Female MTP® Elite to LC/UPC Fanout | Base-8 | Single Mode G657.A2 | 3.0/1.8mm

Overview

This is a Female MPO/MTP® to LC UPC Fanout Cable, an essential breakout solution for single mode structured cabling. It efficiently converts a single MPO/MTP® trunk connection into eight discrete LC UPC interfaces. This design is specifically for extending a breakout point from a male-terminated backbone cable to connect with equipment requiring single mode LC/UPC ports.

Constructed with premium G.657.A2 bend-insensitive fiber, this assembly offers exceptional routing flexibility. Its Base-8 wiring is optimized for 40G and 100G PSM4 applications, providing a direct and efficient pathway. The inclusion of a high-performance MTP® Elite connector ensures a reliable, low-loss connection within your high-speed network infrastructure.

Key Features

• Features one Female MTP® Elite connector (unpinned) and eight simplex LC UPC connectors.
• Engineered with bend-insensitive G.657.A2 single mode fiber for robust performance.
• Optimized Base-8 fiber configuration for 100% fiber utilization in PSM4 networks.
• Equipped with a genuine US Conec MTP® Elite low-loss connector.
• LC connectors have an Ultra Physical Contact (UPC) polish for specific hardware compatibility.
• Factory-terminated and 100% tested for guaranteed low-loss performance.
• Designed to connect to Male MPO/MTP® trunk cables or patch cords.
• Yellow, LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) jacket for safety and single mode identification.

Applications

This single mode fanout cable is primarily used in structured cabling to extend a breakout point. The Female MTP® connector mates with a Male MTP® trunk cable, bringing the breakout point closer to the equipment. The eight LC UPC connectors then distribute the four parallel single mode channels to switches, servers, or other devices that have LC UPC interfaces, making it ideal for 40G/100G PSM4 applications.

Specifications

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Interoperability for this fanout cable is ensured by its adherence to global industry standards. It can be used with any standards-compliant MPO/MTP® and LC UPC components. Always confirm that your equipment specifies a UPC connector endface, as it is incompatible with the more common APC type in single mode systems.

Advantages

The primary benefit of this cable is its role in creating a flexible and modular structured cabling system. Using a Female MTP® connector allows network managers to use standardized Male MTP® trunks for backbone runs, then attach these fanout cables at the rack to adapt to specific hardware needs. This simplifies inventory and allows for easier network modifications.

The use of G.657.A2 bend-insensitive fiber provides significant installation advantages. It can be routed in high-density environments with sharp bends without compromising signal integrity. This, combined with the efficiency of a Base-8 design for PSM4, delivers a reliable, high-performance, and adaptable solution for modern data centers requiring specific LC/UPC connectivity.

FAQ (Technical & Product Questions)

1. Why would I choose a Female MPO/MTP® fanout cable?

A female fanout cable is used to connect to a Male MPO/MTP® trunk cable. This is common in structured cabling where a long trunk run ends at a patch panel or near a rack, and this fanout cable provides the final breakout connection to the equipment.

2. What is the difference between a Male and Female MTP® connector?

Male MTP® connectors have two metal guide pins for alignment. Female MTP® connectors have two holes to receive those pins. A connection always requires one male and one female connector to ensure precise fiber core alignment.

3. Why does this single mode cable have LC/UPC connectors instead of LC/APC?

While APC (angled polish) is more common for single mode to reduce back reflection, some specific hardware, particularly certain test equipment or legacy systems, are designed with UPC (flat polish) interfaces. This cable is made to connect to that specific equipment.

4. Is it safe to connect these LC/UPC connectors to LC/APC ports?

No, it is critical that you never mate UPC and APC connectors. The different physical end-face shapes are incompatible. Attempting to connect them will cause poor performance and will permanently damage the fiber end-faces on both connectors.

5. What is G.657.A2 fiber?

It is a type of bend-insensitive single mode fiber. It is designed to handle very tight bends with minimal signal loss, making it perfect for high-density racks, patch panels, and other space-constrained installations where cables might be sharply routed.

6. What application uses a Base-8 configuration?

A Base-8 configuration is ideal for 40G and 100G PSM4 (Parallel Single Mode) applications. PSM4 uses 8 fibers (4 transmit, 4 receive), so a Base-8 cable utilizes all fibers efficiently, eliminating the waste associated with using 12-fiber cables for these protocols.

7. What is the yellow jacket for?

The yellow jacket is the industry-standard color code for single mode fiber optic cables. This allows for quick and easy identification of the cable type in a complex cabling environment, preventing accidental mixing with multimode cables (which are typically aqua or orange).

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

MPO (Multi-fiber Push-On) is the name of the connector standard. MTP® is a specific brand of MPO connector made by US Conec. It includes patented enhancements for better mechanical and optical performance, such as a floating ferrule and elliptical guide pins.