Overview of MPO/MTP Cabling Solutions for 40G And 100G Ethernet

With the development of network technology, the demand for high-speed data transmission and data capacity is becoming much greater than ever before. As many data centers are in the process of 10G to 40G and 100G migration, the optical components applied in the cabling system have to be upgraded to meet the requirements. MPO/MTP cabling solutions are gradually popular among data center managers, since they can provide fast installation, high density and high performance cabling for data centers. This article is going to focus on some components used in MPO/MTP cabling solutions and advantages of MPO/MTP cabling solutions.

MPO (multi-fiber push on) connector is a multi-fiber connector which is most commonly defined by two documents: one is IEC-61754-7, the commonly sited standard for MPO connectors internationally; the other one is EIA/TIA-604-5, also known as FOCIS 5, the most common standard sited for in the US. Based on MT ferrule, MPO connector is designed to to enable multi-fiber connectivity for higher density, higher bandwidth based applications. MTP (multi-fiber termination push on) connector is a high performance MPO connector with multiple engineered product enhancements to improve optical and mechanical performance when compared to generic MPO connector. In addition, MTP connector is in complete compliance with all MPO connector standards. Here shows a picture of MPO/MTP connector for you.

MPO/MTP trunk cable, terminated with MPO/MTP connectors at both ends, is available with 12, 24, 48, and 72 fibers. It can create the permanent fiber links between panels in a structured environment. And it is typically used as backbone or horizontal cable interconnections. With efficient plug and play architecture, MPO/MTP trunk cable can greatly reduce the installation and maintenance costs. Here is a figure of MPO/MTP trunk cables for you.

MPO/MTP harness cable, also named MTP/MPO fanout cable or MPO/MTP breakout cable, is terminated with a male/female MTP connector on one side and several duplex LC/SC connectors on the other side, providing a transmission from multi-fiber cables to individual fibers or duplex connectors. It is typically used to connect equipment in racks to MPO/MTP terminated backbone cables. MPO/MTP harness cable is designed for high density applications which require high performance and speedy installation without on-site termination. From the figure below, you can have a deep understanding of the structure of MPO/MTP harness cable.

MPO/MTP cassette is a modular module, which enables users to take the fibers brought by a trunk cable and distribute them to a duplex cable. Loaded with 12 or 24 fibers, LC or SC adapters on the front side and MPO/MTP at the rear, MPO/MTP cassette serves to transition ribbon cables terminated with MPO/MTP connector to the more common LC or SC interface used on the transceiver terminal equipment. This kind of cassette provides a quick and efficient way to deploy up to 24 LC or 12 SC fiber ports in a single module. To better understand the inner structure of MPO/MTP cassette, here is a figure for you.

First, designed with a simple push-pull latching mechanism, MPO/MTP products can realize easy and intuitive insertion and removal. Second, with the same size as a SC connector, the MPO/MTP connector can accommodate 12/24 fibers, which provides 12/24 times the density and greatly saves the rack space. Third, as the installation process of MPO/MTP products is simple and easy, the installation time involving a costly highly qualified workforce can be reduced to a minimum. Fourth, most MPO/MTP products are modular solutions, which can be a good choice to ease future expansion and for quick and easy system reconfiguration.

With the advent and popularity of cloud computing and big data, 40G and 100G Ethernet is now a trend and hotspot for data center cabling system. Since MPO/MTP connectors are the up-and-coming standard optical interface for 40G and 100G Ethernet network, it is predicted that MPO/MTP cabling solutions will eventually flood the data center. After all, the high fiber count in one connector creates endless possibilities.