MPO Female to MPO Female Trunk Cable Assembly 12 Fibers Polarity A OM3 50/125 10G Aqua 1M
The MPFMPF-R12S3RAQ1 provides 1 meter of Polarity A straight-through connectivity between female MPO interfaces using twelve strands of OM3 50/125μm multimode fiber in a compact 3.0mm aqua riser-rated round cable. Telcordia GR-1435-CORE certified for Method A structured cabling, adjacent rack connections, and high-density data center applications requiring 10G/40G parallel optics with plug-and-play deployment. Custom polarities, lengths, and fiber counts available with complete channel testing and same-day shipping for standard configurations.
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Description
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Specification
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Features
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Application
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Custom Service
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FAQ
The MPFMPF-R12S3RAQ1 delivers precision-engineered parallel optical connectivity in a compact 1-meter format, specifically designed for adjacent equipment connections where space efficiency and polarity management are paramount. This trunk cable features Polarity A (straight-through) fiber mapping, where each fiber position maintains its numerical assignment from one connector end to the other—position 1 maps to position 1, position 2 to position 2, and so forth through all twelve fibers. This configuration serves as the foundational building block in structured cabling methodologies employing Method A polarity schemes, where transmit-receive path management occurs through polarity reversal at patch panels or equipment interfaces rather than within the trunk cable itself.
Built around twelve strands of OM3 laser-optimized 50/125μm multimode fiber, this assembly supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances reaching 300 meters at 850nm wavelength—the industry-standard performance benchmark for short-reach data communications. The OM3 specification incorporates a precisely controlled gradient-index refractive profile that concentrates launched optical power toward the fiber core center, dramatically reducing differential mode delay (DMD) compared to legacy OM1 and OM2 fibers. This optimization enables reliable operation with cost-effective VCSEL transceivers while supporting higher-order modulation formats required for 40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR4 parallel optics architectures. At the 1-meter length, fiber attenuation contributes less than 0.004dB to total link loss, rendering connector performance and cleanliness the critical determinants of optical budget success.
Female MPO connectors terminate both ends, each featuring twelve precision-aligned fiber positions within a single compact housing measuring just 6.4mm x 7.3mm—dramatically smaller than equivalent LC duplex connector arrays. The female configuration incorporates receptacles designed to accept alignment pins from mating male MPO connectors, ensuring proper ferrule registration and physical contact between fiber end-faces. This design philosophy protects the permanent trunk cable investment by relegating pin exposure and potential damage to lower-cost male patch cords that undergo frequent reconnection during moves, adds, and changes. The PC (Physical Contact) polish geometry eliminates the air gap between mating ferrules, achieving insertion loss values typically below 0.35dB per connector and return loss exceeding 30dB across the twelve-fiber array—performance fully adequate for multimode systems where reflection sensitivity remains less stringent than single-mode requirements.
The 3.0mm round cable diameter strikes an optimal balance between fiber protection and installation flexibility. This compact profile enables routing through high-density cable management systems, narrow vertical managers, and congested equipment rack interiors where larger diameter cables would create blockages. Round cable construction provides uniform mechanical protection in all radial directions, superior crush resistance compared to flat ribbon alternatives, and excellent flexibility for navigating around obstacles or making tight bends within allowable radius limits. The aqua-colored riser-rated jacket provides instant visual identification as OM3 multimode per TIA-598-C color coding standards, preventing costly cross-connections with incompatible fiber types such as OM1 (orange), OM2 (orange), OM4 (erika violet), or single-mode (yellow) that would invalidate link budget calculations and potentially cause intermittent failures.
