The 40-gigabit QSFP+ transceiver module is a hot-swappable, parallel fiber-optical module with four independent optical transmit and receive channels. These channels can terminate in another 40-gigabit QSFP+ transceiver, or the channels can be broken out to four separate 10-gigabit SFP+ transceivers. The QSFP+ transceiver module connects the electrical circuitry of the system with either a copper or an optical external network. The transceiver is used primarily in short reach applications in switches, routers, and data center equipment, where it provides higher density than SFP+ modules.