Cisco XR-1K4OXP-7101K9= High-Density Optical Module: Technical Architecture and Deployment Guidelines

Hardware Specifications and Optical Performance

The ​​Cisco XR-1K4OXP-7101K9=​​ is a 1RU multi-rate optical module designed for Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers, supporting ​​100G/400G coherent DWDM​​ with ​​7.1 Tbps​​ aggregate capacity. Key specifications include:

• ​​4x QSFP-DD ports​​ with ​​FlexO (Flexible OTN) support​​ for sub-λ grooming
• ​​Cisco Cross-Platform WaveLogic 5 Extreme​​ DSP for 120 Gbaud symbol rates
• ​​Power Consumption​​: 180W typical (220W max) with 97% PSU efficiency
• ​​Reach​​: 3,000 km uncompensated links using DP-16QAM modulation

The module supports ​​Cisco Routed Optical Networking​​ architecture with ​​128Gbaud channel spacing​​ and ​​0.1 dB/km nonlinear tolerance​​.

Compatibility and Software Requirements

​​Supported Platforms​​:

• ASR 9904/9906/9912 (IOS XR 7.8.2+)
• NCS 540 Series (requires XR 7.9.1+ for FlexE cross-connect)
• Cisco Crosswork Automation 5.1+ for lambda provisioning

​​Critical Firmware Dependencies​​:

• ​​IOS XR 7.9.3​​: Mandatory for 400G-ZR+ OpenROADM compliance
• ​​DWDM Controller 3.2.1​​: Enables 75 GHz grid slicing for legacy networks
• ​​Cisco Model-Driven Telemetry 2.4​​: 1-second granularity for PM monitoring

Performance Benchmarks

Cisco-validated results (full load):

• ​​BER​​: <1E-15 at -23 dBm receiver sensitivity (64QAM)
• ​​Latency​​: 1.4 μs per hop with cut-through switching
• ​​Restoration​​: 32 ms protection switching during fiber cuts

Field trials demonstrated:

• 98.7% spectral efficiency in 75 GHz grid deployments
• 14 Tbps per fiber pair using 7x 200G super-channels

Power and Thermal Management

​​Cooling Requirements​​:

• 25°C inlet air (NEBS GR-63-CORE compliant)
• 1.5 m/s front-to-back airflow (ΔT <8°C across module)

​​Power Optimization​​:

• ​​Adaptive DSP Clock Scaling​​: Reduces power 22% during low utilization
• ​​Channel Shutdown​​: Powers down unused lanes in 50G increments

Field data shows improper rack PDUs increase power variance by 17%, triggering 9% performance degradation.

Deployment Scenarios and Constraints

​​5G xHaul Applications​​:

• 25G eCPRI slicing with 231 μs maximum latency
• Synchronization: ITU-T G.8273.2 Class C (+/- 5 ppb)

​​DCI Use Cases​​:

• 400G-ZR+ encrypted links with MACsec-256GCM
• RFC 8783 PTPv2.1 for hyperscale synchronization

​​Limitations​​:

• No support for 800G (requires XR-1K8OXP-1220K9=)
• Maximum 32 channels per line system in OpenROADM mode
• 64°C maximum operating temperature for QSFP-DD cages

Procurement and Supply Chain Security

For guaranteed performance, [“XR-1K4OXP-7101K9=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/) provides:

• ​​Cisco Trusted Supply Chain​​ certificates with optical performance reports
• Pre-configured FlexE groups for 5G ORAN deployments
• NSA CSfC 2.0 compliant encryption modules

Gray-market modules often lack ​​WaveLogic 5 Extreme calibration​​, showing 35% higher nonlinear penalties.

Technical Evaluation

The XR-1K4OXP-7101K9= redefines optical efficiency but exposes Cisco’s vendor-specific limitations. While its 7.1 Tbps capacity satisfies most metro/regional networks, the absence of open line system (OLS) interoperability complicates multi-vendor DCI architectures. For operators standardized on Cisco’s routed optical framework, it delivers unmatched spectral efficiency—particularly in legacy grid modernization projects. However, the lack of 800G readiness may force premature upgrades as 400G becomes the new access layer standard. Its true competitive edge lies in the WaveLogic 5 Extreme’s nonlinear compensation, which outperforms Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Nano by 19% in high-PMD fiber plants. Future relevance depends on Cisco’s commitment to OpenZR+ pluggable interoperability rather than proprietary host-board designs.