Everything You Need to Know About MPO-12 Fiber Optic Cables

Author Yana

Date 04/23/2025

Explore a comprehensive guide to MPO-12 fiber optic cables: Their structure, applications, key selection criteria, and differences between MPO vs MTP connectors. Learn how these MPO-12 connector cables optimize network efficiency for 40G/100G/400G systems.

In data centers, MPO fiber optic connectors are often used. In particular, MPO-12 fiber optic cables provide a higher density and higher efficiency wiring solution and are widely used in backbone applications. This article will give you a comprehensive overview of the structure, application scenarios, selection points, and differences between MPO connectors vs MTP connectors, helping you make smarter choices when building or optimizing networks.

MPO to MPO-12 Cables Overview

What is MPO Connector?

The MPO (Multi-Fiber Push-On) fiber optic connector is a multi-fiber connector that is widely used in high-density wiring and high-speed data transmission.

The MPO connector is very small in size; it has the same size as the SC connector, but can accommodate multiple optical fibers. Therefore, MPO can greatly save cabinet wiring space. The more common ones are 8-fiber, 12-fiber, 16-fiber, and 24-fiber MPO fiber connectors, and the current maximum can reach 144 fibers. Compared with traditional single-mode or multi-mode fiber cables, MPO connector cables have higher density and faster connection speed. They achieve high-density connections by integrating multiple fiber cores into a small MPO connector, and can transmit data from multiple fiber channels at the same time. This design makes the MPO connector cables have advantages in saving space and simplifying wiring.

In addition, the MPO connector is easy to operate and can be quickly installed and maintained with a simple push.

MPO connectors

What is MPO-12 Fiber Cable？

The MPO-12 fiber cable is a multi-core fiber cable with MPO connectors on both ends and 12 optical fibers inside, which is mainly used to achieve high-density, multi-channel fiber optic connections between devices. There are also various types of MPO connector 12 fiber cables, including MPO-12 to MPO-12 Singlemode trunk cable, MPO-12 to MPO-12 OM3 Multimode trunk cable, and MPO-12 to MPO-12 OM4 Multimode trunk cable, which can be selected according to the specific network type.

MPO to MPO-12 Cables

Applications of MPO-12 Connector Cables

DCI: A large number of high-speed, high-density fiber connections are required between servers, storage devices, and network switches in the data center. 12-fiber MPO cables can be used with 40G QSFP+ SR4, 40G QSFP+ PSM4, 100G QSFP28 SR4, 100G QSFP28 PSM4, 400G OSFP DR4, and other optical modules to build high-speed data center networks.

100G Switch to 100G Switch Direct Connectivity

100G Switch to 100G NIC Direct Connectivity

High-Performance Computing: HPC systems require low-latency, high-throughput network support. MPO-12 connector cables can transmit multi-channel data simultaneously, meeting the needs of fast communication between HPC clusters, and are ideal for high-density connections.

Why Do We Need MPO-12 Optical Cables?

As data centers, cloud computing, high-performance computing and other fields continue to increase the requirements for network bandwidth and wiring density, traditional single-core fiber optic cables can no longer meet the needs of high-speed, large-capacity connections. The MPO-12 optical cable is designed to solve these pain points. It integrates 12 fibers in one patch cord, which can realize multi-channel signal transmission at the same time, significantly reducing the number of wiring and space occupation, thereby improving wiring efficiency and management convenience.

First, in 40G, 100G and other high-speed optical transceivers, such as 40G QSFP+ SR4, 100G QSFP28 SR4, etc., parallel transmission is generally adopted, and multi-core cables are required for data channel docking. MPO-12 connector cables are perfectly compatible with these modules to achieve reliable transmission of high bandwidth.

Secondly, MPO-12 optical cables have plug-and-play features, fast deployment and easy maintenance, which greatly shortens network construction and adjustment time. For network environments that want to achieve rapid expansion, flexible deployment and simplified maintenance, MPO-12 fiber cables are an indispensable and efficient tool.

Finally, the MPO-12 cable has excellent optical and mechanical properties, with low insertion loss and high return loss, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted data transmission.

MPO Connector Fiber vs. MTP Connector Fiber, What's the Difference?

MTP fiber cable is a cable that uses MTP connectors. MTP connector is similar to MPO connector and also has multiple fiber cores. MTP fiber optic cables are mainly used in high-density fiber connection applications, such as data centers, computer networks, and communication operators. They can support 10G, 40G, 100G Ethernet and other high-speed fiber systems for fast and reliable data transmission.

Compared with MPO, MTP connector has been improved in design. So, what are the specific differences between MPO VS MTP? A detailed comparison will be made below.

Comparison Item	MPO Fiber Cable	MTP Fiber Cable
Connector Type	Standard MPO multi-fiber connector; MPO is the first-generation multi-core fiber optic connector, designed by NTT Corporation of Japan.	A trademark registered by US Conec for its own MPO connector. Through multiple innovative designs, it has made many optimizations to the MPO connector and has its own patent protection. Therefore, the MTP connector is an MPO connector, but it has better mechanical and optical performance than ordinary MPO connectors. The MTP connector fully complies with the professional standards of all MPO connectors. MTP is a high-performance MPO connector.
Pin Clamp	Plastic pin clamp	Metal pin clamp
Floating Ferrule	Not available	Equipped with floating ferrule to maintain contact under load
Guide Pins	Chamfered guide pins, generate more debris.	Precision stainless steel elliptical guide pins, reduce debris and improve alignment accuracy.
Reliability	After the MPO connector is plugged and unplugged 500 times, the end face near the guide hole is obviously damaged.	After 600 plug-in and pull-out cycles, the end face near the guide hole of the MTP connector is basically intact.

How to Choose the Right MPO Fiber Cable?

To select the right MPO fiber cable, consider the following key factors.

First, confirm the fiber type (multi-mode or single-mode) required for the connected device and the corresponding optical module interface type.

Second, pay attention to the fiber core number configuration (such as 8 fibers, 12 fibers, or 16 fibers), which should match the actual network architecture and connection requirements.

Third, select the appropriate polarity (A, B, or C type) to ensure correct signal transmission and avoid communication interruption caused by polarity errors.

In addition, it is necessary to select the appropriate cable length and jacket type (such as LSZH, PVC, etc.) according to the usage scenario (such as rack-to-rack connection or data center backbone wiring) to meet performance and safety standards.

Finally, it is recommended to use high-quality MPO connector cable that supports IEC or TIA standards to ensure long-term stable operation.

Conclusion

As an important component for achieving high-density fiber optic connections, MPO-12 fiber optic cables not only greatly improve wiring efficiency but also demonstrate strong performance advantages in high-speed network transmission. Whether it is 40G, 100G, or an application environment with higher bandwidth requirements, MPO-12 connector cables have become an indispensable choice for data centers and high-performance network architectures due to their multi-core parallel transmission, rapid deployment, and high reliability.