Usually not – that is the point of the conversion module. Existing Base-12 trunks connect to the rear adapters as they are, and the front presents native Base-8 links for the new optics. The backbone stays; only the module layer and patch cords change.
FAQ’s
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The TAP is installed in the fiber path like any patching change, and from then on monitoring is non-intrusive: monitoring equipment can be connected, disconnected or changed on demand without interfering with live traffic, and monitored ports can be changed with minimum downtime.
Every LC fiber and port is individually tested for insertion loss (IL) and return loss (RL) and individually numbered for identification, and every connector’s ferrule geometry undergoes interferometer testing – so each module ships with verified optical performance.
By adapter color, at a glance: black/green adapters are single-mode, aqua adapters are OM3/OM4 multimode, and lime green adapters are OM5. In a frame mixing generations and fiber types, the color coding prevents mis-patching before it happens.
Every MTP® mating requires exactly one male connector (with guiding pins) and one female connector (without pins) – the pins seat into the opposite ferrule to align all fibers precisely. The adapter module supports this scheme with high-precision alignment, so planning simply requires that trunks and harnesses arrive with opposite genders at each adapter.
The module regroups fibers internally: two 12-fiber trunk connections (24 fibers) are rearranged into exactly three 8-fiber links (24 fibers). Nothing is left over – every trunk fiber reaches a port, which is a 33% saving in cabling volume compared to direct Base-12-to-Base-8 patching.
The front accepts 12 LC simplex or 6 LC duplex patch cords; the rear is a single MTP® adapter for the backbone trunk. LC adapters include internal shutters, ports follow the built-in labeling chart, and colored routing guides in each tray differentiate networks at a glance.
The module is ETL lab verified up to 100G Ethernet per IEEE 802.3ab-2010, and undergoes insertion loss and return loss (IL & RL) testing. LC connection insertion loss is 0.1 dB typical and 0.15 dB maximum.
Choose by what the front connects to: the MTP®-LC module when equipment takes duplex LC; the adapter module when both sides are native MTP®; and the conversion module when migrating Base-12 trunks to Base-8 40G/100G ports with 100% fiber utilization.
Six adapters give maximum density per tray position. Four adapters leave more spacing between connections, which some teams prefer for easier handling of high-count trunks and labels. Optically both are identical – the choice is density versus working room.
Both deliver 100% utilization; the difference is density. The 2×3 serves 3 ports per module (24 fibers). The double-density 4×6 serves 6 ports per module (48 fibers), halving the number of tray positions the conversion layer consumes – preferred when ODF space is tight or port counts are high.
UPC (ultra physical contact) is the standard choice for data center and enterprise Ethernet links. APC (8° angled polish) is preferred where maximum return loss performance matters, such as FTTx, PON and analog/RF-over-fiber applications. Both are available via the ordering code (U = UPC, A = APC).
The module is designed to hold a 12-fiber tube bundled under a 3 mm diameter jacket with aramid (Kevlar) reinforcement, and supports bend-insensitive OM3, OM4 and OM5 multimode as well as single-mode G.657.A2 fibers.
They are guaranteed insertion-loss ceilings per cassette. The multimode Ultra-Low Loss grade caps module loss at 0.35 dB (versus 0.5 dB for Low Loss), by using premium-graded MTP® and LC terminations. The lower the loss per cassette, the more mated connections a channel can contain within its budget – or the longer it can run.
A fiber optic TAP (Test Access Point) is a passive optical device that splits each signal into two outputs: one continues carrying the live network traffic, and the other delivers an exact optical copy to monitoring equipment such as network analyzers, packet brokers or security tools. Because the split is purely optical, monitoring sees 100% of the traffic without joining the network.
A fusion splice module (splice cassette) is a compact tray that terminates bare fiber cables inside a patch panel: incoming fibers are fusion-spliced to factory-terminated LC pigtails, the splices are protected in sleeves, and the fiber slack is managed within the module. The result is a spliced cable presented as clean, patchable LC ports.
An MTP® adapter module is a pass-through cassette holding MTP® adapters (couplers): trunk connectors plug in from the rear, harness or patch cord connectors from the front, and the adapter aligns them precisely. It turns raw trunk ends into managed, documented, serviceable connection points inside the ODF.
An MTP® conversion module is a pre-terminated cassette that regroups fibers between different MTP® connector bases – in this case from 12-fiber trunk connectors at the rear to 8-fiber connectors at the front. It converts Base-12 backbone cabling into Base-8 links that plug directly into 40G/100G transceiver ports.
An MTP®-LC module (breakout cassette) converts one multi-fiber MTP® trunk connection into individual LC ports: the trunk plugs into a single MTP® adapter at the rear, and the front presents 12 LC connections ready for equipment patch cords. It is the interface point between the high-density backbone and the switch port.
Each module ships with everything needed for splicing: the cassette with 6 LC duplex adapters, a 12-pack color-coded LC pigtail kit, specially designed protector sleeves for the fusion splices, and all required parts and accessories for installation.
Maximum module insertion loss is 0.5 dB, with no more than 0.3 dB per connection – and every module ships after ferrule geometry and IL & RL testing. In most 40G/100G link budgets this leaves comfortable headroom, and the module is ETL lab verified up to 100G Ethernet.
The STAR TAP modules support 10G Ethernet, parallel optics up to 40G, and Fibre Channel up to 16G, over bend-insensitive OM3, OM4 and OM5 multimode or single-mode G.657.A2 fiber.
The module supports Ethernet applications of up to 50 Gb/s per fiber and is ETL lab verified up to 100G Ethernet per IEEE 802.3ab-2010 – covering 10G/25G duplex ports today and next-generation speeds on the same cassette architecture.
Integrated shutters block the optical path when no connector is inserted, providing maximum protection of eyes from lasers during installation, and keeping dust away from the precision sleeves that guarantee the module’s low insertion and return loss.
Pre-terminated MTP® modules are fastest when cable runs can be ordered to length. Splicing is the answer when the cable already exists or arrives bare: outside plant (OSP) entries, building backbones, carrier hand-offs, legacy cables and runs whose exact length cannot be predetermined. The STAR Fusion Splice Module lets both approaches live in the same ODF.
Whenever the channel is tight: long backbone runs, architectures with multiple cross-connect points, and higher-speed optics with small loss budgets. In a channel passing through several cassettes, saving 0.15 dB at each one can be the difference between a compliant link and a marginal one. For short, simple channels, Low Loss or Standard grades are typically sufficient.
Bend-insensitive OM3, OM4 and OM5 multimode and single-mode G.657.A2, in UPC or APC polish. Single-mode APC versions deliver return loss better than -60 dB (8° angle polish) – the grade required for RL-sensitive applications.
The modules use bend-insensitive OM3, OM4 or OM5 multimode fiber. Adapter colors identify the type at a glance: aqua for OM3/OM4 and lemon green for OM5. Ports are individually numbered and fitted with dust caps.
The split ratio divides the optical power between the live link and the TAP output. 50:50 gives equal power to both and suits short links with generous budgets; 70:30, 80:20 and 90:10 keep more power on the live link, which is preferred on longer links or tighter budgets – at the cost of less power to the monitoring port. The choice is a link-budget calculation based on your distances, fiber type and equipment sensitivity.
All of them. The module shares the standard STAR form factor and slides into the STAR 1U, STAR 1U-FX, STAR 2U and STAR 4U – in any tray position, alongside MTP®-LC, conversion, TAP and fusion splice modules.