volume 29, number 1 volume 27, number 3 - bicsi · pdf filebicsinews may/june 2006...

BICSInewsMay/June 2006

president’s message 3

bicsi update 6

course schedule 8

standards report 12

advancing information transport systems

Volume 27, Number 3

BICSInewsadvancing information transport systems

January/February 2008

president’s message 3

eXecutiVe director message 4

bicsi update 48-50

course schedule 52-53

standards report 54

Volume 29, Number 1

Ten Common NEC® Violations in Low-Voltage Systems SS 16Wireless: The Right Prescription for Health Care Facilities SS 20Better Bidding SS 26Dispelling the Myths of Shielded Cable SS 30Wi-Fi Site Verification SS 36

See how the DTX Compact OTDR Module can

turn your cable tester into an OTDR and your

staff into fiber experts – to completely

transform your fiber business.

Imagine. A cable tester that becomes a compact,

easy-to-use, full-featured OTDR. Better yet,

imagine what that means for your business. A

single tool to test copper and fiber. An OTDR your

current technicians can easily use. Fiber jobs you

couldn’t do before. Just snap the DTX Compact

OTDR module onto a DTX mainframe – the

industry’s benchmark for cable certification.

Now you’re ready to test like a fiber expert.

Perform Basic (Tier 1) and Extended (Tier 2)

fiber certification. Perform powerful single-

ended troubleshooting. Deliver professional

documentation. Win jobs that

require OTDR testing and

watch your revenue and

profits increase. Look to

the new DTX Compact

OTDR and watch the

transformation begin.

Turn your cable tester into an OTDR and watch the transformation begin.

Go to www.flukenetworks.com/seehow

to enter to win a DTX Compact OTDR

and see a live demo.

©2007 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. 02151N E T W O R K S U P E R V I S I O N

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BICSINEWS | January/February 2008 | 3

Excellent Customer Service It is truly an honor to be elected to the position of president of BICSI by my peers. Having already served on the Board for eight years, I believe BICSI is better positioned now than ever to help members excel in the information transport systems (ITS) industry. By investing in our own BICSI infrastructure, we have deployed several significant new business systems, including a new association management system, new credentialing programs and new Web-based training programs.

As well, BICSI has reached outside to create new programs, such as authorized training facilities, manual translations, affiliate not-for-profits, partnerships with other ITS organizations, region meetings, breakfast clubs and other initiatives. As a result, BICSI members now have more than 50 unique benefits for design and installation professionals. At the same time, we have lowered the barrier to entry for joining BICSI with discounts on membership for military, student and retired individuals. Of course, we are fortunate to have so many members who are passionate about ITS. These volunteers, along with the BICSI staff, remain pivotal for continued revitalization of programs and for expanding product offerings—work that ultimately presents anyone who touches BICSI with a path to success in the ITS industry. A primary goal is for BICSI to lead the ITS industry in customer satisfaction and to continue to care deeply about you—our customers—in providing education, publications and knowledge assessment. It is important that each member is a vocal advocate of BICSI so the message is spread throughout the world. Over the next two years, my mission is simple—practice excellent customer service. The Board is passionate about bringing you newprograms, new products and new benefits. We remain more committed than ever to expanding our influence worldwide for you. By providing unexpected ways of taking care of you, we will grow together. As I assume this new role as president, please join me in thanking John Bakowski for his tenacious pursuit of the finest details during his tenure as president. John has performed way above and beyond in his capacity to provide all of us with leadership and a real concern for helping us achieve our goals. John has worked many hours as a volunteer, not just during his presidency, but for more than 12 years as a member of the Board and even more years proctoring exams and mentoring members. John is a true friend to all of us, and his good humor and thoughtful concern for us will continue throughout the years as he promises to stay close by. I look forward to the opportunity to live up to the task the past presidents have set before me. Thank you for counting me worthy of your confidence to lead this great BICSI organization. n

president’s message2008 BICSI OfficersPRESIDENT—Edward Donelan, rcdd/nts specialist, tlt; telecom infrastructure corp; patterson, nY; 800.394.7464; [email protected] PRESIDENT-ELECT—Brian Hansen, rcdd/nts specialist; leviton; rosemount, mn; 651.423.9140; [email protected]

SECRETARY—Peter P. Charland III, rcdd/nts/Wd specialist, cet;rtKl associates, inc.; baltimore, md; 410.537.6262 ; [email protected]

TREASURER—James [Ray] Craig, rcdd/nts/osp specialist; craig consulting services; coppell, tX; 972.393.1669; [email protected]

U.S. NORTHEAST REGION DIRECTOR—Brian Ensign, rcdd/nts/osp specialist, csi; leviton manufacturing company, inc.; York, pa; 717.779.0116; [email protected]

U.S. SOUTHEAST REGION DIRECTOR—Charles [Chuck] L. Wilson, rcdd/nts/osp specialist; Wilson technology group, inc.; brooksville, Fl; 352.796.9891; [email protected]

u.S. NORTH-CENTRAL REGION DIRECTOR—Jerry L. Bowman, rcdd/nts specialist, cissp, cpp; commscope enterprise solutions; columbus, oh; 614.853.3812; [email protected]

U.S. SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION DIRECTOR—Michael Collins, rcdd; at&t; bellaire, tX; 713.567.1234; [email protected]

U.S. WESTERN REGION DIRECTOR—Steve Calderon, rcdd/nts/osp specialist; i t design corporation; Westlake Village, ca; 805.777.0073; [email protected]

CANADIAN REGION DIRECTOR—Richard S. Smith, rcdd/nts/osp specialist; bell aliant regional services; moncton, nb canada; 506.859.3106; [email protected]

EUROPEAN REGION DIRECTOR—Brendan [Greg] Sherry, rcdd/nts/Wd specialist; Qualitas limited; hertfordshire, uK ; +44 1708 733 032; [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR—David C. Cranmer, rcdd; bicsi; tampa, Fl; 800.242.7405 or 813.979.1991; [email protected]

committee chairs: BICSI CARES—Christine Klauck, rcdd/nts spe-cialist; Fiber connect inc.; brookfield, ct; 860.355.9184; [email protected] • CODES—Phil Janeway, rcdd; time Warner telecom; indianapolis, in; 317.713.2333; [email protected] • EDUCATION ADVISORY—Monte B. Lloyd, rcdd; at&t; san antonio, tX; 210.886.4474; [email protected] • ETHICS—Carl Bonner, rcdd/osp/Wd specialist; network com-munications supply company; milton, Fl; 850.626.6863; [email protected] and Alvin Emmett, rcdd; at&t; tucker, ga; 404.532.7740; [email protected] • EXHIBITOR ADVISORY—Kurt Templeman; sumitomo electric lightwave; research triangle park, nc; 919.541.8100; [email protected] and Debra Leingang; ideal datacomm; st. charles, il; 800.435.0705; [email protected] • INSTALLATION—Daniel Mor-ris, rcdd; Kitco Fiber optics; Virginia beach, Va; 757.216.2220; [email protected] • MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING ADVISORY—Edward Boy-chuk, rcdd; convergent technology partners; Flint, mi; 810.720.3820; [email protected] and James [Ray] Craig, rcdd/nts specialist; craig consulting services; coppell, tX; 972.393.1669; [email protected] • NOMINATING—John Bakowski, rcdd/nts/osp/Wd special-ist; st. catharines, ontario, canada; 905.646.5100; [email protected] • REGISTRATION & SPECIALTIES SUPERVISION—R.S. [Bob] Erickson, rcdd/nts/osp/Wd specialist; communications network de-sign; haysville, Ks; 316.529.3698; [email protected] and Carl Bonner, rcdd/osp/Wd specialist; network communications supply company; milton, Fl; 850.626.6863; [email protected] • STANDARDS—Theron J. [T.J.] Roe, rcdd; garrett com, inc.; hockessin, de; 302.235.0995; [email protected] • TECHNICAL INFORMATION & METHODS—David P. Labuskes, rcdd/nts/osp specialist; rtKl associates, inc.; baltimore, md; 410.537.6070; [email protected] and Robert Y. Faber Jr., rcdd/nts specialist; siemon; Watertown, ct; 860.945.4366; [email protected]

See how the DTX Compact OTDR Module can

turn your cable tester into an OTDR and your

staff into fiber experts – to completely

transform your fiber business.

Imagine. A cable tester that becomes a compact,

easy-to-use, full-featured OTDR. Better yet,

imagine what that means for your business. A

single tool to test copper and fiber. An OTDR your

current technicians can easily use. Fiber jobs you

couldn’t do before. Just snap the DTX Compact

OTDR module onto a DTX mainframe – the

industry’s benchmark for cable certification.

Now you’re ready to test like a fiber expert.

Perform Basic (Tier 1) and Extended (Tier 2)

fiber certification. Perform powerful single-

ended troubleshooting. Deliver professional

documentation. Win jobs that

require OTDR testing and

watch your revenue and

profits increase. Look to

the new DTX Compact

OTDR and watch the

transformation begin.

Turn your cable tester into an OTDR and watch the transformation begin.

Go to www.flukenetworks.com/seehow

to enter to win a DTX Compact OTDR

and see a live demo.

©2007 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. 02151N E T W O R K S U P E R V I S I O N

ICS# 070670_C • Fluke • DTX Compact OTDR - BICSITrim Size : 8.375 x 10.875133 lpi • 300 dmax • PDF/X1A • Fuji Proof

Color OK_____Layout OK_____

RoundL/C 1 2 3 4 5 6

Edward J. Donelan,RCDD/NTS Specialist, TLT

[email protected]

� | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org

BICSI World Headquarters 8610 hidden river parkway, tampa, Fl 33637-1000 usa +1 813.979.1991 or 800.242.7405 (usa & canada toll-free); Fax: +1 813.971.4311; Web site: www.bicsi.org; e-mail: [email protected]

BICSI Executive Staff Executive Director david c. cranmer, rcdd, [email protected]

Director of Professional Development richard e. dunfee, rcdd/osp specialist , [email protected]

Director of Administration and Chief Financial Officerbetty m. eckebrecht, cpa, [email protected]

Director of International OperationsJan lewis, [email protected]

Director of Conferences and Meetings georgette palmer smith, cmm, [email protected]

BICSI News Staff Editor michael mccahey, +1 301.371.0575; [email protected]

Publication Coordinator/DesignerWendy hummel, [email protected]

Copy EditorKaren Jacob, [email protected]

Copy EditorJoan hersh, [email protected] BICSI International Staff European Office Supervisor: nina todorova+32 2 789 2333, [email protected]

Japan District Manager : Kazuo Kato +81 3 3595 1451, [email protected]

South Pacific District Manager: margarite d’cruz+ 61 3 9813 3355, [email protected]

the bicsi news is published bimonthly for bicsi, inc., and distributed to bicsi

members and bicsi registered its installer 1, its installer 2, its technicians

and residential installers. articles of a generic nature are accepted for publication,

however, bicsi reserves the right to edit these for space or other considerations.

opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of the writers and not nec-

essarily of their companies or bicsi. © copyright bicsi, 2008. all rights reserved.

bicsi and rcdd are registered trademarks of bicsi, inc. printed in the usa.

