IP-25 SN Hybrid Connector

What the IP-25 SN hybrid connector is

The IP-25 SN hybrid connector is the cable-end plug of the IP-ONE hybrid range. One shell carries four SN duplex fibre channels, which is eight fibres, and eight power conductors of 16 to 18 AWG. The whole assembly is sealed to IP68 and closes with a Safe Lock Ring, so a field device can be fed with data and power through a single cable and a single mated joint.

SN is the manufacturer’s small-format duplex fibre connector, and here it is used four times inside one hybrid body. That gives a dense fibre count for a connector that also has to carry power. The range is described as a whole on the IP-ONE hybrid fibre and power connectors page, and the other the manufacturer sealed families sit under the IP series harsh environment connectors.

Radix can supply this part, loose or built into hybrid cable assemblies to your drawing. Quotes are handled by form, phone or WhatsApp from Pune. The these connectors and adapters index lists every format Radix can supply.

IP-25 SN hybrid connector specifications

These are the figures the manufacturer publishes for this part and its family. Anything not in the table, such as the conductor current at your cable length, should be taken from the data sheet that comes with the quote.

The pull figure is a retention test on the connector and cable joint, not a rating for hanging a device from the cable. Support the cable with a clamp or a mast fitting and keep the connector out of the load path.

IP-25 SN hybrid against the LC version and the smaller IP-ONE sizes

The IP-ONE range splits by how much power the load needs. The SN version of the IP-25 favours many small power paths and many fibres. The LC version favours two heavy conductors.

If one device draws most of the power, look at the IP-21 LC connector or the LC version of the IP-25. If a cluster of small devices shares one run, the SN version saves cables.

Worked example: four small radios on one mast cable

Assume an outdoor mast with four radio units. Each needs one duplex fibre link and its own power feed. Assume each radio draws 2.5 A from a 48 V DC supply. These are assumed values for the example, not a design.

• Fibre: four radios use four duplex channels, which is the full eight fibres of the connector.
• Power: four feeds map to four conductor pairs. At 2.5 A each, every pair is well under the 11.2 A per pair that the manufacturer lists for 16 AWG on the matching adapter.
• Cable count: the mast carries one hybrid cable with eight fibres and eight conductors in place of four fibre cables and four power cables.

Two checks remain. The cable must actually contain eight fibres and eight conductors of the gauge you want, so the connector choice and the cable choice are made together. And the voltage drop over the real run length has to be worked out from the conductor resistance on the cable data sheet. Short runs rarely trouble a 48 V feed, long runs can.

Mating, locking and keeping the seal

The IP68 figure applies to a fully mated, locked pair. A plug that is hand tight or half engaged is not sealed. Seat the plug in the adapter, turn the Safe Lock Ring until it stops, and look at the joint once the cable is dressed. Fit the sealing caps on any port that is left open.

Clean the fibre end faces before mating. Dirt carried into a sealed joint stays there. The method for inspecting and wiping SN and LC type faces is in the end face cleaning and inspection guide, and the meaning of the ingress ratings is in the IP67 and IP68 connector guide.

Power needs more care than fibre. Do not connect or disconnect a loaded DC feed at this voltage unless the data sheet explicitly allows it, because opening a live DC circuit can arc. Isolate the supply first, and have the electrical side of the install done by a qualified person to the rules that apply on your site.

Cable and termination: what decides the build

A hybrid plug is only as good as the cable behind it. The cable has to hold the right fibre type, the right conductor gauge and a jacket that suits the route. Typical choices to settle are single-mode or multimode fibre, UPC or APC polish where the SN face allows it, and a jacket that suits sunlight, water or abrasion.

The strain relief and boot are sized to the cable outer diameter, so the OD matters more here than for a plain patch cord. A cable that is slightly too thick or too thin will not seal in the gland. Give Radix the cable data sheet or a sample if you have one, and read the general approach to custom builds on the custom fibre optic assemblies page.

Buyer checklist

• Number of fibres and which channels are used.
• Fibre type and polish, for example single-mode OS2.
• Number of power conductors in use and their gauge, 16 or 18 AWG.
• Voltage, current per pair and whether the supply is AC or DC.
• Cable outer diameter and jacket type.
• Assembly length, and whether one end or both ends take this plug.
• Mating adapter or panel: bulkhead IP-25 SN hybrid adapter or a device with its own receptacle.
• Outdoor exposure: sun, salt, washing, vibration.

When this is not the right part

Choose something else in these cases.

• One device takes a large power feed. The two heavy conductors of the LC version or the IP-21 range fit better than eight small ones.
• Fibre only, no power. A plain sealed fibre plug such as the IP-16 SN connector avoids paying for conductors you do not use.
• Indoor, clean and dry. A standard SN connector in a normal panel is simpler and cheaper to handle.
• More than eight fibres. The hybrid body tops out at four SN channels, so a larger fibre count needs a separate fibre route.
• Hot-plugging power. If the device must be unplugged under load, check for a load-break rated connector instead.

What to send Radix to quote it

Send the fibre count and type, conductor gauge and count, voltage and current, cable outer diameter, jacket, assembly length, quantity and the polish you want. A drawing or a photo of the device receptacle helps. Requests can come through the request a quote form, by phone or by WhatsApp, and the outdoor fibre optic cable assemblies page shows the sort of sealed builds Radix already makes to drawing.