Decoding Outer Jacket of MTP/MPO Cable

As high density cabling system has been widely deployed, MTP/MPO cable can be easily found in network deployment. But when you buy MTP/MPO cable in the online store, you must have been encountered with the situation where you not only have to select single-mode or multimode, 12 fibers or 24 fibers, but also have to consider the outer jacket of the cable which can protect the cable from damage. According to different cabling environment, there are different types of outer jackets, among which CMP, LSZH, CMR, CM are mostly used. How much do you know about them? This article will decode outer jacket of MTP/MPO cable and I hope it will be helpful for you when buying MTP/MPO cable.

CMP (plenum-rated) cable complies the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60332-1 flammability standard. It has passed stringent burn testing and is suitable for installation into air plenum spaces, where environmental air is transported. Typical plenum spaces are between the structural ceiling and the drop ceiling or under a raised floor. CMP cable is designed to restrict flame propagation no more than five feet as well as limit the amount of smoke emitted during the fire. In spite of this, for safety reason, any high-voltage equipment is not allowed in plenum space because the fresh air can greatly increase the danger of rapid flame spreading if the equipment is on fire. Because it has high fire-retardant, it usually costs more than other types.

The LSZH (low smoke zero halogen, also refers to LSOH or LS0H or LSFH or OHLS) has no exact IEC code equivalent. The LSZH cable is based on the compliance of IEC 60754 and IEC 61034. It is the newest in a family of ratings and it is sometimes refereed to as low toxicity cable. Containing no halogen type compounds that forms these toxic substances, LSZH cable gives of very little smoke and does not produce a dangerous gas/acid combination when exposed to flame. LSZH cable is suitable to be used in place where air circulation is poor such as aircraft, rail cars or ships. However, it is less fire-retardant than CMP.

CMR (riser-rated) complies IEC 60332-3 standards. CMR cable is designed to prevent fires from spreading floor to floor in vertical installations. It can be used when cables need to be run between floors through risers or vertical shafts. CM (in-wall rated) cable is a general purpose type, which is used in cases where the fire code does not place any restrictions on cable type. Some examples are home or office environments for CPU to monitor connections.

To select a suitable MTP/MPO cable for your network deployment, it is necessary to learn about the relevant details of cable ratings, which is as important as other factors. As a professional MTP patch cable supplier, FS.COM provides high quality plenum and LSZH MTP/MPO patch cord at affordable prices.