MTP/MPO-8/12/24: What are the Differences?

In the rapidly evolving world of fiber optic communication, choosing the right connectivity solution is crucial for ensuring optimal performance and efficiency. Among the various options available, MTP/MPO connectors are widely recognized for their high-density capabilities and versatility. This article explores the three main MTP/MPO connector types—Base-8, Base-12, and Base-24—highlighting their unique features, benefits, and ideal application scenarios.

Base-8 MTP/MPO

The MTP/MPO-8 connector utilizes 8 of the 12 fiber positions of the standard MTP/MPO-12 connector. Unlike the MTP/MPO-12 connector, the MTP/MPO-8 is not a strictly standards-recognized infrastructure interface. In current QSFP applications, only the outermost 8 fiber positions (1-4 and 9-12) of the MTP/MPO-12 connector are used for transmitting and receiving, leaving the middle 4 fibers unused and resulting in unnecessary fiber wastage. This highlights the efficient design of the MTP/MPO-8 fiber cable compared to the MTP/MPO-12. A common form of QSFP application is parallel-to-parallel, where efficient QSFPs can achieve 100% fiber transmission utilization. For example, in a 40G to 40G transmission scenario, the Base-8 MTP/MPO configuration supports the same number of fibers as the SR4 transceiver. This setup allows customers to connect directly to SR4 transceivers without needing connector conversion or wasting excess fibers. This enhances network efficiency and significantly reduces overall cabling costs and complexity.

Another common form of QSFP application uses breakout methods to connect one transceiver to four other devices. In 10G to 40G transmission scenarios, an MTP/MPO-8 to 4 LC duplex harness configuration ensures efficient fiber utilization. This solution allows a single 40G QSFP+ port to be divided into four separate 10G links, each connected to an independent 10G device.

Base-12 MTP/MPO

The MTP/MPO-12 connector uses MTP connectors based on 12 fibers to increment the fiber link, widely used in various fields of fiber optic communication. Its connector can adapt to multimode and single-mode fibers, making it a versatile and globally recognized standard interface suitable for duplex and simplex relay cable connections. The commonly used jumper cabling product MTP/MPO-12 fiber provides higher density than 8-core products. The middle four fibers of the two 12-core cables can be merged to provide an additional QSFP 8-core port to utilize fiber jumper cables efficiently. For example, the QSFP MTP/MPO-8 port can be supported by the MTP/MPO-12 jumper. In this case, the original 12-port duplex LC module is replaced with a module that provides three QSFP ports. All 24 fibers in the MTP/MPO-12 fiber cable are fully utilized. Since only two MTP/MPO ports need to be connected for every three QSFP ports, the panel density is significantly improved when cross-connecting the fiber cable.

Base-24 MTP/MPO

The MTP/MPO-24 connector is a high-density fiber optic connector that can provide 24 fibers in one connector. This connector type supports both parallel and duplex fiber optic applications and is widely used in scenarios requiring high-density and high-performance fiber optic connections. MTP/MPO-24 fiber connectors are an ideal solution for achieving high-density connections in fiber optic cabling systems, especially suitable for application scenarios with extremely high requirements for space and efficiency. In QSFP applications, using MTP/MPO-24 connectors can achieve a 3-fold increase in panel density compared to MTP/MPO-8 connectors and an 8-fold increase compared to MTP/MPO-12 connectors. For example, in traditional configurations, 3 MTP/MPO-8 modules and 2 MTP/MPO-12 trunk cables usually only support 3 QSFP ports. However, MTP/MPO-24 connectors and MTP/MPO-8 array cables can support up to 24 ports.

MTP/MPO-8 vs MTP/MPO-12 vs MTP/MPO-24: What are the Differences?

Fiber Density

MTP/MPO-8 connectors optimize port usage, are suitable for 40G and 100G applications, reduce fiber waste, and can be divided into two 4-fiber duplex channels. MTP/MPO-12 connectors provide a balance between density and flexibility, widely used in 40G, 100G, 400G, traditional 10G, and 25G networks, and are easy to manage in large-scale installations. MTP/MPO-24 connectors perform best in high-density and high-efficiency environments, especially suitable for data centers with high fiber optic connection requirements and limited space, reducing the number of connections, saving panel space, and improving wiring efficiency.

Scenarios Suggestions

MTP/MPO-8 connectors feature a lower fiber count, leading to fewer connections per cable. This MTP fiber type is suitable in places that require lower port density, such as medium-sized enterprise networks and certain segments of data centers. MTP/MPO-12 connectors are typically used in scenarios that require a moderate number of connections and manageable wiring complexity. This includes inter-rack and intra-rack connections in data centers, as well as campus networks and telecommunications. MTP/MPO-24 connectors, with the highest density, are best suited for scenarios requiring extensive cabling infrastructure and high throughputs, such as cloud computing, hyperscale data centers, and high-performance computing environments.

Conclusion

Choosing the right MTP/MPO fiber optic connector is crucial for optimizing fiber optic cabling systems. MTP/MPO-8 connectors perform well in optimizing port usage and reducing fiber optic waste and are suitable for 40G and 100G application scenarios. MTP/MPO-12 connectors provide a good balance of density and flexibility and are widely used in various high-speed networks. MTP/MPO-24 connectors perform best in high-density and high-efficiency environments, especially suitable for data centers with limited space. By selecting and applying these MTP/MPO fiber optic connectors reasonably, the best network performance and space utilization can be achieved, thus meeting the growing demands of modern data centers and high-performance networks.