executive director message

Information Is Success Since beginning this column over a year and a half ago, I have used movie lines as a starting point for talking about challenges in our business and personal lives. As a departure, I thought we might try to combine famous historic quotations with current movie plots. For historic quotations, let’s look at Benjamin Disraeli. He was a somewhat obscure writer that I studied in literature class many years ago in high school. Disraeli was a British conservative statesman and literary figure who lived

in the 1800s and whose most famous novel was Vivian Grey. He is credited with one quotation that even though over 100 years old is still applicable today. The quote is, “As a general rule the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.” A truer statement was never spoken, particularly in today’s high tech world. Never in the history of the world have we had such instant access to information. Just as in researching this article, Google listed hundreds of sites with information on Benjamin Disraeli. Now let’s look at a recent movie. The movie is Tomorrow Never Dies, a typical James Bond film with all the usual characters. The villain in this movie is Elliott Carver, a media mogul who is attempting to manipulate the news, therefore information, to expand his business. How does the acquisition of information affect our businesses? Let’s say you are bidding on a job that involves thousands of locations, multiple buildings and every conceivable type of information transport systems (ITS). If you have the ability to accurately and quickly identify all quantities of equipment and cabling required and are fully aware of any hazards or obstructions that may affect your ability to do the job, you will be able to give a more accurate bid. If you are not familiar with some of the newest technologies, you can open your BICSI manual or you can research the technology on the Internet and immediately download specifications and prices. If you are doing the job remotely, you can search BICSI’s Website and partner with a BICSI corporate member across the country or around the world. BICSI gathers information by analyzing member wants and needs through our association management system. If we only rely on the collective opinions of those who are involved on a daily basis with the business of BICSI or even on the opinions of our many dedicated volunteers, we may miss some of the critical needs that our members and nonmembers have. For this reason, in the near future, you will see more industry surveys asking for your opinions and input on a range of subjects to help us better serve you, our customer. As you will continually hear from our new president, Ed Donelan, our focus will be providing the best customer service we can. Remember, we are all in the ITS industry and information is success. n

David C. Cranmer,RCDD

[email protected]

1-800-622-77115290 Concourse Drive • Roanoke, Virginia 24019

Phone 540-265-0690 • www.occfiber.com

No matter where you’re located, our fiber optic cable products are there. Optical Cable Corporation

has built a network of reliable stocking distributors and a dedicated sales team committed to

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tight-buffered fiber optic cables for most applications in the government, military, and commercial

markets. Your order is our top priority. Contact Optical Cable Corporation for a stocking

distributor nearest you. We are where you are.

Our U.S. delivery area.

Alien crosstalk has been an area of discussion in the LAN cabling community for nearly three years now. The topic generates a lot of strong opinions depending on which side of the camp a person is on. This article attempts to examine all sides of the issue and let readers develop their own opinion about how to deal with alien crosstalk and 10GBASE-T.

6 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org

Limiting alien crosstalk may require mitigation, shorter channels or use of shielded twisted-pair.BY DAN PAYERLE

-60

-70

Alien Crosstalk and 10GBASE-T Developments

What Is Alien Crosstalk? Alien crosstalk is a term that describes the general phenomena where energy is coupled between cables in a common bundle or installation. The notion is very similar to internal near-end crosstalk (NEXT), which has been tested in the field for about a decade. See Figure 1. Internal NEXT differs from alien crosstalk in that it is a measurement of crosstalk between pairs within a single cable. Alien crosstalk was brought to light by the development of active network hardware that could provide 10 Gigabit Ethernet over twisted-pair cabling (10GBASE-T). As with internal crosstalk, alien crosstalk becomes worse as the operational frequency increases.

Currently, 10GBASE-T is specified to run at an analog frequency of 400 MHz, which is 220 percent higher than the 125 MHz operational frequency of 1000BASE-T. The cabling requirements for 10GBASE-T specify category 6A/ISO Class EA, either shielded or unshielded. Category 6/ISO Class E also can be used in limited instances to upgrade existing networks to 10GBASE-T. Since the frequency range required to support 10GBASE-T is so much higher than that of 1000BASE-T, it is understandable that crosstalk, both internal and alien, has become a difficult obstacle to overcome when designing and installing LAN cabling to support the latest technology.


Figure 1: Pair to Pair NEXT Figure 2: Alien Crosstalk


Deploying 10GBASE-T to the Field The most striking change in field measurement is

the broadening of the frequency range. For category

6A and ISO Class EA, the frequency range goes up from

250 MHz to 500 MHz. For ISO Class FA, the test range

increases from 600 MHz to a formidable 1000 MHz.

Upgrading the measuring range does not necessarily lead

to a new definition of measurement accuracy. While

devices with Level III accuracy were standard for previous

measurements up to 250 MHz, the new category 6A/ISO

Class EA measurements require a new accuracy category:

Level IIIe. For ISO Class FA, there will be a corresponding

Level IVe definition, a further development of the

existing Level IV accuracy category for measurements up

to 600 MHz. It is worth noting here that the accuracy

categories Level IV and Level IVe are downward

compatible to Level IIIe. In practice, this means that

every current Level IV category 7/Class F testing device is

already suitable for measurements according to category

6A and ISO Class EA.

As mentioned earlier, 10GBASE-T can operate over

a variety of cabling types with certain limitations.

The most commonly deployed cabling today in new

installations is category 6/ISO Class E, which is field

tested to 250 MHz per the TIA 568-B.2 and ISO 11801

cabling standards. Since 10GBASE-T operates at 400

MHz, additional qualification needs to be performed to

prove that a particular category 6/ISO Class E installation

will support 10GBASE-T. The TIA has created a new

Telecommunications Systems Bulletin titled TSB-155,

which provides guidelines for channels (including

equipment cords) running 10GBASE-T over category

6 cabling.

Some of the key elements to 10GBASE-T operation

over category 6 are:

Channels up to 37 m (121 ft) should support

10GBASE-T.

Channels between 37 m (121 ft) and 55 m

(180 ft) should support 10GBASE-T depending

on the alien crosstalk conditions.

Channels between 55 m (180 ft) and 100 m

(328 ft) may require mitigation to support

10GBASE-T when alien crosstalk margins are

not sufficient.

Essentially, these guidelines say that many variables

determine whether or not 10GBASE-T can be deployed

successfully over a category 6 cabling plant. Short

channels up to 37 m (121 ft) should operate just fine, but

that is no guarantee. Anything over 37 m (121 ft) needs

to be tested for sufficient alien crosstalk margin. When

a failure occurs, some mitigation actions can be taken in

an attempt to alleviate the alien crosstalk conditions.

Mitigation Techniques

1. When 10GBASE-T is being selectively

deployed, do not use adjacent ports in the

patch panel. Understandably, there may be no

alternative when deploying 10GBASE-T to

several workstations that are located near

each other; the point is that proximity is the

key contributor to alien crosstalk.

2. When deploying 10GBASE-T in adjacent ports

of a patch panel, alien crosstalk testing should

be performed in the field.

3. In the event the alien crosstalk test fails, take

the following actions to reduce the level of

alien crosstalk:

a. Separate equipment and patch cords

and unbundled horizontal cables to

increase the space between the cables.

b. If the cords cannot be separated, use

either category 6A or category 6

screened twisted-pair (ScTP) cords.

c. Reconfigure any cross-connect as an

interconnect.

d. Replace category 6 connecting

hardware with category 6A.

e. Replace the category 6 horizontal cable

with category 6A.

Retest the channel after performing any mitigation

techniques to be sure that thetechniques have brought

the alien crosstalk margins back to acceptable levels.

Field Testing Alien Crosstalk

As of this writing, the TIA 568-C.2 standard is still in

development and is expected to be finalized sometime

in the first quarter of 2008. With this document, the

field testing requirements of category 6A cabling will be

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defined, and hopefully some raging debates within the

standards committees will be settled. One of the most

contentious debates is the requirement for alien crosstalk

field testing when category 6A cabling is deployed. Some

manufacturers argue that alien crosstalk testing should

be a requirement of category 6A, while others say that it

be an optional test. Either way, it is critical to know what

is involved in field testing alien crosstalk in the event it

is a standard or a contractual requirement.

Understand that unlike typical link certification,

it will not be necessary to test 100 percent of the

installed links for alien crosstalk. Initial certification of

a link to meet category 6A or Class EA will be no different

than testing category 6, with the exception that the test

frequency will increase from 250 MHz to 500 MHz.

It is still a quick end-to-end test that takes less than

30 seconds.

Alien crosstalk testing on the other hand involves

testing various combinations of links that are identified

as victims and disturbers. In Figure 2, the red cable in

the center of the bundle is referred to as the disturbed

or victim link and the blue cables are the disturber

links. This configuration is known as a 6-around-1 or

6A1 and represents the worst-case situation for testing

alien crosstalk. Performing a 6A1 test on a single victim

cable actually involves at least six different testing

configurations and as many as 12 depending on the

manufacturer of the field test equipment.

Given that multiple tests are required for each victim

link, it is not practical to require 100 percent testing

of every link as a victim in any particular installation.

The calculation used to determine the number of

unique testing combinations should 100 percent

testing be required is (n2+n)/2 where n is the number

of links in the installation. Using this formula, testing

a 500 link installation would require 125,250 unique

test configurations! This is obviously far beyond what

anyone can be expected to test, so guidelines for sample

testing have been created to determine the alien crosstalk

condition on an installation in a more reasonable time.

Before any alien crosstalk tests can be done, all links

have to be tested according to TIA category 6A, TSB155

(category 6), ISO Class EA or ISO TR24750.

Selection of Disturbed Links (Victims)

The following links have to be selected as a victim in

an installation:

1 percent or 5 links, whichever is more, of those

links with the highest insertion loss (longest).

1 percent or 5 links, whichever is more, of those

links with the lowest insertion loss (shortest).

1 percent or 5 links, whichever is more, between the

lowest and highest insertion loss (medium).

When testing, if the first three victim/disturber

combinations reveal a condition known as insignificant

Figure 3: Link Selection: Top panel is correct; bottom panel is incorrect.


alien crosstalk, the test can be stopped at that point

without finishing the 1 percent or minimum 5 victim

links. Insignificant alien crosstalk is a condition where

the measurement is below a certain level and may not be

detectable by some field test instruments.

For example, at an installation with 100 links, 10

short, 10 medium and 10 long links have to be selected

as victim links with some number of disturber links

tested against each victim. It is important to note that

in cases where different cable types and connecting

hardware are used (e.g., category 6 and category 6A), the

above selection should be repeated for each different

hardware and cable type.

Selection of Disturber Links

The selection of disturber links has to be done

individually for every victim link. In Figure 3, the green

port on the patch panel represents the victim link and

the red ports represent the disturber links.

Select all links that run in the same cable bundle or

are most consistently positioned relative to the victim

cable. These bundles may be found in the patch panel,

cross connect or conduit. Add any additional links that

occupy adjacent positions in the patch panel or outlet.

When selecting links to test, in addition to the

location of the links in the patch panel the routing of the

links also must be considered. The disturber links should

be run in the same pathway as the victim link to have

the most impact on alien crosstalk measurements.

The link routing shown in Figure 4 is the proper

selection to ensure that the disturber and victim links

will have some measurable effect of alien crosstalk. In

this example, the links are terminated near each other at

the panel so there will be some alien crosstalk coupling

and most of the disturbers run in the same pathway as

the victim link.

The link routing shown in Figure 5 is not correct

for proper alien crosstalk measurements. The victim link

will be disturbed to some degree since it is positioned

near the disturbers in the patch panel, but since it

runs in a pathway that is different from the disturbers,

the measurement may be inaccurate. In this scenario,

additional disturbers should be included in the

measurement. These disturbers can be links that run in

the same pathway but may terminate at a point in the

panel far from the victim.

In Figure 6, additional disturber links are selected as

part of the alien crosstalk test of the green victim link.

By choosing all of these disturber links, the test has a

high degree of certainty since disturber links are chosen

that both terminate near the victim and run in the same

pathway or bundle as the victim.

Figure �: Correct Link Selection Figure 5: Incorrect Link Selection.


