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.

MTP(MPO) connector for 12 and 24 fibers

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) Trunk Cable

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.
MTP(MPO) Harness Cable

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.