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What's New In Cabling?

January, 2008

The technology and applications of cabling are always moving quickly - so fast it's hard to keep track of - but we'll try here on the SCA website. Currently in standards committees we have augmented Cat 6 cabling moving toward standardization, multimode fiber testing undergoing scrutiny to minimize measurement uncertainty and cabling for industrial, residential and data centers now included.

The two issues we have discussed before are residential cabling and power. Read More.

For more information on the modern home and requirements it places on residential cabling, see the SCA online tutorial "The Tech Home" (right.)

 

TIA Publishing TIA-568-C Revision
Technical committees have been working overtime to update the TIA-568 cabling standard to the "C" revision. The new version will expand to 4 versions:
 
568-C.0: Common specs to structured cabling: cabling architecture (star wiring), new names for intermediate connections (now called "distributors" which will be confusing to all used to "cross connects"), what cabling is intended to support (e.g. POTS or Ethernet to what distances) and some other general requirements.
 
568-C.1: Requirements specific to commercial building cabling such as cabling types, definitions of cable runs and connection points and accomodation for wireless.
 
568-C.2: Component and cabling specifications for copper cabling, including testing requirements. This will finally include Cat 6A or augmented Cat 6.
 
568-C.3: Component and cabling specifications for fiber optic cabling, including testing requirements. All 3 types of MM fiber are now approved. To accomodate testing multifiber connectors (MTP) and connectors different from those on test sets, all three methods of testing in OFSTP-14 are now allowed.
 
568-C.3 is already published and C.0 and C.1 are out for voting. The C.2 spec is taking the longest time, but looks like it is getting close to approval.
 
While the details make these documents long and complicated, the new ones really are simply updating the current standards to the current state of the technology. It is important to remember that these standards are written for the manufactures of the components, not installers, and those manufacturers will produce compliant products and installation instructions that should be followed by the installer. Trainers teaching structured cabling need only update their courses to inlcude some new information in the standards as they affect cable plant design, component selection, installation and testing.

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What Is Cabling?


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Structured Cabling Association
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email: info @ scausa.org

 

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