2-7
Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Module Installation Guide
78-15725-02
Chapter 2      Preparing for Installation
Determining Cable Distances
10-Gigabit Ethernet
Table 2-8 lists the fiber-optic transmission specifications for the 10-Gigabit 
Ethernet interfaces. Table 2-9 lists the optical power specifications for the 
10-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
Caution To prevent severe damage to the WS-G6483 Optical Interface Module receiver, 
you must install a 5-dB 1550 nm fixed-loss attenuator when fiber-optic cable 
lengths are less then 12.4 miles (20 km). To prevent severe damage to the 
WS-X6501-10GEX4 receiver, you must install a 5-dB 1550 nm fixed-loss 
attenuator when fiber-optic cable lengths are less then 6.2 miles (10 km).
Table 2-7 GBIC Channel Insertion Loss
GBIC Device
Transmitter output 
power
(min/max dBm)
Receiver maximum 
input power (dBm)
Receiver minimum 
sensitivity (dBm)
1000BASE-SX -9.5/-4 0 -17
1000BASE-LX/LH -9.5/-3 -3 -19
1000BASE-ZX 0/5 -3 -23
1
1. The 1000BASE-ZX GBIC provides a minimum optical power budget of 23dB. To determine the supported 
link distance, you should measure your cable plant with an optical loss test set to verify that the optical loss 
of the cable plant (including connectors and splices) is less than or equal to this value. The optical loss 
measurement must be performed using a 1550 nm light source.