Understanding the Type A and Type AF Polarity of MPO Cassettes

As cloud data and big data become more and more popular, data centers have become the most important part of the data communication processing. The construction of data centers requires the use of MTP MPO patch cord, MTP MPO Trunk Cable, MTP MPO Fan-out Cable, MTP MPO Patch Panel, and MTP MPO Cassette.

MPO cassettes are widely used in data centers and high-density fiber optic networks to streamline and simplify fiber optic connectivity. These cassettes support the rapid deployment and management of large fiber counts, making them an ideal choice for applications requiring high-speed data transmission. One crucial aspect of MPO cassettes is understanding their polarity, which plays a vital role in ensuring proper signal transmission and maintaining network integrity.

Similar to the polarity of MPO MTP patch cords, polarity of MPO cassettes refers to the arrangement and alignment of the fibers within the cassette. It determines how the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) signals are correctly aligned between the connected transceivers, ensuring that the data is transmitted and received accurately. MPO cassettes are designed to accommodate different polarity methods, including Type A, Type B, and Type C, each with its unique fiber arrangement.

In this article, we will delve into the details of MPO cassette polarity Type A and Type AF which is commonly employed.

Type A, also known as Straight-Through polarity, is the most commonly used method in MPO cassettes. In this method, the fibers within the cassette maintain a straight line from end to end.

The arrangement of fibers in a Type A cassette is as follows:

The fibers in the upper row (1-12) are arranged in the same order as the lower row (1-12).

The Tx fibers (transmit) in the upper row are aligned with the corresponding Rx fibers (receive) in the lower row.

Type A is often used for applications where a one-to-one connection is required between transceivers, such as in interconnect applications.

Normally, projects order the MPO patch panel in Pairs:

in consideration of the interconnection with Duplex patch cords outside of the MPO patch panels, we also got to make the polarity of half cassettes with Type AF, as below:

CFOFC provides intelligent solutions for our customers , to make sure the polarity of MPO cassettes matches that of the connected transceivers or patch cords, and avoid polarity conversion or patch cord flipping at deployment field. Familiarity with MPO cassette polarity will continue to be essential for network professionals to support efficient and error-free data transmission.