LC to ST Duplex Fiber Optic Patch Cable - Multimode OM1 62.5/125μm

Most buildings with a 62.5 µm fiber backbone were wired when ST was the connector, and the panels and enclosures still are. The switches aren't: a new switch or media converter takes an LC SFP. This cord connects the two, with a pair of LC connectors on one end for the SFP or LC panel and a pair of ST bayonet connectors on the other for the ST panel or port, on OM1 fiber that matches the plant. It runs 100 Mb/s Ethernet to 2 km and Gigabit to 275 m, so a building backbone or a link to the next building keeps working with new electronics at one end.

It's a duplex zipcord, two 62.5/125 µm fibers in a 1.8 × 3.7 mm jacket. Each cord is tested and the end-faces are checked by interferometer before it ships.

Features

• LC to ST. Snap-in LC on one end, twist-lock ST bayonet on the other, both with PC-polished ferrules.
• OM1 multimode, 62.5/125 µm. Matches the 62.5 µm fiber in older building backbones; 100BASE-FX to 2 km and 1000BASE-SX to 275 m.
• Duplex zipcord. Two fibers in one jacket for a matched transmit and receive pair.
• Low insertion loss. 0.20 dB typical and 0.30 dB maximum per connector.
• Ceramic ferrules, 1.25 mm on the LC end and 2.5 mm on the ST end, checked by 3D interferometry for end-face geometry.
• Bayonet ST coupling. Push, quarter-turn, and it's locked; it won't pull out of a panel by accident.
• Orange PVC jacket, 1.8 × 3.7 mm. Standard duplex zipcord in the OM1 color; fits any LC or ST panel and cable manager.
• UL Listed for the US and Canada, and RoHS compliant.
• Fourteen lengths from 1 to 30 m.

Where It Fits

It suits connecting a new switch or SFP to an existing ST patch panel on a 62.5 µm backbone, linking a media converter or older switch with ST ports to LC equipment, 100 Mb/s and Gigabit uplinks between floors or buildings on OM1 fiber where only the electronics have been replaced, and any multimode link between an LC port and an ST port on a 62.5 µm plant.

Good to Know

Match the fiber, not just the connectors. OM1 is 62.5 µm core; OM2, OM3, and OM4 are 50 µm. Putting a 62.5 µm cord in front of a 50 µm fiber loses several dB at the junction because most of the light lands outside the smaller core, so use this cord only on a plant that's 62.5 µm end to end, which is usually the orange cable and the older install. If your backbone is aqua OM3 or OM4, you want a 50 µm LC to ST cord. On the SFP side, use a multimode SX or SR module; a single-mode LX module will light an OM1 link only over short distances and with a mode-conditioning cord. The two ST connectors aren't keyed to each other the way the LC clip is, so polarity is set by which ST plug goes into which port: if the link doesn't come up, swap the two ST ends and try again before troubleshooting anything else. To seat an ST, line up the key on the plug with the slot on the port, push in against the spring, and turn clockwise until it stops. Keep dust caps on until the moment you plug in, and clean both the connector and the port with a one-click cleaner before mating, 1.25 mm for the LC end and 2.5 mm for the ST end. If both ends of your link are ST, look at the ST to ST OM1 cord.

Specifications