The proper selection of links for alien crosstalk

testing is critical and requires a certain degree of

knowledge about the topology of the cabling plant.

Without knowing where the various links are routed to

within the building, the process of testing can be very

inaccurate since it is possible that the chosen disturber

links may not be close enough to the victim to provide

any significant data. Take the time to ensure that

adequate disturber links are chosen for each victim link.

Configuring Your Tester After deciding on the victim and disturber links

to check, the field tester needs to be connected to the

cabling according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Some field testers require a personal computer (PC) to

be attached to the field tester during the measurement

process to gather the data and compute the alien

crosstalk results. Additionally, unlike standard link

certification where the test runs from both sides of the

link simultaneously, the tester and PC may need to be

moved to the opposite side of the link for the second half

of the alien crosstalk testing process.

Because the number of links to test and the time

to test each victim/disturber combination can be

significant, choosing the right field tester can save a lot

of time and hassle. A field tester that does not require a

PC for data acquisition nor double testing of each victim/

disturber combination can cut out 75 percent of the

total alien crosstalk testing time, saving the contractor

significant time and money while eliminating the need

to bring a fragile laptop PC into the field.

See Figures 7 through 11 for sample plots from alien

crosstalk field test reports.

UTP Versus STP

Perhaps the most significant change as a result of

10GBASE-T and alien crosstalk, particularly in the U.S.

market, is the resurgence of STP or shielded cabling

systems. STP is specifically categorized into ScTP, foil

twisted-pair (FTP) or pairs in metal foil (PiMF) types.

ScTP utilizes a metallic screen or braid over the

group of four pairs to provide alien crosstalk and

electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.

FTP is similar but uses a thin metallic foil as opposed

to a braid. The difference between these two is that the

screen shield is more durable and easier to terminate

onto a shielded jack, but the foil shield provides better

coverage (no holes) and is effective at higher frequencies

but can easily tear if mishandled.

PiMF cables have a foil shield for each pair to

virtually eliminate internal crosstalk and usually include

an overall foil or screen to provide additional EMI

immunity. PiMF cables are sometimes referred to as

double shielded or screened shielded twisted-pair (SSTP).

Additionally, a change in the naming

convention is being proposed to make the

configuration of the cable easier to understand,

shown in Table 1.

Whatever the shield type, STP cables

have two distinct advantages over UTP when

deployed in 10GBASE-T environments.

When properly installed, the shield

eliminates virtually all alien crosstalk at the

Figure 6: Selecting Additional Disturbers

Table 1: Cable Designations

Current Designations Proposed Designations Description

UTP U/UTP Unshielded twisted-pair

FTP F/UTP Foil over UTP

S-FTP SF/UTP Screen and foil over UTP

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Modular Plugs Patch Cords Copper Cables

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Patch Panels

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Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PS AACR-F Near End - PASS

Figure 7. This plot shows Power Sum Alien Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio—Far End, from the near end of the link (patch panel side). All pairs are well within the limit with roughly 20dB of margin at the higher frequencies.

Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PS AACR-F Near End - PASS

Figure 8. This plot shows Power Sum Alien Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio—Far End, from the near end of the link (patch panel side). All pairs are passing but there is an obvious spike at about 480MHz. This spike was induced by a VHF handheld radio that was being used during the time of the test. This plot demonstrates the susceptibility of UTP cabling to external noise sources. Properly installed shielded cabling would have mitigated the ingress of much of this noise into the link. As cabling frequencies reach higher into the VHF spectrum these issues will become more common.

Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PS ANEXT Far End - PASS

Figure 9. This plot shows Power Sum Alien NEXT from the far side (work station side) of the cabling link. The margins are very good at the higher frequencies because of the physical distance between the jacks at the workstation outlets. While some jacks are in the same four-port outlet, others are in adjacent outlets and the power sum calculations between all the disturber-victim calculations reduce the net PSANEXT results.

Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PS ANEXT Near End - FAIL

Figure 10. This plot shoes PSANEXT from the near end (patch panel) side of the link. This particular test fails or goes over the limit at several frequency points. The failing pair is the 3,6 pair (green) which due to it being split in the plug and jacks disturb the impedance matching and results in more crosstalk.

frequencies being used in category 6A, ISO F and FA

systems, shown in Figure 13. When using shielded

cabling, it becomes unnecessary to perform alien

crosstalk testing in the field. Depending on a number

of factors, the overall cost of the project can be less

when using STP versus UTP. These factors include the

cost of the cabling and components; the additional

time to terminate the shielded connectors; and when

necessary, the time and cost to train technicians on the

proper installation and grounding techniques required

to properly install STP systems. Also remember that in

the United States, STP is not nearly as common as UTP,

so lead times can become a critical factor when ordering

materials for a job.

While UTP cables, especially category 6A, are

increasing in diameter to provide the necessary air space

and separation in a bundle to minimize alien crosstalk,

STP cables remain noticeably smaller. The difference in


size can be up to 25 percent, meaning that shielded cables

allow for higher density in wire tray and conduit. The

cost of high-performance UTP cables is also increasing at

a faster rate than their STP counterparts mostly because

increasing the size is usually accomplished by making the

jacket thicker. The increased material in the jacket leads

to higher costs and more price instability since the jacket

material is made from petroleum, which suffers from

market volatility.

Conclusion Category 6A and 10GBASE-T are still in their infancy

and the growing pains are sure to come. The appetite for

bandwidth is insatiable, and the industry is working to

market solutions that meet both performance and cost

objectives. The key to the next step in the evolutionary

ladder of LAN cabling is to know that the materials and

techniques are available to successfully deploy 10GBASE-

T today. Designers and contractors will need to develop

the tools and techniques to ensure success whether

shifting from UTP to STP cabling or using improved

installation techniques and field testing to certify alien

crosstalk margins. n

Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PS ANEXT Near End - PASS

Figure 11. This plot is of a passing PSANEXT test also from the patch panel side. Compared to Figure 9, which is the far side of the cable, you can see the reduced margins. This is due to the proximity of the jacks to each other in the patch panel.

Figure 12: Power Sum ANEXT on category 7 STP cable with category 6A STP jacks exhibits very little alien crosstalk. According to the IEC standard, measurements with ANEXT values less than 90dB between 100 and 250MHz are deemed insignificant and do not need to be reported. Field testers that can measure below this limit may still report the data as long as the test is tagged “insignificant.”

Limit 1,2 3,6 5,4 7,8

dB

MHz

PSANEXT Near End STP Link - PASS

Figure 13: Alien Crosstalk with STP Cable

Dan Payerle

Dan Payerle is senior product manager for data

communications test products at Ideal Industries, Inc.

For more information, contact Dan at +1 858.715.7148

or [email protected].


It is sad how sometimes the responsibility of compliance with the National Electrical Code® (NEC®) is shifted from one person to another in projects that include low-voltage systems. The designer clears

the responsibility with a paragraph in the specifications that usually reads, “The contractor shall comply with all codes and regulations.” The contractor executing the job then shifts responsibility of code compliance to the engineer of record who signed and sealed the permits for the job. The engineer of record usually designs all electrical systems and maybe raceways only for low-voltage systems, but it is very unlikely that he or she was responsible for design of the low-voltage systems. The Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD®) who designs and installs low-voltage systems is the individual most suitable to check a design for code compliance, regardless if that person is acting as a designer, a contractor or possibly the engineer of record. Unfortunately, knowledge of the code sometimes is believed by many to be limited to plenum- or non-plenum-rated cable decisions. Most low-voltage training that is available in the information transport systems (ITS) industry really does not address code issues in detail. When you sit through one of the specialized training sessions for code issues, there can be a big disconnect between what you see in the field or from vendors and the explanations and terminology used in those code seminars. For example, a typical false belief in the ITS industry is that if a project passed an inspection by a city official or inspector it means that it is a code-compliant installation. The assumption is that the designer and contractor did the right thing. This is also false because in many cases, it just means that code violations were not caught by the inspector. There are new buildings everywhere with code violations. There are two reasons why inspections do not frequently report code violations in low-voltage systems. First is that in many projects, the general contractor or construction manager calls for an electrical inspection as soon as the electrical work is completed even though, as

we all know, the low-voltage trades are the last to leave the premises. When the inspections take place, the low-voltage work is not complete or sometimes just getting started. The second reason why inspections miss code violations is that inspectors themselves are very focused on the major systems such as fire alarm and electrical systems. Inspectors are supposed to check low-voltage work. But to them, it is not high on their priority list. With so many details to remember in the major systems, inspectorsseldom go into great detail in the low-voltage systems. In an effort to help bring clarity to code issues, listed below are some of the most common NEC violations that surface on projects.

Common NEC Violations Found in Low-Voltage Systems 1. Audio cables run in cable trays with

other low-voltage cable. NEC 2005 introduced a new article 725.56(F) that prohibits audio cables (speaker, microphone or line level signals) to be run in the same raceway with other Class 2 or Class 3 circuits (low-voltage power and network cables). This is a common violation especially with audio systems that work on twisted-pair cables. It is a common misconception to say that all cables of the same type (e.g., category 5e cables) can be run together because they are the same cable type. In this case, the code dictates the wiring method for this circuit depending on the purpose of the circuit and not based upon the cable type.

2. Power cords run above ceilings. Article 400.8(5)

prohibits running flexible power cords above the ceiling. Sometimes when television displays or projectors are suspended from the roof or slab structure, power outlets are placed above the ceiling to connect those devices. A variation of this code violation is running power cords below the raised floor used for air distribution in computer rooms noncompliant with article 645. This violation is mostly related to electrical work and not to low-

Ten Common NEC ® Violations in Low-Voltage Systems

Feature

BY SANTIAGO BERON


voltage systems, but this is included because it is driven by power requirements in low-voltage systems.

3. Cables suspended from a cable tray system.

It is very common to see low-voltage cables strapped to the bottom of a cable tray system. Article 392.6(J) allows this support method only in industrial

installations serviced by qualified personnel. In commercial buildings, it is fine to strap cables from

the tray, but additional supports are required. Most likely this article was written thinking of heavy power

cables, but unfortunately, there is no exception for low-voltage cables. This violation does not seem to be a big deal or present a really hazardous situation, but this is being analyzed from the code compliance point of view. A spin-off of this code violation is supporting low-voltage cables from electrical raceways. Article 800.133(C) prohibits this practice.

4. Unlisted broadband backbone cables run inside the building for more than 15 m

(50 ft). Article 820.113 exception 2 limits unlisted broadband (coax) cables to 15 m (50 ft) from the

point of entrance. In commercial buildings with requirements for large bandwidth systems and because of attenuation issues, it is required to run PIII-500 or 650 coaxial backbone cables to maintain the signal. These cables are usually made for outside plant applications, and the offering in riser-rated versions is very limited, so this becomes a common violation.

5. Secondary protection used in lieu of primary protection. Article 800.90(D) states that secondary protection cannot be used without primary protection. This requirement is not only for telephone cables but also for other low-voltage circuits such as Class 2 wiring or audio systems. The code violation occurs when a protection module is specified and installed without knowing the classification of the protector. Primary protectors are listed under UL 497, and secondary protectors are listed under UL 497A. The similarity of the UL numbers and failure of some manufacturers to use the same terminology as the NEC (primary or secondary protection) make it easy to design and install the wrong device.

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6. Patch cords run in plenum spaces. Article 800.154(A) explains that only CMP-rated cables can be run in plenum spaces. This is not a big surprise for most in the ITS industry. The proliferation of wireless access points and IP cameras has required the termination of horizontal cables above ceilings, creating code issues. Because of the need to test cable for those applications, jacks are also installed above the ceiling. The code violation comes by leaving the jack exposed to the plenum or using a factory made patch cord (rated as CM or CMG only) to make the final connection to the device.

