The SFP 00, 01, and 02 of my OP5707XG are connected with OP8110 (3 units). If I have a new Power Amplifer, and I want to connect the new Power Amplifer to SFP, should I turn on another SFP (such as SFP 03) or can I use SFP 00, 01 or 02?
Hi,
Short answer: Yes, you must enable and connect to an additional dedicated SFP port (such as SFP 03). You cannot share or reuse SFP 00, 01, or 02.
Why You Need a Dedicated SFP Port (e.g., SFP 03)
Dedicated Point-to-Point Communication:
The real-time SFP optical link between the OP5707XG target FPGA and the OP8110 (or OP8111/OP8140) power amplifier is a point-to-point, full-duplex protocol.
Each SFP channel continuously streams high-speed setpoint references (voltage/current targets) from the simulator to the amplifier embedded controller and receives real-time output feedback (measured voltage, current, and fault/status flags) back to the simulator.
Because it is a point-to-point protocol without multi-drop bus capability, one SFP transceiver on the simulator maps to exactly one physical amplifier unit.
SFP 00, 01, and 02 are Fully Allocated:
Since your 3 existing OP8110 units are connected to SFP 00, 01, and 02, each port’s communication core on the FPGA is dedicated 1:1 to its corresponding unit. Connecting another amplifier requires the next available SFP transceiver (e.g., SFP 03).
Important Distinction: SFP Communication vs. Optical Synchronization
SFP Optical Links (Real-Time Control & Feedback):
Located on the front panel of the OP8110 and connected to the OP5707XG SFP ports.
Strictly point-to-point \rightarrow Each amplifier must have its own dedicated cable to an individual SFP port on the OP5707XG (SFP 00 \rightarrow Unit 1, SFP 01 \rightarrow Unit 2, SFP 02 \rightarrow Unit 3, SFP 03 \rightarrow Unit 4).
Optical Synchronization Links (Clock/Carrier Sync):
Located on the rear panel of the OP8110 units (SYNC TX and SYNC RX).
Can be daisy-chained between amplifier units (Tx of Unit 1 to Rx of Unit 2, etc.) to synchronize PWM switching carriers across multiple units.
Steps to Integrate the New Amplifier via SFP 03
Verify FPGA Bitstream / Firmware:
Ensure your OP5707XG FPGA configuration/bitstream has SFP 03 enabled with the appropriate amplifier communication protocol core (e.g., OP8110 SFP interface / Aurora core).
Update Your Simulation Model (RT-LAB / HYPERSIM):
In your model (e.g., RT-LAB OpCtrl block / HYPERSIM I/O configuration), add the 4th amplifier interface block and assign its communication channel to SFP Port 3 / Channel 3.
Physical Cabling:
Insert an SFP optical transceiver module into SFP 03 of the OP5707XG and run an optical patch cord to the primary SFP port (rightmost port) of the new power amplifier.
If synchronizing PWM carriers across units, extend the rear optical sync daisy-chain to the new amplifier.
Status Check:
Verify the SFP LED on the front panel of the new amplifier turns Green (indicating active communication and configuration synchronization with the OP5707XG).
@Parija Should I pay money if I want to turn on more SFP ports?