Small Form Factor (SFF)

A small form factor (SFF) technology is a design that is smaller than other similar designs in its field. A small form factor device can be a computer that's smaller than conventional desktop mini-towers, a mobile phone that's smaller than the average smartphone, or a compact fiber-optic system that incorporates more connections or pieces on smaller plugs or connections.

Some examples of small form factor technology include items like the Raspberry Pi, a computer with a smaller physical footprint that also comes at a very small price. Other devices with smaller display screens or other features can also be called small form factor models.

In networking hardware, some of the smaller devices known as small form factor devices are referred to as small form factor pluggable (SFP) devices. These devices replace conventional technologies like gigabit interface converters or MT-RJ plugs. SFPs have become popular in some types of physical networking systems. Some of these connectors have been endorsed by standards organizations like TIA/EIA and ISO/IEC. Researchers are looking at SFF connectors to see whether they can improve metrics on data loss and other elements of design.