The document discusses the rising need for higher bandwidth in data centers and the role of MPO (multifiber push-on) cables in meeting this demand. It outlines the complexities of MPO cable testing, emphasizing the importance of thorough testing for performance, especially during migration to 40/100 Gbps connections. The white paper also highlights advancements in testing tools that simplify the process, reducing time and labor costs significantly.

1. WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore (FS.COM) | MPO Cable Testing Overview
Nowadays, the existing bandwidth is not adequate to meet enterprises’ increasing appetite. In the
meanwhile, optical technologies like cloud computing, virtualization and storage area networks are
all in the fast development, which pushes the further development of higher-bandwidth tech like
40/100G Ethernet. Thus under this circumstance, new devices are greatly required. Besides the new
optical transceivers and fiber optic cables, a steady proliferation of fiber connections—MPO
(Multifiber Push-On) came into being.
MPO cables, featured by its compact, pre-terminated advantages, has become the default cabling
solution for the increasing bandwidth requirements. However, a flaw of the MPO cable may hinder
its development. The testing process of the MPO cable can be complex and error-prone. Have you
been through the scene? When you prepare to test a MPO cable, you have to throw polarity of all
12 fiber connections into the mix. And if it comes to migrating 10 Gbps to 40/100 Gbps on the same
cable, all the testing job you have done is in vain. Since the testing process is pretty uneasy, The
following text will provide some detailed information about it to help you do the right MPO cable
testing.
Problems You Should Know About MPO Cable Testing
Typically, a MPO cable contains 12 optical fibers, and each fiber is thinner than human’s hair. So if
you want to test the cable, you must test every fiber of it, which is quite difficult for inexperienced
engineers. The common way to do this is to use a fan-out cord to make the 12 fibers separate, then
testing. One fiber testing would take you 10 seconds. So if your customer ask you to test 48 MPO
trunks cable in data center which has a 30,000-MPO data center installation, that means you need
to spend 3,120 hours. Such a huge project! To avoid this expensive and time-consuming process,
modular factory-terminated MPO cables promise simplicity, lower cost, and true plug-and-play fiber
connectivity.
MPO Cable Testing
Overview

2. WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore (FS.COM) | MPO Cable Testing Overview
Additional, when you are about to test a MPO cable, you should check whether the MPO cable is in
the good state. Because cables must be transported, stored, and later bent and pulled during
installation in the data center, which may lead to the performance uncertainties before fiber cables
are deployed. Proper testing of pre-terminated cables after installation is the only way to guarantee
performance in a live application.
What’s more, fiber polarity is also an important factor you should take into account. The simple
purpose of any polarity scheme is to provide a continuous connection from the link’s transmitter to
the link’s receiver. For array connectors, TIA-568-C.0 defines three methods to accomplish this:
Methods A, B and C. Deployment mistakes are common because these methods require a
combination of patch cords with different polarity types.
The Relationship Between Bandwidth and Testing
The market trend of telecom industry implies that 10G network has already been deployed in a
large scale. And now 40G is main stream. As for 100G, people also already prepare for it. So
bandwidth would always be a hot topic.
We have said before that MPO cable can solve the problem of bandwidth. As data center bandwidth
steadily climbs to 10, 40, and 100Gbps, a dense multi-fiber cable becomes the only option. That’s
why the use of MPO cables has steadily risen over the past 10 years. With the MPO cabling system,
40/100G migration path seems to be a simple and easy solution. Just remove the 10Gbps cassette
from the MPO cable and replace it with a bulkhead accommodating a 40Gbps connection. Later it
might be possible to remove that bulkhead and do a direct MPO connection for 100 Gbps at a later
date. Figure 2 shows a 40G connectivity with the use of the 12-fiber MPO cable. A 40G QSFP like
QSFP-40G-SR4 connects to a 12-fiber MPO cable. A 12-fiber MPO fanout cable is also used to
connect four 10G SFP+ transceivers (eg. 46C3447) with a MPO FAP.

3. WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore (FS.COM) | MPO Cable Testing Overview
The problem is that while this migration strategy is an efficient way to leverage the existing cabling,
in comparison to 10Gbps connections, the 40Gbps and 100Gbps standards call for different optical
technology (parallel optics) and tighter loss parameters. In short, each time you migrate you need to
verify the links to ensure the performance delivery the organization requires.
How to Do the Proper MPO Cable Testing
When you move to this part, you may think that MPO testing may be a tough obstacle for us to
conquer. So is there a simple way to do the testing? The answer is yes. You can just test all 12
fibers—the whole cable—simultaneously and comprehensively (including loss and polarity). That
sort of test capability changes the fiber landscape, enabling installers and technicians to efficiently
validate and troubleshoot fiber—flying through the process by tackling an entire 12-fiber cable
trunk with the push of a button.
To do a proper MPO cable testing, you must need some proper testing tools as shown in Figure 3.
The tools to perform this type of test are emerging on the market, and promise to reduce the time
and labor costs up to 95% over individual fiber tests. Characteristics to look for in such a tool include
the following parts.
 An onboard MPO connector to eliminate the complexity and manual calculations associated
with a fan-out cord.
 A single “Scan All” test function that delivers visual verification via an intuitive interface for all
12 MPO fibers in a connector.
 Built-in polarity verification for end-to-end connectivity of MPO trunk cables.

4. WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore (FS.COM) | MPO Cable Testing Overview
 “Select Individual Fiber” function that enables the user to troubleshoot a single fiber with more
precision.
Summary
The insatiable need for bandwidth ensures that the integrity of the data center, which has also
become inextricably linked to the strength of the fiber cabling infrastructure. Now more and more
MPO trunk cables are put into use, to make sure the better performance, you should be able to test
the MPO connection. Fiberstore offers a variety of MPO products including MPO trunk cables, MPO
harness cable, 12-fiber or 24-fiber MPO cable and so on. All of our products can also be customized.
Contact Us
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Tel: +44 2081441980
Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or
implied, concerning any equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by Fiberstore.
Fiberstore reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no
responsibility for its use. This information document describes features that may not be currently available.
Contact a Fiberstore sales team for information on feature and product availability.
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