Patent ID: 8251591

Claim:
A fiber optic assembly for a high-speed data-rate optical transport system, comprising: a) at least first and second multifiber ferrules, each multifiber ferrule having a mating face for mating to another mating face of an optical connector, and a termination side for receiving optical fibers, each ferrule having a plurality of optical fiber receiving areas being arranged in at least first and second groups of two or more fiber receiving areas; b) the fiber receiving areas of each ferrule comprising fiber receiving holes formed in each ferrule, the holes extending from the mating face to the termination face so that each of the holes are associated with the at least first and second groups, and respective ends of the optical fibers being optically secured in at least some of the holes of each of the first and second groups, the fibers extending thereby forming respective groups of optical fibers optically interconnecting the fiber receiving areas from the termination side of the first ferrule to the termination side of the second ferrule; c) some of the optical fibers extending from the first ferrule to the second ferrule in a direct orientation so that the fiber receiving areas of each ferrule are optically interconnected without flipping the fibers; and d) some of the optical fibers extending from the first ferrule to the second ferrule such that the optical fibers are flipped so that the orientation of the ends of the optical fibers is reversed as the fibers extend from the first ferrule to the second ferrule.