Tag Archives: MPO adapters

Cabling Solution for Upgrading to 40G and 100G Fiber

Share

Migrating from 10G (that uses two fibers in either a SC Duplex or a LC Duplex connector) to 40G and 100G fiber will require a lot more fibers and a different type of connector. The way that optical fiber cabling is deployed for 10G can facilitate an easier migration path to 40G and 100G fiber in the future. An effective migration strategy needs to provide a smooth transition to the higher Ethernet speeds with minimum disruption and without wholesale replacement of existing cabling and connectivity components.

10G use LC duplex cabling

Optical fiber cabling is commonly deployed for backbone cabling in data centers for switch to switch connections and also for horizontal cabling for switch to server and storage area network connections. The use of pre-terminated optical fiber cabling can facilitate the migration path to 40G and 100G fiber in the future. Figure below illustrates a pre-terminated cable assembly (MPO cassette) containing 24 OS2 single-mode fibers with two 12-fiber MPO connectors at both ends. This fiber cable assembly plugs into the back of a breakout cassette that splits the 24 fibers into 12 LC Duplex connectors at the front of the cassette.

MPO cassette has duplex lc connector and MTP connector

Four of these cassettes are mounted in a one rack unit (1U) patch panel to provide up to forty-eight 10G equipment connections using LC Duplex patch cords. The FS.COM FHD 1U fiber enclosure with four LC Duplex cassettes is illustrated in Figure below.

1U fiber enclosure with four LC Duplex cassettes

If upgrading from 10G to 40G, one or more of the LC duplex cassette(s) can be replaced with 12 port MPO adapters. The MPO adapters are designed to fit in the same opening as the cassettes. The Figure below illustrates the case where all four cassettes are replaced with four high density 12 port MPO adapters. This solution illustrates an upgrade path from 10G to 40G that does not require any additional space and reuses the same patch panels. The 12 LC duplex cassette(s) are replaced with 12 port MPO adapter(s) as needed. Additional 24-fiber cable assemblies (or any fiber counts in multiples of 12 fibers) are provided as needed for backbone or horizontal cabling.

1U fiber enclosure with four MPO adapter