Panduit FX2ERLNSNSNM002 OM3 LC-SC Duplex Fiber Patch Cord

The Panduit FX2ERLNSNSNM002 delivers 10GBASE-SR/40G/100G-ready OM3 multimode connectivity between LC and SC duplex interfaces across 2 meters. Built on Panduit's Opti-Core platform, this aqua-jacketed patch cord addresses the LC-to-SC migration path common in enterprise SANs, blade-server fabrics, and core switches where legacy SC infrastructure meets current-generation LC switch ports. Standard insertion loss, TIA-568-C.3 compliance, and OFNR plenum rating make it fit for horizontal distribution areas, equipment distribution cabinets, and telecommunications rooms under NEC Article 770.

Key Features

• OM3 50/125 µm laser-optimized multimode fiber — 300m reach at 10 Gb/s (10GBASE-SR), 100m at 40/100 Gb/s per IEEE 802.3ba
• LC duplex to SC duplex connectors — bridges current LC switch/server ports to legacy SC patch panels or storage arrays
• 2-meter (6.5 ft) length — ideal for rack-to-rack interconnects, top-of-rack to aggregation switch, or SAN fabric zoning within a single row
• Aqua PVC jacket — OM3 standard color coding per TIA-598-C for instant visual identification during MAC work
• OFNR (riser-rated) flammability — meets NEC 770.154(A) for vertical riser shafts and general intra-building backbone runs
• Standard insertion loss ≤0.35 dB typical — tested per TIA-604-3 (FOCIS-3) and TIA-604-10 (FOCIS-10) to ensure margin for multi-span links

Panduit's Opti-Core fiber patch cords use factory-terminated ceramic-ferrule connectors with endface geometry held to ≤50 nm apex offset and ≤0.2° fiber angle, both critical when your 10G link budget leaves only 2.6 dB for the entire channel. The 50/125 µm laser-optimized core delivers 2000 MHz·km effective modal bandwidth at 850 nm, which translates to 300-meter 10GBASE-SR reach (vs. 33 meters for legacy OM1 62.5 µm fiber). For 40GBASE-SR4 or 100GBASE-SR10 deployments using parallel optics on the LC side, this cable's duplex LC connector is mechanically compatible with duplex LC transceiver cages; however, note that 40G/100G standards require MPO/MTP trunk cables for actual 8-fiber or 20-fiber parallel transmission — this FX2ERLNSNSNM002 remains a 2-fiber duplex cord suited to 10G bidirectional or 1G/10G uplink aggregation.

The LC-to-SC configuration solves a specific migration scenario: your core Brocade or Cisco MDS SAN fabric uses SC connectors (common in pre-2010 deployments), but your new Dell PowerEdge M-series blade chassis or HPE Synergy compute modules ship with LC-based 10GbE or 16G Fibre Channel mezzanine cards. Rather than re-terminate the entire SC patch-panel infrastructure, you deploy LC-SC duplex cords at the equipment distribution end, preserving your structured cabling investment. The 2-meter length is long enough to span a 42U rack with top-mounted switches down to mid-rack server bays (typical drop: 1.2–1.8 m) while keeping excess slack manageable in vertical cable managers. For longer horizontal distribution runs between racks in the same row, consider Panduit's 3 m, 5 m, or 10 m variants in the same FX2ERL series.

OFNR riser rating under NEC 770.154(A) permits installation in vertical shafts, ducts, and plenums used for environmental air — but not in spaces used for environmental air (that requires OFNP plenum-rated cable per 770.113). If your telecom room sits on floor 3 and your server room on floor 5 with cable routed through a shared riser conduit, OFNR is compliant; if the cable runs loose-laid above a drop ceiling used for return-air, you need OFNP. For intra-rack and same-floor horizontal distribution (the 2 m length's most common use case), either rating works, and OFNR's lower cost (vs. OFNP) is the practical choice. The aqua PVC jacket is abrasion-resistant and remains flexible down to -20°C, suitable for unheated telecom closets or outdoor-cabinet deployments in temperate climates, though Panduit does not specify an IP rating for the connectors — use Panduit's FX rugged field-term connectors or pre-terminated armored cables for true industrial or outside-plant environments.

Compliance with TIA-568-C.3 (commercial building telecommunications cabling for optical fiber), ISO/IEC 11801 (generic cabling for customer premises), and the FOCIS endface standards ensures interoperability with Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Mellanox, Brocade, and Emulex optics. Panduit tests each cord for insertion loss, return loss, and ferrule endface geometry before shipping; the "Std. IL" designation in the MPN indicates you're getting ≤0.35 dB typical IL (some Panduit SKUs offer "Elite" or "Ultra" low-loss variants at ≤0.25 dB for long-haul or high-loss-budget applications). With 10GBASE-SR's 2.6 dB channel budget (per IEEE 802.3ae Table 52-11), a 300 m link through four mated pairs of Std. IL connectors (4 × 0.35 dB = 1.4 dB) plus 300 m of OM3 cable (300 × 0.0035 dB/m = 1.05 dB) totals ~2.45 dB, leaving 0.15 dB margin — tight but compliant, assuming your backbone cable meets the 3.5 dB/km spec. For mission-critical SANs or 40G uplinks, consider Panduit's Elite-grade patch cords or verify your backbone cable's actual attenuation via OTDR before go-live.