IP-9 SN Connector

What the IP-9 SN connector is

The IP-9 SN connector is a waterproof outdoor version of the SN duplex connector, made by the manufacturer for fibre links that leave the cabinet. The manufacturer lists it as the smallest footprint outdoor IP68 SN connector in its range. Radix can supply the IP-9 SN connector from loose or built into patch cords and cable assemblies to your drawing.

SN is a very small duplex format. It uses two 1.25 mm ferrules in one body, which is the same ferrule size as LC but at a tighter pitch, so more ports fit in a given panel or transceiver face. That density argument is the reason to choose SN in the first place. The IP-9 SN connector carries that format outdoors, behind a seal and a locking ring, for places such as radio equipment, small cells and wall-mounted outdoor enclosures. You can read about the indoor part of the format in the these connectors section and in the SN connectors hub.

This page is for a buyer who has to decide whether the IP-9 SN fits a design, what it mates with, and what to send for a quote.

Facts for the IP-9 SN connector

The table uses only the numbers the manufacturer publishes for the IP series and for this part. Dimensions, cable ranges and ordering codes are not listed here, so check the current data sheet.

Note what is absent. The manufacturer does not give a connector count per panel, a cable range or a temperature range in the figures used here. Do not infer them from the indoor SN data sheet, because the outdoor body is different.

How it mates, and what polarity means for SN

An IP-9 SN connector plugs into the matching IP-9 SN adapter. The adapter is a sealed bulkhead or in-line piece, and the two parts are made as a pair. You cannot use an indoor SN adapter and expect the same seal.

Because SN is a duplex connector, there is a transmit side and a receive side. A duplex patch cord has the fibres crossed end to end so that transmit meets receive, which is the same logic as LC duplex. Some indoor SN connectors in this range let you reverse polarity in the field; read the SN polarity changeable connector page to see how that works on the indoor side. For the outdoor IP-9 SN, ask Radix or check the data sheet whether polarity can be changed on site before you assume it can.

Mating follows a fixed order:

1. Check that the dust caps are present and clean on both sides.
2. Inspect the end faces, clean if needed and inspect again.
3. Push the plug in until it seats against the adapter.
4. Turn the Safe Lock Ring to lock it.
5. Check the strain relief and cable entry.

Polarity mistakes outdoors are expensive because the connector is at the top of a mast or inside a sealed enclosure. Mark the two legs on the cable, and write the polarity on the drawing before the order. The wider topic of duplex orientation is in the simplex vs duplex patch cord guide.

IP-9 SN compared with sibling parts

The choice between IP-9 and IP-16 for the same SN format is a space and compatibility choice. The optical interface is the same SN ferrule arrangement, and the main differences are the outer body, the way it seats in the adapter, and what the enclosure was built to take. Do not mix them unless the data sheet says the plug and adapter are designed to mate.

Where an IP-9 SN connector fits in a design

Outdoor SN is typically found where equipment needs small, sealed, duplex ports: small cells, remote radio hardware with SN or SFP cages, outdoor wall boxes and compact distribution points. Dense indoor panels carry the same format, so a single SN family can run from the transceiver to the outdoor box.

• Fibre to the antenna and wireless. A short jumper from a radio unit to a surge or distribution box needs a seal at both ends. The IP-9 SN gives you a duplex jumper with a small body.
• FTTH distribution. Where a distribution closure uses SN in its ports, the IP-9 SN fits the same pitch outdoors.
• Outdoor industrial cabinets. Washdown or dust-heavy locations, where the connector would otherwise sit in a plain cabinet.
• Temporary outdoor links. Event or site links where a cord is laid across a surface and may see rain.

Where the transceiver end is an SFP at a radio, compare with the IP-J connector, which is described as a direct SFP connection. The IP-9 SN is for jumpers and distribution, not for plugging straight into an SFP cage.

Worked example: a small outdoor cabinet with eight duplex links

These numbers are assumed to show how to work the problem, and are not Radix or the manufacturer specifications.

A site has an outdoor cabinet that takes eight duplex SN links from a cable entering at the bottom. Each link is two fibres, so sixteen fibres in total. Assume each link has one IP-9 SN joint at the cabinet maximum of 0.25 dB applies, and the far end uses an assumed 0.3 dB indoor joint with an assumed 0.4 km of cable at 0.35 dB/km.

At 0.79 dB per link the optical budget is not the issue for most transceivers. Count the plugs instead: eight links need eight duplex plugs at the cabinet, eight matching adapters in the wall or on a plate, and caps for every port that is unused. Order spare caps and a few spare plugs in the same quote. The tool for budget checks is the loss budget calculator.

Cleaning, inspection and handling

SN ferrules are 1.25 mm, so the usual rules for small ferrules apply. A one-click cleaner made for 1.25 mm ferrules is the quickest tool, and a lint-free wipe with a fibre cleaning fluid works if you have to. Inspect before mating and after cleaning, with a scope that can show a small ferrule. The procedure is laid out in the end face cleaning and inspection guide.

Two habits cut most outdoor faults. First, never leave an unmated plug uncapped, even for a minute, if there is wind-blown dust or spray. Second, do not twist the cable while locking the ring. If the plug body turns inside the ring and the cable is under torsion, the cable can spring back and loosen the lock. Hold the cable still and rotate the ring only.

Buyer checklist

• Confirm the format: SN duplex, not SC or LC.
• Decide the polish, UPC or APC, from the equipment on the far end.
• Confirm fibre type: single-mode OS2 or a multimode type.
• Confirm the matching adapter or enclosure port: IP-9 SN needs the IP-9 SN adapter.
• Decide polarity for each leg and write it on the drawing.
• State the cable outer diameter and jacket, because the sealing was validated on a manufacturer sourced cable.
• Plan strain relief, drip loops and cable entry.
• Ask for the data sheet for temperature range and dimensions, which are not stated here.

What to send Radix for a quote

Radix supplies the IP-9 SN connector loose, or built into cords and assemblies to your drawing, with quoting by form, phone or WhatsApp from Pune. Use the quote form with these items:

• Quantity of plugs, and of adapters if needed.
• Fibre type and the cable you want used, with outer diameter.
• Polish and polarity.
• For a built assembly: length, one-end or both-end, and the other connector.
• Boot colour or marking requirements.
• Any labelling printed on the cord or on a tag.

For a cord built to your drawing, the custom fibre optic assemblies page explains the process, and the RFQ guide shows what a complete request looks like. Radix tests each cord before dispatch.

When this is not the right part

• The link stays indoors. A standard SN connector from the SN connectors hub will cost less and is easier to terminate.
• The equipment ports are SC. Look at the IP-9 SC connector.
• You need many fibres in one plug. Use the IP-9 MPO connector.
• The connector must plug directly into an SFP. That is the job of the IP-J range.
• The enclosure uses IP-16 adapters. Match the family.
• You expect to terminate in the field with no factory tools. Read the IP-RC connector page for a field-installable option.

The rest of the outdoor family is in the IP series harsh environment connectors hub. The wider guidance on IP ratings is in IP67 and IP68 fibre connectors explained.