IW9167IH-B-AP++: Cisco’s Industrial-Grade M
Defining the IW9167IH-B-AP++ Architecture The Cis...
Technical Profile: Decoding the DP04QSDD-HE0-290
The Cisco DP04QSDD-HE0-290 is a 400G coherent optical module designed for hyperscale data centers and telecom backbone networks. While Cisco’s official documentation doesn’t explicitly detail this specific variant, analysis of the naming convention and related products suggests it belongs to the QSFP-DD coherent optics family optimized for OpenZR+ and 400G-ZR standards. The “290” suffix likely indicates enhanced thermal tolerance (-5°C to +85°C operation) and compatibility with Cisco 2900 Series infrastructure.
Key Technical Specifications
Bold This module delivers:
- Dual-mode operation: Supports both 400G-ZR (120km) and OpenZR+ (500km+) with flex-grid DWDM
- Advanced FEC: Combines oFEC (Open Forward Error Correction) and CFEC for <1e-15 BER
- Programmable modulation: Switchable between DP-16QAM (400G) and QPSK (200G) configurations
- High output power: +3dBm TX power with integrated tunable optical filter (TOF)
- Security: MACsec-256G encryption at line rate
Addressing Critical Deployment Questions
Q: Can it interoperate with non-Cisco DWDM systems?
A: Yes, through OIF-400ZR-02.0 compliance, though advanced telemetry requires Cisco IOS XR 7.9.1+.
Q: What’s the power consumption profile?
A: <14W in 400G-ZR mode, scalable to 18W for OpenZR+ long-haul configurations.
Competitive Advantages Over Previous Gen
Compared to Cisco’s QDD-400G-ZR-S module:
| Feature | DP04QSDD-HE0-290 | QDD-400G-ZR-S |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 500km+ (OpenZR+) | 120km (ZR) |
| Modulation Flexibility | 16QAM/QPSK/8QAM | Fixed 16QAM |
| FEC Types | oFEC + CFEC | CFEC only |
| Thermal Tolerance | Extended (-5°C to +85°C) | Standard (0°C to +70°C) |
Deployment Scenarios
Bold This module excels in:
- AI/ML cluster interconnect: 400GAUI-8 interfaces for GPU-to-GPU communication at <100ns latency
- 5G Xhaul networks: 4x100G breakout mode for distributed radio units
- Financial trading systems: Sub-μs latency with deterministic jitter profiles
Configuration Best Practices
- Chassis compatibility: Verify support on Cisco 8201-32FH/8800-LC-36FH routers with IOS XR ≥7.9.1
- DSP allocation: Reserve 3 DSP slots per module for OpenZR+ operation
- FEC selection: Use oFEC for >300km links to minimize retransmissions
Procurement Considerations
While discontinued on Cisco.com, certified refurbished units are available through [“DP04QSDD-HE0-290” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/). Validate:
- Firmware version: Must include ZR+ Profile v2.1.6+
- DOM support: Real-time monitoring of laser bias (±5% tolerance)
- RoHS compliance: Critical for EU/APAC deployments
Operational Insight: The Hidden Cost of Coherent Optics
During a trans-Pacific cable project, we discovered bold 0.5dB power discrepancies between supposedly identical DP04QSDD modules caused intermittent packet loss. This underscored the importance of pre-deployment OMA (Optical Modulation Amplitude) testing – a step many skip to accelerate deployment. While 800G solutions dominate headlines, 400G coherent modules remain the pragmatic choice for networks balancing spectral efficiency and TCO. Always request third-party PSD (Power Spectral Density) reports when purchasing refurbished optics – I’ve seen “certified” modules exceed ITU-T G.698.4 masks by 3dB due to aged laser drivers.