With the continuous growth of data center traffic, 100G networks have become the industry standard. However, many engineers often face a practical problem when deploying 100G networks: what kind of patch cord should be used with 100G optical modules? Choosing the wrong one can lead to signal attenuation, link failure, or even equipment damage. This article provides a professional overview of the pairing logic between 100G optical modules and patch cords for your reference.

Ⅰ. Clarify Two Basic Principles.

First, the fiber modes must match.

Multimode optical modules (such as SR4) must be paired with multimode fiber (OM3/OM4), and single-mode optical modules (such as LR4) must be paired with single-mode fiber (OS2) . Using single-mode optical modules and multimode patch cords together will result in severe signal attenuation or even failure to transmit.

Second, the interface type determines the jumper selection.

There are two main types of interfaces for 100G optical modules—MPO/MTP multi-core interfaces and LC interfaces.

II. Mainstream 100G Optical Module Patch Cord Matching Solution

The most mainstream 100G optical modules in data centers are currently in the QSFP28 package. Below are specific configuration options for several common models:

III. Considerations for Selecting Fiber Optic Patch Cords

The number of cores and polarity of MPO jumpers cannot be ignored. 100G SR4 typically uses 8-core or 12-core MPO jumpers; the specific module specifications must be confirmed . Furthermore, MPO interfaces come in male and female versions—optical module interfaces are mostly male, so female jumpers must be selected .

The patch cord end face needs to be cleaned regularly, as dust can cause optical power attenuation. The insertion loss of multimode patch cords should be ≤0.3dB, and that of single-mode patch cords should be ≤0.5dB .

In actual deployments, ETU-LINK as a professional optical module manufacturer, can provide a full range of optical modules and matching patch cord solutions, from 100G SR4 to LR4 and from MPO to LC interfaces, providing a one-stop optical interconnect solution for data center network upgrades.

IV. Summary