MPO/MTP Trunk Cable Selection Guide| SKU | Fiber Count | Connector A | Connector B | Polarity | Fiber Mode | Features | Length | Color |
| MAFMAF-R12S9RYL2 | 12 | MTP/APC Female | MTP/APC Female | A | OS2 | 2M | Yellow | |
| MAMMAF-R12S9RYL2 | 12 | MTP/APC Male | MTP/APC Male | A | OS2 | 2M | Yellow | |
| MPFMPF-R12S3RAQ1 | 12 | MPO Female | MPO Female | A | OM3 | 1M | Aqua | |
| MPFMPF2-R24S3RAQ15 | 24 | 2 x MPO Female | 2 x MPO Female | A/B | OM3 | Customized | 15M | Aqua |
| MPFMPF6-R72SXRAQ10 | 72 | 6 x MPO Female | 6 x MPO Female | A/B | OM3 | Customized | 10M | Aqua |
| MPMMPM-R12B3RYL5 | 12 | MPO APC | MPO APC | B | SM | Elite,LSZH | 5M | Yellow |
| MPMPPL-R12S12AQ01 | 12 | MPO | MPO | A/B | OM4 | Pull Tab | 1M | Aqua |
| MTFMAFP-R12S9RYL1 | 12 | MTP APC | MTP APC | A | OS2 | Elite | 1M | Yellow |
| MTFMTF-R12S3RAQ2 | 12 | MTP/PC | MTP/PC | A | OM3 | 2M | Aqua | |
| MTFMTF-R12S3ROR2 | 12 | MTP Female | MTP Female | A | OM1 | 2M | Orange | |
| MTFMTF-R12S4RMG2 | 12 | MTP Male | MTP Female | A | OM4 | 2M | Erika Violet | |
| MTFMTF-R12S5RLM2 | 12 | MTP Female | MTP Female | A | OM5 | 2M | Lime Green | |
| MTFMTFP-R12B4PAQ10 | 12 | MTP Pro Female | MTP Pro Female | B | OM4 | PRO, OFNP | 10M | Erika Violet |
| MTFMTFP-R24B5PLM50 | 24 | MTP Pro Female | MTP Pro Female | B | OM5 | PRO | 50M | Lime Green |
| Connector Types | 12 fibers MPO/PC x2 |
|---|---|
| Gender | MPO/PC Female to MPO/PC Female |
| Mode | OM3 Multimode 10G |
| Core Size | 50 µm |
| Fiber Strands | 12 Fibers |
| Cable Length | 1 M |
| Cable Type / Jacket | 3.0mm Round Aqua Riser Jacket |
| Features | Plug & Play | Telcordia GR-1435 compliant |
- 12-Fiber MPO Architecture: Single compact connector replaces six LC duplex connections, reducing panel space consumption by 85%
- Polarity A Straight-Through Mapping: Fiber position 1-to-1 correspondence simplifies structured cabling Method A implementations
- Female-to-Female Configuration: Protects trunk cable investment by requiring male patch cords at endpoints where reconnection occurs
- OM3 Laser-Optimized Multimode: 50/125μm fiber delivers 300-meter 10G reach and extended distance support for 40G/100G parallel optics
- 3.0mm Compact Round Cable: Space-efficient diameter enables high-density routing while maintaining mechanical protection and flexibility
- 1-Meter Adjacent Equipment Length: Optimized for rack-to-rack and equipment-to-panel connections without excessive slack
- Aqua Riser-Rated Jacket: OFNR flame rating meets vertical installation codes with immediate OM3 visual identification
- GR-1435-CORE Certified: Telcordia carrier-class standards ensure consistent performance across environmental extremes
- Method A Structured Cabling Systems: Provides straight-through trunk links between patch panels in three-jumper polarity architectures, with transmit-receive reversal occurring at panel adapters
- Equipment Rack Vertical Management: Connects switches at different rack elevations within the same equipment frame, maintaining organized cable pathways in high-density environments
- Adjacent Rack Cross-Connects: Links equipment positioned in side-by-side cabinets, supporting hot/cold aisle containment strategies without excessive cable lengths
- Storage Array Controller Connections: Establishes short-haul fiber paths between dual controllers, cache modules, or drive shelf interfaces in enterprise storage systems
- Modular Switch Fabric Interconnects: Connects line cards, fabric cards, and management modules within chassis-based networking equipment requiring internal fiber distribution
- Telecommunications Equipment Bridging: Links DWDM multiplexers, optical cross-connects, and digital cross-connect systems positioned in adjacent bays within central office facilities
- Laboratory and Testing Environments: Provides reconfigurable connections between optical test equipment, traffic generators, and devices under test requiring frequent topology changes
Installation planning should account for the Polarity A fiber mapping when designing the overall link architecture. In Method A structured cabling, Polarity A trunk cables connect patch panels containing key-up-to-key-down adapters that provide the necessary transmit-receive reversal. Attempting to use Polarity A trunks in Method B or Method C architectures will result in non-functional links despite proper physical connections. Verify your network design methodology before deployment, consulting TIA-568-C.0 Annex G or vendor-specific polarity documentation if uncertainty exists.
