A LightOptics part number is a useful starting point, but it is not a compatibility certificate. Read the code alongside the product data sheet: confirm the form factor, Ethernet rate, optical standard, wavelength, connector, fibre type and specified reach before choosing vendor coding for the host.

What can a real model number tell you?

For example, the LightOptics LO-SP-10G-SR data sheet identifies an SFP+ 10GBASE-SR transceiver with an 850 nm optical interface, duplex LC connector and multimode fibre, specified for up to 300 m under the stated fibre conditions. The name points you toward the product family; the data sheet supplies the actual operating limits.

For a one-fibre link, compare both ends rather than ordering two identical modules. The LO-SF-1G-3S5-20L and LO-SF-1G-5S3-20L are a documented 1G BiDi pair: one transmits at 1310 nm and receives at 1550 nm; the other does the reverse. Their 20 km rating is a product specification, not permission to skip the optical-budget calculation.

Diagram showing the segments of a LightOptics transceiver model code

Five checks before placing an order

  1. Host port and rate: confirm the switch or server accepts the module form factor and required Ethernet mode.
  2. Fibre and connector: check MMF or SMF, simplex or duplex, and LC or MPO against the installed cabling.
  3. Optical standard and wavelengths: for BiDi, verify that Tx and Rx are complementary at the two ends.
  4. Reach and power budget: compare the data sheet with the measured route, connectors, splices and receiver limits.
  5. Vendor coding: the optical part number alone does not prove that a particular device or firmware will recognise the transceiver.

What the name does not guarantee

Do not infer switch compatibility, FEC settings, DOM support or an exact operating-temperature range from a short suffix alone. Check the current product card and data sheet for the exact part number. If the target host is known, include its manufacturer, model and firmware version in a compatibility request. This is more reliable than choosing by a visual match or code fragment.

Technical sources

LightOptics LO-SP-10G-SR data sheet and LightOptics 20 km BiDi family data sheet. Specifications apply to the named products, not every LightOptics transceiver.