Hubbell DFHPCLCALCAS1SM Plenum-Rated Single-Mode LC Duplex Fiber Optic Patch Cord

Overview

The Hubbell DFHPCLCALCAS1SM is a 1-meter, single-mode duplex fiber optic patch cord terminated with LC/APC connectors on both ends and jacketed in a yellow, plenum-rated (OFNP) outer sheath. It is engineered for horizontal and intra-cabinet runs inside air-handling spaces — exactly the kind of installation that fails inspection when a riser or riser-lite cable gets substituted. If your fiber termination points sit inside a drop ceiling used for HVAC return air, this is the cable that keeps the project code-compliant without a waiver conversation.

Single-mode fiber carries signal with essentially no modal dispersion, making it the correct choice wherever you need long-reach, low-loss connectivity — backbone interconnects, campus runs, or patching into an SFP port on a managed network switch fed by an OS2 trunk. At 1 meter, the DFHPCLCALCAS1SM is sized for panel-to-switch and panel-to-transceiver jumps inside a rack or between adjacent equipment in the same telecom closet.

Key Features

• Plenum (OFNP) Jacket Rating: The yellow jacket is rated for air-handling plenum spaces under NFPA 262 / NEC Article 770. That matters on every job where the horizontal pathway runs through a drop ceiling used as a return-air plenum — substituting a riser-rated cable there is a code violation that will surface on inspection. The plenum jacket eliminates that risk without requiring conduit.
• Single-Mode Fiber (OS2-Class): Single-mode glass supports transmission distances measured in kilometers, not meters. At patch-cord lengths, the practical benefit is near-zero insertion loss and headroom for any transceiver upgrade you add later — 1G, 10G, 25G, even 40G SFPs all run on the same OS2 glass. You are not locked into today's link speed.
• LC/APC Duplex Connectors: LC connectors are the dominant small-form-factor interface on modern SFP transceivers, patch panels, and media converters. The APC (angled physical contact) polish on this cord produces return loss typically above 60 dB — important when connecting into WDM or GPON equipment where back-reflection causes signal degradation. If your transceivers use UPC ports, confirm compatibility before ordering; APC and UPC connectors are mechanically incompatible.
• Duplex Construction: Two fibers in one jacket handle full-duplex transmission — one fiber carries transmit, the other receive — which matches the interface requirement of virtually every SFP/SFP+ transceiver on the market. No separate pigtail management needed.
• 1-Meter Length: A 1-meter jumper covers the standard rack-unit span between a patch panel and a top-of-rack switch with slack to spare, while keeping the cable tray uncluttered. Longer cords in short runs bunch up and block airflow; this length is the right fit for intra-rack and adjacent-rack connections.
• Yellow Jacket for Visual Identification: Yellow is the industry-standard color designation for single-mode fiber. In a high-density patch panel environment with mixed fiber types, color coding lets technicians identify cable type at a glance and reduces mis-patching incidents during moves, adds, and changes.

Integration and Compatibility

The DFHPCLCALCAS1SM integrates directly into any infrastructure using single-mode fiber patch panels, LC-type SFP transceivers, media converters, and optical distribution frames. It pairs with OS2 backbone trunk cables terminated to LC adapter panels — the standard architecture in enterprise campus backbones and data center interconnects. Confirm that downstream transceivers specify APC (not UPC) polish on their LC ports before installing; mixing polish types increases insertion loss and can cause reflection-related link errors. This cord is suitable for use with PoE and non-PoE managed switches equipped with LC-type single-mode SFP ports, as well as fiber-capable NVR appliances with SFP uplink slots used in larger surveillance backbone deployments. For camera-count environments requiring structured fiber backbones rather than copper runs, this patch cord handles the final connection between the fiber termination panel and the active network equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the DFHPCLCALCAS1SM rated for installation inside a drop ceiling used as a return-air plenum?

A: Yes. The DFHPCLCALCAS1SM carries a plenum (OFNP) jacket rating, which meets NEC Article 770 requirements for cables installed in air-handling spaces without conduit. This is the correct rating for horizontal runs inside drop-ceiling plenums used for HVAC return air.

Q: What connector type does the DFHPCLCALCAS1SM use, and does it matter which polish I specify?

A: Both ends terminate with LC/APC connectors — the angled physical contact (APC) polish. APC and UPC connectors are mechanically incompatible; APC connectors have an angled ferrule and a green housing in most brands, while UPC connectors are flat-polished with a blue housing. Verify that your patch panel adapters and transceiver ports call for APC before ordering this cord.

Q: Will this patch cord work with 10G or 25G SFP+ transceivers?

A: Single-mode fiber supports 10G, 25G, 40G, and higher link speeds over the same glass. The patch cord itself is not the limiting factor — transceiver selection and fiber plant loss budget determine maximum reach and speed. The DFHPCLCALCAS1SM is compatible at these speeds provided the transceiver ports use LC/APC interfaces.

Q: Why is the jacket yellow?

A: Yellow is the TIA-598-C industry-standard color designation for single-mode fiber optic cables. In mixed-fiber environments with both multimode (orange or aqua) and single-mode cables, the yellow jacket provides immediate visual identification during installation and ongoing maintenance without requiring a label scan or documentation lookup.

Q: Is 1 meter long enough for a standard rack installation?

A: For intra-rack runs — patching from a fiber distribution panel to a top-of-rack switch in the same cabinet, or connecting adjacent 1U/2U devices — 1 meter provides adequate reach with minimal slack. For cross-rack or inter-cabinet connections, a longer length (3M, 5M, or more) is appropriate depending on physical separation.

Marty Allison

The detail that matters most on the DFHPCLCALCAS1SM is the APC connector polish — not the plenum rating, which is table stakes for any above-ceiling fiber run. LC/APC returns loss north of 60 dB, which is why this cord belongs on WDM uplinks and GPON handoffs where back-reflection can destabilize the optical budget. Specify it wrong (UPC port, APC cord) and you will chase an intermittent link error that looks like a bad transceiver.

Technical Highlights:

• Plenum (OFNP) Jacket: Meets NEC Article 770 for air-handling spaces — no conduit required in drop-ceiling plenums, which cuts labor cost on horizontal fiber runs in occupied commercial buildings.
• LC/APC Termination: Angled polish produces return loss typically exceeding 60 dB, protecting optical budgets on sensitive WDM and coherent links where a flat-polished UPC connector would introduce reflections that degrade BER.
• Single-Mode Glass, 1-Meter Length: OS2-class single-mode fiber at this length adds negligible insertion loss — typically under 0.5 dB total — leaving nearly the entire optical link budget available for the fiber plant between buildings or floors.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm APC adapter ports at both ends before pulling this cord. If the patch panel uses UPC adapters (blue housing), you need a UPC-terminated jumper — mixing polish types mechanically mates but increases insertion loss and return loss to unacceptable levels on most optical budgets.
• At 1 meter, this cord is sized for intra-rack jumps only. Measure the actual panel-to-switch distance in your rack before ordering; if the patch panel sits more than one rack unit above or below the switch, a 2-meter or 3-meter cord eliminates bend-radius stress on the connector ferrule.

This cord is the right pick for telecom closets in commercial office or healthcare builds where HVAC return air runs through the same ceiling cavity as the horizontal fiber — plenum rating keeps the project inspection-ready, and the APC termination keeps the optical performance clean on backbone uplinks feeding campus switches or fiber-connected NVRs in large-scale surveillance deployments.