Fiber Patch Cord & Pigtails

Fiber Patch Cord and Pigtail Selection Guide

PHILISUN fiber patch cords and pigtails are used for equipment patching, ODF and patch panel cross-connects, fusion splicing, FTTH handoff, data center rows and enterprise backbone links. The right assembly depends on connector type, fiber mode, polish, jacket, bend radius, length, insertion loss target and how the cable will be labeled and tested.

Requirement	Recommended assembly	Selection notes	Start here
High-density LC patching	LC uniboot or duplex patch cords	Use uniboot where cable density, polarity management and cleaner routing matter.	LC Uniboot Patch Cords
Standard equipment patching	Simplex or duplex patch cords	Choose LC, SC, FC, ST or E2000 connectors with OS2, OM3, OM4 or OM5 fiber.	Duplex Fiber Patch Cords
Fusion splicing and ODF tails	Simplex or multi-fiber pigtails	Match connector polish, fiber count, color code, tube layout and splice tray routing.	Multi-Fiber Pigtails
Rugged indoor routing	Armored patch cords	Useful where the route needs extra crush or bend protection around cabinets and trays.	Armored Fiber Patch Cords
FTTH or outdoor handoff	FTTH drop or waterproof pre-terminated cords	Confirm jacket, connector protection, route length and installation environment.	FTTH Drop Cable Patch Cords

Connector, fiber type and polish choices

Choice	Use it when	Planning detail
LC	High-density data center, switch and transceiver ports.	LC duplex and LC uniboot are common for 10G-800G structured fiber paths.
SC, FC, ST or E2000	Telecom rooms, ODFs, legacy interfaces or project-specific ports.	Match the connector body, boot, adapter and polish before ordering.
OS2 single-mode	Longer links, carrier routes, campus backbones or future long-reach optics.	Confirm UPC or APC polish and avoid mixing APC with UPC ports.
OM3, OM4 or OM5 multimode	Short-reach data center and enterprise links.	Match the transceiver reach, jacket color, link budget and bend radius.
PVC, LSZH, TPU or armored jacket	Different indoor, industrial or protected routes.	Choose the jacket based on installation rules, flexibility and routing risk.

Ordering checklist for custom patch cords and pigtails

• Connector type on each end: LC, SC, FC, ST, E2000 or hybrid.
• Fiber type: OS2, OM3, OM4, OM5 and any bend-insensitive requirement.
• Polish: UPC or APC, especially for single-mode links.
• Structure: simplex, duplex, uniboot, armored, FTTH drop or multi-fiber pigtail.
• Length, jacket color, cable diameter, label format and packaging.
• Test requirement: insertion loss, return loss, polarity and visual inspection records.

For system-level planning, pair this page with the LC, SC and MPO connector guide, the fiber optic color code guide, the structured cabling guide and Fiber Optic Network & Cabling Solutions.

Fiber Patch Cord & Pigtail FAQ

What is the difference between a fiber patch cord and a pigtail?

A fiber patch cord is terminated on both ends and is used for patching between equipment, panels or adapters. A pigtail is terminated on one end and bare on the other end for fusion splicing inside an ODF, closure or splice tray.

How do I choose between simplex, duplex and uniboot patch cords?

Use simplex for one fiber path, duplex for standard transmit and receive pairs, and LC uniboot when two fibers should share one cable jacket for higher density and cleaner routing.

Should I choose UPC or APC connectors?

Choose the polish that matches the equipment or adapter. UPC is common for many data center links, while APC is common in FTTH, CATV and reflection-sensitive single-mode systems. Do not directly mate APC with UPC.

Which fiber type should I use: OS2, OM3, OM4 or OM5?

Use OS2 for single-mode and longer-reach optical links. Use OM3, OM4 or OM5 for short-reach multimode links when the selected transceiver and distance support that fiber type.

What information is needed for a custom order?

Send the connector types, fiber type, polish, cable structure, length, jacket, color, label, quantity and test report requirements. For pigtails, also include fiber count, fan-out length and splice tray routing needs.