Although smart people who install, test, and certify network cabling equipment know the importance of meeting standard performance parameters and ensuring application support, even the best among us may make mistakes that have a negative impact on the bottom line and customer satisfaction.

Let's take a look at the foolish thing smart people do when testing network cabling systems and relying on duplex testers to verify MPO relays.

With the increase of big data, virtualization, and the improvement of bandwidth speed of data center fiber backbone links (up to 40 or even 100 Gbps), most data centers now standardize on the basis of multi-core plug-in (MPO) connector solutions. Although the necessary testing of these 12 fiber MPO connectors may have been limited in the past, it has now become the standard for most data center installations. On site testing is a way to ensure that MPO company links meet application performance requirements.

Although pre terminated MPO fiber optic cables are produced and tested by suppliers to comply with ANSI/TIA and international standards, many factors may affect performance. Firstly, MPO connectors are more difficult to clean than duplex connectors. The characteristic of a 12 core MPO interface is that the array has a larger surface area, unfortunately, this makes it easier to move contaminants from one fiber to another in the same array during the cleaning process. The loss budget for 40 and 100 Gbps MPO fiber applications is also much lower, so ensuring high testing accuracy is crucial.




The issue with the dual tester

Testing a 12 core MPO fiber optic link with a duplex tester may seem time-consuming, but it is logical. In fact, it requires approximately 15 steps, using a 3-jumper method and MPO to LC sector output jumper to separate 12 optical cables into single fiber channels (if the total loss of LC-MPO box does not exceed 0.35dB, LC-MPO box can be used).

To test MPO using a duplex tester, technicians first need to verify and set up SC-LC and LC-LC test reference jumpers. Then, before connecting the first pair of fibers to the MPOs, it is necessary to verify, set up, and remove the third LC test reference line, and there are still 5 pairs of fibers at both ends that need to be tested.

Not only are technicians with limited on-site time likely to be unable to complete all 15 steps, but the complex and time-consuming process itself may lead to greater inconsistencies and make it more difficult to maintain cleanliness of all joints during the process.

The tester with onboard MPO connectors eliminates the complexity, time, and inconsistency of MPO testing, eliminating the need for fan out wires or cassette tapes. The MultiFiber Pro from Fluke Networks was the first tester to offer this feature, capable of scanning all 12 fibers simultaneously and displaying test results in an easy to read bar chart. MultiFiber Pro can even identify each fiber of MPO, providing more accurate data and reports for each fiber to improve MPO connector validation and troubleshooting.

MultiFiber Pro can even test the correct polarity to ensure continuous connection from transmitter to receiver, and requires jumpers with different polarity types depending on the chosen polarity method. MultiFiber Pro allows users to test the correct polarity of various jumpers, permanent links, and channels without prior knowledge of the polarity of the links.

The next time you think the duplex tester can meet your MPO testing needs, remember that MultiFiber Pro's innovative features will eliminate complexity and increase your testing speed by 90%.