interfaces, while XFP uses XFI which is a single 10.3125G channel. The use of XAUI makes XENPAK "naturally suited" to some exotic "4 lane" technologies such as LX4 and CX4, which split the 10G signal into 4 individual lower speed signals. In the case of LX4 for example, 4 slightly different colored wavelengths and an integrated mux/demux are used to provide WDM, allowing you to get much longer distances over old low-grade MMF plant than you could possibly get with a single native 10G interface. Since XFP uses a single 10G channel, you won't find LX4 optics and the like produced. That’s all the differences as I could summarized about the difference between 10G X2 and 10G Xenpak. Hope it would give you more clear conceptions on both type 10G transceivers and the applications of them. Of course, if you want to know more information about them, you may need to go the Cisco official website, or go to some experienced fiber optic transceiver manufacturer website, where you will still get some useful information on Cisco X2 transceiver and Cisco Xenpak module.
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