The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity

Author Mark Mullins

11-09-2017 www.flukenetworks.com| 2006-2017 Fluke Corporation 1

The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity

Polarity defines direction of flow, such as the direction

of a magnetic field or an electrical current. In fiber optics, it
defines the direction that light signals travels through an optical
fiber.

To properly send data via light signals, a fiber optic links

transmit signal (Tx) at one end of the cable must match the
corresponding receiver (Rx) at the other end.

While this seems obvious, polarity is one area that seems to

cause the most confusion among technicians. So lets break it
down and start at the beginning

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The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity
Easy to Understand Duplex
In duplex fiber applications, such as 10 Gig, data transmission is bidirectional over two fibers where
each fiber connects the transmitter on one end and to the receiver on the other end. The role of polarity is
to make sure that this connection is maintained.

If you look at the graphic below, you can easily see that the Tx (B) should always connect to the Rx
(A), regardless of how many patch panel adapters or cable segments are in the channel. If polarity is not
maintained, such as connecting a transmitter to a transmitter (B to B), data will simply not flow. Obvious,
right?

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The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity

To help the industry select and install the

right components to maintain proper polarity, TIA-
568-C standards recommends the A-B polarity
scenario for duplex patch cords.

The A-B duplex patch cord is a straight-

through connection that maintains the A-B
polarity in a duplex channel. Its also important to
note that every fiber connector has a key that
prevents the fiber from rotating when the
connectors are being mated and maintains the
correct Tx and Rx position.

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The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity
More Complex Multiples
While duplex fiber polarity may seem straight forward, it all becomes a bit more complex when
dealing with multi-fiber MPO type cables and connectors. Industry standards call out three different polarity
methods for MPOsMethod A, Method B and Method C. And each method uses different types of MPO
cables.

Method A uses Type A straight-through MPO trunk cables with a key up connector on one end and a
key down connector on the other end so that the fiber located in Position 1 (Tx) arrives at Position 1 (Tx) at
the other end.

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The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity
When using Method A for duplex applications, making the
transceiver-receiver flip from Position 1 (Tx) to Position 2 (Rx) is
required in a patch cord at one end. This is achieved with an A-A
patch cord that shifts the fiber in Position 1 to Position 2 at the
equipment interface.

Method B uses key up connectors on both ends to achieve the transceiver-receiver flip so that the
fiber located in Position 1 (Tx) arrives at Position 12 (Rx) at the opposite end, the fiber located in Position 2
(Rx) arrives at Position 11 (Tx) at the opposite end and so on. For duplex applications, Method B uses straight
A-B patch cords on both ends since there is no need for the transceiver-receiver flip. With the same type of
patch cord on both ends, concern about which type of patch cord to use to which end is eliminated.

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The A-B-Cs of Fiber Polarity
Method C uses a key up connector on one end and a key down on the other end like Method A, but
the flip happens within the cable itself where each pair of fibers is flipped so that the fiber in Position 1 (Tx)
arrivers at Position 2 (Rx) at the opposite end and the fiber in Position 2 (Rx) arrives at Position 1 (Tx). While
this method works well for duplex applications, it does not support parallel 8-fiber 40 and 100 Gig
applications where Positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the MPO interface are transmitting and Positions 9, 10, 11 and
12 are receiving and is therefore not recommended.

With three different polarity methods and the need to use the correct type of patch cords for each,
deployment mistakes can be common. Thankfully, Fluke Networks MultiFiber Pro allows users to test
individual patch cords, permanent links and channels for correct polarity.
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 Thank You!

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