MTP®/MPO Cable VS LC Fiber Optic Cable In Data Center

MTP (Multi-fiber push-in) and MPO (Multi-fiber plug-in) cables play an important role in fiber optic communications, especially in data centers and local area networks (LAN) where they play a vital connection role. Although these two cables have similarities in basic functions, they have significant differences in design concepts, structural features and performance. These differences have an important impact on users in the selection and application process.

MPO cables use a standard design and are typically capable of connecting 8 to 24 optical fibers, but they have some limitations in terms of mechanics and optical performance. MTP cable is an optimized upgrade of MPO, with higher reliability and lower optical loss, making it increasingly popular in high-density and high-performance environments.

MTP-LC branch cable combines the efficient performance of MTP with the compatibility of LC, providing an ideal solution for modern data centers. When selecting the appropriate cable type, users need to comprehensively consider the application scenario and performance requirements to achieve the best connection effect.

Definition: MPO fiber optic connectors are designed to provide multiple optical fiber connections through a single connector. They can usually accommodate 8, 12, 16, and 24 optical fibers, so they are suitable for general, traditional data center and network application scenarios.

Standards: Internationally, MPO connectors comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 61754-7) and the US TIA-604-5 standards, which ensures their wide compatibility and reliability worldwide.

Mechanical design: MPO connectors usually use relatively low-quality plastic pin clips, which makes them more easily damaged during frequent plugging and unplugging, and even causes the pin clips to break, thus affecting the normal operation of the equipment.

Optical performance: The insertion loss of MPO connectors is relatively high, especially in high-density cabling systems, this insertion loss will cause problems with data transmission quality and affect the overall performance of communications.

Definition: MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec, representing an optimized and improved version of the MPO connector. MTP optical cable can also support multi-fiber connections, allowing it to perform better in high-demand environments.

Mechanical design: Compared with MPO connectors, MTP connectors are equipped with high-quality metal pin clamps, which are more precisely designed to ensure durability and stability during connection. Such a design can significantly reduce the risk of accidental breakage during the connection process and enhance the reliability of the equipment.

Floating ring: MTP connectors also use a floating ring design. The flexibility of this design allows the connector to maintain physical contact under load, which significantly improves the overall reliability and stability of the connection.

Optical performance: MTP connectors are specially designed to minimize optical loss and return loss. The improvement in its insertion loss rate makes it close to the loss rate of single-fiber connectors, meeting the needs of high-bandwidth transmission.

Removable housing: The housing of the MTP connector is designed to be removable. This feature provides users with the convenience of on-site reprocessing and gender conversion, greatly improving the flexibility and maintainability of the system and facilitating later transformation and maintenance.

LC fiber patch cord is a fiber patch cord widely used in fiber optic communications, which mainly uses LC connectors for fiber optic connection. The LC connector is designed to be compact and each connector can only accommodate one fiber. Therefore, the LC fiber patch cord is very suitable for meeting the needs of single-channel fiber optic connection. LC fiber patch cords are usually used to connect fiber optic panels, various network devices and other fiber optic connection points, and are a common fiber optic connection method in data centers.

MTP-LC branch cable, also known as MTP branch cable, is designed for high-performance and convenient installation in high-density application environments. This type of cable can achieve effective connection from trunk components to fiber rack systems in high-density trunk environments, which significantly improves the management efficiency and connection capabilities of optical fibers in data centers and network infrastructure.

In scenarios where MTP®/MPO fiber cables are used in data centers, these cables enable the termination of multiple fibers in a single MTP®/MPO connector, resulting in efficient cable management and optimized space utilization.

For example, after inserting an FS 1U fiber housing, up to 1,152 fibers (using MTP®-24 cables) can be managed in almost 1U of rack space. Such a design fully utilizes the MTP®/MPO fiber connection infrastructure, significantly improving cabling density and resource utilization.

On the other hand, MTP®/MPO fiber also provides significant advantages of seamless, high-speed upgrades. When the network needs to be upgraded from 10G to 40G, such a connection can be easily achieved by simply using an MTP®-12 to LC duplex branch fiber cable, a QSFP-SR4-40G transceiver, and four 10G SFP+ transceivers. MTP®/MPO branch fiber not only ensures a simple connection process but also greatly improves the data transmission speed, which can meet the specific upgrade needs in different network environments.

LC fiber optic cables used in point-to-point links also have their unique advantages. Traditional LC connectors are compatible with existing cabling systems, which allows many networks to continue to use past layouts when in use, especially in 1G (gigabit) applications. When the network is upgraded to higher speeds such as 10G (10 Gigabit), LC fiber optic cables can still be used by connecting SFP+ transceivers or using media converters and other compatible devices. This good compatibility allows the network architecture to achieve a seamless transition without the need for a lot of rewiring, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure.

Summary

In summary, both MTP and MPO cables are functionally designed solutions created for high-bandwidth and multi-fiber connections. However, the significant improvements in the mechanical and optical performance of MTP cables have made it increasingly the first choice for many companies in high-density and high-reliability fiber connection applications. Ultimately, choosing the right cable type will depend on the specific needs of its application scenario and the user's expectations and requirements for performance.