How Can I Tell The Quality Of MTP/MPO Patch Cord Cables?

Currently, MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cables have been widely used in high-speed rate and high-density data centre cabling. The material used determines the stability and sustainability of the entire network, so how can we identify the quality of MTP/MPO cables? What factors should we consider when choosing MTP/MPO patch cords? The MTP/MPO patch cord cable supplier will provide you with answers one by one.

How can I tell the quality of MTP/MPO cables?

Usually, to get a good quality MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cable, you need to consider various factors, such as the brand of the fibre core, connectors, insertion loss, etc. Below is a list of five characteristics of a high-quality MTP/MPO patch cord cable.

1. Branded fibre cores

MTP/MPO fibre patch cords are often deployed in small spaces, such as telecom distribution boxes, data centre cabinets, etc. In these cases, fibre cores are not required. In these cases, the fibre core needs to have a curvature. The bending of poor quality fibres usually results in loss of signal, which can lead to interruptions in transmission. 

This is not the case with branded fibres, such as Corning fibres, which can greatly improve bending performance, minimise signal loss and allow for faster, more efficient fibre cabling and installation. Therefore, branded fibre cores are very important for MTP/MPO fibre patch cables.

 MTP/MPO Patch Cord Cables

2. Industry-standard MTP/MPO connectors

MTP/MPO fibre connectors can package 12, 24 or 72 fibres into a single fibre to increase fibre density, making it popular in data centres where space is limited. Industry-approved MTP/MPO connectors ensure the polarity of the MTP/MPO wire, reducing insertion loss and return loss. Industry-standard MTP/MPO connectors are ruggedly constructed and durable enough to be recycled hundreds of times. 

The interface between the connector and the fibre patch cord is round, so fibre patch cords can be routed in any direction from the MTP/MPO connector port, simplifying the cabling structure. Therefore, it is also important to purchase superior MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cords with industry approved MTP/MPO connectors.

3. Insertion Loss

Insert Loss is the loss of effective optical power in a link due to the insertion of a connector or plug. It is one of the key factors affecting the performance of a fibre optic network, the lower the insertion loss, the better the performance of the network. In general, the insertion loss of MTP/MPO multimode fibre patch cords should not exceed 0.6 dB, and that of single-mode MTP/MPO fibre patch cords should not exceed 0.75 dB.

For single-mode and multimode MTP/MPO fibre patch cords with low insertion loss (high quality), an insertion loss of no more than 0.35 dB is usually required. Selecting MTP/MPO fibre When choosing an MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cable, choose an MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cable supplier that offers insertion loss test reports.

4. Flame Retardant Rating

The housing of MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cords can be made of different materials with different fire resistance ratings, such as Polyethylene, PVC, LSZH and others, most of which have good fire resistance properties. If the installation environment has higher requirements, such as suspended ceilings and raised floors, it is best to choose MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cords with a higher fire-resistance rating, so that they are less likely to burn or smoke in the event of a fire.

When purchasing MTP/MPO fiber optic patch cords, you can check the flame retardant rating directly on the protective jacket, and then choose the right MTP/MPO fiber optic patch cord according to the actual application environment of the protective jacket and flame retardant rating of the fiber optic patch cord.

5. Fiber Optic Patchcord Testing

MTP/MPO fibre optic patchcord connector end face testing: To ensure that fibre optic connectors are qualified or better, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has developed the IEC 61300-3-35 standard to define connector end face qualification. It has requirements for scratches and imperfections in each area inside the connection. Scratches represent permanent linear surface features.

Imperfections include all detectable non-linear features on the fibre, including particles, other debris, pits, chips, edge splinters, etc. The cleaner the end face, the better the quality of the cable. Therefore, to purchase the best MTP/MPO cable, you should choose a fibre optic patch cable that passes end-face inspection, such as Flying Speed (FS) MTP/MPO fibre optic patch cables.

If you want to get more information about the MTP/MPO patch cord cable for sale, welcome to contact us.