Panduit F1RBZA-2B08-10S OM4 128-Fiber Brocade-Type Pre-Terminated Assembly
Overview
The Panduit F1RBZA-2B08-10S is a high-density, pre-terminated fiber optic cable assembly engineered for data centers, telecommunications rooms, entrance facilities, and equipment distribution areas where speed of deployment and density matter. Carrying 128 fibers over OM4 multimode (50/125µm) glass and formatted with Brocade-type labeling, this assembly lands in environments where technicians need to pull and plug without guesswork — not terminate and test on the floor. The Brocade-compatible connector mapping means it drops directly into Brocade (now Extreme Networks) fabric switches and directors without adapter remapping, removing one of the most common field errors in high-density SAN and core switching deployments.
OM4 multimode at 50/125µm supports 40GbE and 100GbE over the distances typical of inter-row and end-of-row runs inside a data hall — you get higher bandwidth headroom than OM3 without stepping up to single-mode cost and transceivers. For environments standardized on VCSEL-based optics (SR4, QSFP+ SR, SFP+ SR), OM4 is the correct glass choice and this assembly is factory-terminated and tested to go.
Key Features
- 128-Fiber OM4 Multimode (50/125µm): OM4 glass delivers higher modal bandwidth than OM3, supporting 40GbE to 150m and 100GbE to 100m — practical distances for inter-rack or MDA-to-HDA runs in structured cabling deployments. If your transceivers are VCSEL-based SR optics, OM4 is the right fiber choice and eliminates the premium transceiver cost of single-mode.
- Pre-Terminated Factory Assembly: Connectors are installed and tested at the factory, which means no field termination, no splicing, no polishing, and no post-installation insertion-loss re-measurement on 128 fibers. In a new data center fit-out or a phased expansion, that translates directly to hours of labor saved per assembly and a consistent, warranted insertion loss baseline.
- Brocade-Type Labeling (F1RBZA-2B08-10S): The connector face-plate labeling and port numbering follows Brocade/Extreme director and switch convention. Technicians plugging into a Brocade SAN director or spine switch can trace each fiber without re-mapping or custom labeling — reduces turn-up time and mislabeled-port incidents during rack-and-stack.
- TIA-568.3-D Compliance: The assembly is manufactured to TIA-568.3-D, the current US standard for optical fiber cabling components. Compliance here means the insertion loss, return loss, and connector geometry fall within the tested parameters that your network equipment vendor's transceivers assume — not a self-declared spec but an independently defined performance floor.
- ISO/IEC 11801 Compliance: International standard compliance matters when your data center operates under a global infrastructure policy or when equipment procurement is governed by international specifications. ISO/IEC 11801 alignment means this assembly is documentable against both US and international infrastructure audits.
- ANSI/TIA-942-B Compliance: TIA-942-B is specifically a data center telecommunications infrastructure standard. Compliance with this standard confirms the assembly fits within a properly documented Tier I–IV data center design — a checkbox many enterprise and colocation operators require before a cable plant goes on the approved-components list.
- High-Density 128-Fiber Count: 128 fibers in a single pre-terminated trunk means fewer pulls per rack connection, fewer pathways consumed in cable trays, and fewer points of entry at patch panels. In a high-density switching environment where port counts in the hundreds are common, trunk assemblies at this fiber count reduce the number of individual cable management decisions per zone.
Integration & Compatibility
The F1RBZA-2B08-10S is designed for use with Panduit fiber infrastructure systems including high-density patching modules and enclosures, and the Brocade-type labeling convention aligns with Extreme Networks (formerly Brocade) directors and fabric switches. OM4 multimode is compatible with VCSEL-based transceivers operating at 850nm — this includes standard SFP+ SR, QSFP+ SR4, and QSFP28 SR4 optics used in 10G, 40G, and 100G switching and SAN environments. Confirm transceiver manufacturer reach specifications against your actual run lengths before ordering; OM4 advantages over OM3 are distance-dependent and most pronounced at 40G and above.
