Category: Fiber Transceivers

As the quest for greater bandwidth continues and fibre optic connections within data centres and optic fibre networks increase, these

challenges must be met by choosing the right type of connectivity. This is all driven by requirements for additional switching and

routing, storage, virtualization, convergence, video-on-demand (VoD) and high performance cloud computing. All of these applications

plus other bandwidth intensive applications increase the need for transmission speed and data volume over short distances.

Optic fibre 10G transmission systems are becoming more widely used and accepted and migration paths to 40G and 100G have been

specified for optical fibre.

The IEEE 802.3ba 40G / 100G Ethernet standard provides guidance for 40G / 100G transmission with multimode fibre. OM3 and OM4 are the

only multimode fibres included in the standard.

Parallel optics technology has become the transmission option of choice in many data centres and labs as it is able to support 10G,

40G, and 100G transmission. For parallel optics to work effectively, it requires the right choice of cable and connector.

Parallel optic interfaces differ from traditional fiber optic communication in that data is simultaneously transmitted and received

over multiple optical fibres. In traditional (serial) optical communication, a transceiver on each end of the link contains one

transmitter and one receiver. For example, on a duplex channel the transmitter on End A communicates with the receiver on End B and

another optic fibre is connected between the transmitter on End B and the receiver on End A.

In parallel optical communication, the devices on either end of the link contain multiple transmitters and receivers, e.g. four

transmitters on End A communicate with four receivers on End B. This spreads the data stream over the four optical fibres. This

configuration would allow for the operation of a parallel optics transceiver which uses four 2.5 Gb/s transmitters to send one 10 Gb/s

signal from A to B. In essence, parallel optical communication is using multiple paths to transmit a signal at a greater data rate

than the individual electronics can support. This type of connectivity utilises a ribbon cable type design with all fibres aligned in

a straight array, in either a 12 fibre or 24 fibre configuration.

In addition to the cable performance, the choice of physical connection interface is also important. Since parallel-optics technology

requires data transmission across multiple fibres simultaneously, a multifibre connector is required. Factory terminated MPO / MTP

connectors which have either 12 fibre or 24 fibre array, will support this solution. For example, a 10G system would utilise a single

MPO / MTP (12 Fibre) connector between the 2 switches. Modules are placed on the end of the MPO connector to transition from a MPO

connector to a 12 Fibre breakout LC duplex or SC duplex cable assembly. This enables connectivity to the switch. 40G and 100G systems

require a slightly different configuration.

Utilising MPO / MTP connectivity has many benefits including:

High Density – multifibre connector and compact dimension of cable save space in costly data centre environments.

Reduces cable load in raised floors to existing active server/switch/storage equipment with LC Duplex interface (less cable OD, less

connections.

Pre-connectorised solution, no splicing required on site.

Reliability -100% tested factory tested in a controlled environment

Latest active equipment by Cisco / IBM / HP /Sun Microsystems has the MPO-SFP connectivity interface for Gigabit Network transmission

Rapid Deployment – factory terminated modular system saves installation and reconfiguration time during moves, ads and changes.

Next Generation Network Proof – emerging high speed protocol are going to use MTP interface- your cabling infrastructure remains

unchanged.

Difference between MPO and MTP connectors

From the outside there is very little noticeable difference between MPO and MTP connectors. Infact, they are completely compatible and

inter-mateable. For example, an MTP trunk cable can plug into an MPO outlet and vice versa.

The main difference is in relation to its optical and mechanical performance. MTP is a registered trademark and design of UsConnec,

and provides some advantages over a generic MPO connector. Since MPO / MTP optic fibre alignment is critical to ensure a precise

connection there are some benefits in utilising the MTP connector. The MTP connector is a high performance MPO connector with multiple

engineered product enhancements to improve optical and mechanical performance when compared to generic MPO connectors.

The MTP optic fibre connector has floating internal ferrule which allows two mated ferrules to maintain contact while under load. In

addition, The MTP connector spring design maximizes ribbon clearance for twelve fibre and multifibre ribbon applications to prevent

fibre damage.

