Panduit FDSWA-24-10P 24-Fiber LC OM5 FlexCore Splice Cassette
Overview
The Panduit FDSWA-24-10P is a 24-fiber front-access splice cassette built for the FlexCore™ ODF/OSF platform, terminating in LC Duplex connectors on one end and leaving the splice side unterminated for field fusion work. If you're building high-density wideband multimode infrastructure — think 100G/400G-ready data center spine or hyperscale short-reach links — OM5 glass combined with a cassette form factor that slots directly into FlexCore enclosures keeps your installation clean, documentable, and expandable without re-engineering the panel later. The FDSWA-24-10P (often searched as FDSWA 24 10P) ships as a single unit per package with carton quantities of 10, so it scales neatly across multi-rack deployments.
Key Features
- OM5 Wideband Multimode Fiber (50µm): OM5 is rated for shortwave division multiplexing (SWDM) applications across 850–950nm, which means a single fiber strand can carry multiple 25G or 100G lanes simultaneously. For a 400G BiDi link, that translates directly to fewer fiber pairs needed versus OM4 — worth noting when you're budgeting strand count in a congested ladder tray or conduit run.
- 24-Fiber Density in a Single Cassette: Packing 24 fibers into one 0.46-inch-tall (11.7mm) cassette lets you stack multiple units in a 1U FlexCore panel without sacrificing front-access management. High port-count spine switches with 400G QSFP-DD uplinks will exhaust fiber fast — the cassette format keeps those connections organized and individually serviceable without disturbing adjacent circuits.
- LC Duplex Front Connectors: LC remains the dominant connector in data center and enterprise wiring closets, which means your patch cords are commodity, interchangeable, and sourced from any structured cabling vendor. There's no adapter sleeve risk and no proprietary pigtail to track down when a connector needs replacement in the field.
- Unterminated Splice Side: The Connector 2 side is left intentionally unterminated so your fusion splice technician can land fibers directly — no pre-terminated pigtail to cut back and re-splice. This is the correct configuration for permanent infrastructure runs where you want the lowest insertion loss budget and no mid-link mechanical connector joint in the splice tray.
- Polycarbonate Construction: The cassette housing is polycarbonate, a material that resists the mechanical stress of repeated patchcord insertions and extraction without the brittleness of cheaper ABS housings. It also holds dimensional tolerances well enough that alignment within the FlexCore enclosure stays consistent across temperature cycles in unconditioned spaces like IDF closets and above-ceiling pathways.
- Compact Form Factor — 11.53 in × 0.46 in (292.8mm × 11.7mm): The slim 0.46-inch height means FlexCore enclosures can accept multiple cassettes per rack unit, keeping your patch field dense without consuming extra U-space. In a 42U cabinet already loaded with active gear, that height discipline matters at rack-planning time.
- Multi-Standard Compliance: The FDSWA-24-10P meets ISO/IEC 11801, ANSI/TIA-568-C.3, TIA-604-5 (FOCIS-5), TIA-604-10 (FOCIS-10), RoHS 2002/95/EC, and supports IEEE 802.3 and ANSI T11.2 (Fibre Channel). That breadth covers enterprise LAN, SAN, and compliance-audited government and healthcare environments in a single SKU — you're not qualifying a separate part for FC fabric versus Ethernet backbone.
Integration & Compatibility
The FDSWA-24-10P is designed exclusively for the Panduit FlexCore™ ODF/OSF enclosure platform. It will not physically key into other cassette enclosure families — verify your enclosure model before ordering. The LC Duplex front interface mates with standard LC patch cords across any vendor's ecosystem, so downstream switch connections to Cisco, Arista, Juniper, or HPE line cards are straightforward. The OM5 fiber type is backward-compatible with OM4 transceivers at reduced performance — if your existing installed base is OM4 gear, OM5 cassettes will function, but you won't capture the SWDM lane-multiplexing benefit until you deploy SWDM-capable optics. For fiber optic cassettes in other connector formats or fiber types, compare within the FlexCore family before locking in your BOM. When planning full rack build-outs, pair these cassettes with a FlexCore fiber panel sized for your port target, and consult a fiber optic infrastructure planning guide to validate strand count and loss budget before termination.
