Table of ContentsContentsDesignCategory 5 design for video/imaging applicationsThis high-speed Category 5 copper/fiber cabling system provides voice, data and imaging for a large ratio of employees per square foot.
InstallationEnhanced Category 5 installation meets state agencies needsThis universal wiring system serves today`s proprietary hardware but is also open to expansion and growth.
Product UpdateCable trays adapt to changing needsCable-tray systems comprise sections and associated fittings that form a rigid structural distribution system to support cabling within a building. Cable trays are often preferred to conduit and raceway systems because of their accessibility and ability to accommodate change. Changing cables is easy because cables can enter or exit the trays at any point in the system. The open construction lets you see if there is enough capacity left for additional cable and also facilitates inspection of the
Standards50-kpsi versus 100-kpsi fiber strengthThe optical fiber industry has recently transitioned from 50-thousand-pound-per-square-inch fiber to 100-kpsi fiber strength as the standard in its cables. For local area networks, where fiber lengths are relatively short, some installers have been confused about the need for this transition.
TechnologyButt-in test sets--basic equipment for a thriving marketThe butt-in test set is perhaps the most basic and widely used piece of test equipment in the telecommunications industry. Looking like a simple telephone handset, it is anything but simple--it can pack a wide range of sophisticated features into its rugged shell.
Crosstalk & FeedbackAsk DonnaISDNA: Integrated Services Digital Network, or ISDN, is a standard developed by Committee T1 (Washington, DC) and the International Telecommunications Union (Geneva, Switzerland) that integrates voice and data services over the same interface. The user has access to both circuit and packet-switching networks and can control service features through message signaling. Some of the advantages of ISDN are single-line access to voice, data and video services; end-to-end digital conductivity; and user con
25-pair cableQ: Where I can find documentation on Category 5 25-pair cable? Is it included in Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association standard 568A? Our computer people are saying that only one 100-megabit-per-second circuit can be installed in a 25-pair cable.
Note: I have received numerous faxes and e-mail messages regarding a statement on plenum cabling inNote: I have received numerous faxes and e-mail messages regarding a statement on plenum cabling in the October 1995 "Ask Donna" column (page 49). The most informative of these follow. Thanks to Noel Williams for his expert guidance through the code maze surrounding this issue.
Im writing in response to your answer to Mr. Ralph Bouvy in the October 1995 issue. I believe yourI`m writing in response to your answer to Mr. Ralph Bouvy in the October 1995 issue. I believe your response to his question about plenum-rated power cabling is incorrect.
EditorialOn the NetThis week we on the Cabling Installation & Maintenance editorial staff gathered around the computer of managing editor Catherine Varmazis to "ooh" and "aah" over the magazine`s first step into the electronic age -- our own home page on the Internet. Catherine and assistant editor Marcy Koff have worked hard to create this new resource for CI&M readers. In addition, there is a home page for CI&M`s sister publication, Lightwave, which focuses exclusively on fiber-optic technology.
Industry trends revisitedEditor`s Note: At the annual building wiring seminar of the Telecommunications Industry Association, or TIA, (Arlington, VA) last year, moderator Paul Kreager asked each speaker to make a prediction about an industry trend. The predictions were published in the September 1994 issue of Cabling Installation & Maintenance as a "Point of View" column --"Industry observers pull out their crystal balls." At this fall`s TIA seminar, the predictions made a year ago were reviewed to see how well the spea
Products & ServicesIndustry SpotlightCabling installation suspect in sick building syndromeEditor`s Note: In the June 1995 issue (page 69), we reported on the cabling installation at the new Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles building in Roxbury, MA. This follow-up report, excerpted from The Boston Globe, discusses subsequent problems encountered in the building that should be noted by cabling contractors and network managers.
AT&T breaks up--againJon A. Wiese, national vice president of sales and service for AT&T (New York, NY), said that the company`s recent announcement that it would be breaking up into three separate companies had created within the telecommunications giant a sense of loss and uncertainty. "But there is also a sense of elation, of excitement about the future," he added.
FEP shortage long-term, DuPont saysAt the recent TIA wiring seminar in Tucson, AZ, Danield J. Kennefick, a product line manager for DuPont Fluoroproducts (Wilmington, DE), said that temporary relief was in sight for the shortage of fluorinated ethylene propylene, or FEP, but that over the long term the problem was likely to continue. FEP is used in the insulation of Category 5 plenum cable to help it meet the fire requirements in the National Electrical Code.
Moves, Adds & ChangesADC Telecommunications (Minneapolis, MN) and Nokia Telecommunications (Finland) have signed a preliminary agreement to jointly develop products for the global cable TV and telecommunications markets. The move is expected to provide global exposure for ADC`s Homeworx as an integrated voice, data and video platform.
New ProductsBar code markersBar code markers with a 300 dots per inch resolution come in a range of sizes and configurations. Compatible with all commercial scanners, the markers can be used for marking power and telephone poles, pedestals, duct work, repeaters, splice boxes, cabinets, panels, equipment and machinery.