Overall it provides a more reliable and precise connection.

In addition, it is also important when specifying an MPO/MTP system to ensure the correct polarity options and which cables and

outlets have female or male pins.

MPO stands for multi-fibre push-on connector. It is a connector for multi-fibre ribbon cable that generally contains 6, 8, 12 or 24 fibres. It is defined by IEC-61754-7 and TIA-604-5-D, also known as FOCIS 5. The MPO connector, combined with lightweight ribbon cable, represents a huge technological advancement over traditional multi-fibre cables. It’s lighter, more compact, easier to install and less expensive.

A single MPO connector replaces up to 12 or 24 fibre strands in a single connector. This very high density means lower space requirements and reduced costs for your installation. Traditional, tight-buffered multi-fibre cable needs to have each fibre individually terminated by a skilled technician. But MPO fibre optic cable, which carries multiple fibres, comes pre-terminated. Just plug it in and you’re ready to go.

MPO connectors feature an intuitive push-pull latching sleeve mechanism with an audible click upon connection and are easy to use. The MPO connector is similar to the MT-RJ connector. The MPO’s ferrule surface of 2.45 x 6.40 mm is slightly bigger than the MT-RJ’s, and the latching mechanism works with a sliding sleeve latch rather than a push-in latch.

The MPO connector can be either male or female. You can tell the male connector by the two alignment pins protruding from the end of the ferrule. MPO female connectors will have holes in the ferrule to accept the alignment pins from the male connector. The MPO ferrule is generally flat for multimode applications and angled for single-mode applications.

MPO connectors are also commonly called MTP® connectors, which is a registered trademark of US Conec. The MTP connector is an MPO connector engineered with particular enhancements to improve optical and mechanical performance. Significant MTP enhancements include an elliptical pin shape, a floating ferrule design, a removable housing and more. Details can be found at usconec.com. MPO and MTP connectors are compatible.

A 12-strand MPO connector features 12 fibres in a straight line, 1–12, left to right.

A 24-strand connector features two rows of fibre 1–12 and 13–24 with the white dot also indicating pin 1.

Each connector has a key on one side of the connector body. When the key sits on top, it is referred to as key up. When the key sits on the bottom, it’s called key down.

When planning your system, keep in mind that you can’t mix and match 12-strand and 24-strand cable versions.

 This article details the history and performance capabilities of the MTP connector. MTP is a trademarked brand of multifiber push-on (MPO) connector. The article is authored by technical experts from Corning Optical Communications and US Conec—the two companies that jointly developed, offer, and continue to refine the MTP connector. In our Perspective column, we welcome contributions that are opinion-based or technology-specific in nature.

Seasoned industry professionals may recall the excruciating, painstaking days of installing and connecting countless fibers, one at a time. As the number of data centers grew exponentially in the 2000s, designers and installers were tasked with managing hundreds and even thousands of single- and two-fiber connector solutions. To accommodate the high volume of connectors within ever-tighter space constraints, installers and designers were forced to create more-elaborate storage and routing solutions that came with their own sets of challenges.

Fortunately, those days are long gone—thanks in large part to the emergence of the multifiber push-on (MPO) connector. The MPO format dramatically reduced the amount of time, effort, and space required to install and deploy network technologies, particularly in parallel optic applications.Faster deployment was one thing. But installers also needed a way to fit more fibers into smaller spaces. MTP connectors addressed this challenge as well. Even before parallel optics gained popularity, installers were struggling to provision high-density applications. MTP connectors made it easier to do exactly that. In place of a 1U housing with duplex connections holding 144 fibers, the MTP housing was capable of holding 864 fibers—six times the capacity. This fiber density made MTP connectors especially well-suited for data centers with serious space constraints and/or massive amounts of cables.

