MTP/MPO-8 Definition, Advantages and Application Scenarios

In most data centers, MTP/MPO optical cables are widely used for high-density applications. Common types include MTP/MPO-12 and MTP/MPO-24 connections. However, MTP/MPO-8 solutions are also favored due to their specific advantages and applications.

MTP/MPO-8 cable is a cable designed for fiber optic connections. It is equipped with MTP/MPO-8 connectors, which utilize 8 fibers selected from the fiber optic interface set by MTP/MPO-12, aiming to effectively reduce the waste of fiber resources. This cable is particularly suitable for QSFP applications. It is designed in a way that can efficiently utilize the fibers and avoid the problem of idle fibers in the middle, so that it can support applications that require eight fiber channels, such as 40GBASE-SR4. This enables users to obtain higher bandwidth and provides them with a more flexible cabling solution to meet the growing data transmission needs.

The cabling system of MTP/MPO-8 relies on the B-type male connector of the backbone network and the pin-type MTP trunk line. This cabling solution adopts an MTP fiber optic connection method based on 8 fibers. The connector contains 8 fibers, forming a step-by-step incremental MTP fiber optic link. Specifically, 8-fiber, 16-fiber, and 24-fiber trunks can all be incorporated into the Base-8 MTP cabling system, while the MTP/MPO-8 cabling structure does not include a 12-fiber trunk, further emphasizing the uniqueness and efficiency of its design.

MTP/MPO-8 connectors are carefully designed to ensure compatibility with Base-2 cabling systems, mainly due to the fact that the number 8 is divisible by the number 2. For example, an 8-core MTP cable can be converted to a 4-fiber duplex LC cable with relative ease. In addition to facilitating direct fiber connections, other solutions such as MTP-LC modules can be used to ensure smooth and seamless Base-8 to Base-2 connections, further enhancing system compatibility and improving the user experience.

MTP/MPO-8 connectors utilize 8 of the 12 fiber jacks in the MTP/MPO-12 connector. It is worth noting that although MTP/MPO-8 has significant advantages in the design concept, it has not yet been widely recognized as a standardized infrastructure interface. This means that in the operation of QSFP applications, only the outer 8 fibers are used for signal transmission, and the fibers in the middle are not actually used, which highlights the efficiency and pertinence of the MTP/MPO-8 design. Especially in the specific application scenario of 40G data transmission, the Base-8 configuration fully matches the number of fibers required by the SR4 transceiver, making direct connection possible, avoiding the additional cost and complexity of connector conversion, thereby reducing fiber waste, significantly improving the overall efficiency of the network, and reducing the total cost of cabling.

In addition, another important application of QSFP is branch connection, which means that one transceiver can be connected to four different devices. In the 10G to 40G transmission stage, the MTP/MPO-8 to 4 LC duplex cabling configuration ensures the effective use of optical fiber, which allows a single 40G QSFP+ port to be divided into four independent 10G links, thereby maximizing resource utilization and meeting diverse data transmission requirements, reflecting the flexibility and efficiency of MTP/MPO-8.

The application of MTP/MPO-8 in data centers is extremely extensive and important. Its design and functions can effectively meet the needs of modern data centers for high bandwidth, high density and flexibility.

The following are several key aspects of MTP/MPO-8 in data center applications:

• Flexibility and scalability

MTP/MPO-8 optical fiber is extremely adaptable. It can easily adapt to the needs of advanced technologies such as 40G, 100G and 400G, allowing users to more easily upgrade existing 10G systems to higher data rates, thereby improving overall cost-effectiveness, simplifying the deployment process, and making the entire process more efficient and smooth.

As technology develops and business needs change, the capacity and bandwidth required by data centers will also change. The flexibility of MTP/MPO-8 allows only a small amount of upgrades to be achieved when bandwidth requirements are increased, without the need for complex structural reorganization. This is important for maintaining multiple businesses at the same time.

• Compatibility:

MTP/MPO-8 is compatible with existing optical fiber and network infrastructure and can easily connect to a variety of devices, including switches, routers, and other network hardware. This feature allows data centers to upgrade their systems without having to completely replace existing equipment, thereby reducing overall investment risk.

High bandwidth support: MTP/MPO-8 can support multiple high-speed data transmission standards, such as 40G, 100G, etc., and is suitable for application scenarios that require high bandwidth, such as high-performance computing and big data processing. With the increase in cloud computing and data-intensive applications, the bandwidth requirements of data centers are also increasing, so the high bandwidth capabilities of MTP/MPO-8 are particularly important.

• High-density cabling:

Data centers usually have limited space, and the design of MTP/MPO-8 allows multiple optical fibers to be efficiently routed in a smaller space. By using MTP/MPO-8 solutions, data centers can achieve higher fiber connection density in the same physical space, reduce cabling complexity, and make full use of rack and cabinet space.

MTP/MPO-8 optical fiber is carefully designed to ensure that the data transmission efficiency of each optical fiber is maximized, especially when the conversion configuration is a multiple of 4, it can effectively avoid the situation where the optical fiber is idle. Compared with the traditional Base-12 harness, MTP/MPO-8 undoubtedly has higher fiber utilization and reliability, and can better meet the dynamically changing market needs.

• Simplified deployment and maintenance:

The pluggable design of the MTP/MPO-8 connector makes the equipment deployment and maintenance process simpler and faster. The operation and maintenance personnel of the data center can quickly replace and upgrade the connection without tedious wiring operations, thereby reducing equipment downtime and improving work efficiency.

MTP/MPO-8 optical fiber is suitable for 40G-40G Base-8 MTP/MPO jumpers. Combined with the specific 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver, it can achieve effective connection to 40G switches and significantly reduce the waste of optical fiber resources. In addition, MTP/MPO-8 is also suitable for 10G-40G Base-8 harness configuration, which can connect 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ with many 10G transceivers, thereby ensuring full utilization of optical fiber and enhancing overall transmission efficiency. This optical fiber is also suitable for 25G-100G Base-8 configuration. It combines 8-core MTP/MPO LC patch cords with 25G SFP28 and 100G QSFP28 modules, providing a guarantee for seamless system migration and effectively avoiding compatibility issues that may occur in traditional systems, ensuring system stability and reliability.

In summary, MTP/MPO-8 optical fiber has a high significance for improving network efficiency and cost-effectiveness by optimizing optical fiber utilization, especially in the context of increasing duplex optical fiber applications and high bandwidth requirements in the future. Compared with traditional MTP/MPO-12 and MTP/MPO-24 connectors, MTP/MPO-8 more effectively reduces resource waste and maintenance costs, while simplifying system deployment and daily management, providing a more efficient solution for data centers and network equipment, helping enterprises gain a competitive advantage in the rapidly developing digital environment.