Advantages of MPO/MTP Fiber Optic Connectors

As the demand for bandwidth increased, the industry began to move toward higher fiber density networks, the multi-lane highways for data transmission. Multi-core optical transmission can improve the efficiency very well. Due to the increase in the number of "channels" used in parallel optics - the fibers that send and receive data - an efficient, high-density interconnect is required.

The MPO connector design successfully established a compact method to efficiently couple and separate high-density MT ferrules with a single coupler. However, more fiber counts also mean more installation considerations.

At the heart of the MPO connector is the mechanical mating (MT) ferrule technology, which was initiated by a leading Japanese telecommunications company in the mid-1980s for business subscriber telephone services. This MT technology became the basis for the first MPO connectors introduced in the early 1990s.

To compensate for the installation challenges posed by the ever-increasing number of optical fibers, in 1996 the MTP® connector brand was introduced to the U.S. market, a line of premium MPO connectors designed for 4, 8 and 12 core fiber applications. That same year, the MPO approach was standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and embraced by industries eager to install, deploy, and manage high-density fiber optic networks.

MPO/MTP Fiber Optic Connectors

With the popularity of pre-terminated solutions, MTP connectors quickly became the data center's choice, offering an alternative to LC and SC connectors. But the MTP design is not just a smaller connector, it has the advantage of supporting various technologies of parallel optics. Since its inception, MTP connectors have continued to improve, making them the ideal multi-fiber connector choice for data centers of many sizes.

The highly adaptable and flexible MTP connector has evolved to meet the needs of installers, data centers and users. Let's take a brief look at the major advances we've seen in the MTP approach over the past 20 years.

Before MTP connectors hit the market, it often took two installers a full day to install and test 144-fiber fibers. With MTP connectors, installers can quickly connect 8 to 12 fibers in a fraction of the time, using a pre-terminated, plug-and-play cable, reducing the work day to just a few hours. To ensure an accurate connection, MTP is the MPO connector of choice, factory tested and pre-engineered to fit on the appropriate length of fiber optic cable. This means easier deployment, and future upgrades, expansions and changes to structured cabling are greatly simplified. At the time, these advancements brought about by MTP connectors eventually became the industry standard.

Faster deployment is only one need, as installers also need a way to fit more fiber into a smaller space. MTP connectors solve this problem. Before parallel optics gained popularity, installers were struggling to provide high-density solutions. The MTP connector makes it easier to do this. Instead of the density of 144-core fiber connections in a 1U fiber patch panel, the patch panel using MTP connectors can accommodate 864 fibers, increasing the capacity six times. This fiber density makes MTP connectors particularly suitable for data centers with severe space constraints or the need to use large amounts of fiber.

The system needs to be connected to work properly. The earliest versions of MPO connectors coupled without any problems, but touching or improper cable handling can cause erratic information transmission. The installer uses a slidable latching structure in the MTP connector. The innovative design allows the two connectors to maintain good physical contact with the ferrule under the influence of external force when connecting. In the evolutionary life of the MTP connector, this major advancement has allowed multi-fiber fiber connectors to provide more consistent and reliable performance. The slidable latching feature is especially important for applications that connect fiber optic cables directly to active Tx/Rx devices, which is the main reason why MTP is the connector of choice for emerging parallel optical Tx/Rx applications.

Additional improvements have been made to the accuracy of the MTP connector assembly, resulting in improved stability, durability, while continuing to improve the overall reliability of the connector. After countless accumulations of experience, engineers have optimized the alignment guide needle into an elliptical guide needle with higher precision. This greatly reduces the wear on the guide hole and the generation of dust caused by multiple insertion and removal. In addition, the internal components of the connector have been redesigned to ensure a perfect centralized mating during coupling, so that the fiber ferrules can maintain good physical contact, and ultimately, ensure the connectivity of the entire system.

MTP's industry reputation continues, with today's MTP connectors meeting stringent Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) standards for carrier-grade requirements and decades of use in a variety of applications. The millions of MTP connectors installed in the field continue to work as they did when they were originally produced in cable assembly plants.