The control of transceivers is becoming increasingly complex with the advent of technologies like 400ZR and Co-Packaged Optics (CPO). Platforms utilizing these transceivers require coordinated control with switch ASICs. Enabling development in a virtual environment can enhance software quality and allow for experimentation with novel transceiver control mechanisms. In SONiC, transceiver control is primarily managed by xcvrd. However, xcvrd is not enabled in SONiC's virtual environment (VS), making it challenging to conduct such tests and experiments.
This session will provide an overview of the necessary modifications to SONiC to enable xcvrd in the virtual environment. By making these adjustments, we can facilitate the development and testing of advanced transceiver control software in the VS environment without the need for physical hardware. Additionally, we will introduce a transceiver emulator developed to support the testing of sophisticated transceiver controls, such as those required for 400ZR and CPO.