Applications of MTP/MPO Cable Types

In communication network, the commonly used types of fiber optic active connector interfaces are SC, FC, and LC types, which are single core connectors, and each pair of connectors can only complete the active connection of one fiber. In data centers, a type of multi-core active connector is also commonly used, with each pair of connectors capable of completing 2-32 core active connections. This type of connector is the MPO (Multi fiber Push On) type fiber optic active connector (hereinafter referred to as the “MPO connector“).   

Introduction To MPO Connectors

The MPO connector is a multi-core plug-in connector composed of a female plug, a male plug, and an adapter, as shown in Figure 1. The male plug has 2 guide pins, and the female plug has 2 guide pin holes. The connector is aligned by the guide pins and guide pin holes and locked by the adapter.

The commonly used MPO connectors are 8, 12, 16, 24 cores. Currently, the maximum is 32 cores. The appearance and size of connectors with different core numbers are basically the same. The size of the MPO connector is slightly larger than the commonly used SC connector.

Figure 2 shows the external dimensions of the MPO and SC connector plugs.

The insertion loss of MPO connectors is usually larger than that of single core connectors. The typical insertion loss value of multimode MPO connectors is about 0.25dB, while the typical insertion loss value of conventional single mode MPO connectors is about 0.6dB, as shown in Figure 3 (the vertical axis in the figure represents the number of samples). Due to the difficulty of accurately aligning multiple fiber cores simultaneously, the insertion loss differences between different fiber cores in the same connector are often significant.

Yingda can also provide low loss single mode MPO connectors also called Elite loss MPO, with a maximum insertion loss of no more than 0.35dB. Figure 4 shows the distribution of insertion loss of some low loss single mode MPO connectors.

Application of MPO Connectors

The deploying system in data centers generally uses MPO connectors. The basic structure of the data center cabling system based on the leaf ridge architecture is shown in Figure 5. Due to the fact that the high-speed optical modules of network devices (servers and matrix switches in Figure 5) generally use MPO interfaces, corresponding equipment jumpers, horizontal truck cables, and optical distribution frames with cassette modules all need to support MPO connections.

The fiber optic link between the server and matrix switch is shown in Figure 6.

Horizontal truck cables, also known as MTP MPO backbone optical truck cables, are typically MPO patch cord. MPO patch cords are a multi-core optical cable assembly with MPO connectors pre connected at both ends, as shown in Figure 7. The commonly used MPO jumper are 8, 12, 16, and 24 cores, and the outer diameter of MPO cable is approximately 3.0mm round or flat cable.

48 Fiber Corning MPO Truck Cable SM SC APC Connectors

48 Fiber Corning MPO Truck Cable is good for fast data center or fiber infrastructure implementation. It is used to bridging among MTP/MPO cassette or fan out fiber patch cable among MDA, HAD and EDA. The high efficient plug and play patch cable structure remarkably reduced the initial installation and daily maintenance cost. Yingda MTP/MPO truck cable adopts selected fiber cable and MPO/MTP components, with low insertion loss, high return loss, fully meet the requirement of high speed data network.

Category: MTP MPO Patch Cord

Tags: MTP Cable, MTP patch cord

According to the different types of fiber optic interfaces on the MPO patch panels, the distribution frame is divided into MPO interface units and LC interface units. The MPO interface unit is shown in Figure 8. The MTP patch panel is usually equipped with multiple sets of adapter panel strips. Each adapter panel strip is equipped with multiple MPO adapters. The MTP connector of the MTP truck cable is directly inserted into the inside of the MPO adapter.  

The LC interface unit is shown in Figure 9, which generally includes multiple MPO to LC cassette. MPO cassette can convert 1-3pcs MPO truck cable into multiple LC fiber optic interfaces.

For example, converting one 12 core MPO jumper fiber into 12 LC fiber optic interfaces (6pcs LC quad adapters or 12pcs LC duplex adaptors)

When the interface of the network device is MPO, will use MPO jumper shown in Figure 7.

When the interface is LC, at the LC port of the distribution frame, will adopts LC to LC patch cord; at the MPO port of the distribution panel, the will use mpo to lc breakout cable; As shown in Figure 10.

Practical application demonstration of MPO connectors in communication networks

The data center adopts MPO connectors, partly due to the connection requirements of the MPO optical module of the data equipment; On the other hand, compared to single core connections, the high-density connection of MPO can make the wiring in the computer room cleaner, and the wiring system occupies less space in the computer room. Figure 11 shows a partial view of a data center.

The patch cable in communication rooms generally use single core jumpers with a diameter of 2.0mm. When the number of fiber optic links per unit area is similar, the fiber optic wiring in the communication room is significantly more chaotic. Figure 12 shows the current situation of jumpers in a certain communication room. Placing the same length on the same path, the workload of one multi-core mpo fiber cable is basically the same as that of one single core fiber optic patch cord, and the cost of placing so many jumper is also astonishing.

The optical modules of communication devices are usually LC interfaces. Although there is no MPO connection requirement for the optical channels between devices, using MPO connector in scenarios where there are a large number of single core jumpers in the same path can significantly improve wiring density. There was an ODF fusion integrated tray with an MPO interface, which has a capacity of 48 cores and a total of 8 MPO interfaces, each with 6 cores, as shown in Figure 13. Using this tray in a regular fiber optic cable junction box or ODF can increase the capacity density of the junction box or ODF by four times and reduce the number of fiber jumpers by one-third.

In theory, if there are a large number of jumpers connecting devices between rack column M and column N in the communication room, then MPO are suitable;

In the optical cable line or ODN, if A, B, and C are ODF units (ODF or cable cabinets) at different locations, and there are a large number of fiber between A and C that need to be transferred through B, then the ODF units at point B should be connected by MPO, such as the backbone  cross cabinets in ODN network.

Conclusion

For a long time, communication network always use single fiber connection in active connections. However, with the development of communication services and the explosive growth of active connections, the drawbacks of single core connections have become increasingly apparent. The low-density ODF occupies a large amount of computer room space, and the massive single core fiber jumpers far exceed the capacity limit of the cable rack in the computer room; The number and volume of roadside fiber optic cable handover boxes are increasing.

Although adopting high-density connections based on MPO in communication networks can improve the above situation, the optical fibers used in communication networks are single mode fibers, and the price of single mode MPO connectors is higher than that of multimode MPO connectors. The insertion loss is also greater than that of multimode MPO connectors and single core connectors SC LC FC ST, which also has a certain impact on the application of MPO connectors in communication networks. So different country and area will have different data center deploying design.

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