What are LC-LC Patch Cable?

LC-LC patch cord has become an important ingredient of high-density cabling network infrastructure. To make LC-LC fiber patch run a long way, the manufacturers have already invented LC-LC patch cables with different features to meet various requirements in data centers and increase the network performance.     

Kind of Fiber Patch Cable required in Data Canters?

Nowadays fiber patch cord has broad adaption in applications spanning from telecommunications to data communications. Fiber patch cord has been the most suitable and prevalent bandwidth feeder. To satisfy the increasing demands for higher density, bandwidth and easier management, more and more data centers are deploying fiber patch cable of high performance. Factors like high return loss which results in low insertion loss of connectors and light loss of optical fiber used for fiber patch cable makes it the best choice. Let’s have a look at several popular LC-LC fiber patch cables trending in data centers.

Low Insertion and Bend Insensitive LC-LC Patch Cable

We have heard about optical light loss which occurs when a length of the fiber patch cable is connected to the network.  These losses are of different types among which insertion loss at the connectors and bend loss in fiber optics cables are the most common light losses that technicians are trying to overcome. LC-LC fiber patch cables can reduce these losses to the most. 

Insertion loss occurs when a fiber optic component is inserted into another to form a fiber optic link.  LC connectors terminated on the patch cable optimize it for a low insertion loss, thus resulting in less than 0.3 dB loss. For upgraded LC-LC patch cable loss is even less than 0.2 dB. The core design and low macro-bending sensitivity prevent additional bend losses.  A special type of bend insensitive fiber(BIF) is used in the fiber patch cable to decrease the bend loss.

High-Density LC-LC Patch Cable

LC connector was introduced for higher cabling density. Duplex LC-LC fiber patch cable can provide higher cabling density rather than other duplex fiber patch cables. Cable diameter of the LC-LC patch cable is becoming smaller to increase cabling density in the data center. The two connectors terminated at each end of the duplex patch cable shares the same boot. Thus, this uniboot patch cable can provide higher cabling density and the cooling environment in the data center.

Switchable Polarity LC-LC Patch Cable

Low loss and high density are not enough to make LC-LC high demanding and popular. Making it easy to use is also important. Polarity matters a lot when it comes to installation of fiber patch cable, especially for duplex fiber and MTP patch cable. During deployment, it is easy to change the polarity of a duplex patch cable. Often a technician need tools to change the polarity of a patch cable, but a polarity switchable LC-LC patch cable make things much easier as shown in the following pictures.