The Process of Pulling Fiber Optic Cable

With the rapid development of datacom, 10Gbps is no longer enough for massive data transmission. Many data center managers set their sights on 10G to 40G migration. However, it is not possible to upgrade all 10G equipment in the cabling system because of the high cost. Therefore, finding a cost-effective solution for the migration has become a hotspot. We know that MTP cable gains great popularity among data center managers since it can provide fast installation, high density and high performance cabling for data centers. By using MTP trunk cable and MTP breakout cable respectively, there are two solutions for 10G to 40G migration. And this article is going to share these two solutions with you: MTP trunks and MTP breakouts.

Overview of MTP Trunk Cable and MTP Breakout Cable

Before we come to the migration solutions, let’s have a brief overview of MTP trunk cable and MTP breakout cable. MTP trunk cable, terminated with MTP connectors at both ends, can create the permanent fiber links between panels in a structured environment. It is typically used as backbone or horizontal cable interconnections. With efficient plug and play architecture, MTP trunk cable can greatly reduce the installation and maintenance costs. In networking applications, 12-fiber and 24-fiber MTP trunk cables are commonly used: 12-fiber MTP trunk cable is normally for 40G Ethernet network, while 24-fiber MTP trunk cable is normally for 100G Ethernet network.Here is a figure of MTO trunk cables for you.

MTP breakout cable, also named MTP fanout cable or MTP harness cable, is terminated with a male/female MTP connector on one side and several duplex LC/SC connectors on the other side, providing a transmission from multi-fiber cables to individual fibers or duplex connectors. It is typically used to connect equipment in racks to MTP terminated backbone cables. MTP breakout cable is designed for high density applications which require high performance and speedy installation without on-site termination.Here is a figure of MTP breakout cables for you.

MTP Trunks for 10G to 40G Migration

For 10G to 40G migration, you can use the MTP trunk cable. Also, MTP fiber patch panel can be used to fulfill the data transmission link. With forty-eight LC duplex adapters on the front and twelve 8-fiber MTP adapters on the rear, the high density 40G QSFP+ breakout patch panel acts as a middleman between 10G to 40G connection. The figure below shows the connectivity method. From the left to the right, four 10G SFP+ transceivers are plugged in the SFP+ interfaces on the switch on one side, then the SFP+ transceivers are connected with the front LC ports of MTP fiber patch panel by LC duplex patch cables. With the use of MTP trunk cable, the rear MTP ports of MTP fiber patch panel are linked with one 40G QSFP+ transceiver. Finally, the whole optical link is accomplished by plugging the 40G QSFP+ transceiver in the QSFP+ interface on the switch on the other side.

MTP Breakouts for 10G to 40G Migration

For 10G to 40G migration, using the MTP breakout cable is a simple way. As shown in the following picture, four 10G SFP+ transceivers are plugged in the SFP+ interfaces on the switch on one side, while one 40G QSFP+ transceiver is plugged in the QSFP+ interface on the switch on the other side. Then the MTP to LC breakout cable connects the four 10G SFP+ transceivers with the 40G QSFP+ transceiver. Finally, the data can be transmitted from 10G switch to 40G switch through the MTP to LC breakout cable smoothly.

Conclusion

For data centers which are in the process of 10G to 40G migration, connecting 40GbE equipment with existing 10GbE equipment is what must be experienced. In addition, carrying out the migration smoothly is the greatest concern of many data center managers. In order to solve the problem, MTP trunk cable and MTP breakout cable can provide two cost-effective and reliable solutions which can ensure smooth migration path and high performance of the network.