- Precision Length Production: Manufacturing systems accommodate any requirement from 0.5-meter ultra-short jumpers for in-rack connections to 100-meter extended runs for distributed equipment layouts
- Alternative Polarity Configurations: Type B (reversed) and Type C (pairs-flipped) variants available to match your specific structured cabling methodology without field modifications
- Connector Gender Options: Male-to-male and male-to-female configurations support diverse network topologies and equipment interface requirements
- Fiber Count Flexibility: Available in 8-fiber, 16-fiber, 24-fiber, and 24-fiber configurations for applications requiring different port densities or bandwidth allocations
- OM4 Performance Upgrades: Enhanced 50/125μm fiber supporting 10G transmission to 550 meters and 100G distances reaching 150 meters for extended-reach applications
- Plenum Environment Solutions: OFNP-rated versions with low-smoke zero-halogen jackets available for air-handling space installations per NEC Article 770
- Custom Identification Programs: Laser-etched cable markings, color-coded connector boots, sequential numbering, or embedded RFID tags for sophisticated asset management systems
MPO/MTP Trunk Cable Customization Options
| Customization Item | Available Options |
| Fiber Type | Single Mode (OS2), Multimode (OM3/OM4/OM5) |
| Fiber Count | 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 72, 96 Fibers or Custom |
| Connector Type | MPO, MTP, MTP PRO |
| Connector Gender | Male / Female |
| Polarity | Type A, Type B, Type C, Custom Polarity |
| Fiber End Face | UPC / APC |
| Cable Length | Custom Length Available |
| Jacket Material | LSZH, PVC, Plenum (OFNP/OFNR) |
| Jacket Color | Custom Color Available |
| Cable Structure | Standard Trunk, Mini Trunk, High-Density Trunk |
| Testing | 100% Factory Tested with IL/RL Test Report |
Shipping Performance: Standard polarity configurations in common lengths dispatch same-day for orders received before 3 PM EST. Non-standard polarity types or custom fiber counts typically fulfill within 4-7 working days including comprehensive testing.
Documentation Standards: Each assembly includes individual channel insertion loss and return loss measurements at 850nm wavelength, high-resolution end-face inspection imagery for both connectors, and certification of Telcordia GR-1435-CORE compliance. Batch traceability data available for large deployments.
Quality Differentiation: Our automated MT ferrule polishing systems maintain fiber height uniformity within 75nm across all twelve positions—tighter tolerance than standard industry practice—resulting in consistently low insertion loss and reduced variation between channels. Every cable undergoes 100% optical testing rather than statistical sampling approaches that allow defective units to reach customers.
Technical Knowledge Center
Q: What is Polarity A, and how does it differ from Polarity B and Polarity C in structured cabling systems?
A: Polarity A maintains straight-through fiber mapping (position 1 to 1, position 2 to 2, etc.) and relies on key-up-to-key-down adapters at patch panels to reverse transmit and receive paths. Polarity B reverses the fiber array within the trunk cable itself (position 1 to 12, position 2 to 11, etc.) and uses key-up-to-key-up adapters, eliminating the need for polarity-reversing hardware. Polarity C employs pairs-flipped mapping (positions 1-2 swap with 11-12, etc.) for specific cross-connect applications. Choosing the wrong polarity type will result in TX connecting to TX and RX to RX, causing complete link failure despite proper physical connections.
Q: In a 40GBASE-SR4 application, how are the twelve fibers in this cable allocated, and are all positions utilized?
A: 40GBASE-SR4 uses eight fibers total—four for transmit and four for receive. In standard implementations, fiber positions 1-4 carry transmit signals, positions 5-8 carry receive signals, and positions 9-12 remain unused. Some equipment may use different lane assignments, so verify your specific transceiver’s pinout documentation. The unused fibers remain dark (no optical power) but must still meet cleanliness standards as contamination can migrate between fibers during handling.
Q: Can I connect this female-to-female trunk cable directly to equipment ports, or do I need additional components?
A: Female-to-female trunks require male MPO patch cords or male adapters at both ends to complete the connection. This design is intentional—the permanent trunk cable uses durable female connectors without exposed alignment pins, while disposable male patch cords (which undergo frequent reconnection and potential damage) bridge the final connection to equipment. This architecture protects your trunk cable investment and follows industry best practices for structured cabling reliability.
Q: How does the 3.0mm cable diameter compare to larger trunk cables, and what are the tradeoffs?
A: The 3.0mm diameter provides excellent flexibility and space efficiency, ideal for high-density installations where cable management real estate is limited. Larger diameter cables (4.8mm, 6.0mm) offer enhanced mechanical protection and easier handling during installation but consume more space and exhibit less flexibility. For 1-meter adjacent rack connections, the 3.0mm diameter is optimal—it provides adequate protection for the short span while minimizing bulk. Longer distances or harsh environments may benefit from larger diameters with additional strength members.
Q: What testing procedures should I perform after installation to verify all twelve channels are functioning correctly?
A: Use an optical power meter and 850nm light source to measure insertion loss on each of the twelve fiber channels individually. Compare measured values against the test report that shipped with the cable—total link loss should equal the baseline trunk loss plus any additional connectors/adapters in your link. Alternatively, use an OTDR (optical time-domain reflectometer) to generate a trace showing each connector reflection and fiber span, identifying exactly where excessive loss occurs if problems arise. For operational systems, verify link establishment through switch diagnostics and monitor for FCS (frame check sequence) errors indicating marginal optical performance.
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