The MPO Switch, available from FiberNext, is a battery-operated device that the company says enables any standard visual fault locator (VFL) or optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) to individually test each fiber in a 12-fiber MPO-terminated cable. The MPO Switch comes standard with an SC port for connection to the test equipment, and an MPO port for connection to a 12-fiber MPO cable. An LED indicator lets the technician know which fiber number is being examined.
When FiberNext introduced the MPO Switch, it noted, “The challenge of testing high-density MPO/MTP connectivity in data centers and plug-and-play networks is still being perfected. Recently, manufacturers have been working to develop new tools to speed the testing of mass connectors, as the adoption of MPO connectors skyrockets in data centers, where they’re being used in 40- and 100-Gbit/sec connections. FiberNext has responded to these market needs by developing an easy-to-use MPO Switch that works with existing OTDRs and VFLs in a number of test scenarios.”
The company further stated that when used with either a VFL or an OTDR, the MPO Switch “allows users to test through the switch into any of the 12 fibers in the MPO connector without the hassle and potential damage of unmating and remating fibers during testing, as is typical with fanout cables. Using the Switch in conjunction with a VFL, the user can cycle through each of the 12 fibers and note the polarity, continuity visually on the far end of the cable under test. Using the switch in conjunction with an OTDR, the user can cycle through each of the 12 fibers and take discrete OTDR test results without the use of a fanout cable and excessive patching.”
It also can be used to test fiber cable on the reel, FiberNext pointed out: “For bulk ribbon fiber cable testing on-reel, the technician can use a mass fusion splicer, set to a ‘pause’ setting in order to orient all 12 fibers for quick validation testing.”