Nippon Labs OS2 LC/UPC to SC/APC Fiber Patch Cable, Duplex Single Mode 9/125, 1–5 m

This is a singlemode fiber patch cable with a flat polished LC/UPC connector on one end and an angled polished SC/APC connector on the other. It exists for one specific job: crossing from a UPC based switch or router to the SC/APC port on an ONT or fiber wall box, in one cord, without mating a UPC ferrule against an APC one. It is duplex, so one strand transmits and one receives inside a single jacket.

Specifications

• Fiber type: OS2 singlemode
• Core and cladding: 9 / 125 micron
• Connectors: LC to SC
• Polish: UPC to APC, LC end UPC and SC end APC
• Configuration: Duplex, 2 strands
• Wavelength: 1310 nm and 1550 nm
• Insertion loss: SC/APC end less than or equal to 0.3 dB, LC/UPC end less than or equal to 0.2 dB
• Return loss: SC/APC end greater than or equal to 65 dB, LC/UPC end greater than or equal to 55 dB
• Standard: ITU-T G657A1
• Jacket material: PVC, described as OFNR (riser) rated
• Jacket outer diameter: 2.0 x 4.1 mm
• Jacket color: Yellow, standard singlemode
• Glass: Corning core
• Lengths available: 1 m to 5 m
• Listings: UL listed
• Packing: one piece per zip bag

Good for

• Connecting a router or switch with blue LC/UPC ports to a green SC/APC ONT or wall box, which is the usual home and small office fiber handoff
• Any link where one side of the plant was built UPC and the other APC, avoiding a mismatched mating
• Short cabinet and equipment room patching, from 1 m up to 5 m

Choosing the right fiber

• Singlemode (OS2): a 9 micron core for long distance, from a few hundred meters up to tens of kilometers. Yellow jacket by convention
• OM3 multimode: a 50 micron core rated for 10 Gigabit to 300 meters. Aqua jacket by convention
• OM4 multimode: a 50 micron core rated for 10 Gigabit to 550 meters, and 40 or 100 Gigabit over shorter distances. Aqua or violet jacket
• OM5 multimode: wideband multimode for short reach 40 and 100 Gigabit over fewer fibers. Lime green jacket

This cable is OS2 singlemode with a 9 / 125 micron core, in the conventional yellow jacket, rated to ITU-T G657A1 for bend tolerance. It suits long distance and passive optical network links where one end of the connection is UPC and the other APC, and it is not suitable for multimode equipment.

FAQ

Can I mix singlemode and multimode? No. The transceivers on each end have to match the fiber type, and mixing them will not pass a link. Check what the SFP or transceiver in your switch is rated for before ordering.

What is the difference between UPC and APC? APC connectors have an eight degree angled end face that reflects stray light away from the core, which gives much lower return loss. They are standard in passive optical networks and RF video. An APC connector must only be mated to another APC connector: plugging APC into UPC gives a poor connection and can damage the end face. By convention, APC connector bodies are green and UPC bodies are blue.

If APC must only mate to APC, how does this cable work? Because the mismatch is inside the cord, not at a mated pair. The APC end of this cable plugs into your APC port, and the UPC end plugs into your UPC port, so each mating is like to like. The transition between the two polish types happens along the fiber, which is exactly how you are supposed to bridge a UPC to APC system. Never put a UPC to UPC cord into an APC port instead.

Duplex or simplex? Duplex is two fibers in one jacket, one to transmit and one to receive, which is what most switch and transceiver pairs need. Simplex is a single fiber, used with bidirectional transceivers that send and receive over one strand.

How should I handle the connectors? Leave the dust caps on until the moment you plug in, and never touch the end face. A fingerprint on the ferrule is one of the most common causes of a link that will not come up. Clean with a proper fiber cleaner, not with a cloth.

Often bought with

• OS2 LC/UPC to SC/APC Fiber Patch Cable, Simplex Single Mode 9/125, 1–10 m: same LC/UPC to SC/APC connectors in simplex for bidirectional transceivers
• OS2 SC/APC to SC/APC Fiber Patch Cable, Duplex Single Mode 9/125, 1–3 m: same SC/APC duplex with APC polish on both ends
• OS2 LC/UPC to LC/APC Fiber Patch Cable, Duplex Single Mode 9/125, 1–5 m: same LC/UPC duplex with LC/APC on the other end