MTP/MPO Fiber Patch Cord Overview
A MTP/MPO fiber patch cord is a fiber optic cable capped at either end with MTP/MPO connectors, which can be connected to an optical switch, cable television (CATV) or other telecommunication equipment rapidly and conveniently. It is ideally suited for a high density environment that demands space saving and innovative cable management solutions. Since the MTP/MPO fiber patch cord is composed of MTP/MPO connectors and a fiber optic cable, this article will firstly introduce the MTP/MPO connectors and then discuss common kinds of MTP/MPO fiber cables.
MTP/MPO Connectors
Though MTP and MPO are literally different from each other, they often be used interchangeably. According to CommScope (a famous multinational telecommunications company), the MPO connector is a multi-fiber connector that is defined by IEC-61754-7, and the MTP is a registered trade mark of US Conec (a leader in providing passive components for high density optical interconnects), which identifies a specific brand of the MPO style connector. In other words, the MTP product complies with the MPO standard. Therefore, the MTP connector is a MPO connector.
As a kind of multi-fiber connector, the MTP/MPO connector is most commonly used for 12 or 24 fibers (as shown in the following figure) in a single connector pushing up to and beyond 100Gbps data transmission. Thus it satisfied the huge demand for more bandwidth and more space efficiency of data centers and ever-expanding server clusters. The best part is that this kind of connector takes roughly the same space as a single simplex SC connector. MTP/MPO connectors are paving the way for increased data transmission speeds and rack density.
Popular MTP/MPO Fiber Cables
The most commonly used MTP/MPO fiber cables are MTP/MPO trunk cables and MTP/MPO harness cables.
MTP/MPO trunk cables are designed for high density application which offers excellent benefits in terms on-site installation time and space saving. Trunk cables serve as a permanent link connecting the MTP/MPO modules to each other. Theoretically, trunk cables are available with 12, 24, 48 and 72 fibers. Their ends are terminated with the customer's choice of 12-fiber or 24-fiber MTP/MPO connectors (as shown in the following figure).
MTP/MPO harness cables are designed for high density applications requiring high performance and speedy installation. Harness cables provide a transition from multi-fiber cables to individual fibers or duplex connectors. The MTP/MPO harness cables are terminated with MTP/MPO connectors on one end and standard LC/FC/SC/ST/MTRJ connectors (generally MTP to LC) on the other end (as shown in the following figure). Therefore, they can meet a variety of fiber cabling requirements.
Designed for the reliable and quick operations in data centers, the MTP/MPO fiber patch cord is an important part of the multi-fiber connection system. The obvious benefits of this kind of fiber patch cord are less space requirements and improved scalability. Furthermore, it also provides significant space and cost savings.
Originally pbulished at www.fiber-optical-networking.com/.
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