7. Low-voltage cables run from multiple output power supplies with outputs not classified as Class 2 installed in the same raceway or cable tray with other low-voltage cables. Article 725.55(A) does not allow running Class 2 and Class 3 circuits with power, lighting or Class 1 circuits in the same cable or raceway, except for very limited cases. In the ITS industry, many multiple output power supplies (e.g., for CCTV cameras and access control systems) are not classified as Class 2 outputs but Class 1 because of the way they are built. Unfortunately, the installation manual for those devices does not explicitly mention Class 1 or Class 2 anywhere in the document. It is too easy to fall for this code violation.

8. Ungrounded or improperly grounded primary or secondary protectors. Article 800.170(A) and (B) stipulate that all primary protectors need to be grounded and secondary protection needs to be grounded when present in the device. It is well known that primary protectors need to be grounded. The code violation occurs most of the time by running excessive lengths of ground cable to reach a distant ground bar when other grounding means are closer. Secondary protectors are installed many times as a result of a specific situation when equipment was damaged. Those retrofit jobs often are done by unqualified personnel who are not aware of the grounding requirements for secondary devices.

9. Unlisted communications cable coming into the building in EMT conduit and extending beyond 15 m (50 ft). Article 800.2 defines point of entrance as the point at which the wire or cable

emerges from an external wall, from a concrete floor slab or from a rigid metal conduit or an intermediate metal conduit grounded to an electrode. The code violation occurs when assuming that EMT conduit is also fine to extend the point of entrance. Electricians do not like using rigid metal conduit because of the treading of the conduit ends and because it is a heavier pipe; in the electrical world, the point of entrance cannot be extended with pipe.

10. Insulated grounding backbone cables run in air-handling spaces in the cable tray. Insulations for large gauge (3/0 or AWG-6) electrical cables are usually not listed for plenum use since their main use is for electrical work, where they are run in conduit. Article 800.154 is clear in requiring cable listings for plenum use. The code violation occurs when running those cables as telecommunications grounding backbones (or other grounding wires for telecommunications) in the cable tray system with other low-voltage cables. They are installed in the cable tray because they are not current-carrying conductors. Fortunately, BICSI and TIA have revised the concept of the telecommunications grounding backbones, and those long grounding backbones are being eliminated. It is good practice to stay with uninsulated cables or run separate conduits for those cables.

Conclusion Many other common violations can be cited. In the end, RCCDs and installation professionals should keep up to date in all of the code changes. The NEC is confusing and dense. Many times it is difficult to find the right answers, but if you don’t make this effort, chances are nobody else will either. n

Santiago Beron, RCDD, CTS

Santiago Beron, RCDD, CTS, is an associate and systems project manager at TLC Engineering for Architecture in Tampa Fl, a consulting engineering company specialized in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technology systems design in Florida and Tennessee. Santiago can be contacted at +1 813.637.0110 or at [email protected].

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The following is a snapshot of the various challenges, opportunities and benefits of deploying wireless enterprise networks within an acute care hospital. The information transport systems

(ITS) professional who has been given the challenge of designing or implementing an infrastructure project in a hospital campus setting must understand the complexities of the environment. Those designers and contractors entering the growing and attractive health care market will gain a new level of understanding as they take the plunge into this complex ecosystem.

The Setting Health care facilities are quickly becoming over-burdened, with several factors creating the “perfect storm.” The first baby boomers applied for Social Security benefits in late 2007. They are the first of a whole new generation needing medical benefits on a massive scale never seen before. This generation will be the first seniors to be computer savvy, expect quality services and demand choices every step of the way, such as choices in treatment, caregivers, facilities and amenities. The most competitive, comfortable and accommodating health care facilities will attract the best clientele (patients, payers and providers alike) and build prestige that is based on measurable care practices. In addition, most hospitals are forecasting staffing shortages for nurse positions at all levels, with staff shortages expected to reach 29 percent by 2020. This is forcing some hospital networks to create impressive schemes to acquire and retain talented staff. The traveling nurse is a result of this environment. Talented nursing staff will follow the opportunities (and signing bonuses) toward a more satisfying nursing career. The nursing shortage can be attributed to several factors. The leading factors are physical and mental fatigue; the average nurse is 43 years old, and the average patient is increasingly heavier and needs more one-on-one care. An average emergency department (ED) nurse

walks five to seven miles during a typical 12-hour shift. An additional factor is diminishing numbers of nursing school graduates and a growing lack of interest in nursing as a career. If that was not enough, there are reports of more than 100,000 accidental deaths annually due to medical errors. These errors include misinterpreted physician prescription orders or key information missing at the time of administering medications such as known allergies, patient-drug matching or dosages. As radical changes in care delivery evolve, they must take into account new federal regulations such as HIPAA, which dictates the way patient information must be handled, shared and presented. Considerable measures must be taken to ensure that patient privacy is the top priority when moving patient information within an acute care environment.

The Day of an Acute Care Nurse A nurse whose daily tasks include caring for patients, preparing meals and medications, tending to patient calls of all types and carrying out treatment instructions from doctors is well aware of the physical space where all these tasks take place. The medication room may be down the corridor from the patient needing pain meds. The nourishment room is potentially at the other end of the unit from another patient needing a glass of water. Don’t forget the doctor trying to contact the acute care nurse from outside the hospital to make changes in a prescription or treatment to another patient’s chart. Thedoctor has asked that the patient be given an IV with acertain medication, which requires the pharmacy to fill the prescription before anything happens. How will the doctor issue accurate instructions to the pharmacist from outside the hospital? How will the nurse know the pre-scription has been filled and where to find that last clean IV pump needed for delivering the prescribed dosage? Juggling all these tasks is not uncommon for any nurse. In fact, it is modus operandi.

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What Is a Nurse to Do? Fortunately, wireless technologies are available to provide a whole host of features anywhere that coverage is provided. These features are not uncommon to anyone who uses a mobile telephone. Simple features such as caller ID within an enterprise wireless telephone system can provide information about which patient is calling and the type of call, such as bathroom call, water needed and so on. This allows a registered nurse (RN), who typically handles more complex patient needs such as medication administration, to decide whether to take the call or delegate it to a nurse’s aide. Even though this simple example of enabling a mobile workforce seems easy, hospitals are challenging environments for deploying wireless technologies. Some of the challenges may be simply low awareness of available technologies and options for customizing the wireless communications system to the particular setting, such as emergency department, surgery, nursing units, and other operations, including housekeeping and materials management. Another challenge in hospitals is the separation in management of the various systems needed to provide

wireless solutions. Typically, the telecommunications group handles the PBX, voice mail and associated telephony systems. The IT/IS group handles the data backbone, core computing, data processing and wireless IP environment. Yet another group, the biomedical engineering department (biomed) manages nurse call, telemetry, patient monitoring and any direct patient care–related systems that influence the patient care, staff and physician work flow. Under the above management model, who is responsible for ensuring that the VoIP wireless telephone interfaces with the existing nurse call system and can send an alarm from a bedside respirator to the nurse carrying the telephone? Further challenges are also architectural. Hospitals are typically older buildings designed for older models of care that are no longer practiced. The open ward is not an acceptable patient environment. A unit having mostly private patient rooms is now considered best practice for controlling infectious diseases and patient comfort levels. The all-private patient room unit is now part of the American Institute of Architects 2006 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. Radio frequency (RF) signal planning must

occur before technologies are selected and equipment is purchased. Surveys must take place before any system deployment to ensure uniform coverage of all desired and not desired areas. The particular technology deployed for the wireless systems must be transparent to the nurses. Nurses are not interested in knowing about the underlying technology driving their mobility, but the ITS designer should be.

The Opportunities The many uses for wireless systems in hospitals extend far beyond the confines of a nursing unit or even the hospital campus. The delivery of electronic health records anywhere, anytime within the facility is an obvious advantage of the enterprise wireless system. Outfitting a facility with ubiquitous WLAN coverage accomplishes more that just serving the medical records delivery. Now there is complete coverage of the IP blanket that can deliver and retrieve information, communications and other vital data on a single platform. Real-time location systems (RTLSs) are taking advantage of the IP infrastructure to deliver instantaneous information on any equipment’s location. Fitted with a Wi-Fi enabled asset tracking tag, some systems use existing WLAN access points and add software to allow RF signals to be

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triangulated with accuracy to within a few feet. An RTLS can be used for tracking equipment (locating that IV pump the nurse needs to deliver medications), locating nurses within a unit to better address patient needs and aiding back-of-house staff for better delivery of their services. For example, the biomedical department needs to find all portable x-ray machines of a certain model, make and serial number sequence for a factory recall or upgrade, or the environmental services department can be notified of six soiled respirators in the utility room that warrant a trip to pick them up. Distributed antenna systems (DAS) take wireless networks beyond the basic need and enhance the patient, physician and family experience. These systems can combine multiple RF signals (encrypted WLAN, Wi-Fi hotspot for visitors, cellular, police and fire department and facilities 800 MHz to name a few) on a single antenna system throughout the entire facility. These antenna technologies are not all the same. Some use passive waveguides that radiate the RF along their linear path, typically following cable trays. Others are active systems that multiplex the various frequencies onto a singlemode fiber backbone, demux the light into its RF bands and distribute it using strategically located antennae throughout. However the distribution happens, the one common challenge with DAS is the added budget and space needed in telecommunications rooms (TRs), equipment rooms (ERs) and entrance facilities (EFs). The TR must now accommodate the WLAN, wireless medical telemetry service (WMTS) and other ceiling-mounted devices along its walls. It is not uncommon for a nursing unit TR to have 10 feet of wall space dedicated to DAS equipment and access points. Cellular coverage is not

typically accounted for in the planning of EFs or ERs. These now include rack-mounted space for service provider equipment. Typically, a DAS is designed for the coverage of three cellular carriers, which means three times the equipment. In addition, vital patient information systems need to be protected from vendors servicing their equipment in the ER. One of the great advantages of a DAS in health care is the ability to deliver WMTS anywhere the DAS covers. This allows patients who need constant monitoring of

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their vital signs (e.g., heart rate for recovering cardiac patients) to move about as the doctor has ordered. This mobility is not limited to just the area where the system was originally installed. Rather, the patient can now walk to the cafeteria, library or healing garden while always being monitored by the nurse. On a larger scale are the future benefits of delivering digital radiology over wide area (wireless) networks. Trauma centers will soon be able to send digital brain scans of critically ill stroke victims needing immediate diagnosis by experts not present in the hospital. The first 60 minutes are critical for most stroke victims as strokes are the single largest contributor to paralysis. Improved wireless communications will expedite diagnosis and treatment and save lives.

What Is the ITS Designer to Do? A Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD®) may be tasked with designing the wired infrastructure for now, and the wireless systems may or may not be on the facility’s immediate deployment path. However, understanding how beneficial wireless networks are to a hospital’s future, it is hard to imagine one without the proper infrastructure to support it.

The key components of a successful infrastructure design are flexibility, ubiquity and resilience. As wireless technologies are deployed, their mission critical aspect will become more apparent and their redundancy will be the limiting factor. It has been said that the cabling systems carry everything in a hospital from financial information to heartbeats. Today, this information is also transmitted via RF across the air. New challenges have arisen from this broadcast of sensitive information, including security, privacy and accuracy. Here are some questions you should ask about your system design:n Are your pathways and spaces sized to handle the added cables, electronic equipment and interface devices necessary to push a nurse call signal to a wireless handset? Is your design WMTS, cellular and UHF/VHF compatible?n Is the facility leadership ready for the direct assault on its silo management structure associated with adopting converged technologies? n Is the building RF friendly? Do the building materials, floor plan layout and coverage areas need special attention to ensure uniform coverage for VoIP, WMTS and RTLS?

n Are the TRs laid out to maintain uniform coverage in all nooks and crannies of the campus? nIs there a radio control room on the rooftop for placing control equipment related to satellite dishes, microwave antennae, free space optics devices andother omnidirectional antenna masts? n Can the ER support the additional wireles network equipment, software servers and interfaces for smooth management of nurse call and other biomedical systems, PBX and wireless infrastructure?

