Hardened SC APC to SC APC Fiber Drop Cable, OS2, IP68, Custom Length

Projects in the Philippines benefit from keeping the configuration, branch identification and installation requirement consistent across every participating site. This fiber drop cable connects the sealed outdoor terminal to the subscriber premises with one purpose-built interface at each end: a hardened SC APC connector, IP68 rated and environmentally sealed, mates directly with the terminal port on the distribution side, and at the same time a standard SC APC connector plugs into the optical network terminal or indoor hardware on the subscriber side. The fiber cable is the flat 2.0x5.0mm LSZH drop design with one G.657.A2 bend-insensitive OS2 fiber, factory terminated and manufactured to the ordered length.

Product Highlights

• Insertion loss ≤0.3dB, return loss ≥60dB
• 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

Specifications

A sealed interface for the outdoor terminal

The distribution end of a drop channel 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; as a result, the optical interface is protected against water and dust ingress without an enclosure around the joint itself. The connector 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 mounting point, 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 fiber cable, threads the connector interface onto the terminal port, and the optical path is complete. Rollout crews connect more homes per day, and the skill need 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 this fiber cable serve separate 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 both cable ends adequate free fiber to dress into their enclosures without strain, and the G.657.A2 glass tolerates the tight corners of the indoor channel.

Planning the orientation

The hardened end always faces the terminal, the standard end faces the subscriber, and the orientation is fixed at the factory. When submitting the order, state the channel length as one system with the terminal type so the breakout and connector boot match the hardware. For routes where both cable ends terminate at sealed outdoor ports, the hardened-to-hardened configuration of this product line extends the equivalent sealed interface to both connectors.

Length selection and customization

Every drop cable in this product line is manufactured to the length stated with the order rather than picked from fixed stock sizes, given that last-mile routes differ from a few meters to well over a hundred. The fiber cable is manufactured to the length stated with the order; measure the channel from the terminal port to the optical network terminal, including the vertical drop and entry optical route, and allow working slack at both cable ends. Specifying the measured channel length avoids both the slack storage problem of an overlong cable and the strain risk of one that is too short.

Production testing and quality assurance

Each item is terminated with precision zirconia ferrule connectors and optically tested as a complete cable: insertion loss is verified against the 0.3dB ceiling and return loss against the 60dB minimum. The hardened connector is checked for seal integrity as well as optical operation; as a result, the delivered drop may readily be threaded onto the terminal port and put into service without on-site rework.

Placing an Order and Factory Support

Refer to the hardened to standard SC APC drop cable product line when submitting a request for a quotation and state the channel length, terminal type and unit count per length. For other hardened connector styles or both-end sealed builds, send the site need with the inquiry and the factory will validate the manufacturable specification before release to production. Customers in the Philippines can include multi-site labeling or documentation requirements when requesting a project quotation.