GOOD TECHNOLOGY GETS EVEN BETTER

With the increasing prevalence of plug-and-play solutions, MTP connectors quickly became the format of choice for data centers, offering an alternative to LC and SC connectors. But the MTP format is more than a niche connector, with advantages that translate across a wide range of technologies beyond parallel optics. Since their launch, MTP connectors have undergone continual improvements that make them the ideal multifiber connector choice for any data center, of any size.

Highly adaptable and flexible, MTP connectors have continued to evolve to meet the emerging needs of installers, data centers, and the organizations that rely on them. Let’s take a brief tour of the key advancements we’ve seen in the MTP format over the past 20 years.

In 1999, US Conec introduced low-insertion-loss MTP Elite connector components. Corning was then able to build on this technology to introduce industry-leading, low-loss, high-density cabling solutions that delivered premier optical performance and reliable signal power. Since then, MTP insertion loss rates have continued to improve, now rivaling loss rates that single-fiber connectors saw just a few years ago.

Even beyond its value in the parallel optics space, a closer look at the MPO format reveals the full scope of its applications. To get a better understanding of big picture and true value of MPOs, we must start at the most logical place: the beginning.

MULTIPLE FIBERS MEAN MORE CHALLENGES

At the heart of the MPO connector lies mechanical transfer (MT) ferrule technology, originated by a leading Japanese telecom company in the mid-1980s for use in its consumer telephone service. This MT ferrule technology became the basis for the first MPO connector, introduced in the early 1990s.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Networks were tasked with transmitting more data, more quickly. As the need for bandwidth increased, the industry began moving toward networks and cabling with higher fiber densities—the multilane highway of data transmission. This heralded the beginning of what is known today as parallel optics, or optical transmission using multiple fibers. Because of the increase in “lanes” used with parallel optics—the number of fibers moving data back and forth—an efficient, high-density interconnect was needed. The MPO connector format succeeded in establishing a compact means to efficiently couple and decouple the high-density MT ferrule format via a bulkhead-mounted coupler. More fibers, however, also meant more installation considerations.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE

To remedy the installation challenge presented by ever-increasing quantities of fibers, Corning joined forces with US Conec. In 1996, the MTP connector brand—a family of advanced MPO connectors designed for 4-, 8-, and 12-fiber ribbon applications—was released to the U.S. market. That same year, the MPO format was standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and embraced by an industry thirsty for a better way to install, deploy, and manage high-density fiber networks.

Before the MTP connector came to market, it typically took two installers a full day to terminate and test 144 fibers. With MTP connectors, suddenly installers had the ability to rapidly connect 8 to 12 fibers at a time with the snap of a tool, or using a preterminated plug-and-play cable, trimming a daylong job to just a few hours. To ensure seamless connections, the MTP connector was the first MPO connector to be factory-verified and pre-engineered to proper lengths for the cable plant. This meant that less skill was required for installation, while future updates, additions, and changes to the structured cabling were dramatically simplified. Revolutionary at the time, these advancements introduced by the MTP connector eventually became the industry standard.

Cutting and splicing fiber optic cable takes a lot of time, interrupts service to downstream customers and, therefore, needs to be avoided. One way to avoid splicing is to include extra fiber cable in places along the lines, in case the company needs to change out a pole or make a road crossing.

ETC Communications (ETC) in Ellijay, GA is a family owned company that has been in business for over 100 years. ETC uses fiber optic cable to provide telephone, cable TV, and high-speed Internet to about 17,000 customers in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. They typically include 25 to 50 feet of spare cable approximately every fifth span. The question is…

HOW TO STORE THE EXTRA CABLE?

Option 1: Coiling

Extra cable can be coiled and attached to the pole. However, coiling can cause light loss. In a fiber optic cable, information is transmitted by light that travels through the glass fibers in the cable. Some light is lost when the cable is bent, especially when it is cold. “It does get cold here about four or five times a year,” says  Van Powell, Construction Manager for ETC,  “and when I say cold, I mean below 10°F. When it got below 18°F, we used to have excessive light loss in our long cable runs with lots of coils.” In addition to possible attenuation, coils stored on utility poles take up space and can be damaged by linemen climbing the pole.

