Use the 40/100G Breakout Panel for 10G to 40/100G Migration
Nov 22, 20181 min read
As data centers race to adopt 40/100G optics, a critical bottleneck emerges: 70% of legacy infrastructure still relies on 10G switches. What is the cost of forklift upgrades? A staggering $1.2M per 10,000 ports. But what if you could future-proof your network without scrapping existing 10G gear? Enter MTP®/MPO breakout cassettes — the unsung heroes bridging the 10G/40/100G divide. By converting a single high-speed port into multiple 10G links, these panels reduce migration costs by 40%. Let’s dissect why they’re essential and how to deploy them without downtime.
What Are Breakout Panels?
Breakout panels, also known as breakout cassettes or MTP®-LC/SC/MDC cassettes, are structured cabling devices designed to terminate high-density multi-fiber trunk cables (such as MTP®/MPO connectors) and distribute their fibers into separate, standardized simplex or duplex connections (like LC, SC, or ST connectors). These panels serve as a critical interface in modern optical networks, enabling the transition between high-capacity backbone cabling and equipment-level connectivity while maintaining signal integrity and organizational efficiency. Functioning as both a consolidation point and a distribution hub, MPO breakout cassettes provide a modular solution for managing complex fiber optic infrastructures in data centers, telecommunications networks, and enterprise environments.
40G Breakout Panels
40G breakout panel, also called 40G QSFP+ breakout panel/breakout cassette, is designed with 12 standard MTP® connectors (8-fiber), elite to 48 duplex LC connectors in a 1RU patch panel. It is available in single-mode and multimode versions with color-coded adapters. It can meet the high-density data center cabling demands with up to 96 ports. For 10G to 40G migration, this 40G to 10G breakout panel includes 12-group breakout links that can ensure a high-performance and reliable straight connection from 10 GbE to 40 GbE.
100G Breakout Panels
When running 100 GbE, it is usually recommended to use a 24-fiber MPO style connector with the 20 fibers in the middle of the connector transmitting and receiving at 10 Gbps (2 top and bottom fibers on the left and right unused). According to this principle, a 100G link can be breakout to 10 x 10 G with the 24-MTP® to 10 duplex LC breakout solution. This enables migration from 10 GbE to 100 GbE. However, a variety of breakout legs will increase congestion, clutter, tangling and confusion, which reduce efficiency and make cable management much more difficult. With the 100GBASE-SR10 fiber breakout panel that is designed with 8 24-MTP® (20 fibers used) elite to 80 duplex LC in 1U fiber enclosure, you can achieve 8 groups of 10G to 100G paths in a simple, efficient and well-maintained manner.
Why Choose FS Breakout Panels?
FS breakout panel that integrates the benefits of MTP®/MPO pre-terminated breakout cabling and compact patch panels can address the problems of cable congestion and space waste. In addition, it integrates diverse data center cabling standards, which make 10G to 40/100G migrations available. Thus, it is perfect for 40/100G migrations in the high-density data center. The following picture shows a group of 10G to 40G breakout links in a 40G fiber breakout panel.
Breakout panels are critical fiber distribution components that enable high-density fiber optic connections. As illustrated, this breakout solution maintains 100G uplink bandwidth efficiency while offering flexible interfacing with lower-speed devices. Each 100G link is intelligently split into four 25G links. FS panel's modular design—featuring organized splice trays and bend radius protection—ensures reliable signal integrity and simplifies maintenance. Such implementations are particularly valuable in spine-leaf architectures where scalable, adaptable fiber management is essential.
This diagram shows how to establish a 10Gbps trunk connection through a breakout panel. By terminating the incoming fiber and providing configurable output interfaces, FS panel enables flexible 10Gbps signal allocation while maintaining clean cable management. This implementation is particularly effective for creating scalable inter-switch connections or adapting high-density fiber trunks to individual switch ports in enterprise networks.
FS.com Breakout Panel Options
As stated above, these MTP®/MPO breakout patch panels are ideal for use in 10G to 40/100G migrations. All of our breakout panels are 100% tested to Telcordia standards and 100% guaranteed the high performance. See the product information below:
FS P/N | Total Fiber Count | Fiber Optic Type | Front Port | Rear Port | Price |
96 | Single-mode | 48 LC Duplex | 12 MTP® | US$ 1089 | |
96 | Multimode OM4 | 48 LC Duplex | 12 MTP® | US$ 989 |
As data centers evolve from 10G to higher-speed networks, 40G/100G breakout panels offer the ideal migration solution, combining high-density design with seamless scalability. For organizations planning network transitions, these panels deliver the perfect balance of performance, space optimization, and deployment efficiency. Visit Data Center Cabling Upgrading today to explore our full range of high-speed migration solutions.