LAN testersHandheld local area network testers for checking connections during LAN installation include a tone generator for locating un-energized LAN cables, a cable tester for verifying the wiring of un-energized, eight-conductor patch cables terminated with RJ-45 connectors and un-energized coaxial patch cables terminated with BNC connectors.
Connector brochureThis six-page product brochure describes the Crimplok connector, which combines the speed of non-adhesive connectors with the performance characteristics of epoxy and hot-melt connectors. The brochure includes specifications and color photos.
Category 5 cableThe LANmark-350 cable meets TIA/EIA 568A Category 5 four-pair requirements and is tested out to 350 megahertz. The cable has a typical attenuation-to-crosstalk of 24 decibels, and also meets the TIA/EIA-568A multi-pair power sum near-end crosstalk specifications.
Cable television guideA 28-page guide describes equipment to meet the specific testing needs of the cable television and wireless communications industries. The guide features frequency agile meters that measure channel signal levels and includes information on the 3SRT option for the Stealth Sweep Receiver, which adds transmitter functionality.
Ethernet LAN hubA compact eight-port 10Base-T Ethernet work group hub, 4490, offers eight unshielded RJ-45 connectors plus a switch selectable BNC/AUI port. It also complies with Ethernet 802.3 standards, including 10Base-T, 10Base-2 and 10Base-5.
Anti-short bushingsThe CM anti-short bushing provides both protection and visibility. It features a plastic tip that extends outside the cable`s armor and rests next to the conductors, ensuring that the "red head" will always be visible in any installation.
Testing fiber routesAn enhanced mini-optical time-domain reflectometer has optical modules that expand its dynamic range. This allows it to accurately test fiber routes longer than 100 kilometers.
Fiber-optic enclosuresFiber-optic wall- and rack-mount cabinets provide panel configuration options. Enclosures cover applications to patch, splice or distribute 6 to l44 fiber strands in indoor wiring closets. Installation features are designed to support TIA-568A bend radius requirements. Enclosures come pre-assembled with mounting hardware attached and pre-drilled adapter six-pack plates.
Frame system softwareFiber Frame Administration Software allows the user to select a range of housings to create a fiber distribution frame system of up to 40 frames in a lineup. After selection of a source and a destination, FFAS provides the ideal jumper length and routing of the cable based on the user`s available patch cord inven- tory. FFAS also automatically prepares reports that may be printed or viewed on the screen.
TNC connectorsTNC connectors feature a gold-plated locking center conductor to ensure proper alignment during termination, a center insulation design that gives them a true 75-ohm characteristic impedance and half-inch crimp ferrules with cable size clearly marked on each one. The connectors can be terminated with industry-standard crimp tool and die sets.
Adhesives brochureAdvanced polymers that are UL-approved flame-retardant, diamond-filled, lightweight and military specification-approved are described in a brochure highlighting specialty adhesives.
Labeling products guideAn 18-page bulletin, Labeling Guide for ANSI/TIA/EIA-606, describes a full range of labeling products for use with dot matrix, laser and thermal transfer printers. It also provides a guide to labeling telecommunications infrastructures in accordance with the TIA/EIA-606 standard as well as guidelines for selecting the appropriate print method and label style in a given application.
Handheld optical multimeterThe two-module design of the AQ-2150 allows it to function as an optical power meter, stabilized light source, loss-test set or return loss measurement test set, depending on the configuration. Sensor units for the handheld device offer a power range of -80 decibels relative to milliwatts to +3 dBm and cover wavelengths from 400 to 1870 nm.
Cable Installer TipsSelecting Category 5 components based on terminationConnector or cable selection/specifying are issues generally encountered in Category 5 installations. Although price and availability are important, other factors such as speed, quality of termination and link performance are critical. The bottom line is to avoid excessive troubleshooting and rework time that these factors can cause.
Matching block termination positions to work-area locationsIn many situations when horizontal cabling is being installed, specific information identifying work areas is lacking. It can also be a problem to locate work areas?once they have been identified?after horizontal cabling has been terminated. When terminating to a patch panel or connecting block, the installer generally terminates and numbers horizontal cables sequentially, and this is not necessarily based on the location or identification of the specific work area served by a cable. For example
Designing logical frame layoutsTypically, you do not have enough time to design system interconnects for an installation. However, improperly designed frame layouts can increase the cost of equipment, labor and system maintenance.
Firestopping overnight cable access holesYou have been pulling cable through the floor into cable racks all day and you cannot finish off a section of cable before quitting time. But you have to ensure that the holes and gaps between the cables and the floor adhere to the required 2-hour OFO fire rating as described in the American Society of Test and Measurement E814 standard (see OInstalling cable rack firestopping seals,O October 1995, page 48).
Organizing and storing optical patch cordsNo matter what type of fiber-optic patch cord or jumper you own, it always seems to tie itself into knots when stored. If jumpers are stored carelessly, their minimum bend radius can be exceeded, connectors can be parted from fibers and it may be impossible to find the particular jumper you are looking for.
Lifting and handling materials at the jobsiteMany work-related injuries occur because improper material handling and lifting techniques are used on the job.
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This IssueNo Image Available Volume 3
Issue 12
December 1995
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