Allied Telesis AT-SP10LRA/I 10GBASE-LR Industrial SFP+ Transceiver

Overview

The Allied Telesis AT-SP10LRA/I is a TAA-designated 10GBASE-LR SFP+ fiber transceiver built for deployments where standard commercial-temperature modules simply won't hold up. Transmitting and receiving at 1310 nm over duplex single-mode fiber through dual LC/UPC connectors, it reaches 10 km on a 6 dB link budget — covering campus backbones, inter-building runs, and long infrastructure segments without a media converter in the path. Where this module earns its place over the standard AT-SP10LR/I is the industrial temperature rating: verified operation from -40°C to +85°C, which matters in outdoor enclosures, rooftop comms rooms, factory floors, and any environment that swings hard between seasons.

The TAA designation makes the AT-SP10LRA/I eligible for US federal procurement programs under the Trade Agreements Act — a non-negotiable requirement for government and defense integrators sourcing network uplinks. If TAA compliance is a bid requirement, this is the correct part number in the Allied Telesis 10G SFP+ family to specify. For a broader look at the Allied Telesis networking line, including compatible switches and uplink modules, the brand page lists the full portfolio.

Key Features

• 10 km Reach on SMF: With a 6 dB link budget and a DFB laser transmitting at 1310 nm (-8.2 to -0.5 dBm), this module handles inter-building and campus-scale fiber runs without amplification or repeaters. If your run is under 10 km on OS1/OS2 single-mode, you have margin to spare.
• Industrial Temperature Range (-40°C to +85°C): Commercial-grade SFP+ modules are typically rated 0–70°C. The AT-SP10LRA/I extends that range to the hard industrial envelope — critical for outdoor comms cabinets, unmanned substations, and cold-climate installations where thermal cycling causes commercial modules to fail or degrade over time.
• Broad Data Rate Support (1.25–11.32 Gbps): The module spans Gigabit Ethernet (1.25 Gbps) through 10G Ethernet (10.31 Gbps) and multiple Fibre Channel rates (1G through 8G FC) plus STM-64 SONET. This makes it usable across mixed-generation infrastructure without stocking separate modules for each application.
• DDM/DOM Diagnostics: Real-time optical monitoring of transmit power, receive power, temperature, supply voltage, and laser bias current is built in. On compatible Allied Telesis fiber networking switches, DDM/DOM data surfaces in the management interface — enabling proactive fiber plant maintenance and faster fault isolation without dispatching a technician to pull the module.
• PIN Photodiode Receiver (-14.5 dBm sensitivity, 0 dBm overload): The receiver handles a wide dynamic range. The -14.5 dBm sensitivity means it tolerates real-world connector losses and aging fiber without link errors, while the 0 dBm overload ceiling protects against overpowered inputs on very short runs.
• Single 3.3V Supply, SFF-8431 / SFP MSA Compliant: Draws from the host switch's standard 3.3V SFP+ rail with no auxiliary power. Mechanical and electrical compliance with both the SFF-8431 SFP+ electrical MSA and the SFP MSA means plug-in compatibility is governed by a published standard, not a proprietary interface.
• CE, RoHS, Class 1 Laser Safety (IEC 60825-1 / FDA): Ships compliant for North American and EU markets. Class 1 laser certification under both IEC and FDA frameworks covers the full industrial temperature operating envelope — not just a commercial-temp subset.

Integration & Compatibility

The AT-SP10LRA/I is designed for Allied Telesis switching platforms — including the x530L Series — where Allied Telesis's own ordering guide lists both the AT-SP10LR/I and AT-SP10LRa/I as related 10GBASE-LR SFP+ codes. These two part numbers are not interchangeable: the AT-SP10LRa/I carries the TAA designation; the AT-SP10LR/I does not. Verify the exact part number against your procurement specification before ordering. For Allied Telesis switch compatibility, cross-reference the target switch's supported transceiver list in its datasheet. If you are evaluating SFP+ transceivers across multiple vendors or planning a PoE infrastructure around these uplinks, the network switch buying guide covers uplink module selection and fiber plant planning considerations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the AT-SP10LRA/I TAA compliant?

