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Which Generic Cabling Standards?

Which Cabling Standards as they are at the moment?

ANSI TIA/EIA 568 B-1 Commercial building cabling standard (general requirements) May 2001
568 B-2 Balanced twisted pair cabling components May 2001
568 B-2-1 Cat 6 cabling June 2002
568 B-3 Optical fibre cabling components April 2000

Cabling Standards?

ISO/IEC 11801 Ed 2*
CENELEC EN 50173-1*
(*)Final draft International Standard (FDIS) now at final stage, this means that NO further technical changes are possible prior to publication - can be quoted in installation specifications.
Both will include Cat 6 specifications

Standards Harmonization?

Both ISO/IEC 11801 Ed2 and EN50173-1 have the same technical requirements but a few "cosmetic" differences only)
Both the above standards and TIA/EIA 568-B are supposed to be "harmonized" but there are a number of copper cable parameter measurements that are slightly different
How dose this affect the installer
There are 10 field tests required by TIA/EIA 568 B-1and ISO/IEC 11801 (2000) for Cat5e (class D) using level11e tester
TIA/EIA 568 B-2-1 and ISO/IEC 11801 Ed2 will have twelve tests for Cat6 (class E) but require a level111 tester

Which new tests?

What emphasis does each standard put on the tests?

ISO/IEC and EN work on the principle that "length" does not cause a network to fail - it is the effect of ACR, NEXT PSACR that cause a failure.
ISO/IEC and EN also feel that the NVP of a cable can be a "hit or miss" affair.
568 B is still based on "length" using categorized cable and components, working on the understanding that if attenuation. NEXT, and PSNEXT are within limits then the system will "automatically" conform to the limits of ACR and PSACR
ISO/IEC and EN therefore take a different stance preferring in some circumstances ACR and PSACR as a measure of system performance

Ease of use?

Both ISO/IEC and EN standards have a "Channel" approach to design.
TIA/EIA 568B is still based on a "Component" up approach
The updated versions of ISO/IEC and EN claim an easier layout and is easier to understand, with a clear route to conformance - Installer check clauses "A to H"

Which is the Conformance clause?

The performance of balanced cabling channels shall meet the specified requirements by one of the following approaches :-
A Channel design and implementation ensuring that the channel specification is met
Channel performance shall be assured where a channel is created by adding more than ONE cord to either end of a "link" or "CP link"
Using reference implementations with compatible cabling components based upon a statistical approach of performance modelling
What these clauses really mean is "check that the designer has interpreted the standards correctly"
Conformance under the old ISO/IEC and EN standards referred primarily to (Link performance) the new version puts more emphasis on the performance of the "channel"

A new requirement other than Data?

New standards to address dc parameters created by IEEE for the supply of "Power" to DTE equipment
Operating Voltages between 37v - 57v
Operating power 12.95w (max)
Current draw 175mA

The Physical structure?

All standards show the familiar horizontal "FD" to "WA" cabling diagrams that could include a CP or MUTOA
All standards now require a "minimum" distance of 15m between FD/PP and any CP - (minimize NEXT and Return Loss)
All standards have 4 connector channel / 3 connector permanent link models (this is the basis for insertion loss requirements)

What gives us the biggest head ache?

Taking the ISO/IEC 11801 Ed2 and EN 50173-1 as the new reference model for the Work Area (WA) to Floor distributor (FD), we still have;
90m for the permanent link (this could include a consolidation point CP)
100m channel, but;
There are now minimum distances as well as maximum values.
As an example - 15m (min) from patch panel to CP or TO.

Cable choice - Cat 5e or Cat 6?

Cat 5 and Cat5e components and cable are now well established but what about Cat6 cabling?
Cat 6 now ratified and will be published in all standards
All components designed to be "backward compatible" (not yet fully demonstrated by manufacturers)
Allows products from different vendors to work together - (to form a MINIMALLY compliant Cat6 channel)
Full system specification including testing of components, patch cords, channel and permanent links
Cable attenuation more of a problem above 20 degrees centigrade
Be aware of 20% insertion loss for patch cords

Cat5e vs. Cat 6?

Category 6 Channel Transmission Performance
Frequency MHz	Ins. Loss Max (dB)	NEXT Min (dB)	Return Loss Min (dB)	ACR Min (dB)	PSNEXT Min (dB)	PSACR Min (dB)	ELFEXT Min (dB)	PSELFEXT Min (dB)
100	21.3	39.9	12	18.6	37.1	15.8	23.3	20.3
200	31.5	24.8	9	3.3	31.9	0.4	17.2	14.2
250	35.9	33.1	8	-2.8	30.2	-5.7	15.3	12.3
Category 5e Channel Transmission Performance at 100 MHz
100	24	30.1	10	6.1	27.1	3.1	17.4	14.4
Difference in Channel Performance (Cat 6 vs. Cat 5e)
100	-2.7	9.8	2	12.5	10	12.7	5.9	5.9

Cat6 is specified to 250Mhz - with a positive PSACR at 200Mhz
Cat6 has a much improved Signal to Noise ratio (SNR) about 12db
2.5 times B/w of Cat5e
Lower Bit Error Rate (BER)
Will support broadband video up to 550Mhz and digital video signals as high as 2Gb/s

New Multimode Fibre Optic Standards?

Development of OM1, OM2 and OM3 high grade fibres for horizontal and backbone cable plant. Tailored to suit restricted launch conditions of VCSEL lasers at 850nm and coarse wave division multiplexing (CWDM) equipment.
Designed to support 10Gb/s backbone technology
Trade off of OM1 fibres with CWDM or OM3 fibres with Vessel's

Some basic facts on OM Fibres?

New Standards under Development?

Residential TIA/EIA 570-A is being upgraded to include security, control and audio cabling.
ISO/IEC 15018 (working draft) on residential and SOHO cabling
TIA/EIA 569-A will include new text on "cable fill" and the "Hot issues" of enclosures and power separation
Drafts available
ISO/IEC 15045-1 home electronic systems (HES) gateway (committee draft)
Single and multi-tenant pathways and spaces - ISO/IEC and CENELEC proposal
EN50173-2 Industrial - data centres, BAS and DTE powering (mid-span power insertion)
What conclusions can we come to about the new standards?
From now on the installer will have to pay a lot more attention to standards
With high speed cabling more attention must be paid to the quality of installation
Follow the component manufacturers installation guidelines to the "letter"
Don't cut corners
Keep your test equipment calibrated and upgraded with the latest software
Cat6 has a bigger cross section therefore a bend radius upward of 25mm
Major impact on design of pathways. It is down to the installer to ensure end users are aware of the need for much larger pathways
Clearances of up to 80mm being specified for the rear of outlets
Above all RTFI- read the f…… instructions

Where to get information?