Tag Archives: MPO connector

Fiber Optic Connector Selection Guide

For the past few decades since 1980s, many different types of fiber optic connectors such as MTP connector and MPO connector, have been provided by various manufacturers. Despite the fact that these types of optical connector varies greatly in mechanical design, the most basic components a fiber connector are more or less the same. They all have a fiber ferrule,  connector sub-assembly body, connector housing, and stress relief boot, etc. Next, part of the most commonly seen connectors will be introduced to you one by one.

LC connector

It works in both simplex and duplex with 1.25mm ferrule. Available in single mode and multimode. Externally LC connectors resemble a standard RJ45 telephone jack. Internally they resemble a miniature version of the SC connector. LC connectors use a 1.25mm ceramic (zirconia) ferrule instead of the 2.5mm ferrule. LC connectors are licensed by Lucent and incorporate a push-and-latch design providing pull-proof stability in system rack mounts. Highly favored for single mode applications.

LC connector

MTP connector and MPO connector

MTP connector and MPO connector are compatible ribbon fiber connectors based on MT ferrule which allow quick and reliable connections for up to 12 fibers. They are intended for installations that require many fiber connections. Up to 12 fibers in a ribbon are stripped to 125um cladding and inserted into 250um spaced parallel grooves. The ferrule also includes two 0.7mm diameter holes, running parallel to the fibers on the outer side of the ferrule. These two holes hold precision metal guide pins which align the fibers with tight tolerances.

MTP connector

MTP connector and MPO connector feature male and female connector design. Male connectors have two guide pins and female connectors do not. Both connector types need an adapter to mate a pair of male and female connectors. Because MTP connector and MPO connectors are trying to align so many fibers at once, their coupling loss are typically bigger than single fiber connectors.

ST Connector

ST connector comes in simplex with a twist-on mechanism, and it is available in both single mode and multimode. It is the most popular connector for multimode fiber optic LAN applications . It has a long 2.5mm diameter ferrule made of ceramic (zirconia), stainless alloy or plastic. Unlike MTP connector and MPO connector it mates with a interconnection adapter and is latched into place by twisting to engage a spring-loaded bayonet socket.

ST connector

Summary

Whether you are installing a brand new fiber optic network or repairing a legacy system using , hope this fiber optic connector selection guide will help you determine what kind of connector you are looking at or what type of connector you need to replace.

Introduction to MTP Connector and MPO Connector

With an increasing demand for faster data transfer speed, the capacity to transfer data as efficiently as possible remains the main force in today’s communication age. Since the backbone of most modern digital information systems is supported by fiber optic networks, there is a growing focus upon the MPO fiber connector and MTP fiber connector.

What Are MPO and MTP Connectors?

MPO is the industry acronym for “multi-fibre push on.” Originally created in the late 20th century, MPO connector is the first generation of clip clamping multi-core optic fiber connector, which developed by the Japan NTT to easily interconnect multiple fiber strands and transfer an ever increasing amount of data.

While MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec, marketed as a “high performance MPO connector with multiple engineered product enhancements to improve optical and mechanical performance when compared to generic MPO connectors.” Both MTP connector and MPO connector are available with standard or elite / low loss options. The picture below shows the transmission of a 24-fiber MTP fiber connector.

MTP connector

What Makes the MTP Connector Superior to MPO?

The MTP connector has features and benefits that are not available on generic MPO connectors. Some of the key distinctions include:

1. The MTP connector housing is removable. This feature allows the customer to  re-work and re-polish the MT ferrule, change the gender after assembly or even in the field and scan the ferrule interferometrically after assembly.

2. The MTP connector offers ferrule float to improve mechanical performance. This allows two mated ferruled to maintain physical contact while under an applied load.

3. The MTP connector uses tightly held tolerance stainless steel guide pin tips with an elliptical shape. The elliptical shaped guide pin tips improves guidance and reduces guide hole wear.

4. The MTP connector has a metal pin clamp with features for centering the push spring. This can help eliminates lost pins and center spring force.

5. The MTP connector spring design maximizes ribbon clearance for twelve fiber and multi-fiber ribbon applications to prevent fiber damage.

6. The MTP connector is offered with four standard variations of strain relief boots to meet a wide array of applications. The short boot reduces the footprint by 45%, making it an ideal choice for use in space limited applications.

Summary

Low loss MTP connector and MPO connector deliver the performance and reliability needed in today’s  demanding  high-speed  broadband  and  data  networks.  Many suppliers like FS offers an extensive line of high-density MPO/MTP fiber connector products, including jumpers, fanouts, pigtails and connectorized cable. When you need a high-performance fiber optic connectivity solution, you can look to their  products featuring the MPO/MTP connector and choose freely.