Why Choose Push-Pull Tab Patch Cords?

Nowadays, with more and more data centers upgrading to 40G and even 100G, high density seems to have been the trend in the optical communication industry. Switches are able to provide more ports and higher data rates due to the shrinking of port size and advancement of technology. In order to fit these ports to achieve photoelectric conversion with higher data rate, fiber optic transceivers also shrink largely in both sizes and interfaces. For example, 40GBASE QSFP+ transceiver, supporting transmission data rate of 40G, has a small size and small MPO or LC interfaces. However, high density also brings a new problem.

Why Push-pull Tab Patch Cable Comes out?

It is inevitable that fiber optic connectors need to be plugged into or pulled out from switches during the cabling process and daily maintenance. For a high density cabling, it becomes much more difficult to get access to each patch cable and connector with your fingers. And it is almost impossible to unplug those connectors on a high density patch panel, especially when they are right in the middle of the patch panel. And also, for fiber patch cords with connectors like LC connector that are locked into the interfaces, it would be even more difficult, because first you have to unlock the connector and then pull it out from the port. High density cabling and maintenance seems to be difficult and time-consuming. To solve these kinds of situations, a special tool comes out, which is push-pull patch cord, or push-pull tab patch cable. Push-pull tab patch cable offers you a simple and easy solution for your high density cable management. And the following text will explain what it is and why you should choose it.

What Is Push-pull Tab Patch Cable?

Push-pull tab patch cable is a new patch cord with a special "pull" tab design which can help to solve the problem of finger access in high density cabling. It has the same components and internal structure as traditional patch cords, except a tab attached to the connector used to push in and pull out the whole connector. But this little change can make a big difference. This small push-pull tab looks simple but it is functional and of great importance to high density cabling in 40/100G migration. There are mainly two kinds of push-pull tab patch cables, for high density cabling for 40G/100G usually employs MPO and LC connectors.

Push-pull Tab LC Patch Cable: The main body of the LC connector is of standard size. The push-pull tab looks simple but it is linked to the latch of the LC connector. When the tab is pulled the latch will be unlocked easily and the LC connector can be easily pulled out from the patch panel. It has been proved that pull tab LC patch cord can increase cabling density greatly.

Push-pull Tab MPO Patch Cable: The tab in an MPO connector can greatly simplify the use of MPO connectivity when manual access to the release slider and rear portion of the connector is restricted. With this tab design, easy insertion and extraction of MPO patch cords can be achieved.

What Benifits Do Push-pull Tab Patch Cables Have?

Why choose push-pull tab patch cables? They are chosen for reasons. The benefits of push-pull tab patch cords are not limited to the easy access of the optical connectors. There are other benefits that you can get from them.

• Higher flexibility and adjustability: Push-pull patch cords are available in various specifications, so they can connect devices from 10Gb/s to 100Gbp/s or even more.
• Reliability: Push-pull tab patch cords provide safe and easy push and pull of specific connectors without affecting other connectors around it.
• Space-saving: With push-pull tab patch cords, spare space for cabling is reduced, which can increase the density of cabling further more.
• Economical: High density and ease of installation provide a low initial investment cost. And the benefits above provide a high return on investment.

Conclusion

Cabling with push-pull tab patch cords becomes much easier. All you need is just your hand and no external tools are required. Push-pull tabs can offer exceptional finger access even in a very highly dense environment. Push-pull patch cords can be inserted and removed just by pulling or pushing the connector. And these cables are available with OM3, OM4 and single-mode optical cable types. If you are looking for a connection solution for your high density devices, push-pull tab patch cords, with high durability and flexibility, can be a good a choice.