Hubbell DFHPCSNLCF5MM Plenum-Rated SN-LC/LC OM3/OM4 Duplex Fiber Patch Cord, 5M Aqua

Overview

The Hubbell DFHPCSNLCF5MM is a 5-meter, duplex multimode fiber optic patch cord terminated with SN connectors on one end and LC connectors on the other, built to CMP (plenum) jacket standards for air-handling space deployments. Aqua jacket color follows the industry convention for OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber, making it straightforward to identify cable type at a glance in high-density patch environments. If you're connecting SN-ported transceivers or switches to LC-terminated panels or equipment, this is a direct solution — no field-polishing, no adapters required for the connector mismatch.

Plenum-rated jackets matter in two situations: NEC Article 300 compliance in air-handling ceiling spaces, and building code requirements in large commercial or enterprise installations. Substituting a riser or LSZH jacket in a true plenum pathway is a code violation that can void insurance coverage and trigger failing inspections. The DFHPCSNLCF5MM eliminates that risk for runs in those environments.

Key Features

• SN-to-LC Duplex Configuration: Bridges SN-ported high-density switching infrastructure to the installed base of LC-terminated panels and equipment — no inline adapter needed, which eliminates an insertion loss point and a potential failure location in the link.
• OM3/OM4 Multimode Fiber: Aqua jacket coding is the standard OM3/OM4 identifier per TIA-598. OM4 supports 10GbE to 550m and 40/100GbE to 150m — sufficient for virtually all intra-rack and inter-rack data center runs at 5 meters.
• CMP Plenum Jacket Rating: Meets the NEC plenum (CMP) burn and smoke-density requirements for installation in air-handling spaces — required by code in suspended ceiling plenums and raised-floor air returns in commercial buildings.
• 5-Meter Reach: Sized for cross-connect and intra-cabinet runs where slack management matters; 5 meters gives enough working length for most top-of-rack to patch panel distances without excessive coiling.
• Duplex Construction: Two fibers in a single assembly handle full-duplex transmission without managing separate simplex cords — reduces termination count and simplifies polarity management at both ends.
• Aqua Color Coding: Instant visual identification of multimode fiber type in mixed single-mode/multimode environments; reduces mis-patching errors during maintenance and moves/adds/changes.

Integration and Compatibility

The DFHPCSNLCF5MM is suited for structured cabling environments where fiber optic patch cords connect active equipment to pre-terminated fiber panels. SN connectors are increasingly common on high-density 400G-capable switching hardware from major vendors; LC remains the dominant connector on installed panels and legacy transceivers. This cord is the right bridge between those two generations of infrastructure. For broader cabling infrastructure context, the Hubbell fiber and copper cabling line covers patch panels, jacks, and enclosures that pair with assemblies like this one. When planning a structured cabling deployment, review your network switch transceiver specifications to confirm SN port compatibility before ordering. For volume runs or mixed-media builds, a structured cabling overview of available connector types and ratings is a useful starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the CMP plenum rating on the DFHPCSNLCF5MM mean for installation?

A: CMP (Communications Multipurpose Plenum) is the NEC jacket rating required for cables routed through air-handling spaces — suspended ceiling plenums and raised-floor air returns in commercial buildings. Using a non-plenum cable in those spaces violates NEC Article 800 and most local codes. The DFHPCSNLCF5MM is CMP-rated, so it satisfies those requirements without needing conduit.

Q: Is the DFHPCSNLCF5MM compatible with both OM3 and OM4 fiber infrastructure?

A: Yes. The aqua jacket follows TIA-598 color coding for both OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber. The cord can interconnect OM3 and OM4 segments, though mixing grades will limit the link to the lower-performing OM3 specifications for distance and bandwidth calculations.

Q: What's the difference between SN and LC connectors on this cord?

A: LC is a standard small-form-factor duplex connector widely used on transceivers and fiber panels. SN is a newer, higher-density push-pull connector gaining adoption on 400G-class switching hardware. This cord provides a direct, adapter-free interconnect between SN-ported equipment and LC-terminated infrastructure.

Q: Can the DFHPCSNLCF5MM be used in data center top-of-rack installations?

A: Yes. At 5 meters, it's sized for intra-rack and short cross-connect runs typical of top-of-rack switching architectures. The plenum jacket also satisfies raised-floor air-return requirements common in raised-floor data center designs.

Q: Does this patch cord support 10GbE and higher speeds?

A: OM4 multimode fiber supports 10GbE to 550m, 40GbE to 150m, and 100GbE to 150m. At a 5-meter run length, the DFHPCSNLCF5MM is well within spec for 10G, 40G, and 100G applications — and provisioned for 400G short-reach use cases where the transceiver supports it.

James Everett

The detail I pay attention to on a cord like the DFHPCSNLCF5MM is the plenum jacket rating — it's the spec that determines whether this cable can legally go where you need it. CMP-rated assemblies are the only option for air-handling ceiling spaces under NEC, and in commercial and enterprise builds that requirement comes up constantly. Getting this wrong means a failed inspection or a forced re-pull, so it's not a spec to overlook when specifying patch cords for a new deployment.

Technical Highlights:

• CMP Plenum Jacket: Meets NEC Article 800 smoke and flame requirements for air-handling spaces — no conduit required, unlike riser-rated (CMR) assemblies in the same pathways.
• OM3/OM4 Multimode (Aqua): OM4 extends 10GbE to 550m and 40/100GbE to 150m; at 5 meters this cord is operating well inside the headroom of either grade, leaving no bandwidth constraints at current or next-gen speeds.
• SN-to-LC Duplex Termination: Factory-terminated adapter-free bridge between high-density SN switching ports and the installed LC panel base — every inline adapter adds 0.5–0.75 dB insertion loss, so eliminating one improves link margin directly.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm the SN port polarity convention on your switch before deploying at scale — SN uses a push-pull latch and some vendors ship with reversed polarity on specific port banks, which requires a polarity-flipped cord rather than a standard duplex assembly.
• Mixing OM3 and OM4 segments in the same link is technically functional but drops the effective distance budget to the OM3 ceiling — document your fiber grades per run if your infrastructure is mixed to avoid troubleshooting surprises later.

The DFHPCSNLCF5MM is the right specification for enterprise and commercial data center builds with plenum-pathway requirements and SN-ported high-density switching infrastructure — particularly top-of-rack to fiber panel cross-connects in raised-floor environments where both the jacket rating and connector type are non-negotiable.