48 Cores MPO to MPO Female Trunk Cable

Product Overview

The 48-Core MPO/MTP® Female Trunk Cable is a high-density backbone solution designed to streamline cabling in 40G, 100G, and 400G environments. Featuring Female (Unpinned) connectors on both ends, this assembly is specifically engineered to connect directly to Male (Pinned) optical transceivers or to interconnect pinned patch panel cassettes. By consolidating 48 fibers into a single, robust jacket, it replaces multiple individual jumpers, significantly reducing cable clutter and improving airflow in server racks.

Manufactured by MeFiber, this trunk cable is fully configurable to meet your network’s specific bandwidth and distance needs. Whether you require Multimode (OM3/OM4/OM5) for short-reach parallel optics or Singlemode (OS2) for longer distances, our 48-fiber trunks deliver industry-leading low insertion loss. Typically configured as a multi-connector assembly (e.g., four 12-fiber MPO connectors on each end), it offers a plug-and-play solution for rapid data center deployment.

Key Features

• High-Capacity 48-Fiber Design: Consolidates four 12-fiber links or two 24-fiber links into one managed cable assembly.
• Female-to-Female Interface: Unpinned connectors designed for safe, direct mating with Pinned (Male) QSFP+ and QSFP28 transceivers.
• Multiple Fiber Options: Available in OM3, OM4, OM5 (Multimode) and OS2 (Singlemode) to match your active equipment specifications.
• Space Efficient: Reduces cable bulk in pathways and vertical managers compared to running 24 individual duplex patch cords.
• Premium Connectors: Uses high-precision MPO or MTP® (US Conec) connectors to ensure optimal physical contact and minimal signal loss.
• Factory Terminated: 100% tested for insertion loss, return loss, and 3D interferometry to guarantee performance.

Applications

This 48-core female trunk is a workhorse in high-speed environments:

• SR4/PLR4 Direct Connection: Connects four 40G (SR4) or 100G (SR4) switches directly to another set of switches without intermediate patch panels.
• Backbone Cabling: Links Main Distribution Areas (MDA) to Zone Distribution Areas (ZDA) using high-density adapter panels.
• Storage Area Networks (SAN): High-bandwidth interconnects for Fibre Channel directors and storage arrays.
• Cloud Computing: Rapid deployment of high-core-count connectivity for hyperscale environments.

Specifications

Configuration Note

A “48-Core” MPO cable is typically constructed using a Multi-Fiber breakout design. The most common configuration involves a single outer jacket containing sub-units that break out into four separate 12-fiber MPO connectors at each end. Alternatively, for Base-24 architectures, it can be configured with two 24-fiber MPO connectors. Please specify your required connector breakdown when ordering from MeFiber.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between MPO and MTP®?

MPO (Multi-Fiber Push On) is the generic interface standard set by the IEC. MTP® is a brand of MPO connector engineered by US Conec. The MTP® connector features superior design elements, such as a floating ferrule and elliptical guide pins, which protect the fiber end-faces from wear and improve alignment. While standard MPO connectors are sufficient for many uses, MTP® connectors are recommended for high-performance, high-density networks where reliability is critical.

2. Why do I need a Female (Unpinned) trunk?

The MPO system requires one side of a connection to have pins (Male) and the other to be unpinned (Female) to align the fibers. Optical transceivers (like QSFP modules) almost always contain the Pins (Male). Therefore, to plug a cable directly into a transceiver, the cable connector must be Female. This trunk is pre-configured as Female-to-Female for exactly this purpose.

3. Can I use this cable for both 40G and 100G?

Yes. If configured with OM3 or OM4 fiber, this cable supports 40GBASE-SR4. If configured with OM4, it also fully supports 100GBASE-SR4. The connector interface (MPO-12) is the same for both standards, making this trunk a versatile investment for network upgrades.

4. Is the cable jacket Plenum rated?

We offer both LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) and OFNP (Plenum) jacket options. If your cable runs through air-handling spaces (like drop ceilings or raised floors in a data center), you should select the OFNP Plenum option to meet fire safety codes.