November 20, 2009 – Tyco Electronics’ AMP Netconnect business unit recently announced that third-party test laboratory GHMT AG completed an independent study of unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) versus shielded twisted-pair (STP) systems for 10GBase-T transmission. According to Tyco, the study proves that shielded copper is the ideal cabling infrastructure system to support 10GBase-T.
Tyco says the study compared the performance of two U/UTP, one F/UTP, and two S/FTP cabling systems using live 10GBase-T equipment and traffic in conditions established in international MICE (Mechanical, Ingress, Chemical, and Electromagnetic) classifications.
In a release announcing the test and its results, Tyco explained that GHMT AG is an independent test laboratory founded in 1992 and is an ISO/IEC 17025 certified third-party lab. GHMT specializes in cabling and systems, EMC analysis and concepts, and wireless applications, Tyco added.
The key findings of the study, according to Tyco’s release, are as follows.
- 10GBase-T is noise-sensitive due to higher transmission frequency and lower signal levels caused by more complex coding schemes than previous transmission protocols
- Shielded systems offer high coupling attenuation and therefore provide superior alien crosstalk and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance
- Unshielded systems show significantly weaker alien crosstalk performance and coupling attenuation because of balance-only-based noise reduction
- Unshielded systems failed four out of five electromagnetic immunity tests as specified by the international MICE definitions to describe different environmental levels
- UTP systems require time-consuming immunity-installation practices, whereas shielded systems work with 10GBase-T, without any additional installation practices
Tyco has launched the Web site utp-vs-stp.com, which provides full details of the study.