The Introduction of Multi-Fiber Cables in the Data Center

A long time ago in a data center far away, only a few fiber connections were needed. Over the years, the need for data has increased. And “increased” is an understatement. The need for data ports in the data center has grown exponentially, skyrocketed, blown up, and just got plain out of hand! With this increase, the technology and construction of fiber cabling has also changed just as dramatically.

This brings us to our blog topic of multi-fiber cables in the data center. In plain language, multi-fiber cables are just that: cables with multiple fibers in them. They’re also referred to as fiber optic trunks. In the past, fiber optic “jumpers” or patch cords have been used to connect hardware. The patch cables are essentially single connection points with two fibers inside the outer jacket. That was fine when there were only a few ports, but with the hundreds and thousands of ports data centers now contain, patch cables are an ineffective way to manage your cabling infrastructure. That is where multi-fiber cables come in!

Benefits of Multi-Fiber Cables in the Data Center

Since fiber optic cabling is not affected by cross talk or outside interference, the fibers can be condensed into groups that greatly reduce the overall footprint of the cable. This means a lot in a data center, where space is at a premium. It blocks less air from the CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioner), thus improving the energy efficiency dramatically. Multi-fiber cables also reduce installation and maintenance time by making cable identification easier. Fiber optic trunks, or multi-fiber assemblies, are also more rugged and can withstand more abuse during installation and maintenance.

To get a better understanding of this product type, have a look at our Skinny-Trunk Multi-fiber assemblies.

Yesterday I wrote a little bit about how data center technicians can inadvertently affect the performance of their fiber optic cabling. Today, I’ll discuss how manufacturers of fiber optic cabling can do the same. While purchasers of cabling infrastructure don’t have control over the manufacturing process, this will help guide what questions should be asked before ordering.

How Cable Manufacturers Affect Fiber Optic Cable Performance

Inferior Polishing Process

The polishing process occurs at the end-faces of the assembly, best done by a machine in a highly controlled environment. There are MANY factors that contribute to a well-polished end-face. Improper techniques and tools will lead to improper radius of curvature, undercut fiber and protrusion that is out of specification. While these terms about the manufacturing process may be unfamiliar to data center technicians, they are VERY important to an assembly’s performance and network lifespan.

Many “nightmare” problems occur from the above, and the issues don’t show themselves until after they have been plugged in multiple times. You may be familiar with the phrase “chasing ghosts” – fiber may be causing a network issue, but is not considered when troubleshooting since it was working properly upon installation.

Non-Licensed Connectors or Poor Quality Connectors

Using inferior components leads to poor alignment. Alignment is critical for fiber optic end-face mating – improper alignment leads to a reduction of light passing from mated pairs. This really inhibits the performance of your cabling infrastructure!

We recommend the MTP® connector (shown above), which is the MPO-style connector manufactured by US Connec.

Inferior Glass

Fiber optic cabling is made from glass. If there are impurities in the glass, the performance will be affected. The glass could also be weak in some areas and be more prone to cracking or splintering during installation or general maintenance, again leading to a problem that is very difficult to track down!

Many view fiber optic cable assemblies as disposable commodities. I would argue that this approach leads to costing a business entity even more money in troubleshooting and downtime than if they would have invested in a well manufactured product, and utilized best practices when installing.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is one of my favorite industry pubs – so I was excited to see our Skinny-Trunk assemblies featured after reaching 0.25-dB insertion loss. Check out the article here: MTP assemblies achieve 0.25-dB insertion loss per mated pair.

We’re extremely proud of reaching 0.25dB, but we’re not stopping there! The CABLExpress product team will continue to push for better and better performance out of our Skinny-Trunk fiber optic cabling solution.

MPO stands for “multi-fiber push on.” It was developed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in the early 90’s. MTP® is an MPO-style connector that is manufactured by USCONEC.

The MTP® design and performance has made significant improvements over the standard MPO connector. A common misconception is that these are two different styles of connector, when in fact they are the same footprint.

The MPO connector can accept up to 72 fibers in a single ferrule, but the industry standard is 12 fibers. CABLExpress was the first-to-market with a 24 fiber MTP solution that tested to a maximum of .35dB loss (matching the highest standard of the 12 fiber MTP). We plan to continue investing in and advancing this platform.

IEEE 802.3ba, the standard for implementing 40/100G Ethernet,  dictates that the MPO footprint be the standard for multi-mode transmission. This is a radical new transmission type called “parallel transmission.” This assures the MPO and/or MTP connector will be the future of optical transmission in the data center for the next few generations to come.

CABLExpress recently hosted a webinar about the MTP connector, which is at the forefront of 40/100 gigabit Ethernet fiber optic cabling revolution in the data center. This presentation took a deep dive into the MTP connector and how it relates to your cabling infrastructure.

View the webinar below, or view this and past webinars anytime here.