We are all aware of the speedy growth of bandwidth all across the world. All data centers are focusing to accomplish ultra-high density in the cabling in order to accommodate the connections. MTP/MPO technology is mostly preferred as it comes with multi-fiber connectors offering the best solution for any kind of high performance data networks.

You will find several types of MTP/MPO solutions under which come, the MTP/MPO harness cables, trunk cables and cassettes. All these three types of MTP/MPO solutions hold their own advantages and special applications. Did you know that such fibre optic cabling have already been proven to be the best solution for 10G, 40G and 100G transmission? Now, this leads to the understanding of fiber polarity.

Here’s an easy guide for you:

Understanding of MTP/MPO Polarity – The Network Connectivity Solution

If you take a quick look, you will find that plenty of data centers are shifting to 40G and 100G transmission. Now, in order to adapt with this change, MTP/MPO technology is getting introduced to meet the rising demand of high density patching. Remember, a fiber optic link will always need two fibers for proper duplex communications. Make sure the equipment on the link is rightly connected at each end. It is important to note that high density connectivity require more than 2 fibers in a link, which in a way makes it quite complex in order to keep up with the accurate polarity right across a fiber network. This should be carefully noted especially when using the multi-fiber MTP/MPO components.

Study says that there are technicians who would prefer using pre-terminated MTP/MPO components specifically designed with polarity protection.

What is Polarity?

If you want to have a good network, always make sure there is the right polarity. The term ‘polarity’ is widely used in the TIA-568 standard, which explains how each transmitter can correctly connect to a receiver present on the other end of the cable. If it is connected wrongly rather to the wrong polarity, immediately the transmission process will pause. Did you know that TIA-568 standard approves 3 particular methods to configure system polarity in multi-fiber ranges – Method A, Method B and Method C.

Structure of the Connector

When the discussion is on polarity, the MTP/MPO connector plays a very important role. This connector has a key placed on one side of the body with two positions in it. The fiber holes in the body of the connector are numbered in order (from left to right). Each of the connectors is marked with a white dot in order to designate the positions when plugged in. You can further divide the MTP/MPO connector into female and male connector.

Here’s the basic structure as follows:

In order to ensure proper alignment of the connectors while mating the 2 connectors, the MTP/MPO connectors utilize a socket and a pin feature.

Here’s what it looks:

Take a quick look at the polarity methods. The best thing is both Method B and C gets the benefit of using the similar patch cords at both the ends.

Method A is considered to be the most simple though it requires a different patch cord right at the end.

Method B uses this same patch cord at both the ends but the cassettes should be flipped over particularly at one single end so that the fiber that is initiated in (position) P1 is mapped to P12.

Method C is an alternative of Method A, only with the cross-over when getting implemented in the trunk cable in place of the patch cord.