Panduit FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5 3.5m OM4 SC Duplex Fiber Cable

Panduit FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5 OM4 2-Fiber SC Duplex Patch Cable

The Panduit FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5 is a factory-terminated 3.5-meter OM4 multimode fiber patch cable with SC duplex connectors on both ends, designed for high-speed 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet deployments in data centers and structured cabling environments. Part of Panduit's QuickNet pre-terminated fiber system, this assembly eliminates field termination labor and testing overhead while delivering insertion loss performance under 0.35 dB per mated pair. The 3mm tight-buffered distribution cable construction provides flexibility for dense patch panel routing and equipment connections, while the OFNR (Riser) flammability rating qualifies it for vertical riser pathways between floors in commercial buildings. Each cable ships with individual test reports documenting insertion loss and return loss at 850nm and 1300nm wavelengths, meeting TIA-568.3-D Category OM4 channel requirements for 550-meter 10GBASE-SR links and 150-meter 40/100GBASE-SR4 applications.

Key Features

• OM4 50/125µm laser-optimized multimode fiber supports 40GBASE-SR4 (150m), 100GBASE-SR4 (150m), and 10GBASE-SR (550m) applications per IEEE 802.3
• Factory-terminated SC duplex connectors with ceramic ferrules deliver <0.35 dB insertion loss and >20 dB return loss, eliminating field termination variables
• 3mm tight-buffered distribution cable with aramid yarn strength members and aqua OFNR jacket for riser-rated vertical installations
• QuickNet pre-tested assemblies ship with individual cable test reports showing loss at 850nm/1300nm wavelengths
• 2-fiber duplex configuration provides transmit/receive pairs for bidirectional 10G/40G/100G switch and server connections
• TIA-568.3-D and ISO/IEC 11801 compliant for permanent link and channel performance in structured cabling systems
• Pull-proof boot design protects connector-to-cable transition during installation and reduces strain on ferrule endface
• 3.5-meter length suits typical rack-to-rack connections within the same row or cross-connects to adjacent distribution frames

Pre-terminated fiber assemblies like the FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5 address three deployment pain points in enterprise data centers: installation speed, link performance consistency, and compliance documentation. Field termination of multimode connectors introduces insertion loss variability from cleave quality, epoxy cure, and polish technique—variables that can push marginal links past the 1.5 dB TIA channel budget and cause intermittent 10G optics negotiation failures. Panduit's factory termination process uses automated polishing and interferometric inspection to hold insertion loss under 0.35 dB per connector pair, with return loss exceeding 20 dB to minimize back-reflection into VCSEL transceivers. Each cable includes a serialized test report showing measured loss at both 850nm (primary 10G/40G/100G wavelength) and 1300nm (legacy Gigabit Ethernet), providing auditable documentation for TIA-942 data center tier certification and ISO 11801 warranty claims. The aqua-jacketed OM4 fiber uses a laser-optimized 50µm core with 4700 MHz·km effective modal bandwidth at 850nm, supporting full 150-meter OM4 channel distances for 40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR4 applications when paired with MPO trunk cables and SC-to-MPO breakout modules.

The 3mm cable diameter balances flexibility and durability for patch panel environments. Unlike 2mm zipcord constructions that lack crush resistance, the FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5's tight-buffered design uses a 900µm buffered fiber inside a 3mm outer jacket reinforced with aramid yarn, protecting the glass fiber from pinch points in high-density rack cable managers and preventing microbend attenuation when cables are routed around tight radius corners. The OFNR riser flammability rating qualifies this assembly for vertical pathways between floors per NEC Article 770, making it suitable for telecom room riser connections, equipment distribution area (EDA) vertical links, and entrance facility backbone runs in multi-story buildings. SC duplex connectors use a push-pull latch mechanism that requires less clearance than LC duplex connectors, an advantage in legacy Cisco and Juniper switch installations where front-panel port density leaves minimal space between adjacent transceivers. The split-sleeve alignment mechanism inside each SC connector self-centers the 125µm fiber cladding to within 1µm of the mating connector, ensuring low-loss optical coupling even after hundreds of mate/demate cycles.

Panduit's QuickNet system ships cables in incremental 0.5-meter lengths from 0.5m to 100m, allowing installers to order exact patch cord lengths and avoid the excess cable slack that creates airflow blockage in hot aisle/cold aisle containment designs. The FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5's 3.5-meter length suits typical rack-to-rack connections within a single row (standard 600mm-deep racks positioned back-to-back with 1200mm aisle clearance) or cross-connect jumpers from a fiber distribution panel to an adjacent equipment rack. For ANSI/TIA-942-B Tier III and Tier IV data centers requiring dual-path redundancy, deploy two FZ23RSNSNSNM3.5 assemblies per 10G server connection—one to each redundant top-of-rack switch—using diverse cable routing paths to meet the standard's single-fault-tolerance requirement for Main Distribution Area (MDA) to Equipment Distribution Area (EDA) horizontal links.