As the RCDD credential becomes more proliferated (and demanded) in the ITS industry, those who understand the environment and context of the health care industry will benefit the most and avoid misdiagnosing the wireless ailments. n

Mario Sanchez, RCDD

Mario Sanchez, RCDD, is a special systems

design consultant project manager with

RTKL Associates, Inc., a worldwide

architecture, engineering, planning and

creative services organization. For more

information, contact Mario at +1 213.633.1296

or [email protected].

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Bidding pertains to the

generation of a proposal in

response to a solicitation

or request for a bid. It is

an activity that includes

estimating but is much

more than estimating. It

is a sales activity with a

series of strategies utilized

to win work. Contractors

from every industry,

including information

transport systems (ITS),

routinely bid work.

The creation of a bid usually involves the completion of sequential steps: n An opportunity is identified.n The bid documentation is acquired.n The specification is reviewed.n An inventory of required tasks is taken from project drawings.n Creative bidding strategies are identified and utilized to develop the best possible bid.n An internal bid is developed. n A proposal is developed.n The bid is delivered to the client.

As the sequential steps imply, bidding is a time-consuming, labor-intensive series of activities. As such, a major challenge for contractors is bidding efficiently. Each contractor has limited available time to bid on projects. The projects to bid must be selected carefully. Effective bidding practices need to be in place to minimize the time required for producing a complete and professional bid. Choosing poor projects to bid creates two immediate problems. The estimator’s efforts and the related costs of estimating are consumed on low potential work. There also is the lost opportunity cost associated with losing the estimator while he or she bids those poorly selected projects.

There are several tangible advantages to establishing efficient bidding practices. Obviously, the better the practices, the faster each bid can be generated. There are also several other equally valuable advantages to integrating efficient bidding practices within the contractor’s organization. Conservation of time allows for more creative thinking and the development of value strategies with which to win work. If 100 percent of the bid time budget is consumed with takeoff and compliance, no time is left to creatively try to win the project. One strategy for maximizing bidding efficiency is the development of spreadsheet templates. A template is pre-populated with tasks that are commonly associated with the work that the contractor typically bids. The template can include both tasks and associated products required to successfully complete tasks. A reasonably complete spreadsheet template allows an estimator to fill in blanks and allows the software application such as Microsoft Excel® to calculate the inventory of required associated components. A spreadsheet template that includes, for example, the number of four-cable workstation locations

BETTER BIDDINGEffective bidding extends the contractor’s sales and marketing efforts. BY GENE CONWAY

Feature


will almost instantly generate the correct number of jacks, faceplates and patch panels and the number of cables to be terminated, labeled and tested. Template spreadsheets can be easily formatted to generate both material inventory and required labor units. Templates can be developed for virtually every product solution that a contractor offers and can have a tremendous impact on bidding efficiency. In addition to bid pricing templates, contractors can build proposal templates. Proposal templates may be Microsoft Word® documents with commonly requested information that is repeatedly used in proposals. Such content may include company history, organizational charts, project experience and sample scopes of work. Proposal templates might also include scanned documents such as Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD®) certifications, product certifications and certificates of insurance. If a contractor retains and builds a library of sample proposals, generating new, high-quality, complete proposals can be a relatively easy task to accomplish. Replacing creative writing exercises with high-quality reusable templates will reduce stress and save substantial amounts of time. When effective spreadsheet and proposal templates are developed and incorporated into the contractor bidding protocol, the time required to bid is reduced and an emotional and pragmatic shift can occur from “get it done and off my desk” to “how can I strategize to improve my chances of winning the work.” This shift allows bidding efforts

to go from reactive to proactive, from marginally strategic to highly strategic. Effective bidding practices create a better estimating experience for those who provide estimates. Repetitive, time-consuming, stress-ridden exercises can produce a

negative motivation that has nothing to do with winning work. Proactive, efficient bidding allows estimators to identify and utilize bidding assets that can generate ongoing value for the contractor. Proactive product

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selection is one such asset. There are generally three product selection variations in bidding work:n Hard specifications are bid

opportunities where the major requested components are defined. Contractors are required to bid the specified products.

n Specifications with allowable alternatives are those in which the product is defined but contractors have an opportunity to submit products that are equal to or equivalent to the specified products.

n Open specification projects are those in which the requirements are defined but the specific products are not.

When bidding projects with either open specifications or allowable alternative specifications, contractors have an opportunity to position both the product and product distribution channel(s). If a contractor takes the time to create a relationship matrix of distributors, manufacturer representatives, direct product representatives and associated inside and outside sales personnel, even a conservative effort would yield a group of 50 to 100 people. Each of these people is compensated for generated sales, and each is very interested in working with contractors on current and future projects. A manufacturer representative who a contractor helps to get positioned on a project will certainly help that contractor get positioned on a future opportunity. The same is true for any individual within the contractor's relationship matrix. Establishing reciprocal relationships with distribution and product personnel allows the

contractor to extend his or her sales team to include those individuals. Efforts to position specific products and distribution channels strengthen relationships and pay dividends that extend well past a particular project, whether the project is won or lost. The establishment of such relationships begins with the question: Why am I specifying this product? An estimator, project manager, salesperson or other individual who directly or indirectly influences a product selection should always specify for a reason. For example:n We are using “X” optical fiber

cable on this project because Mike, who represents the product, put us in front of the ABC company.

n We are using “Y” connectivity because Sue needs $5,000 in gross revenue to hit the platinum club. If we help her, she will feed us leads all year.

n We are going with “Z” distribution company because Steve has a relationship with the client and can influence who gets de-scoped in a best and final scenario.

There are many valid reasons why a contractor might pick a specific solution offered by a specific vendor. To specify a product without a reason or goal is to waste an opportunity to empower an industry advocate and build rapport with someone who can help on current

and future opportunities. The purchasing person is another advocate who can be utilized to improve opportunities for bidding as well as opportunities to win submitted bids. A contractor’s relationship matrix includes many individuals who are very interested in collaborating on projects with contractors. Being selective and strategic when placing orders for products and materials is a powerful way to engage many people to assist in achieving contractor sales objectives. Simply put, successful salespeople understand reciprocity and will work hard to support organizations that work hard to support them. In general, contractors should avoid buying anything from anyone without first identifying a reason to buy. The reason may certainly be price or to help someone who in turn will help you later. Positioning others who exist within your market space is an excellent way to build credibility and extend your limited sales and marketing efforts. Bidding is not just a mandatory means of competing for work. Rather, it is an integral component within any organization’s sales model. It is a sequence of processes that with some adaptation can be made much more efficient and yield benefits in time, volume of completed bids, improved morale among estimators and improved win-loss ratios. n

Gene Conway, RCDD

Gene Conway, RCDD, is business development manager for Tricomm Services

Corp. a NJ-based regional technology contractor. Gene can be reached at

[email protected].


The future of copper structured cabling systems is at hand. New 10 gigabit (Gb) copper systems are being installed today, and now the IEEE is developing 40 Gb systems using copper structured cabling and

looking at the possibility of 100 Gb. With ever-increasing network speeds and the demand for more bandwidth never seeming to subside, system designers are faced with making an informed choice between a shielded solution and an unshielded solution.

Shielded and unshielded systems have their place in system design and in meeting the network requirements of the end user. Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) systems are widely used today for 1 Gb applications. Yet deployment of UTP for 10 Gb applications—while entirely feasible—comes with a lot of conditions due to the problem of alien crosstalk. Comparatively, shielded systems can be installed for all current applications and can be deployed when considering future applications such as those that will require proposed category 6A, category 7 or category 7A. Shielded systems not only offer better performance than UTP but are just as easy to install and ultimately less expensive. Taking into consideration all aspects of designing, installing and testing a structured cabling system, this article seeks to dispel the myths and rumors surrounding shielded cabling systems.

Myth #1: 10 Gb UTP systems perform as well as shielded cabling systems UTP, consisting of four unshielded twisted pairs under an overall sheath, has the lion’s share of current installations in North America. It has been the media of choice for many years with widely known design

and installation practices. Shielded cabling can be very different in design and type. Pairs in metal foil (PiMF) is a fully shielded cable consisting of four twisted pairs individually shielded with a foil and an overall shield and sheath. This is predominantly installed in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland (Central Europe). Other designs include shielding just the individual pairs with a foil shield or leaving the individual pairs unshielded but using an overall foil or braid shield. Although the cable designs are different, the electrical performance characteristics considered for both UTP and shielded media types remain the same.

n Insertion loss: The loss of signal strength through the channel, insertion loss is affected by the length of the channel and the frequency at which the signal is transmitted. In other words, the longer the cable and the higher the frequency, the higher the loss. Loss on shielded cables can be affected by the shielding. At higher frequencies, the signal can be prone to skin affect (signal traveling on the outside edges of the cable). This signal can be absorbed into the shield, causing additional loss. UTP cables can experience higher loss due to increased twist ratios used to control crosstalk within the cable. Other factors affecting loss are impedance mismatches throughout the length of the cable, which send reflections back through the cable. This is referred to as structural return loss (SRL).

n Crosstalk: This can be described as the unwanted coupling of signal between pairs in a cable, referred to as near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT). Twisted-pair cables use complex twist ratios


Dispelling the Myths of Shielded CableHigher frequency channels warrant a closer look at STP.

BY TOM WILLIAMS

Feature


and algorithms to control crosstalk within the cable. Shielded cable can offer significantly reduced crosstalk within the cable when pairs are individually shielded.

n Alien near-end crosstalk (ANEXT): The crosstalk noise that occurs between adjacent cables, ANEXT can be problematic for 10 Gb UTP systems performing at higher frequencies. The shield that surrounds individual pairs or all pairs in a shielded cable isolates cables from adjacent cables to eliminate ANEXT. Equipment manufacturers have effectively reduced pair-to-pair crosstalk via cancellation technology that distinguishes between the signal and the crosstalk where the crosstalk is from a known source. However, with ANEXT, the source is unknown and cannot be eliminated by the equipment. Consequently, ANEXT has raised questions surrounding UTP distance limitations and installation techniques, and additional ANEXT testing is required following installation.

When considering all of the electrical characteristics of a cabling media, shielded cable far exceeds the performance of a UTP system. Even with a possible small increase in insertion loss, the elimination of ANEXT means that shielded cable offers significantly increased crosstalk performance at higher frequencies to enable the best possible signal to be detected. While many 10 Gb UTP systems are claimed to meet channel, link and even component performance specifications, it is important to remember that a cabling system is more than just cables and jacks. A fully installed system consists of many end devices connected to switches and routers via fully loaded patch panels. When you consider a fully loaded patch panel and cable bundles using 10 Gb UTP cables operating at higher frequencies, ANEXT becomes an even bigger issue. With shielded cables, ANEXT does not affect performance even at higher frequencies in fully loaded patch panels or bundles. Consequently, shielded cable can operate at much higher frequencies, providing greater bandwidth over UTP. It is important to remember that bandwidth and throughput are not the same (see page 32).

