Table of ContentsContentsDesignThe reality of patch-cord managementIn glossy brochures and trade show displays, patch panels are always tidy and well-dressed. In the telecommunications closet, however, the reality more closely resembles a "rat`s nest" -- a term that is frequently used to describe this area.
InstallationUpgrade your cable plant for future needsThe driving forces behind the success of this cable upgrade project were innovative cable design, system certification, and accurate documentation.
Product UpdatePower drills tackle many jobsIf you ask cabling installers what power tool they use most often, the answer will likely be a power drill. Today`s drills include many features, among which are keyless chucks, multiple clutch settings, and electronic brakes. These features let the drill be used to mount cable racks to relay racks, sink screws into masonry, or drill studs for running cable (see Product Update table, page 23).
StandardsNational Electrical Code revisions focus on optical-fiber cable applicationsThis is a continuation of the article published in the January 1997 issue, page 60. This part focuses on cable applications and how the 1996 National Electrical (NEC) has been revised to accommodate technological advances in intrabuilding wiring practices.
TechnologyChoose education and training to fit your needsThe telecommunications industry is changing so rapidly that today we are dealing with equipment, standards, and technology that are different and more complex than just five years ago. Keeping up with these changes can be difficult, but one solution is to invest in your future with training and education--and this applies to everyone involved in designing, installing, and maintaining structured cabling system networks.
Crosstalk & FeedbackAsk DonnaPractice Test for RCDDQ: Do you know if anyone has put together some reasonably priced practice tests for the bicsi registered communications distribution designer (rcdd) exam? I have found one by Clark Technologies but it costs $345. Do you know if any of the people who studied for the test have put together some study questions?
25-pair Category 5 CablingQ: Who can I contact, or where can I get more information concerning the installation of 25-pair Category 5 cabling? I`m in the process of designing cabling- installation specifications that will be incorporated into all new and renovated building projects on my base. I have read all of the tia/eia-568a, eia/tia-569, tia-eia-606, tia/eia-607, TSB 67, and TSB 75 standards, and I understand that the standards are currently under revision. However, I cannot find references to installing 25-pair cab
Installing service loopsQ: I have worked with many cabling subcontractors, and they terminate fiber and UTP cable differently. Most of the subcontractors will leave a service loop of 7 to 21 feet at either end of a fiber run, but typically leave no slack in UTP runs. What is the acceptable installation procedure for maintenance or service loops for Category 5 UTP cable and indoor fiber?
Video over twisted-pairQ: I have been hearing more and more about video over twisted-pair cable. Most of the information I can find has been on specific active equipment that converts the video signals to frequencies that can be transmitted over Category 5 cabling. Have there been any discussions by any committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (ieee) or other standards body on a standard for video over twisted-pair?
Proper grounding proceduresQ: I`m performing telecommunications renovations work on one floor of a high-rise office building that does not have an existing telecommunications ground wire. Is it permissible to ground one end of the metallic sheath of a new riser cable to the electrical ground at the point of penetration and the other end to a power panel box (connected by a licensed electrician) where the riser terminates on the floor, rather than running an entirely new ground wire?
To the reader I spoke with Carroll and determined that the riser cable was an intrabuilding backbone cable. The 1996 NEC does not require you to ground the cable shield of an intrabuilding backbone cable. However, for an interbuilding backbone cable, the 1996 NEC, Article 800-33, Cable Grounding, states, "The metallic sheath of communications cables entering buildings shall be grounded as close as practicable to the point of entrance or shall be interrupted as close to the point of entrance as practicable by
EditorialA honey of a story....We at Cabling Installation & Maintenance are not cabling installers ourselves, so sometimes we wonder if our collective leg is being pulled, especially when it comes to Installer Tips. The first time we suspected this was when a tip was submitted that suggested that a battery-powered, remote-controlled car could be used to carry pullstrings in cable trays or across dropped ceilings. Could a toy really be used effectively in this way? we asked ourselves. After some head-scratching (and some exper
Fiber-to-the-desk will change the installation business foreverImagine the premises wiring market changing overnight, with a new wiring solution offering the ease of use, bend radius, and flexibility of copper, but with the unlimited bandwidth of optical fiber. And imagine all this being offered at absolute cost parity with copper wire. Driven by urgent end-user needs and complex market demands, cabling-industry technologists have long been trying to develop such an optical-fiber medium; if it were available today, it would dramatically affect the cabling i
To The EditorProduct and vendor lists usefulI enjoyed reading the articles in October`s Special Report and found them to be most informative. I was disappointed, however, when I did not find a list of available cable management software (CMS) applications and vendors.
Products & ServicesIndustry SpotlightANSI charters FOA and NECA to develop installation standardsThe Fiber Optic Association (FOA--Boston, MA) and the interNational Electrical Contractors Association (neca--Bethesda, MD) have been chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ansi--New York, NY) to develop an installation standard for low-voltage fiber-optics. According to Jim Hayes, FOA`s president, ansi approached neca to develop this standard because neca has already developed standards for high-voltage electrical cable. Neca then asked the FOA to be a partner on this project b
ANSI charters FOA and NECA to develop installation standards with talk capabilityAccording to Datacom Technologies (Everett, WA), its newly introduced LANcat Vx Category 5 cable tester and talk set is the first local area network (LAN) cable tester with built-in two-way voice communications and a 20-second cable certification test. The tester can be used to certify and troubleshoot installed twisted-pair, coaxial and fiber-optic cables. An optional plug-in module, fibercat, converts the LANcat Vx handset into an optical power meter to measure optical power and cable loss in
Network & Communication Technology announces partnershipsIn addition to releasing a new version of its planet cable/equipment design and management software for Microsoft Windows 95 and NT, Network & Communication Technology Inc. (NCT--Park Ridge, NJ) will integrate products from its partnerships with Brady USA, Seagate Software, and Network World into its software line.