Option 2: “Snowshoes”

ETC uses “snowshoe” storage systems to store extra fiber on the line. Snowshoes allow for the slack to be stored out in the span, reducing likelihood of damage while eliminating additional charges for using pole space. ETC’s storage systems have a turning diameter of about 20 inches. Two units are installed at an appropriate distance and the cable is stretched between them. This greatly reduces the number of turns–from hundreds to two and solves the problem of light loss.

The Opti-Loop® Storage System Advantage

ETC has been using products from a couple of different vendors, and last fall, they gave the Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. (HPS) Opti-Loop®  storage systems a try. Powell explains, “There are probably 15 or 20 different companies that make similar systems and we’ve used different kinds in the past. Last year, Phil Peppers, ProCom Sales, brought us five sets of the Opti-Loop storage systems to try them. We put them up, and we like them.” While fiber optic snowshoes, in general, solve the problem, the Opti-Loop storage systems have an advantage: they are very easy to install. “There is a twisted aluminum support wire on the poles. That is what holds up the fiber optic cable. We bring in a bucket truck and attach each snowshoe to that cable with a bolt and clamp. The fiber optic cable is attached to the snowshoes with zip ties and along the support wire with lashers (little coils). It onl

Fiber optic splice closure is usually used with outdoor fiber optic cables, provides space for the outdoor fiber optic cables to be spliced together. The fiber optic splice closures and the fiber trays inside will protect the spliced fiber and the joint parts of the outdoor fiber cables. Generally the fiber optic splice closures are dome type and horizontal types, and Horizontal Fiber optic Splice Closure is used more often.

Structure Of Fiber Splice Closures

The fiber splice closures are made from special industrial grade, high tension plastic with a reliable moisture barrier. They are also optimized to resist aging of the material due to factors in the natural environment such as ultraviolet light.

There are two main types of closures, fiber optic and fiber optic terminal. A closure is hardware used to restore integrity of fiber cables entering the enclosure. The terminal is a hardened external connector that allows the addition of one or more fiber cables to the enclosure. These two categories can be configured as butt closures and in-line closures. The butt closure allows cables to enter from one end, while the in-line allows entry from both ends. Both the butt closures and in-line closures can be one of the following types:

Fiber Optic Splice Closures Key Features:

The box add aging-resistant in imported high tensile construction plastic out-faster is made up of stainless steel;

Overlap structure in splicing tray easy to install;

Suitable for ordinary fiber and ribbon fiber;

Perfect leak proofness and fine function;

Perfect and reliable sealing operations;

Fiber-bending radium guaranteed more than 40mm;

Full accessories for convenient operations;

Fiber optic splice closure can be used repeatedly;

High reliability;

For aerial, and direct buried applications.

Fiber Optic Splice Closure Types

For outside plant splice closure, there are two major types: horizontal type and vertical type.

1) Horizontal type

Horizontal type splice closures look like flat or cylindrical case. They provide space and protection for optical cable splicing and joint. They can be mounted aerial, buried, or for underground applications. Horizontal types are used more often than vertical type (dome type) closures.

Most horizontal fiber closure can accommodate hundreds of fiber connections. They are designed to be waterproof and dust proof. They can be used in temperature ranging from -40°C to 85°C and can accommodate up to 106 kpa pressure. The cases are usually made of high tensile construction plastic, are widely used in CATV, telecommunications and fiber optic networks.

2) Vertical Type

Vertical type of fiber optic splice closures looks like a dome, thus they are also called dome fiber optic splice closure. They meet the same specification as the horizontal types. They are designed for buried applications.

Vertical fiber optic splice closures are made of excellent engineering plastics, they are with 1inlet/outlet ports, 2inlet/outlet ports, 3inlet/outlet ports types, fitting different fiber optic core numbers. The vertical fiber optic splice closure is used in CATV, telecommunications and fiber optic networks.