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Myth #2: Shielded cabling systems require intricate grounding and bonding All systems require some grounding and bonding. According to grounding and bonding standards and guidelines, all metal cable tray, ladder rack, cabinets and equipment racks in telecommunications rooms (TRs) should be properly grounded and bonded to a telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB). The TGBs in each TR are bonded to a telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB), which is also bonded to the building grounding system. This method links all metal components to the building grounding system via appropriate ground rods, ground straps and AWG copper stranded conductors. This is true for both UTP and shielded systems, and the following components and requirements are common to both types of systems:

n TMGB must be 6 mm (0.24 in) thick, 100 mm (4 in) wide and 300 mm (12 in) long with predrilled holes in standard NEMA sizing and spacing. The TMGB shall be grounded to the main power ground using a 3 AWG [5.8 mm (0.23 in)] stranded green insulated copper conductor.n TGB must be 6 mm (0.24 in) thick, 50 mm (2 in) wide and 300 mm (12 in) long. All TGBs shall be bonded to the TMGB using a 6 AWG [4.1 mm (0.16 in)] stranded green insulated copper conductor. n All metallic raceways, ladder racks, cabinets and equipment racks should be bonded to the TGBs using a 6 AWG [4.1 mm (0.16 in)] stranded green insulated copper conductor.

For both UTP and shielded systems, each telecommuni-cations rack should have a 10 mm (0.39 in) square copper busbar installed running the height of the rack,. It should be installed using plastic brackets to provide proper separation and isolation from the rack. All metal patch panels and enclosures should be bonded to the busbar using a 6 AWG [4.1 mm (0.16 in)] green insulated stranded copper conductor. This includes optical fiber racks and enclosures, which also are made of metal.

Apart from what many believe, the telecommunications outlet/connector should not be grounded to the building ground. The grounding at the work area is provided by the electronic components using the electrical wiring system. This is true for both shielded and UTP. With today’s die cast metal shielded connectors, the cable shield is automatically bonded to the connector following proper termination per the connector manufacturer instructions. The components for the grounding and bonding system remain the same for both shielded and UTP systems, and there is no increase in cost or time to ground and bond when installing a shielded cabling system.

Bandwidth versus Throughput

The terms “bandwidth” and “throughput” are often used interchangeably. However, these are really two fundamentally different concepts. Bandwidth, measured in hertz, refers to the range of frequencies that a channel can carry. The higher the frequency, the higher the bandwidth. Throughput, measured in Mb/s or Gb/s, is the amount of data transferred from one location to another.

One of the greatest myths in the information transport systems (ITS) industry, affecting both UTP and shielded systems, is that throughput is more important than bandwidth when designing a structured cabling system. However, throughput is dependent upon bandwidth; bandwidth is NOT dependent upon throughput. Throughput also depends on many other factors such as the speed of routers and switches, retransmissions and other factors too numerous to mention. The relationship between bandwidth and throughput can be compared to a highway. The wider the highway (bandwidth), the more cars can travel (throughput). While a highway may have the potential to move cars at 100 mph, it does not always happen due to too many cars and accidents. It is the same with throughput.

Some companies may provide applications assurance on a cabling system, which means that a certain application will run on that cabling system. A performance warranty, on the other hand, means that any application designed to operate within a specific bandwidth (MHz) will run on the cabling system. In other words, with an applications assurance, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (the application) can run on a specific 500 MHz UTP cable. However, if equipment vendors choose to run 10 Gigabit Ethernet at 600 MHz, it will not work on that cable. That is why it is very important to look at the bandwidth of the cable and ensure that you have a performance warranty based on that bandwidth. Shielded cable can operate at a higher frequency to provide more bandwidth and consequently provide greater throughput.

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When following proper methods for grounding and bonding, it is easy to dispel the myth that shielded cabling systems can become antennas, drawing in unwanted signals from their surroundings and creating more noise to interfere with the signal. It is actually extremely difficult to create an antenna, requiring a certain range of ground potential difference. That is precisely why there is no grounding done at the workstation. Providing a proper grounding and bonding system for all cabling systems—both shielded and UTP—will prevent this from happening. The proper methods and requirements for grounding and bonding a telecommunications system can be found in BICSI’s Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM) in Chapter 2: Electromagnetic Compatibility, Chapter 8: Grounding, Bonding, and Protection and Chapter 9: Power Distribution, as well as Section 17006 of the Uniform Building Code (UBC).

Myth #3: Shielded cabling systems take more time to install The myth that shielded cabling systems take longer to install has existed for many years and stems back to

the older style of Type I shielded systems that required additional steps to bond the connector to the cable due to the use of plastic housings. This step is no longer required with today’s die cast metal connectors, where the bonding of the shield has become a function of the connector termination. This makes the difference in termination time between UTP and shielded insignifi-cant. The key difference in time between UTP and shielded is only the amount of time it takes to separate individual shields from the pairs and the overall shield from the cable, which takes no more than about 10 extra seconds. In addition, new technologies on the market like tool-less jacks that eliminate the need to punch down individual pairs further reduce termination time. Significant differences in installation time can be seen after the components are terminated and testing begins. Both UTP and shielded systems are tested using an industry-approved tester, and test parameters are determined by standards from the Electronic Industries Alliance/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA) and International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC). However, 10 Gb UTP systems require additional

testing for ANEXT, while shielded cabling does not. This can be done using a sampling method recommended by the tester manufacturer, which does not require testing all installed UTP cables for ANEXT. The sampling method adds a significant amount of time to the testing process—approximately 30 percent more time. If links fail for ANEXT during the testing, the time required to test can easily double. When a customer requires 100 percent certification of the UTP system for ANEXT, the time will increase by 10 to 300 percent or more compared with a shielded cabling system.

Myth #�: Shielded cabling systems are more expensive than UTP While shielded components can cost slightly more than UTP, the equivalent grounding and bonding process, reduced labor during testing, higher density at the rack and in pathways and lower total cost of ownership mean that a shielded system ultimately costs less than a UTP system. For years, many have thought that the increased overall diameter of shielded cable may require the use of larger cable tray or reduce the number of cables installed in a conduit to maintain fill limitations. That is no longer true for 10 Gb systems. In fact, the outside diameter of a 500 MHz

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shielded foiled twisted-pair cable (SFTP) can be smaller that that of a 500 MHZ UTP cable. Furthermore, ANEXT has created concern surrounding closely packed bundles of UTP cables in pathways, which also can affect density. In addition, unlike UTP, the use of shielded cable means that conduit is not required to reduce the influence of unwanted signals, such as electromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) from electrical motors and generators in a manufacturing environment. With shielded cabling systems, the shield provides the same function as the conduit.

At the rack, it is often necessary to have staggered ports on patch panels to address the issue of ANEXT with UTP. Some installers opt to use every other port to reduce ANEXT. Whichever method is deployed, density at the rack is also sacrificed with 10 Gb UTP. Space is expensive, and because a shielded solution eliminates ANEXT, shielded ports on a patch panel can be placed closer together for higher density and cost savings from increased rack density.

Myth #5: Shielded cabling systems are only for specialty applications with EMI/RFI For years, it has been thought that shielded cable is only needed for applications where EMI/RFI are a concern, such as industrial and medical facilities. In fact, shielded cabling systems are suited for all the same applications as UTP, and more. Furthermore, EMI/RFI can come from a variety of sources, and the number of sources has increased in recent years. It is no longer just motors and X-ray machines that cause EMI/RFI. In every type of facility, everything from fluorescent lights, wireless LANs and in-building cell phone systems to printers, copiers and televisions can attribute to frequency pollution. In today’s world, information is time sensitive and seconds matter. In a UTP system, EMI/RFI can essentially cause more data packets to be retransmitted over the network, causing significant delays. Shielded cable, however, is virtually immune to the effects of EMI/RFI.

Summary Much of what is being promoted about UTP versus shielded for 10 Gb applications has been distorted. While some myths may have been valid with the old style of shielded systems, today’s shielded cabling systems debunk every current myth. Beyond doubt, the electrical performance

of shielded cabling systems exceeds that of unshielded. Shielded cabling systems are just as easy to install asunshielded cable and connector. In addition, it is possible to show that shielded systems can cost less over the lifetime of the cabling system, especially given that an ISO/IEC committee is working on proposed standards that will take the industry into the future with class F, class FA, category 7 and category 7 A —all of which may be shielded. When it comes to the future of structured cabling, shielded cabling systems demonstrate many distinct advantages for contractors and building owners alike. n

Tom Williams, RCDD

Tom Williams, RCDD, is director of the data communications division for BTR Netcom Inc. For more information, visit www.btr-netcom.com or contact Tom at [email protected] or call +1 732.380.8145.


After the Ladders Are Put Back on the Truck Your Wi-Fi network system was designed by an expert, and consideration was given to signal propagation, attenuation through obstructions, signal corruption due to multipath reflections and other key radio frequency (RF) issues. You took aggregate bandwidth capacity and user application requirements into consideration. You selected the right vendor’s equipment to meet your specifications and then ran the cable, screwed the radios and antennas up on the walls and ceilings and turned the thing on. Now—will it do what was intended? Postinstallation verification and coverage gap analysis are, to either a lesser or greater degree, required after a Wi-Fi wireless network system has been brought on-line. For the hospitality sector, where guests at hotels, airports or resorts are given limited expectations of performance, the postinstallation efforts can be minimized. In a hospital (where patient monitoring is a critical function) or in a university or corporate enterprise setting (where high-capacity requirements must be met), the postinstallation effort can be a complex, detailed and time-consuming project. The present discussion is divided into two parts. Part 1, presented in this issue, describes fundamental verification methods and tools. Part 2, coming in the March/April 2008 issue of BICSI News, explores the role of RF spectrum analysis and the methodology for developing a mitigation and remediation strategy when problems are identified.

The Cheap and Dirty Ping Test The simplest postinstallation validation consists of connecting to the network with your wireless notebook computer and running a continuous ping test back to the default gateway on the wired Ethernet side of the IP network. This is NOT a comprehensive test, but it does provide some degree of meaningful information regarding the operation of the wireless network. With the ping test running, you now walk the site and make sure that your ping responses do not time out. If more than 5 percent of your ping requests are lost, you can assume that you are standing in a dead or severely weak coverage area.

Wi-Fi Site VerificationMaking sure the system works after it is installed. BY JOE BARDWELL

After installing a structured wiring system, technicians use certification meters to confirm that the copper medium meets required specifications for length, crosstalk, attenuation and frequency-carrying capability. Corresponding tests should be performed when the medium is the air and the network connectivity is provided through a Wi-Fi system. This article, presented as Part 1 here and Part 2 in the upcoming March/April 2008 issue of BICSI News, describes the postinstallation testing and verification process for a Wi-Fi wireless network and points out areas where problems might be found and methods used to isolate and describe them.

Feature


If it is an area that needs connectivity, then you have a problem. On the other hand, if you have consistent ping response times of less than 5 ms, you can be confident that the network is operational to at least a minimum level of IEEE 802.11 performance. Figure 1 shows a sample of what a ping test might look like in a properly operating Wi-Fi network. Notice that there is one reply of 175 ms. When replies vary, it is because ping packets were corrupted in the air and retransmitted through the automatic 802.11 retry mechanism. The ping application saw the 802.11 retransmission/retry event as a time delay in getting a reply. Hence, ping time variation is an indirect indication of packet corruption in the air. Figure 2 is a sample of a ping test in an environment that is not going to support consistent Wi-Fi service. What is seen in the bad test result above is that not only do multiple requests time out but the overall ping response times are completely inconsistent. In this case, the inconsistent ping response times indicate that something is disrupting the regular flow of data across the Wi-Fi network. From the ping test alone you do not know what is causing the problem but you know that a problem exists. Will a noisy, error-filled network like this work at all? Absolutely. Remember that when you are checking e-mail or browsing the Web, the transmission control protocol (TCP) layer guarantees delivery of data through

a comprehensive retransmission mechanism. If these were connection-oriented TCP data packets, TCP would retransmit each of the “Request timed out” failures until they finally got through. This network would work, but users would perceive it as being slow. Be careful. If you are the only user on the network (as you might well be immediately after it is installed), your performance might seem to be acceptable. Lost capacity becomes evident when multiple users try to access the system in the presence of noise and interference.

