The ANSI/TIA-606B Administration
©PRGodin @ gmail.com
Edit December 2013
1
Bob
Boss
Elaine
Front
Raj
Dsk#3
Sales3
E.W.
Dsk#6
NW1
Installations that are improperly labeled are
difficult to manage and maintain.
 The ANSI/TIA 606-B standard includes
recommendations on how to label and manage a
cabling infrastructure.

2
Overview
The communication cabling is a vital component of a building.
Occupants need a reliable, manageable, predictable and flexible
telecommunications infrastructure for voice, video and data
communications. Any structure or cable should be identifiable and
traceable through the building.
The ANSI/TIA 606B is a system for
documenting, identifying and tracking the
structured cabling infrastructure is
necessary for managing the
telecommunications investment.
3
Advantages of the Standard

The ANSI/TIA 606B standard:
◦ Uses descriptive labelling.
◦ Easy to understand and implement.
◦ Scalable, meaning the identifying labels can contain as
much information as the user wishes.
◦ Immune to future technology changes.
◦ Uniform and structured. The labels read from general
to specific from left to right.
Estimates are that only approximately 50% of installations comply
with the ANSI/TIA/EIA 606 Standard.
Source: Cabling and Maintenance Magazine
4
What the 606B Addresses

Labelling (Identifiers)
◦ The labels are point-of-origin.
◦ Each run has its own descriptive label.
◦ Describes the labels and where they should be placed.

Record Keeping
◦ All labelled elements are recorded
◦ Specify symbols used
◦ Define the reports that need to be kept or generated

The standard applied to:
◦ Horizontal and Backbone Cable (ANSI/TIA 568C)
◦ Grounding and Bonding (ANSI/TIA 607B)
◦ Pathways and Spaces (ANSI/TIA 569B)
5
Newest Revision

The ANSI/TIA 606B revision, published in 2012, made
many significant changes over the previous version of
the standard

Moved to harmonize it with other standards, including
the 568C and ISO standards

Simplified and reformatted the identification
requirements and identifiers, changed the way racks and
panels are addressed, and several other changes.
6
7
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
Typical Telecom Infrastructure to Administer
Identified Elements

Every location, cable, pathway and termination
point must have a unique identifier.

The standard includes suggestions on creating
unique alphanumeric identifiers.

Some identification values are no longer
required on the label, but are in the records.
8
Administration Classes

Four Administration Classifications:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Class 1: Single Building, Single Telecommunications Room
Class 2: Single Building, Multiple Telecommunications Rooms
Class 3: Multiple Buildings, Single Site
Class 4: Multiple Buildings, Multiple Sites
9
Conventions

The EIA/TIA 568C standard for color code sequences should be
followed.

Identifier label detail increases when read from left to right

Panel Labeling
◦ All panel ports should be read and labelled from left to right (viewed from
the front), starting at the top left.
◦ May be labeled with a letter designator or its numerical unit position.
10
Identifier

The standard defines a descriptive identification label.

This identifier will contain information on the
physical infrastructure, not its application.

The information on the label can be used to:
◦ Track down the physical layout of the cable
◦ Determine which infrastructure records need to be
accessed.
11
image: www.cablinginstall.com
Identifiers (Labels)

Placed within 30cm of the end of a cable.

Must be durable and resistant to environmental
conditions.

Must be easily read (contrast)

Must be typed or mechanically printed (no hand written
labels)
12
Required Identifiers








Cabling Subsystem1link (Horizontal Link)
Patch panel port & termination point
TS (Telecommunication Space)
Cabinet, rack, enclosure, wall segment
Patch panel or block
TMGB & from object (ANSI/TIA 607 element)
TGB & from object (ANSI/TIA 607 element)
RGB, BCT, TBB, GE (ANSI/TIA 607 element)
13
Suggestions for Unique Identifiers
from the 606A standard
BC
Bonding conductor
IC
Intermediate crossconnect
BCD
Backbone conduit
Jx
Jack
Cx
Cable
MC
Main crossconnect
CB
Backbone cable
MH
Man or maintenance hole
CD
Conduit
PB
Pull box
CC
Cross-Connect
PE
Pedestal
CP
Consolidation Point
Sx
Splice
CT
Cable Tray
SE
Service entrance
EC
Equip. Bonding conductor
SL
Sleeve
EF
Entrance facility
SP
Splices in Horizontal Link
EO
Equipment Outlet
TC
Telecom Closet
ER
Equipment room
TGB
Telecom Grounding busbar
Fx
Fiber
TMGB
Telecom Main grounding busbar
GB
Grounding busbar
TO
Telecommunications Outlet
GC
Grounding conductor
WAx
Work area
14
Grid positioning

Racks and cabinets in a large data center can be identified
using a grid-based system that relate to floor tiles or rows of
racks/cabinets. The “X” coordinate is an alpha character and
the “Y” coordinate is a number.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
15
Identifiers
 fs: (f) # floor, (s)  TS of that floor
 -a:n: (a)  panel/block, (n) # port/IDC section or (a) # panel U (n) # port
 xy: (x)  horizontal tile of a floor, (y) vertical tile
 b: (b) # building
 c: (c) # site or campus
 n: (n) # cable
 d: (d) # pair/strand
 b: (b) # building



/ is a separator between near end and far end
The identifiers read from general information on the left to more specific
information on the right.
Numbers should start with #1; letters should start with A. For instance, using #3
as a value implies that there is a #1 and a #2 in existence.
16
Identifiers
Image: www.bradycanada.com and the TIA/EIA 606 A Standard
17
Example

A telecom rack is located in a TR on the 3rd floor, east
side at grid position “C-6”. The port is #4 on the 2nd
rack down from the top.

