Hubbell DFPCLCSTE10MM LC-ST Duplex OM3 Multimode Plenum Fiber Patch Cord, 10 Meters

Overview

The Hubbell DFPCLCSTE10MM is a 10-meter duplex fiber patch cord built for enterprise and commercial structured cabling environments where plenum-rated pathways are required by code. Terminated with LC connectors on one end and ST connectors on the other, this cord bridges equipment rooms and horizontal runs that mix legacy ST-terminated gear with modern LC-port switches, media converters, and fiber transceivers — without the cost or downtime of re-terminating existing infrastructure. The OM3 multimode fiber core supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 300 meters and 1 Gigabit Ethernet well beyond typical in-building runs, making this cord suitable for backbone interconnects in mid-rise commercial buildings, hospital wings, and campus distribution closets.

The 10-meter length hits the practical sweet spot for inter-rack and inter-closet runs in standard telecom rooms — long enough to route cleanly through cable management, short enough to avoid excess slack that clogs pathways and traps heat.

Key Features

• LC to ST Duplex Termination: LC connectors are the dominant interface on modern switches, SFP transceivers, and fiber patch panels; ST connectors remain standard on legacy multimode plant, security cameras with integrated fiber ports, and older building backbone terminations. This LC-to-ST configuration lets you interconnect both generations without passive couplers or additional conversion hardware — one less potential failure point in the link.
• OM3 Aqua Multimode Fiber: OM3 is laser-optimized 50/125µm multimode glass rated for 10GbE at up to 300 meters and 40GbE at up to 100 meters. For most in-building backbone runs — floor-to-IDF, IDF-to-MDF, closet-to-closet — OM3 delivers headroom well beyond current bandwidth requirements, meaning this cord won't be your bottleneck if you upgrade switch hardware without re-pulling fiber.
• Duplex Configuration: Duplex cords carry separate transmit and receive fibers in a single jacket, which is the standard for full-duplex Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and the majority of active equipment SFP ports. One cord handles a complete bidirectional link — no need to manage two separate simplex strands per connection, which reduces mis-routing errors during moves, adds, and changes.
• CMP Plenum Jacket Rating: The plenum jacket rating (CMP) satisfies NEC Article 770 requirements for installation in air-handling spaces — ceiling plenums, raised floors used as return air paths, and HVAC ducts. In commercial construction, roughly 60–70% of horizontal cabling pathways pass through plenum-rated airspace. Using a non-plenum cord in these spaces violates fire code and will fail inspection; this cord eliminates that risk without requiring conduit as a workaround.
• 10-Meter Run Length: At 10 meters, this cord is dimensioned for cross-connects between adjacent racks, patch panel to active equipment runs, or short backbone segments between collocated closets. It provides enough reach to dress cables neatly through overhead trays or underfloor pathways without leaving unmanageable slack loops.
• Commercial-Grade Construction: Hubbell's structured cabling line is built for the installation and re-installation cycles typical of enterprise environments — repeated patching at the panel level, equipment swaps, and periodic infrastructure audits. Factory-terminated and factory-tested connectors reduce on-site labor and eliminate the variability of field terminations.

Integration and Compatibility

The DFPCLCSTE10MM integrates into any OM3-compatible multimode fiber infrastructure. LC ports are standard on Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, and virtually all current enterprise switch SFP slots. ST ports are native to legacy Hubbell, Corning, Panduit, and Leviton multimode patch panels and wall plates still common in buildings wired before 2010. This cord also works with fiber-connected IP security cameras, NVR fiber uplink ports, and access control panel fiber interfaces that retained ST termination from earlier generations of hardware.

For environments standardizing entirely on LC-to-LC infrastructure, OM3 LC duplex patch cords in the same Hubbell fiber cabling family are the natural complement. If you are building out a new fiber backbone, pairing this cord with a fiber patch panel purpose-built for OM3 density keeps your termination organized and swap-ready. See the Hubbell structured cabling catalog for matching fiber accessories, panels, and connectivity hardware that share the same build quality and plenum compliance.