Comprehensive Data Throughput Testing The ping utility operates by sending a data packet using a connectionless protocol called Internet control message protocol (ICMP). An ICMP echo request is sent to the target IP device, and the IP protocol stack knows inherently how to send the data block back with an echo reply frame. Ping therefore can disclose the round-trip time and the complete loss of packets, but there is no indication as to how users running real-world applications (like e-mail, Web browsing or streaming video) will perceive the network performance. For this reason, a comprehensive verification of wireless LAN performance must include a real-time data transfer test. A simple performance testing tool called iPerf is freely downloadable software from many different Web sites. The utility runs in an MS-DOS window. You will

Figure 1. Ping Test Results for a Typical, Properly Operating Wi-Fi Network Figure 2. Ping Test Results Obtained in a Noisy, Error-Filled Environment


need two computers to run an iPerf throughput test. Create a directory on the root of your C: drive and copy the iPerf utility into it. Open an MS-DOS window using Run from the Start menu and type “cmd” to access an MS-DOS window. Use the CD command under MS-DOS to change directories to “C:\iPerf” (or whatever you named your iPerf directory.) You will install iPerf identically on both computers. One of them will be your iPerf server, and the other your iPerf client. Type “iPerf –help” for a complete list of commands. The simplest test can be performed using the following setup:n On the server machine, type “iPerf –s” at the MS-

DOS prompt. This will activate the iPerf server function, and the machine will be listening for incoming connection requests from your iPerf client.

n On the client machine, type “iPerf –c 192.168.4.1” (using the IP address of the server machine).

The iPerf utility now runs with output similar to what is shown in Figure 3.

Interpreting iPerf Performance Test Results This discussion uses iPerf as an example of a performance analysis tool. Other software tools are available, some of which are very elaborate and sophisticated (and expensive). The basic concepts presented here will still apply to assessing any performance analysis test result. The first group of transfer results is obtained when the iPerf client sends blocks of data to the server. This data transfer testing is reasonably close to real-world movement of data since the 8 Kilobyte (kB) block of data must be broken up into multiple 1460 byte data segments for transfer with TCP, and receipt of the data must be acknowledged through the TCP sequence number and acknowledgment mechanism. Results like the “996 Kbps/sec” or “904 Kbps/sec” transfer rates are due to severe packet corruption such that even the TCP retransmission mechanism was unable compensate for 802.11 packet corruption. Remember, though, that at the end of the run, the average data transfer from the client

(22.4 megabytes [MB] at 2.23 megabits per second [Mb/s]) represents totally accurate data having been sent without ultimate loss. The TCP retransmission mechanism guarantees delivery of the data however long it takes (unless the TCP connection itself is dropped, which is possible when continuous, catastrophic packet loss occurs for periods of many seconds duration). In the second group, the data is being sent back from the server side to the client. There is a period of time from the start of the 5.0 second interval through to the end of the 20.0 second interval when 0.00 bytes were transferred. Any 5 second interval with 0 bytes transferred is catastrophic, and here we see that fully 15 seconds elapsed with complete loss of connectivity. This is a bad thing. Further study shows that the 35.0 to 40.0 second interval only provided 30.1 kb/s. The conclusion is that while the client hardware and 802.11 radio equipment seem to be able to successfully transmit to the server-side receiver, there is something about the server’s 802.11 radio that does not provide satisfactory service in this network system.

Figure 3. Output from an iPerf Performance Test

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�0 | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org

Applying the Law of Reciprocity to Troubleshoot This Problem A physics professor would explain that the law of reciprocity includes the stipulation that whatever is experienced by an electromagnetic signal as it passes from a transmitter to a receiver is identical to that which is experienced by the signal when the roles of transmitter and receiver are reversed and the transmission is sent in the other direction. For two transmitters operating with the same power output, the rule can be stated simply as, “If you can hear me then I can hear you, even if your antenna differs significantly in gain or directional pattern.” The implication is that since the client had no problem sending data to the server, nothing related to the antennas (gain, directionality, orientation or polarization) or to the environment (noise, interference, reflections or other degrading characteristics) can cause the server to have problems sending to the client. The law of reciprocity tells us that from the antenna cable connector on one antenna to the connector on the other antenna everything must have an identical impact regardless of which antenna is the transmitter and which is the receiver. The problem must be related to either the client’s receiver circuitry or the server’s transmitter circuitry. The server’s 802.11 access point could be misconfigured at too low a power output level, or it may not have a sufficiently powerful radio to operate in the specified environment. The server’s access point also could have experienced hardware failure related to the transmitter circuit. The client’s radio may have poor receiver sensitivity, making it impossible for the client to differentiate between the received signal and background noise or interference.

Comparing Data Transfer Testing with RF Signal Strength Measurement When 802.11 signal strength testing is performed or when an RF spectrum analyzer is used during site verification, there is no guarantee that a signal with appropriate strength or spectral characteristics will be usable by a receiver during the phase lock, demodulation and bit recover process. For this reason, a postinstallation verification should always include actual data transfer testing with at least a ping test. A full performance test (with a tool like iPerf) goes a strong step beyond simple ping testing. Ultimately, a full postinstallation verification should include actually

running the intended user applications across the WLAN. Simply running the user applications will not provide insight into the actual data transfer behavior; for this, a data transfer test is required. The acceptability of the results is entirely dependent on the specified requirements for the wireless network being tested. The iPerf utility tests throughput based on the TCP/IP protocol, which has guaranteed delivery of packets using a retransmission mechanism to overcome packet loss. This effectively emulates the performance of e-mail systems, Web browsing and many database applications that also use TCP/IP. By exploring the iPerf help text, you will see that simultaneous data transfer sessions also can be established and tested.

Isolating and Describing Problems If ping testing or iPerf testing indicates there are problems with the network, it is time to explore the RF spectrum. In fact, walking through a site using an 802.11 analyzer or RF spectrum analyzer is always recommended as part of both the preinstallation activities and postinstallation verification. There are two general categories of RF signal-related tools: packet analyzers and spectrum analyzers. When data is acquired using an 802.11 wireless LAN adapter, received data packets provide the analysis information. When data is acquired using an RF spectrum analyzer, the display of power levels across a frequency range provides analysis information. The 802.11 adapters used by packet analyzers attempt to establish a phase lock on a coherent received signal. Once locked, the adapter demodulates the RF signal to recover a bit stream. When an 802.11 adapter returns information relative to noise or interference, it is actually a software interpretation of the degree to which the RF signal is successfully demodulated and the recovered bit stream is found to be valid. An 802.11 adapter cannot directly measure the energy level (dBm or mW) of background noise or directly calculate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The power level (dBm or mW) of a received signal presented using an 802.11 adapter is an algorithmic interpretation of an estimated power level. The algorithmic method used to calculate a dBm received signal strength indication (RSSI) varies from one manufacturer to another. While they tend to be reasonably consistent and sufficiently accurate for most purposes, the dBm or mW power level reported by a tool using an 802.11 adapter to acquire data is, at best, an estimate.

For more information, visit www.bicsiconnect.org or call BICSI at +1 813.979.1991 or 800.242.7405 (USA & Canada toll-free).


One 802.11 tool is NetStumbler (freely available on the Web from netstumbler.com). It reports dBm signal strength and compiles tables of service set identifiers (SSIDs) and media access control (MAC) addresses along with some simple signal strength graphs. A widely used 802.11 commercial packet analysis tool is the AirMagnet Laptop Analyzer, which competes directly with the WildPackets AiroPeek WLAN Analyzer, Network General Sniffer Wireless and other tools based on the 802.11 chipset. These tools go far beyond NetStumbler in that they capture and decode complete packet-level conversations to aid in troubleshooting network configuration problems, isolating security exposures on a network, and confirm proper application software behavior. Interpreting network protocol behavior is a complicated task. It takes significant academic training and years of practical experience before the nuances of packet-level interactions are readily understood. For this reason, full-featured packet analyzer tools have automatic, expert system analysis capabilities built in. The expert systems evaluate network behavior and

report potentially more than one hundred different problem events. When considering purchasing a packet-level analysis tool, three things are important to consider:n How intuitive is the user interface relative to viewing

core network statistics?n How easy is it to extract information into a report

format, and does the tool provide automated reporting features?

n What is the degree to which the manufacturer supports different types of 802.11 adapters?

Most of the field use for an 802.11 packet analyzer will be related to looking at dBm signal levels, listing visible SSIDs and finding rogue devices.

802.11 Packet Analyzers The 802.11 device driver that controls the Wi-Fi adapter in a device not only passes the extracted data packet up to the device’s operating system but also includes header information related to the channel on which the packet was acquired, a relative measure of

Figure �. A Packet

Analyzer Display of

Individual Data Packets

BICSINEWS | January/February 2008 | �3

signal strength, and other basic RF-oriented information. An 802.11 chipset is incapable of providing the analog RF signal energy and frequency information that would allow a true assessment of interference and noise. That’s the purpose for an RF spectrum analyzer. Packet analyzers can be simple network monitoring tools (like NetStumbler) that only report the basic signal strength and signal quality information. This information is extrapolated from the simple RF information provided by the 802.11 device driver. A full-function packet analyzer captures individual data packets and decodes their contents. This allows an experienced network engineer to evaluate the behavior of not only the 802.11 protocols but also higher layer protocols like DHCP, DNS, POP and SMTP and the operation of TCP sequence numbers, acknowledgments and retransmission events. Packet-level analysis allows detailed exploration of network configuration and capacity issues. The packet analyzer display image in Figure 4 shows that a device (MAC address 00:16:90:22:C6:D0) is sending a request to send packet to Cisco:4C:74:80 and is transmitting on 802.11 Channel 12. In North America, only Channels 1 through 11 are allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This (and other) station evidently has been misconfigured to operate using 802.11 standards intended for use outside North America.

On the bottom of the screen display the detailed decode of the internal contents of the packet is shown. If one were to scroll down in the detail decode list, the entire contents of the data packet would be revealed, including the contents of unencrypted e-mail, Web page HTML and anything else carried in a data packet. Packet analysis, in conjunction with automatic expert system analysis of information, can quickly disclose significant behaviors on a network that would otherwise require lengthy, detailed exploration by an experienced network engineer. A commercial packet analyzer, as might be purchased from any number of manufacturers, provides information similar to that shown in Figure 5. Here a synopsis of channel utilization, SSIDs, device MAC addresses, and associated signal strength information is consolidated on a single screen for ease of assessment. Freeware or shareware packet analysis tools may not offer the same depth of features but then, they do not cost any money.

Applying a Packet Analyzer to the Postinstallation Verification Process Whether you are using a basic 802.11 monitoring tool (like NetStumbler) or a full-featured commercial packet analyzer, the list of SSIDs and MAC addresses with

Figure 5.

Packet Analyzer

Main Information

Screen

�� | advancing information transport systems | www.bicsi.org

the associated signal strength will be a key part of the postinstallation process. The goal is to confirm that all parts of the intended coverage area receive the required minimum level of signal strength. Moreover, the level of noise that is present also may be reported. Vendors of various end user devices have minimum RF requirements stated for the suitability of coverage. It is always necessary to ascertain from the device manufacturers what they require for their equipment. Some general examples of signal strength and SNR are presented in the table below. These are very general guidelines intended to provide an example of how different types of user devices and applications require different levels of RF coverage. Based on the manufacturer’s specifications, the actual requirements must be established for each network system design.

