Hardened SC APC to SC APC Fiber Drop Cable, OS2, IP68, Custom Length
For Pakistani procurement and engineering teams, the specification provides a practical basis for checking compatibility before production is requested. While a standard SC APC connector plugs into the optical network terminal or indoor hardware on the subscriber side, this fiber drop cable connects the sealed outdoor terminal to the subscriber premises with one purpose-built interface at every end: a hardened SC APC connector, IP68 rated and environmentally sealed, mates directly with the terminal port on the distribution side. The installed cable is the flat 2.0x5.0mm LSZH drop build with one G.657.A2 bend-insensitive OS2 fiber, factory terminated and manufactured to the ordered length.
Product Highlights
- No splicing at the terminal, tool-less sealed mating
- Manufactured to the ordered route length
- Hardened SC APC (IP68) to standard SC APC
- Sealed connector mates directly with outdoor terminal ports
- G.657.A2 bend-insensitive fiber, 7.5mm minimum bend radius
- Insertion loss ≤0.3dB, return loss ≥60dB
Specifications
| Connector A | Hardened SC APC (IP68) |
|---|---|
| Connector B | SC APC |
| Fiber Mode | OS2 9/125µm |
| Wavelength | 1310/1550nm |
| Fiber Count | 1 Fiber |
| Fiber Grade | G.657.A2 |
| Min. Bend Radius (Optical Fiber) | 7.5mm |
| Min. Bend Radius (Fiber Cable) | 60/40mm (Dynamic/Static) |
| Trunk Outside Diameter (OD) | 2.0x5.0mm |
| Breakout Outside Diameter (OD) | 2.0x3.0mm |
| Breakout Length | 300±50mm |
| Cable Jacket | Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) |
| Tensile Load | 400N (Short Term) |
| Crush Resistance | 500N/100mm (Short Term) |
| Insertion Loss | ≤0.3dB |
| Return Loss | ≥60dB |
| Attenuation at 1310nm | ≤0.4dB/km |
| Attenuation at 1550nm | ≤0.3dB/km |
| Operating Temperature | -20 to 70°C (-4 to 158°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -10 to 50°C (14 to 122°F) |
A sealed interface for the outdoor terminal
The distribution end of a drop path lives outdoors: in a terminal on a pole, a facade box or a handhole, exposed to rain, dust and condensation for years. The hardened SC APC connector is built for exactly that mating point. Its sealed housing threads directly onto the matching terminal port and closes to IP68, and therefore the optical interface is protected against water and dust ingress without an enclosure around the interface itself. The optical interface accepts a standard SC APC interface inside, keeping full compatibility with the access network design.
Plug-and-play instead of splice-and-seal
The traditional alternative to a hardened drop is a field-spliced pigtail inside the terminal: a fusion splice, a splice tray location, heat-shrink protection and the craft time to do it well on a ladder. The hardened drop removes all of that. The installer routes the installed cable, threads the optical interface onto the terminal port, and the connection is entire. Rollout crews connect more homes per day, and the skill specification at the drop point falls from splicing technician to installer, which is precisely where large FTTH programs save their cost.
One fiber, two very different ends
The two ends of the completed cable serve distinct worlds. Outdoors, the hardened connector faces weather, handling and repeated mating as subscribers are added and moved. Indoors, the standard SC APC end plugs into the optical network terminal on the subscriber wall. The 300mm breakout between the flat trunk and the 2.0x3.0mm tails gives the two interfaces sufficient free fiber to dress into their enclosures without strain, and the G.657.A2 glass tolerates the tight corners of the indoor path.
Planning the orientation
The hardened end always faces the terminal, the standard end faces the subscriber, and the orientation is fixed at the factory. During procurement, state the path length jointly with the terminal type so the breakout and connector boot match the hardware. For routes where the two interfaces terminate at sealed outdoor ports, the hardened-to-hardened model of this series extends the identical sealed interface to the two connectors.
Route length and custom builds
Since last-mile routes differ from a few meters to well over a hundred, each drop cable in this series is manufactured to the length stated with the order rather than picked from fixed stock sizes,. The installed cable is manufactured to the length stated with the order; measure the path from the terminal port to the optical network terminal, including the vertical drop and entry route, and allow working slack at the two interfaces. Specifying the measured path length avoids the two the slack storage problem of an overlong cable and the strain risk of one that is too short.
Test standards and quality control
Every unit is terminated with precision zirconia ferrule connectors and optically tested as an entire cable: insertion loss is verified against the 0.3dB ceiling and return loss against the 60dB minimum. Because the hardened connector is checked for seal integrity as well as optical behavior, the delivered drop can also be threaded onto the terminal port and put into service without on-site rework.
Ordering Details and Factory Support
Refer to the hardened to standard SC APC drop cable series when specifying a quotation and state the path length, terminal type and number of units per length. For other hardened connector styles or the two-end sealed builds, send the site specification with the request and the factory will make certain of the manufacturable specification before factory assembly. For Pakistan, a clear port or maintenance schedule helps us confirm the correct factory-built configuration before supply.