Moves, Adds, & ChangesADC Telecommunications Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) announced its $7.75 million acquisition of Photonics Applications Inc., a Connecticut-based company specializing in high-performance fiber-optic transmission technology for cable- and wireless-communications networks. The company will become part of the ADC Broadband Communications division, a designer and manufacturer of integrated voice-, data-, and video-service delivery systems.
New ProductsCable testerThe PathFinder Tester enables one technician to locate termination addresses, test continuity and verify configuration for installed twisted-pair and coaxial cabling from one location. With the ability to work on T568A/B, 10Base-T, tp-pmd, token ring and usoc wiring, the tester operates with as many as four remote modules. High-intensity light-emitting diodes provide clear indications of cable and connection status and wiring faults, including reversals, opens, shorts, miswires, and split-pair c
Modular enclosuresProline modular enclosures have optional shielding against electromagnetic interference and radio-frequency interference, with a choice of two levels of protection. Both the standard and enhanced models include plated frames, doors, sides, and covers for electromagnetic continuity and corrosion protection. The standard model features metal-fabric gaskets that form a seal on the doors, sides, and covers, while the enhanced model adds a patented stainless-steel spring-finger gasket and a foam-in-p
Cable wrapHeli-Tube spiral-cut cable wrap comes in six different materials and sizes from 0.06 to 1.25 inches. Made to bundle and protect wire, cable, tubing, and hoses, the cable wrap can be supplied on spools or in payout boxes or cut to length. Priced at 4 cents per foot, the cable wrap comes in clear and colored polyethylene, ultraviolet-resistant black polyethylene and nylon, fire-resistant white and black polyethylene, and Teflon.
Retiming concentratorThe OmniRing ARC/16, a dual-ring token ring active-retiming concentrator, can support distances to 1000 feet on UTP wiring. It can use existing premises wiring and structured wiring. It supports lobe and trunk distances of 500 feet on Category 3 wire, and 1000 feet on Category 5 wire. Fiber distances reach 7500 feet on multimode and 25 miles on singlemode fiber. The OmniRing also supports up to 32 UTP ports and two rings.
Digital multimeterThe Enhanced Model HD110 waterproof, digital multimeter can withstand drops to 10 feet, according to the manufacturer. It has a measuring range of 1500V DC, 1000V AC, and AC/DC current to 10 amps. It can also measure resistance to 20 megahertz, as well as diode and continuity testing. The multimeter is accurate to 0.1% and features 0.8-inch-high characters. The model is priced at $219.95.
Wall platesPassPort high-density, field-configurable, multimedia wall plates are the latest addition to mod-tap`s structured cabling system. Mounting the fiber plate with the field-configurable plate and modules provides up to six unshielded-twisted pair (UTP) channels and up to four ST or SC fiber ports. The wall plate can also be used for low-density UTP requirements. Prices begin at $15.
Interconnect hardwareThe rack-mountable closet connector housing or wall-mountable closet housing can be used in main crossconnects, intermediate crossconnects, or telecommunication closets. The products feature engineered cable- and jumper-management routing, as well as a single-size panel design for 6, 8, or 12 connections per panel, with colored icons to aid in jumper recognition and identification. Each housing includes a cable clamp for strain relief.
Optical-fiber manifoldThe Optical Fiber Flat Manifold can break out and protect primary fiber from cable-element tubing or a blown-fiber unit. A clamping system molded into the product secures the input tube and guides in the snap-on lid to aid in fiber threading. With a maximum capacity of 12 fibers, the manifold can be mounted by using the provided self-adhesive pad or by the integral screw holes.
Fiber identifierThe Photodyne brand 8000XGT fiber identifier can be adjusted to identify and test traffic in 250- and 990-micron ribbon fiber, and 2.5- and 3-millimeter fiber for construction or maintenance in telecommunications outside-plant, cable-TV, or premises-wiring applications. The identifier automatically bends the fiber and applies the constant pressure that is appropriate for the fiber size. Weighing two pounds, the self-contained unit operates on 9V alkaline batteries.
UPS lineThe 1000- to 3000-VA Power Works ET uninterruptible power systems feature hot-swappable batteries, PowerPass surge suppression modules, Cell Saver technology for increased battery life, and an automatic bypass switch to prevent loads from crashing. Bundled with LanSafe III/FailSafe III power-management software, the UPSs start at $999.
Cable Installer TipsEliminate cable "drag"Pulling multiple cables takes a lot of time and effort. In addition, it creates drag, or tension, which can cause damage to the cable.
Use existing cable as a pullYou need to add one data cable to an existing work-area location. The wall is heavily insulated, and the fish-tape has caught several times. You have been fishing in the wall for 45 minutes where you need to drop the cable, and your patience is running thin.
Correctly cleave a fiber in a ferruleThe further a cleaved fiber extends out of the ferrule, the longer the polishing process and the greater the possibility of fiber breakage during polishing. If you cleave too close to the ferrule tip, a fiber chip may drop down into the ferrule, which you cannot remove in the polishing procedure.
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Issue 2
February 1997
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