When planning fiber runs in IP surveillance deployments, review our camera selection and cabling guide for guidance on fiber vs. copper decisions based on run length, electrical isolation requirements, and switch port availability. For high-density fiber deployments, pair with PoE and fiber-uplink network switches that offer SFP slots for direct LC connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What connector types does the DFPCLCSTE10MM use?

A: The DFPCLCSTE10MM is terminated with LC connectors on one end and ST connectors on the other. Both are duplex (two-fiber) terminations, supporting a full bidirectional fiber link in a single cord.

Q: Is the DFPCLCSTE10MM suitable for installation in ceiling plenum spaces?

A: Yes. The DFPCLCSTE10MM carries a CMP (plenum) jacket rating, which meets NEC Article 770 requirements for installation in air-handling spaces including ceiling plenums and raised floors used as return air paths. No conduit workaround is required.

Q: What fiber mode and grade is the DFPCLCSTE10MM?

A: It uses OM3 laser-optimized 50/125µm multimode fiber, which supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet at distances up to 300 meters and 1 Gigabit Ethernet well beyond typical in-building runs.

Q: Can the DFPCLCSTE10MM be used to connect a modern LC-port switch to a legacy ST-terminated patch panel?

A: Yes. That is exactly the use case this cord is designed for — bridging current LC-interface active equipment to older ST-terminated fiber plant without couplers or additional adapters.

Q: What is the exact length of the DFPCLCSTE10MM?

A: The cord is 10 meters (approximately 32.8 feet), suitable for inter-rack, patch-panel-to-equipment, and short inter-closet runs.

Q: Is the DFPCLCSTE10MM compatible with OM1 or OM2 multimode infrastructure?

A: Physically, LC and ST connectors are connector-type agnostic and will mate with OM1 or OM2 fiber ports. However, mixing OM3 cord with OM1/OM2 plant is not recommended for high-speed links — the differing core characteristics introduce attenuation and limit achievable link distances. For best results, match fiber grades throughout the link.

James Everett

The DFPCLCSTE10MM comes up regularly in enterprise retrofit projects where the MDF or IDF has already been migrated to LC-port switches and transceivers, but the horizontal or backbone fiber plant still terminates on ST panels installed a decade or more ago. Rather than re-terminating hundreds of existing fiber runs — a time-consuming and expensive proposition — this cord bridges the gap at the patch point cleanly. The OM3 glass and the CMP plenum jacket are the two specs I always confirm first on a job like this, and this cord has both covered.

Technical Highlights:

• OM3 50/125µm Multimode Core: Laser-optimized for VCSEL-based transceivers — the standard in 10GbE SFPs. Supports 10GbE at 300m, which exceeds the longest in-building backbone runs in most commercial buildings. You are not buying headroom you will never use here; you are protecting the link against future switch upgrades without pulling new glass.
• CMP Plenum Jacket: NEC 770 compliance for air-handling spaces is non-negotiable in commercial construction. This jacket eliminates the conduit-workaround cost in plenum ceilings and satisfies the fire marshal without discussion. If your drawings show the pathway in a return-air plenum, this is the jacket you specify — period.
• LC-to-ST Duplex Termination: Factory-terminated duplex connectors mean your insertion loss is consistent and tested — not subject to the variability of a field termination on a busy job site. The LC side plugs directly into SFP cages or LC patch panels; the ST side locks into legacy bayonet-style panels with a quarter-turn. No adapters, no couplers, no added attenuation in the link budget.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your existing ST-terminated plant is OM3 (aqua jacket, laser-optimized) before mixing with this cord on 10GbE links. Patching OM3 cord into an OM1 or OM2 backbone introduces a fiber-type mismatch that limits your effective 10GbE reach — sometimes severely. A quick visual check of the existing fiber jacket color (orange = OM1/OM2, aqua = OM3) resolves this before you commit the run.
• At 10 meters, this cord is the right length for most cross-connect applications inside a single telecom room. If your inter-closet run exceeds 10 meters, measure the actual dressed route — through cable management, overhead trays, and around obstacles — before ordering, not just the straight-line distance between racks.

This cord is the right specification for hospital or university IDF closets undergoing phased switch upgrades where the OM3 backbone is already in place but ST-to-LC bridging is needed at the active equipment layer. It handles the transition cleanly, keeps the fiber plant intact, and brings no compromises on the fire code side.