For planning your full fiber infrastructure, consult a fiber optic cable guide to match trunk assemblies with appropriate patch panels, enclosures, and breakout modules. This assembly does not include patch panels, enclosures, or individual fiber patch cords — those are specified and ordered separately based on port counts and rack layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What fiber type does the F1RBZA-2B08-10S use, and what transmission speeds does it support?
A: The F1RBZA-2B08-10S uses OM4 multimode fiber at 50/125µm. OM4 supports 40GbE up to 150 meters and 100GbE up to 100 meters with VCSEL-based SR optics — suitable for inter-rack and MDA-to-HDA runs in standard data center layouts.
Q: What does 'Brocade-type labeling' mean, and does this assembly work with Extreme Networks switches?
A: Brocade-type labeling refers to the port numbering and connector face convention used by Brocade SAN directors and fabric switches, now sold under the Extreme Networks brand. The labeling maps directly to these switch ports, eliminating the need for custom re-labeling during installation. Confirm specific compatibility with your Extreme Networks model before deployment.
Q: Is the F1RBZA-2B08-10S factory-tested, or does it require field termination?
A: This is a pre-terminated assembly — connectors are installed and tested at the factory. No field termination, splicing, or polishing is required. You pull the assembly, route it, and plug it in.
Q: Which industry standards does this assembly comply with?
A: The F1RBZA-2B08-10S complies with TIA-568.3-D (US fiber cabling components standard), ISO/IEC 11801 (international cabling standard), and ANSI/TIA-942-B (data center telecommunications infrastructure standard). These are the primary standards cited in enterprise and colocation data center infrastructure specifications.
Q: What applications is the F1RBZA-2B08-10S designed for?
A: This assembly is designed for data centers, telecommunications rooms, entrance facilities, and equipment distribution areas that require pre-terminated fiber infrastructure for rapid deployment. It is not a general-purpose patch cord — it is a high-density trunk assembly for structured cabling systems.
Q: Does this assembly include patch panels, enclosures, or patch cords?
A: No. The F1RBZA-2B08-10S is the trunk cable assembly only. Patch panels, enclosures, breakout modules, and individual patch cords are specified and ordered separately based on your rack layout and port count requirements.
The F1RBZA-2B08-10S is a product that makes sense specifically in environments where Brocade-convention fabric switching is already installed or planned — that Brocade-type labeling is not a cosmetic detail, it is the entire reason you pick this SKU over a generic 128-fiber OM4 trunk. If your switch environment is Extreme Networks (formerly Brocade) and your fiber plant is OM4, this assembly eliminates a remapping step that otherwise introduces labeling errors at every port during initial turn-up.
Technical Highlights:
- OM4 50/125µm Glass: Supports 40GbE to 150m and 100GbE to 100m with VCSEL SR optics — gives you a meaningful distance buffer over OM3 for inter-row runs in larger data halls without stepping up to single-mode transceiver cost.
- 128-Fiber Pre-Terminated Trunk: Factory termination at 128 fibers means one pull replaces what would otherwise be dozens of individual cable runs; the insertion loss baseline is factory-verified, not field-dependent on technician skill or cleave quality.
- Triple Standards Compliance (TIA-568.3-D / ISO/IEC 11801 / ANSI/TIA-942-B): All three of the standards most commonly cited in enterprise data center infrastructure procurement specifications are covered — useful when the cable plant needs to pass a design-review checklist before a Tier II or higher colocation operator will accept it.
Deployment Considerations:
- Brocade-type labeling maps to Brocade/Extreme Networks director and switch port conventions — if your environment is a mix of vendors, verify port mapping before pulling the assembly through the pathway, since re-routing a 128-fiber trunk is not a fast fix.
- OM4 is optimized for VCSEL 850nm transceivers; if any segments of your run will use single-mode equipment (longer distances or certain vendor-specific optics), this assembly is not the right choice — single-mode glass is a separate product family entirely.
This assembly fits best in a greenfield or expansion data center build where Extreme Networks (Brocade-lineage) fabric switches are the spine or SAN director layer and the structured cabling design is OM4 throughout — the combination of Brocade-type labeling and 128-fiber density is purpose-built for that scenario.
