CABLE UPDATE
COPPER AND FIBER
REVIEW
Presented by Ken Pimental
Category 5
Installation
STANDARDS TO KNOW BASED ON A STAR TOPOLOGY
INSTALLATION
• ANSI/EIA/TIA-568B COMMERCIAL BUILDING WIRING
STANDARD
• ANSI/EIA/TIA-570 RESIDENTIAL/LIGHT COMMERCIAL
WIRING STANDARD
WORK AREAS WIRED TO CENTRAL LOCATIONS
SUPPORT THE LISTED CABLE TYPES:
• 4PR 100 OHM UTP
• 150 OHM STP (IBM TYPE)
• 62.5/125 OPTICAL FIBER
Quick Facts:
• CAT 1 = POTS (PLAIN OLD TELEPHONE SERVICE)
• CAT 2 = ISDN ( INTERGRATED SERVICES
DIGITAL NETWORK
• CAT 3 = 16 MHZ 100 OHM UTP
• CAT 5 = 100 MHZ 100 OHM UTP
• CAT 5E = 100 MHZ with enhanced
requirements
• CAT 5E = 350 MHZ same as above with
extended testing
• CAT 6= Draft Gigabit Ethernet
NOW THE IMPORTANT STUFF!
LETS LOOK AT THE PARTS OF AN INSTALLATION
THAT TYPICALLY CONCERN US THE MOST!
• PULLING AND PLACING THE CABLE
• FORMING AND TERMINATING
• TESTING AND DOCUMENTING
PULLING THE CABLE
• AVOID SHARP CORNERS, KINKS AND TURNS
• GRADUALLY PULL CABLE INTO PLACE
• PULLING CAT 5 CABLE SHOULD NOT EXCEED
A TENSION OF 25 LBS
• NEVER JERK OR DRAG CABLE AROUND
CORNERS
CAT 5 VS THE ENVIRONMENT
• WATCH PATHWAY CONGESTION
• MOISTURE WILL AFFECT CABLE PERFORMANCE
• HIGH TEMPERATURES INCREASE CABLE
ATTENUATION
LET TALK ABOUT BENDING
DURING INSTALLATION KEEP THE BEND RADIUS
AS LARGE AS POSSIBLE
• EIA/TIA-568-B STATES THE MINIMUM BEND
RADIUS IS 4 TIMES THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER
OF THE CABLE
• ALWAYS AVOID TIGHT BENDS AND SHARP EDGES
COMMON SENSE IS KEY:
• MAKE PULLS AS STRAIGHT AS POSSIBLE!
• USE THIRD MAN PULLEYS OR PEOPLE AT
POINTS IN QUESTION
WHAT DOES THE STANDARD REALLY SAY
ABOUT CABLE FORMING AND TERMINATION?
• RUMOR: THE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM STRIP
LENGTH IS 2 1/2 INCHES FOR CAT 5 4PR.
CABLE
• FACT: EIA/TIA-568-B CABLING PRACTICES
10.6.3.2 STRIP BACK ONLY AS MUCH CABLE
JACKET AS REQUIRED TO TERMINATE
CONNECTING HARDWARE
PROPER CABLE FORMING
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AVOID UNNECESSARY BENDS
MINIMIZE JACKET TWISTING
REPLACE DAMAGED CABLE
AVOID HIGH TEMPERATURE AREAS
APPLY CABLE TIES LOOSELY
MAINTAIN AT LEAST A 4 TIMES THE
DIAMETER BEND RADIUS
PROPER CABLE FORMING
CONTINUED
• STORE AND RUN CABLE IN PROTECTED,
MOISTURE FREE AREA
• MAKE ALL CONNECTIONS VIA PATCH PANELS
AND CROSS CONNECT BLOCKS
• AVOID SOURCES OF EMI.
