MPO connector now narrower, easier to plug and unplug

Panduit recently introduced the redesigned PanMPO Fiber Connector. The new design includes “key features for an improved in-field user experience,” the company said. The PanMPO now includes a narrower connector body and a new push-pull boot that allows for improved manageability in high-density situations.

Another new feature of the redesigned PanMPO is a pin extraction feature on the outer housing that is used to change the connector’s gender/pinning. The alignment pins are permanently housed inside the connector, and the redesigned PanMPO requires no separate tools or equipment to change gender or polarity.

Panduit introduced the PanMPO connector in 2013, introducing in-the-field polarity and gender change capability to its fiber connectivity portfolio. The connector was introduced as a means of smoothing the migration from 10-Gbit/sec Ethernet to 40-Gbit/sec Ethernet. At the time, Panduit pointed out that transition had been a complicated and confusing one for end users. “An existing 10G installation might require two different MPO patch cords to transition to 40G,” the company said. “This could lead to confusion over which patch cord to use. Patch cords using the Panduit PanMPO connector allow technicians to change the polarity and gender as needed, at a moment’s notice, eliminating confusion.” Using the PanMPO enables data center owners to have a single connector type in inventory—the PanMPO—and maintain the ability to accommodate any configuration.