What's in the Box
- 1× Panduit FDSWA-24-10P 24-Fiber LC Duplex / Unterminated OM5 FlexCore Splice Cassette
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the FDSWA-24-10P compatible with OM3 or OM4 fiber infrastructure?
A: The FDSWA-24-10P uses OM5 50µm multimode fiber. OM5 is physically backward-compatible with OM3 and OM4 transceivers — the connectors mate and light transmits — but you will not achieve OM5 SWDM performance unless both ends use SWDM-capable optics. For a mixed install, the cassette will function; just confirm your transceiver specifications before deploying at full 400G SWDM capacity.
Q: What enclosure does the FDSWA-24-10P install into?
A: This cassette is engineered specifically for the Panduit FlexCore™ ODF/OSF enclosure platform. It is not cross-compatible with other cassette enclosure families. Verify your enclosure part number matches the FlexCore ODF/OSF designation before ordering.
Q: Does the FDSWA-24-10P come pre-terminated on both ends?
A: No. The front (Connector 1) side is terminated with LC Duplex connectors. The rear (Connector 2) side is unterminated, intended for field fusion splicing. This is the correct configuration for permanent infrastructure runs requiring minimum insertion loss without a mechanical connector joint at the splice.
Q: Is the FDSWA-24-10P RoHS compliant?
A: Yes. The FDSWA-24-10P meets RoHS 2002/95/EC, making it suitable for deployments in RoHS-mandated environments including EU installations and corporate sustainability programs requiring restriction of hazardous substances in hardware.
Q: What standards does the FDSWA-24-10P meet?
A: The cassette is compliant with ISO/IEC 11801, ANSI/TIA-568-C.3, TIA-604-5 (FOCIS-5), TIA-604-10 (FOCIS-10), RoHS 2002/95/EC, IEEE 802.3, and ANSI T11.2 (Fibre Channel). This covers enterprise LAN, SAN/Fibre Channel fabric, and international structured cabling standards in a single unit.
Q: How many cassettes are in a carton, and what is the per-unit package quantity?
A: Each carton contains 10 units. The FDSWA-24-10P ships individually (package quantity of 1), so you can order in any quantity. For multi-rack deployments, carton-quantity ordering simplifies receiving and inventory tracking.
The FDSWA-24-10P is a cassette I'd spec into any data center backbone where the design intent is 400G-ready SWDM from day one. The 50µm OM5 glass is the key variable — it's the same physical diameter as OM4, so it installs identically, but it's qualified for 850–950nm wideband operation. That means when your optics vendor ships SWDM-capable QSFP-DD modules, your fiber plant is already correct. The cassette format locks into the FlexCore ODF/OSF enclosure and exposes 24 LC Duplex ports at the front, which translates to 12 duplex circuits per cassette unit — manageable density without overwhelming a single splice tray.
Technical Highlights:
- OM5 50µm Wideband Fiber: Supports SWDM across 850–950nm, enabling multi-lane 100G and 400G on fewer strand pairs than OM4 — direct reduction in conduit fill and patch panel port consumption at high switch densities.
- 0.46-Inch Profile (11.7mm): Slim enough that multiple cassettes stack in a single rack unit within the FlexCore enclosure, preserving U-space for active gear in high-density cabinets where every inch of rack height is contested.
- Seven Concurrent Standards: ISO/IEC 11801, TIA-568-C.3, FOCIS-5, FOCIS-10, RoHS, IEEE 802.3, and ANSI T11.2 Fibre Channel — one SKU covers both Ethernet backbone and FC SAN fabric without qualifying a separate cassette for each application.
Deployment Considerations:
- The unterminated splice side requires an on-site fusion splice technician — this is not a plug-and-play pre-terminated assembly. Budget fusion splice time and loss testing into your installation schedule; don't drop this in a BOM expecting field plug-in termination.
- FlexCore ODF/OSF enclosure compatibility is mandatory — this cassette does not fit other Panduit enclosure families or third-party cassette housings. Confirm your enclosure model before ordering to avoid a return on a 10-pack carton.
For a new 400G spine build or a data center refresh where the fiber plant needs to outlast two or three generations of active electronics, the FDSWA-24-10P paired with a FlexCore enclosure is the correct infrastructure investment — especially in any facility running or planning FC SAN alongside Ethernet where a single cassette standard covering both fabrics simplifies your documentation and spares inventory.
