Cabling System
Components
The Cable
“Cabling Specifications and Standards,” we discussed the various cable
media recommended by the ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 Commercial Building
Telecommunications Cabling Standard and some of the cables’
performance characteristics. Rather than repeating the characteristics
of available cable media, we’ll describe the components involved in
transmitting data from the work area to the telecommunications room
or enclosure. These major cable components are horizontal cable,
backbone cable, and patch cords used in cross-connections and for
connecting to network devices.
Horizontal and Backbone Cables
Horizontal cables run between a cross-connect panel in a
telecommunications room and a telecommunications outlet located
near the work area.
Backbone cables run between telecommunications rooms, and
enclosures, and the main cross-connect point of a building (usually
located in the equipment room).
Patch Cords
Patch cords are used in patch panels to provide the connection between
field-terminated horizontal cables and network connectivity devices
(such as switches and hubs) and connections between the
telecommunications outlets and network devices (such as computers,
printers, and other Ethernet-based devices).
Picking the Right Cable for the Job
Professional cable installers and cable-plant designers are called upon
to interpret and/or draft cable specifications to fulfill businesses’
structured-cabling requirements. Anyone purchasing cable for business
or home use may also have to make a decision regarding what type of
cable to use. Installing inappropriate cable could be unfortunate in the
event of a disaster such as a fire.
Wall Plates and Connectors
Telecommunications outlets can be located on a wall or surface and/or
floor-mounted boxes in your work area. Telecommunications outlets
located on a wall are commonly referred to as wall plates. Wall plates,
or surface and/or floor-mounted boxes, and connectors serve as the
work-area endpoints for horizontal cable runs. Using these
telecommunications outlets helps you organize your cables and aids in
protecting horizontal wiring from end users.
Cabling Pathways
In this section, we’ll look at the cabling system components outlined by
the TIA-569-B Commercial Building Telecommunications Pathways and
Spaces Standard for concealing, protecting, and routing your cable
plant. In particular, we’ll describe the components used in work areas
and telecommunications rooms and for horizontal and backbone cable
runs. As you read these descriptions, you’ll notice all components must
be electrically grounded per the ANSI/TIA-607-B Commercial Building
Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications.
Conduit
Conduit is a pipe. It can be metallic or nonmetallic, rigid or flexible (as
permitted by the applicable electrical code), and it runs from a work
area to a telecommunications room and a telecommunications room to
an equipment room.
Cable Trays
As an alternative to conduit, cable trays can be installed to route your
cable. Cable trays are typically wire racks specially designed to support
the weight of a cable infrastructure. They provide an ideal way to
manage a large number of horizontal runs.
Raceways
Raceways are special types of conduits used for surface-mounting
horizontal cables. Raceways are usually pieced together in a modular
fashion with vendors providing connectors that do not exceed the
minimum bend radius.
Fiber-Protection Systems
special types of conduits and cable management systems designed
specifically to address the special protection needs of optical fiber
cable. Although maintaining proper bend radius is important for all
cable media, severe bends in optical fiber cable will result in
attenuation and eventual signal loss, which translates to lost data,
troubleshooting, downed network connections, and lost productivity
Cabling Racks and Enclosures
Racks are the pieces of hardware that help you organize cabling
infrastructure. They range in height from 39˝ to 84˝ and come in two
widths: 19˝ and 23˝. Nineteen-inch widths are much more
commonplace and have been in use for nearly 60 years. These racks
are commonly called just 19˝ racks or, sometimes, EIA racks. Mounting
holes are spaced between 5 ⁄8˝ and 2˝ apart, so you can be assured
that no matter what your preferred equipment vendor is, its equipment
will fit in your rack. In general, three types of racks are available for
purchase: wall-mounted brackets, skeletal frames, and full equipment
cabinets.
Wall-Mounted Brackets
For small installations and areas where economy of space is a key
consideration, wall-mounted brackets may provide the best solution.
Wall-mounted racks such as MilesTek’s Swing Gate wall rack that have a
frame that swings out 90 degrees to provide access to the rear panels
and includes wire guides to help with cable management.
Skeletal Frames (19˝ Racks)
Skeletal frames, often called 19˝ racks or EIA racks, are probably the
most common type of rack. These racks are designed and built based
on the EIA/ECA310-E standard, issued in 2005. These skeletal frames
come in sizes ranging from 39˝ to 84˝ in height with a 22˝ base plate to
provide stability. Their open design makes it easy to work on both the
front and back of the mounted equipment.
Full Equipment Cabinets
The most expensive of your rack options, full equipment cabinets, offer
the security benefits of locking cabinet doors. Full cabinets can be as
simple as the ones but they can also become quite elaborate, with
Plexiglas doors and self-contained cooling systems. Racks provide
better physical security, cooling, and protection against
electromagnetic interference than standard 19˝ rack frames. In some
high-security environments, this type of rack is required for LAN
equipment and servers.
Cable Management Accessories
If your rack equipment does not include wire management, numerous
cable management accessories, can suit your organizational
requirements. Large telecommunications rooms can quickly make a
rat’s nest out of your horizontal cable runs and patch cables. Cable
hangers on the front of a rack can help arrange bundles of patch cables
to keep them neat and orderly. Rear-mounted cable hangers provide
strain-relief anchors and can help to organize horizontal cables that
terminate at the back of patch panels.
The 66 Punch-Down Blocks
For more than 25 years, 66 punch-down blocks, have been used as
telephone system cross-connect devices. They support 50 pairs of wire.
Wires are connected to the terminals of the block using a punch-down
tool. When a wire is “punched down” into a terminal, the wire’s
insulation is pierced and the connection is established to the block.
Separate jumpers then connect blocks. When the need arises, jumpers
can be reconfigured to establish the appropriate connections.
The 110 and S-210 Punch-Down
Blocks
110-blocks is another flavor of punch-down media; they are better
suited for use with data networks. The 110-blocks come in sizes that
support anywhere from 25 to 500 wire pairs. Unlike 66-blocks, which
use small metal jumpers to bridge connections, 110-blocks are not
interconnected via jumpers but instead use 24 AWG cross-connect wire.
Modular Patch Panels
As an alternative to punch-down blocks, you can terminate your
horizontal cabling directly into RJ-45 patch panels. This approach is
becoming increasingly popular because it lends itself to exceptionally
easy reconfigurations
Consolidation Points
Both the ANSI/TIA-568-C and ISO/IEC 11801 Ed. 2 standards allow for a
single transition point or consolidation point in horizontal cabling. The
consolidation point is usually used to transition between a 25-pair UTP
cabling (or separate four-pair UTP cables) that originated in the
telecommunications room and cable that spreads out to a point where
many networked or voice devices may be, such as with modular
furniture.
Fiber-Optic Connector Panels
If your organization is using optical fiber cabling (either for horizontal or
backbone cabling), then you may see fiber-optic connector panels.
These will sometimes look similar to the UTP RJ-45 panels seen earlier
in this chapter, but they are commonly separate boxes that contain
space for cable slack.