The format is:
fs.xy-r:p where:
◦ fs = floor, space identifier on the floor
◦ xy = coordinates of the rack
◦ r:p = rack letter and the port number

The label would be: 3E.C6-B:4
18
Panel unit positions

Racks should be labeled
based on their grid
position. In this image, the
label is ‘AD02’

Panels can be identified
based on the bottom-up
standards rack unit position
at its top edge.
www.hellermanntyton.us
19
image: www.cablinginstall.com
20
image: www.bicsi.org
21
Examples of Basic Identifiers

Class 3 Horizontal (Multiple Buildings, Single Site)
021-2B-3C04
Building
Number
Second Floor,
Telecom Room B
Rack 3,
Panel C
Port
Number 4
021-2B-A4-30:04
Building
Number
Second Floor,
Telecom Room B
Rack at grid
A4
Panel at 30U,
Port Number 4
22
Examples of Advanced Identifiers

Class 3 Backbone (Multiple Buildings, Single Site)
06 - 1C / 05 - 2B. FMM2 . 4
Building
Number
First Floor,
Telecom Space C
Building
Number
Second Floor,
Telecom Space B
Fiber Multimode,
Cable 2, Group 4
Separator
23
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
Examples of TO/EO Labels
image: www.bicsi.org
24
Examples of TO/EO Labels
image: www.bicsi.org
25
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
Example of Block Label
26
Example of Panel Designator
Note the panel
identifiers may
use the rack unit
position of the
panel instead of a
letter identifier
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
27
Color Coding

If the termination fields will be color coded the table below
indicates the colors required for the different types of connections
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
28
Example of
color coding
termination
fields
29
image: www.anixter.com
Grounding Infrastructure


The telecommunications grounding
infrastructure should also be
managed under the standard.
image: www.thefoa.org
Grounding busbars must be
identified in the following format:
◦ FS-TGB or FS-TGMB where:
 F = floor
 S = room identifier
 TGB or TGMB = busbar type
30
Firestops

Firestop locations are identified in the following format:
◦ F-FSLN(H) where:





F = floor
FSL = firestop location identifier
N = firestop identifier/location
H = hours rating
Any item penetrating the firestop barrier should be
labelled within 30 cm on each side.
31
Pathways and Spaces

Pathways and spaces follow an identification format:
◦ fs-UUU.n.d(q) where:






f = floor
s = space
UUU = descriptive identifier/location
n = pathway element
d = detail information
q = qualifying information
◦ The standard indicates recommended descriptor codes for
Outdoor Spaces, Devices, Indoor Spaces, and pathways.
32
Example of a Pathway Identifier
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
33
Record Keeping

All cables must have an associated record that includes:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Identifier
Cable type
Physical location (pathway and space)
Information on the termination on each end
 Faceplate/panel/block type and configuration
 Termination location on the faceplate/block/panel
◦ Service record including:
 Installation
 Modifications and/or repairs
 Test results
34
Record Keeping

Use software specifically designed for cable record
keeping.
◦ Also allowable is a database or spreadsheet.
◦ Physical files may also be necessary.

Records must be easy to access. They should be
sorted by location.

The standard states which records are required and
which are optional.
35
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
Example of a Horizontal Link Record
36
Linkages

Other documents may be linked to the records
as a linkage. Examples include:
◦ Drawings are helpful for quickly identifying locations
for cabling within a building. The drawings should be
updated whenever changes to the infrastructure are
made. Examples include:




T-Drawings
As-built
floor plans
blueprints,…
◦ Work orders and details on what changes have been
made to the infrastructure.
37
T-Series Drawings

The 606 Standard (Annex C) addresses the
symbology and graphic elements for drawing
Telecommunications drawings (T-Drawings).

There are 6 types of T-Drawings defined in the
standard.
38
T-Drawings

T0: Campus or Site Plans
◦ Backbones

T1: Layout of the building per floor
◦ Building Areas (rooms, access points, etc)
◦ Backbones
◦ Horizontal Pathways

T2: Service Zone or Building Area Drawings
◦ Cable drop locations
◦ Cable IDs
39
T-Drawings

T3 Telecommunications Rooms
◦ Room Layout
◦ Rack/Cabinet elevations

T4 Typical Detail Drawings
◦ Faceplate labeling
◦ Firestopping
◦ Rack/Cabinet details
◦ Raceways

T5 Schedules
◦ Spreadsheets showing information for cutover and
cable plant management
40
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
T1 Drawing Example
41
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
T2 Drawing Example
42
Image: TIA/EIA Standard
T3/T4 Drawing Examples
43
Summary

Telecommunications are vital to the occupants of a
building.

A well administered structured cabling
infrastructure is one that is well documented.

The ANSI/TIA 606B Administration standard
describes a method for identifying and managing
records for the telecommunications infrastructure.
END
prgodin @ gmail.com
44