Tag Archives: Electrical Engineering

As mentioned in Part 1, zone cabling designs provide benefits in materials savings, decreased installation times, and easier MACs (moves, adds, and changes). Part 2 will continue discussing the basics and benefits of zone cabling.

Designs

Experts recommend CAT 5e and 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) zone cabling topology with a connecting block system within the ZE (zone enclosure). This configuration will render unnecessary the stocking of factory pre-terminated and tested interconnect cords for connections in the ZE, simplifying cable management through the elimination of cable slack.

Please note that CAT 6A UTP media is not recommended for zone cabling due to reasons involving performance and flexibility. UTP cabling is vulnerable to crosstalk in particular installation scenarios. In addition, it is not the best media for supporting remote power applications with loads of 30W or more. Because CAT 6A UTP zone deployment is dependent on modular connections inside the ZE, connections provided by pre-terminated and tested interconnect cords need to be available for rapidly enabling MACs. Affordable shielded zone cabling solutions are recommended to address these situations.

Cost Savings

Even though more CAPEX (capital expenditure) will be necessary for a zone cabling installation, assessing total costs should also account for OPEX (operating expenditure). The performance of MACs is classified as OPEX, and studies by Siemon found there are hundreds of dollars in savings from each move, addition, or change when using a zone cabling design versus a traditional cabling design. Their study also discovered a tipping point when ROI begins accruing from utilizing a zone cabling design.

IT (information technology) needs for many organizations evolve constantly, which requires being able to quickly reconfigure floor space. An improved capability of supporting MACs will allow owners of facilities to achieve considerable ROI benefits from deploying zone cabling systems in a two to five year period. According to Siemon, the combined costs of CAPEX and OPEX for zone cabling designs will be invariably less than traditional cabling designs

Part 3 will continue discussing the basics and benefits of zone cabling.

Progressive Office Cabling

Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

The TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) and the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) are the primary organizations that oversee the development of structured cabling standards for the industry. Committees formed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) provide assistance through testing and setting performance specifications for various standards.

Compliance with standards ensures the functioning of systems at specified levels, backward compatibility, and a greater selection of equipment will exist. General global recognition of standards permit utilizing equipment sourced from various countries inside computer systems. Requirements for the components of optical and copper cabling including cables, assemblies, connectors, cabling spacing and pathways, administration, field testing, and installation are standardized to make worldwide acceptance possible.

Technicians in North America typically use TIA standards, while the rest of the world uses ISO standards. Examples of organizations that set regional and national standards organizations are CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), CSA (Canadian Standards Association) and JSA (Japanese Standards Association). Their standards are generally compatible with TIA and ISO.

Different terminology used by TIA and ISO Associations sometimes cause confusion because they refer to the same item. For example, what the TIA terms as Cat5e is what ISO terms to be Class D. However, adherence to standards set by TIA and ISO ensure system cabling requirements are properly implemented in the categories below.

• Insertion Loss – Decrease of signal strength down the transmission line.


• Return Loss – Measurement of signal reflections on the cable.


• NEXT – Near End Crosstalk Loss due to signal coupling.


• Propagation Delay / Delay Skew – Elapsed time for signal to reach other end of cable or the delay between signal arrival at far end on slowest and fastest cable pairs.


• ACR – Difference between insertion loss and NEXT.


• ELFEXT – Identical to NEXT, but for cabling system’s far end.


• PSANEXT / PSAACRF – Power sum alien crosstalk at near end / Power sum alien crosstalk at far end.

Due to ever-increasing data rates, the efforts of the standards organizations are assuming greater importance in terms of ensuring proper system design.

Union Network Cabling

When your work requires a unionized cabling group, call on  Progressive Office Inc. for your commercial Cat5e/6/6a and fiber cabling projects. Specializing in cabling for data, voice, security and even the latest WiFi and LiFi solutions. Phone: (202) 462-4290

What can cabling that has not been installed properly do?

It can lead to a lot of negative outcomes such as paralyzed network performance, maintenance troubles and hidden costs. Network cabling can be  especially troublesome if it is installed by individuals without the proper knowledge and tools. When it comes to twisted pair cabling, there are many factors that you need to consider.

In the past, many companies installed different cable systems since twisted pair cabling was expensive. At present, full installation is still costly although a greater part of the expense is labor since raw cables is not pricey. Cable management is another concern. Use of ladder racks means additional cost but it reduces upkeep. Also be sure you label cables and to make use of color codes.

Unshielded twisted pairs are more practical in terms of usage. Magnetic fields are produced by low voltages that pass through your cables. This is a vital property of the communications cycle. And if you run unshielded cables along with electrical wires, the magnetic field can be interrupted. The communications becomes corrupted or noisy. You can expect that transmissions will not make it from one point to the other. Another possibility is that transmission rates will become slower. The cables should be perpendicular with electrical lines instead with the electric wires inside of shielded tubes at cross points.

Do not attempt to run cable alongside fixtures that create “noise”. Fluorescent lamps, motors and devices that generate electrical or magnetic interference will distort your cabling infrastructure. Install a data cable conduit that will create a buffer from these hazards. Also figure out the total distance of each cable. This is usually up to 100 meters. However, if cabling data rates reaches 10 to 40 GBPs, be attentive about distance restrictions related to the kind of cabling you plan to use. If you will run 10 GBPs for a maximum of 100 meters over twisted pair cabling, it is best to use Category 6 cabling.

Be aware of local codes.

This is important for safety concerns. In many areas, using PVC-covered cables is not allowed in air-handling spaces. When PVC burns, there is toxic emission that may prove dangerous to firefighters and other safety personnel who will try to navigate the location during emergencies. Failure to follow rules can lead to fines and forced replacement of cabling infrastructure. Contractors must be mindful of these regulatory standards.