Panduit FHS9N-24-LAP 24-Fiber OS2 LC/APC HD Flex Splice Cassette
Overview
The Panduit FHS9N-24-LAP is a 24-fiber OS2 single-mode splice cassette from the HD Flex™ family, designed for high-density fiber distribution frames where clean cable management and repeatable splice performance matter. It ships pre-loaded with discrete pigtails and splice sleeves, so field technicians can land fibers directly without sourcing consumables separately. The LC/APC port configuration targets low-loss, back-reflection-sensitive runs — typical in long-haul backbone, WDM, and GPON access builds where APC polish is non-negotiable.
At 24 fibers across 12 LC duplex ports in a polycarbonate housing, the FHS9N-24-LAP fits standard HD Flex enclosures and panels. If you're planning a fiber optic distribution system, this cassette format keeps splice management contained and modular — swap a cassette rather than re-splicing a full tray if a section fails.
Key Features
- 24-Fiber OS2 Single-Mode: 9-micron core diameter supports long-distance, low-attenuation transmission. OS2 is the right fiber type for campus backbone and inter-building runs where distance and insertion loss budget are tight — OS1 won't perform the same at extended spans.
- LC/APC Front Connectors (12 Duplex Ports): APC (angled physical contact) polish reduces back-reflection to levels required for GPON OLTs and WDM systems. If your active equipment specifies APC, UPC connectors are not a substitute — use this cassette, not a standard LC/UPC version.
- Pre-Loaded Discrete Pigtails and Splice Sleeves: Technicians arrive with everything needed to complete the splice. No sourcing pigtails separately, no sleeve compatibility questions. This matters in planned rollouts where installation labor cost scales with prep time.
- Standard Insertion Loss (IL): Factory-assembled with standard IL ratings, giving predictable loss budgets for link calculations. Confirm your optical link budget allows for standard IL — if you're operating at the edge of your loss budget, verify against your specific system requirements.
- HD Flex™ Sub-Brand Compatibility: Designed to integrate with Panduit's HD Flex enclosure and panel ecosystem. Modular cassette architecture means you can populate a frame incrementally and expand as fiber demand grows.
- Polycarbonate Housing: Impact-resistant construction holds up to the mechanical demands of a data center or MDF environment. Lighter than metal alternatives at this density, which matters in fully-loaded frames where cumulative weight affects rack integrity.
- Unterminated Rear (Connector 2): The rear is unterminated — this is a splice cassette, not a pre-terminated module. Field splicing is required on the plant side. If you need plug-and-play connectivity on both ends, evaluate a pre-terminated trunk cassette instead.
Integration and Compatibility
The FHS9N-24-LAP integrates with Panduit HD Flex fiber management enclosures and fiber optic panels and enclosures. The 12-port LC duplex front face is compatible with standard LC patch cords. On the plant side, discrete pigtails accept fusion splices to OS2 single-mode cable. This cassette is sold as a single unit (Package Qty: 1); it is also available in case quantities of 10 for larger structured cabling deployments where multiple frames are being built out simultaneously.
What's in the Box
- 1x Panduit FHS9N-24-LAP HD Flex 24F OS2 LC/APC Splice Cassette (pre-loaded with discrete pigtails and splice sleeves)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What fiber type does the FHS9N-24-LAP support?
A: The FHS9N-24-LAP supports OS2 single-mode fiber with a 9-micron core diameter. It is not designed for multimode fiber applications.
Q: Are the pigtails and splice sleeves included, or do I need to order them separately?
A: The cassette ships pre-loaded with discrete pigtails and splice sleeves. No additional consumables need to be sourced for the splice termination side.
Q: Does the FHS9N-24-LAP use APC or UPC polish on the LC connectors?
A: Front connectors are LC/APC (angled physical contact). APC is required for GPON and WDM applications where back-reflection must be minimized. This cassette is not interchangeable with LC/UPC versions in those applications.
Q: How many fibers and ports does this cassette support?
A: The FHS9N-24-LAP supports 24 fibers across 12 LC duplex ports on the front face.
Q: Is the rear of the cassette pre-terminated?
A: No. Connector 2 (rear) is unterminated. This is a splice cassette — the plant-side fibers are fusion-spliced to the discrete pigtails in the field. If you need a fully pre-terminated solution on both ends, a trunk-style pre-terminated cassette is the appropriate alternative.
Q: What enclosure system is the FHS9N-24-LAP designed for?
A: The FHS9N-24-LAP is part of Panduit's HD Flex™ system, designed to install in compatible HD Flex fiber management enclosures and panels.
The FHS9N-24-LAP is a splice cassette built for integrators who need APC-polish LC terminations at 24-fiber density without the overhead of sourcing pigtails and sleeves separately. The fact that it ships pre-loaded is not a minor convenience — on a large frame build, pre-loaded cassettes cut splice prep time meaningfully versus assembling consumables per-cassette in the field.
Technical Highlights:
- OS2 / 9-Micron Core: OS2 single-mode is specified for runs exceeding the practical limits of OM3/OM4 — typically anything over 300–550 meters depending on speed. If you're building campus backbone or inter-building links, OS2 is where you land.
- LC/APC Front Termination: APC polish is mandatory on PON (GPON/EPON) infrastructure and WDM passive optical builds. The angled ferrule cuts back-reflection below -60 dB typically — UPC is in the -50 dB range, and that difference matters to OLT receiver sensitivity at scale.
- 12 LC Duplex Ports / 24 Fibers: Cassette-format consolidates 24 fibers into a single swappable module. In a populated HD Flex frame, this means fault isolation at the cassette level — a failed splice section gets swapped, not re-spliced through an entire tray.
Deployment Considerations:
- The rear is unterminated — fusion splicing is required on the plant cable side. Budget splice time per fiber and confirm your technicians have OS2-rated fusion equipment on site; a poor OS2 splice will degrade your link budget more than a comparable OS1 splice would.
- Confirm your target enclosure is HD Flex compatible before ordering. The cassette mount and form factor are specific to that system; it will not drop into generic cassette frames without verification.
The FHS9N-24-LAP (often searched as FHS9N 24 LAP) is well-suited for GPON access node builds and high-density campus backbone MDFs where APC polish and modular splice management are required simultaneously — it is not the right pick for multimode LAN runs or environments where pre-terminated plug-and-play trunks are preferred.
