MPO/MTP Fiber Cabling Basics

With the ever increasing need for even greater bandwidth in data centers, multi-mode fiber cables (MMFs) have proven to be a practical optical solution to support such fast-changing and fast-growing bandwidth demand. MTP/MPO fiber cabling, ideal for quick and reliable MMF connectivity, provide an effective way for 40GbE network solutions, ensuring a high-performance and high-speed network. This blog includes basic information about MPO/MTP fiber cabling solutions.

 

MTP/MPO Connector Background
The term MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec used to describe their connector. The US Conec MTP product is fully compliant with the MPO standards. As such, the MTP connector is a MPO connector.

 

MTP/MPO Fiber Cabling System Introduction
MTP/MPO fiber cables, as an important part of the MPO/MTP cabling system, are designed to go on reliable and quick operations for the multi-fiber connection system in data centers. Each MTP fiber cable contains 12 fibers or 6 duplex channels in a connector, thus requiring less space. Besides, MTP/MPO fibers are manufactured with outstanding optical and mechanical properties, which makes them able to offer more improved scalability. What’s more, it is easy to have cable management and maintenance on them. Generally speaking, MTP/MPO fiber cables can save a lot of money and space to some extent.

 

MTP/MPO Fiber Cabling Categories
When it come to types, MTP/MPO fiber cables fall on MTP/MPO trunk cables and MTP/MPO harness cables.

MTP/MPO trunk cables, available in 12-144 counts, are intended for high-density application. By using MTP/MPO trunk cables, the installation of a complete fiber optic backbone is accessible without any field termination.

 

MTP/MPO harness cables, also called MTP/MPO breakout cables or MTP/MPO fanout cables, available in 8-144 counts, are used for breaking out the MTP into several connections. They provide connection to equipment or panels that are terminated with other standard connectors. As terminated with MTP/MPO connectors on one end and standard LC/FC/SC/ST/MTRJ connectors (generally MTP to LC) on the other end, these cable assemblies can meet a variety of fiber cabling requirements.

 

MPO/MTP Fiber Cabling for 40GbE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ba 40 Ethernet Standard was ratified in June 2010. The IEEE 802.3ba standard specifies MPO connectors for standard-length MMF connectivity. MMF employs parallel optics using MPO interconnects for 40GbE transmission. More specifically, 40G is implemented using eight of the twelve fibers in a MPO connector. Four of these eight fibers are used to transmit while the other four are used to receive. Each Tx/Rx pair is operating at 10G.

fiber-mart MPO-based fiber cabling solutions provide a fast , simple and economical way for 40G applications. Certainly, fiber-mart 40G fiber cabling solutions are not limited to MPO/MTP fiber cables. Copper cables are also recommended. Take CAB-Q-Q-1M for example, Arista CAB-Q-Q-1M is the QSFP+ to QSFP+ passive copper cable assembly for 40G links. Or one of other fiber-mart 40G fiber cabling products: JG329A, fiber-mart compatible HP JG329A runs over passive breakout copper cable for 40-gigabit links.

 

MTP/MPO Jumpers
The MTP jumpers serve to create the connection between the device ports and the structured cabling via the connector panel.