• RUN CABLE AT LEAST 5 INCHES AWAY FROM
FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURES. EIA/TIA569 10.4.2
AVOID AT ANY COSTS
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EXCEEDING 90 DEGREE BENDS
NEVER OVERTIGHTEN CABLE TIES
DO NOT STEP ON OR RUN OVER CABLE
NEVER SPLICE OR USE BRIDGE TAPS
USE PROPER STAPLING METHODS
AVOID OVERSTRESSING THE CABLE
DO NOT LEAVE LARGE SERVICE LOOPS
KEEP IN MIND
MAXIMUM HORIZONTAL RUN:
• 295 FT OF HORIZONTAL CABLING OR 90
METERS
• RECOMMENDED WORK AREA CABLE (MAX) 3
METERS OR (10 FT)
RECOMMENDED JUMPER/PATCH CORDS 7
METERS OR 23 FEET (MAX OF 2 PATCH
CORDS PER HORIZONTAL RUN)
THE STANDARD TELLS US
EIA/TIA-568-B ALLOWS THAT OVER THE
LIFETIME OF A CABLING PLATFORM BOTH
VOICE AND DATA WILL PROBABLY BE
REQUIRED AT EACH INSTALLED WORK
STATION, SO IT DICTATES WIRING AT
LEAST A MINIMUM OF TWO OUTLETS
THE STANDARD ALSO TELLS US THAT AT
LEAST ONE OF THE MEDIA CABLES SHOULD
BE
• 4 PR 100 OHM UTP FOR VOICE
THE OTHER CAN BE:
• 4 PR 100 OHM UTP
OR
• 2 PR 150 OHM STP FOR DATA
• 2 STRAND, 62.5/125 MULTIMODE OPTICAL
FIBER FOR FUTURE APPLICATION/NEEDS
WHAT ABOUT COMPOSITE ?
• A HYBRID CABLE IS WHEN MORE THAN ONE
(RECOGNIZED) CABLE IS PLACED UNDER ONE
SHEATH
• WHEN ALL THE CABLES UNDER THE SHEATH
ARE EIA/TIA-568-B COMPLIANT, THE CABLE
MAY BE USED IN THE HORIZONTAL!
HOW ABOUT A LITTLE FIBER
• ALTHOUGH THIS PRESENTATION IS MOSTLY
ON COPPER, WE STILL NEED TO ADDRESS
FIBER IN THE HORIZONTAL RELATING TO
PULLING AND TERMINATION
• BE AWARE THAT YOU DO NOT EXCEED THE
MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED PULLING
TENSION
• INNERDUCT IS TYPICALLY USED ON THE
BACKBONE ONLY, BUT IF CONDITIONS
DICTATE IT MAY BE NEEDED IN THE
HORIZONTAL
MORE FIBER STUFF
• FIBER IS AVAILABLE IN BOTH PVC AND
PLENUM, AS IS INNERDUCT:
• DETERMINE CABLE ENVIRONMENT
• CHECK ANY LOCAL CODE
• SELECT PROPER TYPE CABLE
• FIBER AND INNERDUCT COME IN VARIOUS
COLORS
• WHILE NOT A STANDARD, MULTIMODE IS
TYPICALLY ORANGE JACKET AND SINGLEMODE
IS YELLOW JACKET.
STILL MORE FIBER STUFF
• AS A RULE MORE PULLING TENSION MAY BE
EXERTED ON FIBER THAN ON CAT 5 COPPER
• MANY MANUFACTURERS MAKE FIBER ENDS RE:
SC OR ST TYPE AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE
IN ADHESIVE, EPOXY, CRIMP
CONFIGURATIONS
• TRAINING IS AVAILABLE FROM
MANUFACTURERS AND THE BICSI
INSTALLATION COURSES AS TO PROPER FIBER
TERMINATION
NOTE: FIBER IN THE HORIZONTAL HAS THE
SAME DISTANCE PARAMETERS AS COPPER!
LET’S TALK TESTING
• THE SYSTEM IS NOT INSTALLED UNTIL IT’S
TESTED
• PROPER TESTING INCLUDES
• PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF INSTALLED CABLE
AND TERMINATIONS
• INSURE TRANSMISSION BY ACTUAL TESTING
WITH A DIAGNOSTIC TESTER WHICH UTILIZES
TSB67 PARAMETERS
• DOCUMENTATION OF ACTUAL TEST RESULTS
Near-End Crosstalk
(NEXT)
• Defined as the induction of a portion
of the signal from one pair into the
adjacent pairs, measured from each end
• Maximum value determined by the
formulas shown in TSB 67
• Measured in dB
Attenuation to
Crosstalk Ratio (ACR)
Definition:
• A ratio comparing the received signal
with the near-end crosstalk on a cable
It is not a test
• It is a comparison of the attenuation
test and NEXT test used to give an
indication of how problem-free the
cable line will be