What is a Fiber Trunk Cable and why is It Important?

As network demands continue to grow, high-density, high-performance connectivity solutions are more critical than ever. One key component in building scalable and efficient fiber optic infrastructure is the fiber trunk cable. Designed to streamline cable management and support rapid deployment, fiber trunk cables are a go-to solution for data centers, enterprise networks, and telecom applications.

What is a Fiber Trunk Cable?

A fiber trunk cable is a pre-terminated, high-fiber-count cable designed to connect multiple points in a network with minimal installation time. These cables typically come with MPO/MTP connectors, allowing fast plug-and-play connections between patch panels, switches, and other networking hardware.

Fiber trunk cables can include 12, 24, 48, or even 144 fibers in a single jacket, reducing clutter and improving airflow in high-density environments. They are custom-built to specific lengths and configurations, eliminating the need for field termination and testing.

Key Benefits

High-Density Connectivity: Supports large-scale data transmission with fewer cables.

Time-Saving Installation: Pre-terminated ends eliminate the need for splicing or connectorization on site.

Reduced Cable Congestion: Fewer cables mean better airflow and easier maintenance in racks or trays.

Consistent Performance: Factory testing ensures low insertion loss and high return loss for reliable signal transmission.

Scalability: Easily supports network upgrades and expansions with modular designs.

Common Applications

Data Centers: Backbone connections between server cabinets, switches, and core routers.

Enterprise Networks: Linking telecom rooms or connecting floors in multi-story buildings.

Telecom & ISP Infrastructure: High-capacity links between central offices and distribution nodes.

Final Thoughts

A fiber trunk cable is more than just a bundle of optical fibers—it's a smart investment in efficient, scalable, and future-proof network infrastructure. Whether you're building a new data center or upgrading an existing network, fiber trunk cables help reduce labor, improve reliability, and simplify cable management.

Polarization Maintaining Patchcord and Patch Cable: Features, Types, and Applications

Standard fibre patch cables are well-known in our lives, but Polarization Maintaining Patch Cable also comes in a variety of special forms, such as mode conditioning cables and fibre loopbacks. These customised fibre patch cables are often utilised for specific applications.

Function of PM Patch Cables

In the fibre optic industry, polarisation maintaining fibre is a single-mode fibre that can maintain linear polarisation light propagation throughout the transmission inside the fibre. As long as the light is launched linearly into the fibre, its polarisation along the fibre path remains constant. PM patch cable is a fibre optic cable made out of PM fibres and high-quality ceramic fibre optic connectors. PM patch cables feature the following characteristics: low insertion loss, high extinction ratio, high return loss, excellent changeability across a wide wavelength range, and outstanding environmental stability and reliability.

How Do I Choose PM Patch Cables?

Connector

Polarization Maintaining Patchcord, like normal fibre optic cables, commonly uses LC, SC, FC, and ST connections. Connectors on both ends of the cable may be identical or different, such as LC-LC or LC-SC connectors. The connector ends are closed for improved protection because the PM connectors are designed to be more sophisticated.

All PM fibre patch cables employ PM fibres. However, PM fibres can vary depending on the curvature of the inner rod. This unique rod ensures that input and output light are linearly polarised in the fibre.

Cable Jacket

PM fibre patch cables can come with or without a cable jacket. PM cables are classified into three types: bare fibre (250μm), loose tube jacket (900μm), and loose tube jacket (3mm).

Length

The usual cable length for PM fibre patch cables is one metre. If different lengths are necessary, the cable can be customised accordingly.

Where Can I Use PM Patch Cables?

PM fibres, which are normally employed to guide linearly polarised light from point to point, can be utilised for a variety of unique applications in optical sensors, telecommunications, and sensor research. Polarisation Maintaining Patch Cable is particularly beneficial for polarisation-sensitive fibre optical systems that require optical light to remain linear. PM fibre patch cables can be used in conjunction with interferometric sensors, integrated optics, and fibre amplifiers in high-speed and coherent telecommunications.

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