When we talk about multi-fiber connector, MTP connector and MPO connector are two words that are inevitably to be mentioned. For many people, they are just the same thing. However, the fact is that MTP connector and MPO connector differ from each other just as MTP fiber cable and MPO fiber cable, which in the data centers play an important role in ultra-high density cabling.

Details of MTP connector and MPO connector

The MPO connector (short for multi-fibre push on) is a multi-fibre connector with a specific interface type, while the MTP connector is a more superior type of MTP connector with improved mechanical and optical performance capabilities. There are several reasons why MTP connectors are superior to generic MPO connectors.

1. The MTP connector housing is removable, which allows for easy transition from male to female and vice-versa.

2. The MTP connector offers ferrule float for maximised mechanical performance and reduced strain during side load.

3. The MTP connector uses stainless steel guide pin tips, which are elliptical shaped to improve guidance and reduce guide hole wear.

4. The MTP connector has a metal pin clamp which centres the push spring, and therefore eliminates lost pins and potential fibre damage from the spring.

Details of MTP fiber cable and MPO fiber cable

The number of network connections in data centers is rising rapidly. Traditional fiber cables can make the data center crammed and difficult to manage. To solve this problem, data centers have to achieve ultra-high density in cabling to accommodate all of the cabling required. The MTP fiber cable and MPO fiber cable, which bring together 8, 12 or 24 fibers in a single interface have been proven to be a practical solution. Incorporating to meet the 40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR10 standard, The MTP/MPO multi-fiber connector of MTP cable and MPO cable is about the same size as a SC connector but can accommodate 8, 12 or 24 fibers, thus offering savings in circuit card and rack space. MTP fiber cable and MPO fiber cable are composed of MTP/MPO connectors and fiber optic cables, other connectors such as LC may also be found in some kinds of MPO/MTP fiber cables. The fiber cables used are generally OM3 and OM4, which are laser optimized multi-mode optical fibers.

Summary

Choosing the right kind of connector is an important step in building a data infrastructure that will last. MTP and MPO are two types of common connectors that are widely used, and MTP fiber cable and MPO fiber cable are two central components of a 40G parallel optical link. This connection decides whether the insertion loss exceeds the attenuation budget and whether the return loss is high enough. In the end, the desired bandwidth can only be reached if all components in a parallel optical link satisfy the highest requirements.