LC to LC Duplex Armored Fiber Patch Cable, OM3, Riser (OFCR)

This duplex armored patch cable pairs two LC UPC connectors on an OM3 50/125µm multimode assembly protected by a helical stainless steel tube. The aqua 3.0mm riser-rated (OFCR) jacket keeps the cord flexible for cabinet and under-floor routing, and the steel armor inside takes the crush, pull and rodent exposure that would otherwise require metal conduit. Bend-insensitive OM3 glass holds attenuation steady around the tight turns of real cable pathways.

Product Highlights

• LC UPC to LC UPC duplex, OM3 50/125µm multimode
• Helical stainless steel armor against crush, impact and rodents
• Bend-insensitive OM3 fiber, 20/10D dynamic/static bend radius
• Riser (OFCR) flame rating for vertical building pathways
• Insertion loss ≤0.3dB, return loss ≥30dB
• Stock lengths 1m to 30m; custom lengths and jackets on request

OM3 remains the installed base for a huge share of enterprise multimode: it runs 10GBASE-SR to 300m and handles 40GBASE-SR4 over the in-row and in-room distances where those links were deployed. Where the existing channel is OM3, adding an OM4 cord brings no measurable benefit, so matching the cord to the plant keeps both cost and documentation clean. The duplex LC interface connects directly to SFP+ and QSFP breakout optics.

The practical difference is modal bandwidth: OM4 extends 10G reach from 300m to 400m and gives 40/100G SR4 links more headroom. For new multimode builds, OM4 is usually the safer long-term choice; for expansions of an OM3 plant, matching OM3 cords keep the inventory consistent. Both grades share this same armored construction, so the mechanical protection is identical whichever optical grade the route calls for.

Multimode backbones frequently cross spaces that were never designed as cable routes: retail ceilings, plant rooms, temporary event cabling. In those environments the biggest threat is mechanical, not optical. The helical steel tube inside this cord wraps the buffered fibers directly, so the link survives foot traffic, moving equipment and rodent activity that would crush a standard jumper, and it does so without the cost and rigidity of conduit.

Where OM3 and OM4 both exist in one building, color alone will not keep the records straight, because both use aqua. Label each cord with its grade at both ends and keep the channel records updated when links move. This family shares one construction across grades, so the mechanical behavior is identical and only the glass changes; that makes mixed-grade sites simpler to document than sites mixing armored and unarmored cords.

Standard lengths are stocked for fast delivery: 1m (3ft), 2m (7ft), 3m (10ft), 5m (16ft), 10m (33ft), 15m (49ft), 20m (66ft) and 30m (98ft), covering the common rack-to-rack, access and frame connections this cord is built for. Custom lengths beyond this range are manufactured to order. Because every meter of multimode glass adds 850nm attenuation, ordering the cord at the actual route length is the simplest way to keep the channel inside its loss budget. Specifying the exact route length avoids both the slack storage problem of an overlong cord and the strain risk of one that is too short.

Every assembly is terminated with precision zirconia ferrule connectors and verified for insertion loss and return loss before packing. The 0.3dB insertion loss figure is a tested limit, not a design target. Ferrule end faces are geometry-checked for repeatable physical contact and rated for up to one thousand mating cycles.

Refer to the LC-LC OM3 duplex armored family when requesting a quotation, and include the route length and jacket rating. For other colors, polish types or connector mixes, the customized duplex armored program builds to the stated requirement once the factory confirms the specification.