A: Yes. The AT-SP10LRA/I carries a TAA designation, making it eligible for US federal government procurement programs subject to Trade Agreements Act requirements. The standard AT-SP10LR/I does not carry this designation — verify the exact part number on your procurement documents.

Q: What fiber type does the AT-SP10LRA/I require?

A: The module requires duplex single-mode fiber (SMF) with dual LC/UPC connectors. It operates at 1310 nm with a 100 nm wavelength bandwidth (1260–1360 nm) on both transmit and receive. It is not compatible with multimode fiber.

Q: What is the maximum reach of the AT-SP10LRA/I?

A: 10 km on OS1 or OS2 single-mode fiber, operating within a 6 dB link budget. Actual reach depends on fiber quality, connector losses, and splice count — budget your link loss before assuming full 10 km reach.

Q: Does the AT-SP10LRA/I support DDM or DOM diagnostics?

A: Yes. Digital Diagnostic Monitoring (DDM/DOM) is supported, providing real-time visibility into transmit power, receive power, module temperature, voltage, and laser bias current from the host switch's management interface.

Q: What is the operating temperature range of the AT-SP10LRA/I?

A: Allied Telesis's own documentation states an industrial range of -40°C to +85°C. This extends well beyond the 0–70°C commercial-temperature envelope and covers outdoor enclosures, factory floors, and other thermally challenging environments.

Q: What data rates does the AT-SP10LRA/I support?

A: The module supports 1.25 to 11.32 Gbps, covering 10G Ethernet (10.31 Gbps), Gigabit Ethernet (1.25 Gbps), Fibre Channel rates from 1G through 8G, and STM-64 SONET/SDH (9.95 Gbps).

Jerry Tildsen

The detail I keep coming back to on the AT-SP10LRA/I is the receiver overload ceiling: 0 dBm. That means on a very short SMF run — say, 100–200 meters within a campus — you won't saturate and blind the receiver the way you can with some less-specified modules. Pair that with the -14.5 dBm sensitivity floor and you have a 14.5 dB dynamic range on the receive side, which gives real margin for fiber aging, dirty connectors, and imperfect splice points over a 10 km run.

Technical Highlights:

• DFB Laser Transmitter: Distributed Feedback lasers hold a tighter spectral width than FP (Fabry-Perot) lasers — with a 100 nm Tx wavelength bandwidth specified (1260–1360 nm), dispersion at 10 km is managed within the 70–100 ps/nm spec, keeping the eye pattern clean at 10G rates over OS1/OS2 SMF.
• Industrial Temp -40°C to +85°C: This is a 125°C operating swing. Commercial modules derate at the cold end first — laser threshold current rises and extinction ratio degrades. The AT-SP10LRA/I is characterized and guaranteed across this full envelope, not just nominally rated.
• DDM/DOM Support: Real-time diagnostic monitoring covers the five standard parameters (Tx power, Rx power, temperature, voltage, bias current). On Allied Telesis managed switches, this data is polled by the switch's SFP monitoring subsystem — you get proactive alerts before a marginal fiber connection causes a link drop.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your target Allied Telesis switch explicitly supports the AT-SP10LRA/I — Allied Telesis's x530L Series ordering guide lists it, but not every switch generation in the portfolio treats third-party or TAA-variant modules identically. Pull the switch's compatible transceiver list before provisioning.
• The AT-SP10LR/I and AT-SP10LRA/I are distinct part numbers. The 'a' suffix signals the TAA designation — not a hardware revision or performance difference. Ordering the wrong variant on a federal contract will fail compliance review even if the optics are functionally equivalent.

The AT-SP10LRA/I is the right call for government campus networks, military base infrastructure, and industrial automation backbones where both TAA compliance and a hard industrial temperature envelope are non-negotiable uplink requirements — not just nice-to-have checkboxes.