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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:
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- 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.
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- 568-C.1: Requirements specific
to commercial building cabling such as cabling types, definitions
of cable runs and connection points and accomodation for wireless.
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- 568-C.2: Component and cabling
specifications for copper cabling, including testing requirements.
This will finally include Cat 6A or augmented Cat 6.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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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