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How to Choose Between 12-Fiber and 24-Fiber MTP®/MPO Cabling?

VincentUpdated at Mar 26th 20241 min read

Data centers regularly migrate to faster networks. Large enterprises and data centers are migrating towards 40G/100G and even higher speeds. Has your network cabling been optimized for this inevitable growth? Creating a simple, cost-effective migration to support 40G/100G network is crucial. This article will discuss the advantages of MTP®/MPO-24 cabling compared to MTP®/MPO-12 cabling and how MTP®/MPO-24 provides the easiest migration path for 40G/100G networks.
Density
Base-24 cabling offers significant advantages. The higher density of connections in the rack provides more space for active equipment, reducing the overall floor space required. If the active equipment is configured for 24 fiber channels, enclosures can have twice connections with the same number of ports compared to 12 fiber (or achieve the same number of connections using only half the ports).
Insertion Loss
Insertion loss is a critical parameter in data center cabling deployments. Lower overall optical loss provides more margin for network operation.
Some people mistakenly claim that higher fiber counts lead to increased loss. Certain vendors highlight "typical" losses of 0.5 dB for 24-fiber connectors as evidence. In reality, industry-standard products dictate that both 12-fiber and 24-fiber MPO/MTP® connectors have a maximum performance rating of 0.5 dB. When proper polishing techniques are employed, MPO/MTP®-24 fiber cables can achieve the same performance level as MPO/MTP®-12 fiber cables.
Cost
Opting for 12-fiber configurations might enable the utilization of existing trunks during equipment upgrades (assuming you already possess MTP®/MPO-12 fiber trunks). However, this approach typically necessitates supplementary trunks, additional connectivity components, and other network adjustments. In the long term, retaining these trunks proves to be more costly compared to upfront migration to MTP®/MPO-24 solutions.
Better for 40G/100G Applications
40 GbE links require 8 fibers (4 transmitting and 4 receiving), while 100 GbE links require 20 fibers (10 transmitting and 10 receiving). 40 GbE links use eight fibers of a MPO/MTP®-12 connector, leaving four fibers unused. However, with a 24-fiber configuration, a single MPO/MTP®-24 trunk cable can support three 40G links. Clearly, MTP®/MPO-24 fiber cable is more suitable for 40/100G migration.
The diagrams below depict configurations for 12-fiber and 24-fiber systems in 40G/100G networks. In the case of 40G 12-fiber configurations, an additional trunk and another set of harnesses are necessary to achieve full fiber utilization. Similarly, for 100G, these supplementary components are required for any 12-fiber configuration.
Figure 1: MTP®/MPO-12 40G Connection
Figure 2: MTP®/MPO-12 100G Connection
By utilizing MTP®/MPO-24 fiber trunks, the network upgrades become significantly simplified as a single cable can accommodate a 40G/100G channel. When devices are upgraded from low speed to high speed, the modules and fiber cables can be replaced with the appropriate new MTP® components, eliminating the need for installing new trunks. This streamlined approach greatly facilitates network transitions.
Figure 3: MTP®/MPO-24 40G Connection
Figure 4: MTP®/MPO-24 100G Connection
Conclusion
Base-24 MPO/MTP® connections offer higher density than 12-fiber MPO/MTP® connections. They require fewer replacement or additional components, simplifying migration and reducing costs. Overall, MTP®/MPO-24 fiber enables a future-ready network. Choosing the right connector is crucial, and FS.com offers both MTP®/MPO-12 and MTP®/MPO-24 end-to-end solutions to cater to unique customer needs.