Fiber splice closures accept both Ribbon Cable and round fiber cables. Each type (ribbon or round cable) fits respective requirement of different fiber splicing counts. They are widely used in optic telecommunication systems.fiber-mart.com offers fiber optic splice closure, vertical, horizontal, dome, from 2 cores to 240 cores maximum, with inside fiber optic splice trays accessories like fusion splice sleeves.

When comparing traditional copper cable with fiber optic cable, it is hard to be impartial, because the facts speak so clearly for themselves. Fiber optic cable is superior to copper cable in almost every way imaginable.

It is much faster than copper cable, carries much higher bandwidth, has less interference and is lighter, stronger and more durable as well. While copper has been a reliable medium in the past, fiber optic cable is undoubtedly the future and this article takes a closer look at each of it’s many advantages.

How it works

While traditional copper wire transmits data by electrical impulses, fiber optic cable is made from fine hair-like glass fibers, which carry light impulses transmitted by an LED or laser. This infrared light bounces along the insides of the fibers at blistering speeds and when the signal reaches the other end of the fibers, an optical receiver then converts it back into data.

Speed

Speed is the amount of data that you can transmit per unit of time and when it comes to speed, fiber optic cables win hands down over copper cables. While traditional copper lines can carry roughly 3,000 phone calls at one time, fiber optic cables used in a similar system could carry around 31,000 calls.

Bandwidth

The reason fiber optic cable is faster is because of the extremely high frequency ranges it is able to carry, whereas signal strength diminishes at high frequencies with copper wire. Fiber optic cable can carry more than a thousand times the bandwidth of copper cable and go more than one hundred times further as well.

Interference

Fiber optic cable is also much less susceptible to noise and electromagnetic interference than copper wire. For example, over a distance of two kilometres, copper wire would experience a great deal of degradation in quality, while there would be virtually none over the same distance using fiber optic cable.

Size, weight & strength

Fiber optic cable is much thinner and lighter than copper cable, meaning it can be used more efficiently in confined underground conduits. It is also much stronger, with eight times the pulling tension of copper wire and it has strength members and stiffeners that make it much harder to damage or kink.

Durability

Fiber optic cable is extremely durable and provides very reliable data transmission. It does not conduct electricity because it’s core is made of glass, it is impervious to radio frequency interference, it can be immersed in water without effect and it can be used in much harsher conditions, as it is less susceptible to fluctuations in temperature than copper cable.

Security

Fiber optic cable also keeps data more secure. It does not radiate signals and is impossible to tap without your knowledge, because the system will fail if is tapped, due to the fact that it will leak light. It is also more secure because all the hardware and electronics can be stored in one central location, unlike copper systems, where wiring closets are required to be placed in various locations.

Cost

Possibly the one area where copper cable has the advantage over fiber is the price. While fiber optic cable is not more expensive than copper cable, the electronics needed to support it are more expensive. This is only a short term advantage, however, as fiber optic cable actually comes out cheaper in the long term. This is when you take into account that fiber optic systems are getting cheaper all the time due to market forces, they require less hardware, need less ongoing maintenance and they experience much less down-time than copper systems.

Power transmission

As well as data transmission, fiber optic cable is also the preferred means of transmitting power. This is because it is non-conductive and low voltage, so it is much safer to install and maintain and less hazardous when used in urban environments. It also doesn’t attract lightning as copper cable can do and is much lighter and much more durable.

Future

While the difference between copper and fiber optic cables is already akin to the difference between the telegraph and the telephone, the future will see fiber optic technology improve exponentially.

Fiber optic systems are already being used in the backbone applications of most major companies because of their reliability and upgradability and in the near future, a technique known as wavelength multiplexing will increase their capacity even more, by allowing multiple channels to run on a single fiber strand.

The development of better quality glass will also allow signals to travel even further without experiencing degradation. All up, it is fairly safe to assume that, just as digital telephony has done in the past, so fiber optic technology will put yet another nail in the coffin of the traditional copper wire.