In most data centers, MTP|MPO cables are widely used for high density applications. Common types include 12fiber MTP/MPO and 24fiber MTP/MPO connections. However, the 8fiber MTP/MPO cabling solution is also gaining traction due to its specific advantages and applications.
What Is 8 Fiber MTP/MPO Cable?
An 8fiber MTP|MPO cable is a fiber optic patchcord with an 8fiber MTP/MPO connector. Its 8fiber MTP|MPO connector is not strictly a standard recognized infrastructure interface. It is an application that uses 8 of the 12 fiber positions of the industry standard 12 fiber MTP/MPO connector. In current QSFP applications, the outermost 4 fiber positions (1-4 and 9-12) on the 12 fiber MTP/MPO connector are used for transmit and receive, while the middle 4 fibers are unused, which results in unnecessary fiber waste. As a solution, manufacturers now offer MTP/MPO cable with only 8 fibers to minimize this waste.
The use of 8 cores MTP/MPO fiber cable is driven by applications that require eight fiber channels. An example of a Base-8 application is 40GBASE-SR4, which uses four independent 10G channels to achieve 40G bandwidth. This 8fiber channel count is consistent with 400GbE, 100GbE, and even 400GbE and 800GbE parallel optical data transmission methods. In addition, Base-8 MTP/MPO cabling is simpler and more flexible. 8fiber, 16fiber, and 24fiber trunks are part of the Base-8 MTP/MPO cabling system.
Why Use 8 Fibers MTP/MPO Cable?
100% fiber utilization
As stated, 8-core MTP/MPO fiber cable capitalize on full fiber utilization, optimizing every strand for data transmission. When connecting switch line cards using MTP to LC duplex breakout harnesses, the Base-8 configuration is ideal because most standard switch port configurations (multiples of 4, like 16 and 32 ports) perfectly align with the 8-fiber setup. This ensures no fibers are left idle, unlike the Base-12 harness, which results in fiber wastage in non-divisible configurations.
Flexibility and Scalability
The 8fiber MTP/MPO fiber cable provides great flexibility and adaptability for network infrastructure, particularly for future expansions involving 40G, 100G, and even 400G technologies. Base-8 solutions align perfectly with the requirements of almost all 40G and 100G circuits, which predominantly use 8fiber transceivers. Moreover, 8 fibers MTP/MPO cable can be seamlessly integrated with both Base-12 and Base-24 settings, facilitating efficient upgrading of current 10G systems to higher data rates like 40G and 100G, thereby enhancing cost-effectiveness and ease of deployment.
What Are the Applications of MTP/MPO-8 Fibers?
Base-8 MTP/MPO Jumper for 40G-40G
To facilitate 40G networking, you can employ 8-fiber MTP/MPO fiber patchlead along with a 1U Rack Mount Enclosure and 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceivers. This setup allows for simple, high-capacity connections between 40G switches while minimizing fiber waste. The 1U Rack Mount Enclosure will streamline cable management, improving overall network maintenance and troubleshooting efficiency.
Base-8 MTP/MPO Harness for 10G-40G
In scenarios involving migration from 10G to 40G, an 8-fiber MTP/MPO to LC harness cables setup proves invaluable. By connecting the MTP port of a 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver (on a 40G switch) and the duplex LC connectors to the ports of multiple 10GBASE-SR SFP+ transceivers (on a 10G switch), this setup ensures complete fiber utilization with zero wastage.
Base-8 MTP/MPO Harness for 25G-100G
For transitioning from 25G to 100G, the 8-fiber MTP/MPO LC harness cables, combined with 25G SFP28 and 100G QSFP28 modules, make the migration seamless. Here, the 100G QSFP28 module splits 100Gbps of data into four 25Gbps streams via the 8-fiber MTP/MPO connector, with each 25G SFP28 module handling these individual streams through duplex LC connectors, ensuring no fiber resources go to waste.
Conclusion
The 8fibers MTP/MPO fiber cable solution significantly improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness by ensuring optimal fiber utilization, making it highly suitable for future duplex fiber applications and current high-bandwidth requirements. Compared to traditional fiber optic patchcord, the 8fibers MTP/MPO cable notably reduce both fiber wastage and associated maintenance costs, while simplifying deployment and management processes. AOFPLUS’s MPO/MTP optical cables are industry-leading in terms of optical performance and reliability, and can meet your demanding network needs. For more information, you can contact us at sales@aofplus.com.
