Middle Atlantic 3in. in. WX3in. in. DX38RUSINGLE DUCT - PCD-3-3-38SC

Middle Atlantic PCD-3-3-38SC Vertical Cable Management Duct

Overview

The Middle Atlantic PCD-3-3-38SC is a single-channel, rigid PVC vertical cable duct designed to organize and protect cable runs on open-frame racks. At 3 inches wide by 3 inches deep and 68 inches tall, it spans a full 38 RU — enough vertical real estate to handle the entire active cabling height of a standard open-frame rack in one continuous run. If your rack installs have devolved into a tangle of patch cables, power cords, and structured wiring draped across the sides, this duct gives you a defined, enclosed pathway that stays put and stays clean. The PCD-3-3-38SC (often searched as PCD 3 3 38SC) is part of Middle Atlantic's PCD Series, engineered specifically for the cable management demands of professional AV, security, and IT rack environments.

Key Features

• 3"W x 3"D Channel Depth: A 3-inch interior gives you genuine capacity for multi-bundle runs — structured Cat6, fiber, low-voltage control wiring, and power separation can coexist without forcing cables into tight bends that degrade signal or damage jackets. Shallow 1.5-inch ducts fill fast on dense racks; this one doesn't.
• 68" Height / 38 RU Coverage: The duct runs the full usable height of a 38 RU open-frame rack. You get continuous cable containment from top to bottom with no mid-run gaps, no zip-tie patching between sections, and no exposed vertical drops along the rack sides.
• Hinged Cover: The hinged cover swings open without tools — snap it open for adds or moves, snap it shut to restore the organized appearance. On racks that get revisited regularly (security system expansions, IP camera additions, network reconfigurations), this matters more than it sounds. Screw-on covers get skipped and cables end up exposed permanently.
• Rigid PVC Construction: PVC holds its shape under cable load and doesn't flex or sag the way softer thermoplastic ducts can when fully loaded. It's also chemically inert — no reactivity with cable jacket materials, no off-gassing concerns in enclosed spaces, and it cleans easily if the rack environment gets dusty.
• Black Finish: Matches standard black open-frame rack finishes. In finished machine rooms or security operations centers where rack aesthetics matter to the client, a color-matched duct keeps the install looking professional.
• Rack Mount Design: Mounts directly to open-frame rack rails — no custom fabrication, no field modifications. The rack-mount attachment keeps the duct aligned with the rack structure rather than floating against it, which prevents the duct from shifting under cable tension over time.
• Single Channel Form Factor: One contiguous interior channel rather than divided compartments. This gives you full flexibility to route mixed cable types without being forced into a compartment assignment you'll regret when cabling plans change mid-project.

Integration and Compatibility

The PCD-3-3-38SC is designed for open-frame rack cable management applications where vertical side-mounted ducting is the standard approach. It pairs naturally with Middle Atlantic rack systems and accessories, though the rack-mount attachment is compatible with standard EIA-310 open-frame racks from other manufacturers as well. In security and NVR rack installations, it handles the vertical drops from patch panels to active equipment cleanly, keeping structured cabling separated from unstructured power runs. For integrators building out rack infrastructure for IP camera systems or access control headend equipment, pairing a vertical duct like this with horizontal cable managers at each patch panel row gives you the complete cable management grid that makes future adds and moves manageable. The 3x3 channel size accommodates standard 1-inch cable bundles common in IP security installations without forcing derating concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What rack unit height does the PCD-3-3-38SC cover?

A: The PCD-3-3-38SC is 68 inches tall and designed to span 38 RU — matching the full usable height of a standard 38 RU open-frame rack.

Q: Does the PCD-3-3-38SC require tools to open the cover?

A: No. The duct features a hinged cover that opens and closes without tools, making cable adds and moves straightforward without removing the duct from the rack.

Q: What material is the PCD-3-3-38SC made from?

A: It is constructed from rigid PVC — a material that holds its shape under cable load, resists chemical reactivity with cable jacket materials, and cleans easily in dusty rack environments.

Q: Is the PCD-3-3-38SC compatible with open-frame racks from manufacturers other than Middle Atlantic?

A: The rack-mount design is intended for standard open-frame racks. While it is part of the Middle Atlantic PCD Series and optimized for Middle Atlantic rack systems, the standard EIA-310 rail spacing used on most open-frame racks makes it broadly compatible — confirm rail spacing before ordering.

Q: Can the PCD-3-3-38SC handle both data cabling and power cords in the same channel?

A: The single-channel interior is physically capable of routing mixed cable types. However, best practice for IP security and AV installations is to separate power and data runs to minimize EMI interference — consider routing each in its own duct or using physical dividers within the channel where separation is required by your installation standards.

Q: What color is the PCD-3-3-38SC?

A: Black, matching the standard finish of most professional open-frame racks.

Jerry Tildsen

The PCD-3-3-38SC is the duct I spec on open-frame security and AV racks when the integrator needs a single continuous vertical run — 68 inches of 3x3 rigid PVC with a hinged cover handles a full 38 RU column without splicing sections or leaving mid-rack gaps that cables find their way out of. It's a straightforward product, but the spec details matter when you're quoting a 20-rack deployment.

Technical Highlights:

• 3" x 3" Interior Channel: At 9 square inches of cross-section, this duct doesn't fill up when you're running structured Cat6, fiber drops, and low-voltage control wiring side by side — a meaningful margin over the 1.5-inch shallow ducts that get overloaded on the first equipment change.
• 68" / 38 RU Span: One duct, full rack height. No mid-run transitions, no exposed vertical drops between sections. For a clean install on a standard 38 RU open-frame rack, this matches the geometry exactly.
• Hinged Cover (No Tools): On security racks that get touched regularly — IP camera additions, NVR swaps, access control panel expansions — a tool-free hinged cover means the cover actually gets closed after the work is done. That's not a trivial operational detail on sites with ongoing changes.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your open-frame rack's rail spacing matches Middle Atlantic's EIA-310 spec before mounting — the rack-mount attachment is designed for standard rail geometry, but verify before committing on non-Middle Atlantic frames.
• The single interior channel offers no built-in power/data separation. On racks where EMI sensitivity matters (high-density IP camera NVR builds, for example), plan your cable routing before loading the duct — retrofitting separation after the fact means pulling and re-routing.

This duct is the right call for open-frame security headend racks in commercial installations — server rooms, security operations centers, or any rack build where the integrator needs to deliver a clean, serviceable cable plant that holds up through future equipment changes.