What is the difference between a SFP cage and a QSFP cage?

An SFP cage holds one serial lane (1G to 25G) in a small port. A QSFP cage is wider and holds four lanes (40G to 200G). QSFP-DD and OSFP extend this to eight lanes for 400G and 800G.

Should I choose press-fit or solder-tail cages?

Press-fit cages install without reflow and suit thick backplanes and rework. Solder-tail cages give the lowest profile and are standard on SMT line cards. ABPTEL supplies both.

High-Speed Cages & Connectors: SFP to OSFP, 10G-800G

Q: What is a belly-to-belly or stacked cage?

A belly-to-belly (2x1 or 2xN) cage stacks two rows of ports in one housing to double front-panel density. It is common on high-port-count switches.

Q: Can you cross-reference TE, Molex or Amphenol part numbers?

Yes. Send the original TE, Molex or Amphenol part number and we will quote a form-fit-function equivalent cage or connector, typically at a lower landed cost.

High-Speed Cages, Connectors & Interconnect Components

Pluggable optical cages and high-speed board connectors from 10G to 800G — SFP, QSFP28, QSFP-DD and OSFP cages, plus PCIe 5.0, Mini SAS HD and Power Blade connectors. A drop-in, cost-down alternative to TE, Molex and Amphenol.

10G → 800GPress-fit & solderIntegrated heat sinkTE / Molex cross-refCustom tooling

Jump toCage & connector range Form-factor selector Why ABPTEL FAQ Cage guide ↗

Pluggable Cages & High-Speed Connectors

A pluggable cage is the shielded metal housing on a switch or line card that a transceiver or DAC plugs into. It provides the EMI shield, the thermal path (heat sink), and the mechanical guide — while the mated connector carries the high-speed signals onto the PCB.

ABPTEL supplies the full ladder of cages and connectors used in modern switches, servers and line cards, validated against TE / Molex / Amphenol footprints so they drop into existing designs.

Cage & Connector Range

800G

OSFP Cage & Connector

The form factor of choice for 800G AI fabrics. Larger thermal envelope than QSFP-DD, with an integrated riding heat sink for high-power optics.

800G / 1.6T readyRiding heat sinkOSFP-112 / OSFP-XD

400G

QSFP-DD Cage (Heat Sink)

Backward-compatible 400G cage with integrated or pluggable heat sink. Drops into existing QSFP+ / QSFP28 board layouts.

400G 8-laneIntegrated heat sinkQSFP+/28 compatible

100G

QSFP28 Stacked 2×1 Cage

Belly-to-belly 2×1 stacked cage that doubles front-panel port density for 100G spine and leaf switching.

100G 4-lane2×1 belly-to-bellyLight pipe option

10G/25G

SFP / SFP+ / SFP28 Cage

The workhorse pluggable cage for 10G and 25G access and ToR. Single-port and ganged 1xN, press-fit or solder tails.

10G / 25G1×1 to 1xN gangedEMI gasket

10G

SFP+ 1×4 Ganged Cage

Four-port ganged SFP+ cage with integrated light pipe to route status LEDs to the front panel — fewer parts, cleaner PCB.

1×4 gangedIntegrated light pipeSolder / press-fit

100G/200G

QSFP28 & CFP2 Cages

High-density optical cages for 100G QSFP28 and 200G CFP2 line cards and DWDM transport.

QSFP28 100GCFP2 200GShielded EMI

SAS/PCIe

Mini SAS HD Connector

180-degree press-fit Mini SAS HD connector for internal storage and high-speed I/O at 12G/24G SAS.

12G / 24G SASPress-fit 180°SFF-8643 family

PCIe 5.0

PCIe 5.0 Slot Connector

98-pin SMT PCIe 5.0 slot connector rated for 32 GT/s — for GPU, NIC and accelerator card edges.

98-pin SMTPCIe 5.0 32GT/sx8 / x16 layouts

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Need the cable, not the cage? Our passive copper and active optical assemblies — SFP+, SFP28, QSFP28, QSFP-DD and 800G OSFP — live on the DAC & AOC Interconnects page →

Form-Factor Selector: 10G to 800G

Form factor	Lanes	Max speed	Typical use
SFP / SFP+	1	10G	Access, ToR, uplinks
SFP28	1	25G	25G server ToR
QSFP28	4	100G	Spine-leaf, 100G aggregation
CFP2	4–8	200G	DWDM / coherent transport
QSFP-DD	8	400G	400G fabric, backward compatible
OSFP	8	800G / 1.6T	AI / ML GPU fabrics

Rule of thumb: QSFP-DD reuses your QSFP board layout for a smoother 400G upgrade; OSFP gives more thermal headroom and is the path to 800G and 1.6T in AI clusters. Full selection guide →

Why Source Cages & Connectors From ABPTEL

🔁 Drop-in cross-reference

Send a TE, Molex or Amphenol part number — we quote a form-fit-function equivalent.

💰 Lower landed cost

Direct-from-factory pricing on cages, connectors and DAC, typically 30–50% under name-brand.

🛠️ Custom tooling

Ganged counts, light-pipe routing, heat-sink style and press-fit vs solder built to your board.

🌡️ Thermal-ready

Integrated and riding heat-sink cages for 400G/800G high-power optics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an SFP cage and a QSFP cage?

An SFP cage holds one serial lane (1G–25G) in a compact port. A QSFP cage is wider and holds four lanes (40G–200G). QSFP-DD and OSFP extend this to eight lanes for 400G and 800G.

What is a belly-to-belly or stacked cage?

A belly-to-belly (2×1 or 2xN) cage stacks two rows of ports in one housing to double front-panel density — common on high-port-count switches.

Press-fit or solder-tail cages?

Press-fit installs without reflow and suits thick backplanes and rework. Solder-tail gives the lowest profile and is standard on SMT line cards. We supply both.

Can you cross-reference TE, Molex or Amphenol part numbers?

Yes. Send the original part number and we quote a form-fit-function equivalent cage or connector, usually at a lower landed cost. Contact us with your BOM.

Get a cage & connector quote

Send your part numbers, footprints or BOM — we cross-reference and reply within one business day.

Request a Quote →Read the Cage Guide

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