Postinstallation Signal Strength Graphing Even simple, free 802.11 monitoring tools (like NetStumbler) provide a degree of graphing capability for signal strength measurement. The simple tools allow the generation of a graph for a single, selected MAC address. The more elaborate packet analyzer tools often

allow multiple MAC addresses to be displayed on a single graph and may include features to allow filtering for the selection of specific devices or SSIDs. The signal strength graphing example shown in Figure 7 depicts the measurement of a single access point (“CONNECT802 RF SURVEY”) while the on-site engineer walks down a long hallway. Survey walks should be denoted on a floor plan and included in a postinstallation verification report. The graph shows that signal strength is close to -30 dBm (directly underneath the access point) and drops down to roughly -85 dBm at the end of the walk (the right side of the graph). This analysis indicates that there are moments when the signal drops out completely. These dropouts are caused by the background fluctuations in the RF environment, possibly due to noise or interference or the result of signal reflections from metal objects. While the packet analyzer graph discloses the presence of dropouts, it has no features that enable the engineer to ascertain the cause of the dropouts. That is the job for a true RF spectrum analyzer.

Next Time, In Part 2… In the March/April 2008 issue of BICSI News, the second part of this discussion will present the role of RF spectrum analysis and the development of RF coverage “heat maps” in the postinstallation verification process. n

Figure 6. Typical Signal Strength and SNR Requirements

Figure 7. Signal Strength Graphing

Joe Bardwell

Joe Bardwell is chief scientist with Connect802 Corporation, a systems integrator and wireless network design consulting firm based in California. Joe can be reached at +1 925.552.0802 or at [email protected].

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bicsi UPDATE

Getting Ready for the Next GenerationIt is just the order of

nature that we prog-

ress and evolve. Each

generation learns from

those who have gone

before, just as sons

and daughters learn

from their parents

and grandparents.

Of course, in no time,

the students become

teachers, and the cycle

continues. It is too bad

that politicians don’t

learn from history, but

that is another story.

It is the same in our industry. Individu-als often enter the information transport systems (ITS) business as raw recruits. They then grow their value and earning power as they acquire skills, knowledge and experience in ITS design, specification and installation. BICSI as an organization and, more importantly, BICSI members play a key role in this natural transfer of knowl-edge and experience to the next generation. With that background and now that I prepare to relinquish my role as BICSI president into the very capable and enthusi-astic hands of Ed Donelan, RCDD/NTS, I ask myself whether I have helped BICSI and its members improve this critical platform for growing the next generation of ITS profes-sionals. As I think about it, the answer is yes, and for many reasons. First, the BICSI financial position is in good order. We have reserves to invest in programs to grow the value of the BICSI membership across the ITS industry. For example, I often hear from members that networking at conferences and region meetings is better than ever. They say they are learning more from BICSI events because we are starting to attract a broader audience of ITS professionals as speak-ers, exhibitors and attendees from related industries, including regulators, security and AV. Of particular note is the increased interest from installer and technician mem-bers to expand their expertise and career opportunities. Second, bringing on ITS veteran David Cranmer, RCDD, as executive director has really directed our efforts back onto the in-dustry and the members. David’s leadership

and industry perspective over the coming years will assure that BICSI continues to grow and change with an unwavering focus on the needs of BICSI design and installa-tion professionals. Of course, there is no better example of our preparing for the next generation than the new BICSI NxtGEN program. While the details continue to be worked out, this program promises to not only elevate the value of today’s Registered Communica-tions Distribution Designer (RCDD) but also make the RCDD and specialty program more available to IT, engineering and other ITS professionals. Clearly, the BICSI NxtGEN program will open doors for every BICSI member—and open the doors to increase the value of the BICSI membership across the entire low-voltage industry. There are many more examples of what I believe are signs that BICSI is poised to do great things in the ITS industry. International members are more engaged. More volunteers are raising their hands to contribute their time and talents. And I see more personal commitment than ever from the BICSI staff to deliver new programs and elevate the status of the membership. For these reasons, and more, I am con-fident that I leave the BICSI house in order for the next generation. Yet rest assured, I am not retiring. I will continue working with the RSS Committee, proctoring exams and volunteering with several other commit-tees and in particular with the international aspects of BICSI. I intend to stay engaged to help in any way I can to ensure that members—and the next generation of members—have a vibrant association.

First South African Conference Held More than 105 delegates attended the first BICSI South African Conference, which was held on Decem-ber 5, 2007, at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg. Delegates earned seven continuing education credits (CECs) from a program that included sessions on VoIP, heat dissipation in data centers, FTTX, wireless and 10GBASE-T Ethernet. The successful event was coordinated by Braam de Klerk, country chair for South Af-rica, Eugene Botes, RCDD/NTS, district chair for the Middle East and Africa, Bertus van Staden, RCDD, and organizer Sue Botes.


New Course AvailableDD300: Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual Update Review

BICSI is introducing a new course in the telecommunications distribution design and optical fiber area. DD300: Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual Update Review offers a fresh look into the latest applicable standards, methodolo-gies and design and installation best practices for all technical per-sonnel involved in the design, specification, installation, inspection or maintenance of information transport systems (ITS) projects. The course teaches ITS professionals the latest knowledge to enable them to immediately return to the office and apply the information in a practical and direct manner.

It is centered on information introduced in the newly revised chapters of the Telecommuni-cations Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM), 11th edition, such as the new data center, electronic safety and security (ESS) and vital information related to wireless and data network design.

Reflecting the current needs of the industry, the TDMM is the ultimate resource in telecommunications distribution design. Writ-ten by ITS experts, the manual provides vendor-neutral, interna-tionally accepted industry guidelines and global best practices.

Important highlights of the updated materials include:n Recent changes to the TIA/EIA 568-B standard.n Design parameters for 10 Gigabit and 40 Gigabit Ethernet networks.n Review of recent changes in the National Electrical Code® (NEC®).n How category 6 and category 6A cables affect the design of telecommunications pathways.n How VoIP has impacted the design of telecommunications spaces.n What is new with Bluetooth®, ultra wideband (UWB) technology and ZigBee specifications for wireless personal area networks.

Current RCDDs, BICSI installers, BICSI technicians and anyone who has basic knowledge of the ITS industry and familiarity with previous versions of the TDMM will find value in taking this course to ensure they stay up-to-date on new technologies and advances in the field. Visit www.bicsi.org for detailed information about DD300 and a list of scheduled classes.

Conference in Southeast Asia Draws Increased Attendance The 5th BICSI Southeast Asia Conference 2007 was held in the Parkroyal on Kitchener Road, Singapore, on December 4-5, 2007. The confer-ence attracted about 110 delegates, including those from Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. The number of delegates in attendance was nearly 30 percent higher than the previous conference. The program theme for the two-day event was “Building Tomorrow’s Information Transport Sys-tems.” David Chin, Chairman, BICSI Southeast Asia District, offered the welcome address on day one followed by a full day of presentations on topics that ranged from FTTH to trends for data centers in the region. Day two presentations included industrial Ethernet, 10GBASE-T Ethernet, unified communications and others. The conference and exhibition brought new interest in BICSI membership, with some new and potential BICSI members emerging as a result of the publicity of the conference.

bicsi UPDATE


Industry Marks Passing of Joe O’Brien Firestopping industry veteran Joe O’Brien passed away recently at the age of 84. When accepting the Harry J. Pfister Award in 2001, O’Brien offered these simple and profound words: “All I want to do is save lives.” Throughout his career, Joe clearly achieved that goal. During World War II, O’Brien saw many of his fellow crew members killed when toxic gases from a burning cable raced through the ship. This began his lifelong crusade to make the low-voltage industry safer. In 1950, he be-came involved in maritime shipbuilding, special-izing in switchboard design, power and lighting systems and interior communications. Almost single-handedly O’Brien brought the practice of firestopping to the attention of the information transport systems (ITS) in-dustry and the public in general. For more than 50 years, he worked tirelessly on standards boards and committees to ensure that safe firestopping practices are required, understood and enforced. O’Brien achieved acceptance for firestopping from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Nuclear Insurers, as well as UL and IEEE committees. O’Brien worked for Nelson Firestopping and traveled the globe promoting safe firestop-ping practices. He was the chair and chapter editor of BICSI’s TI&M Panel 4 (Firestopping) and served on other committees, including Governmental Relations, Nominating and TI&M Panels 14, 99 and 200. As an industry, we are all better for his participation.

Japan Affiliate Agreement Established BICSI has established an affiliate agreement with the Japan District. The affiliation agreement recognizes that BICSI Japan has met qualifying criteria to be a self-supporting not-for-profit in Japan. BICSI Japan operates from Tokyo, with manager Kazuo Kato servicing the needs of more than 280 members. Under the affiliation agreement, BICSI Japan can make decisions that meet the needs of the local membership. The Japanese information transport systems (ITS) industry first worked with BICSI in 1998. BICSI Japan reached 100 members and became a district in 2001, with steady growth since. Members will find value in having a greater voice through their local leadership on issues that affect them, including partnerships with other local organizations, local legislative initiatives affecting the industry or educational and networking opportunities such as conferences and regional events. BICSI Japan members continue to receive essential services from BICSI Headquar-ters, including credentialing management, database administration and forums, educational materials, member publications, annual conferences, BICSI Gear merchandise and BICSI Connect Web-based training.

2 0 0 9 B I C S I C O N F E R E N C E S

2009 Winter ConferenceJanuary 19-22 Exhibits: January 18-21Rosen Shingle Creek ResortOrlando, Florida, USA

2009 Spring ConferenceMay 11-13

Exhibits: May 10-12Baltimore Convention CenterBaltimore, Maryland, USA

2009 Fall ConferenceSeptember 21-24

Exhibits: September 20-23MGM Grand Hotel & Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nevada, USA

Tw o M o r e C o n f e r e n c e s i n 2 0 0 8

For more information on any BICSI conferences, visit www.bicsi.org.

2008 Spring ConferenceApril 28-30

Exhibits: April 27-29Gaylord OprylandNashville, Tennessee, USA

2008 Fall ConferenceSeptember 29-October 2

Exhibits: September 28-October 1MGM GrandLas Vegas, Nevada, USA

BICSI Courses For more information about courses, please contact BICSI at +1 800.242.7405 (USA/Canada toll free) or +1 813.979.1991 or visit www.bicsi.org.

FEBRUARY 2008

3-8 dd102 designing telecommunications distribution systems, indianapolis, in

4-7 dd200 telecommunications distribution design review, indianapolis, in

4-8 in100 its installer 1 training, tampa, Fl

4-8 in200 its installer 2 training, dayton, oh

4-8 osp110 cable plant design, indianapolis, in

4-8 pm125 telecommunications project management program, Washington, dc

11-12 dd100 introduction to Voice/data cabling systems, tampa, Fl


11-15 te300 its technician training, dayton, oh

13-14 osp100 introduction to outside plant, tampa, Fl

13-15 dd300 telecommunications distribution methods manual update review, new holland, pa

15-16 da100 introduction to networks, tampa, Fl

18-21 dd200 telecommunications distribution design review, tampa, Fl

20-21 osp200 osp design specialty review, tampa, Fl

24-29 dd102 designing telecommunications distribution systems, tampa, Fl

25-26 pm100 telecommunications project management Fundamentals, sacramento, ca

25-28 dd200 telecommunications distribution design review, sacramento, ca

25-29 in100 its installer 1 training, montgomery, al

25-29 in200 its installer 2 training, Winston-salem, nc

25-29 pm125 telecommunications project management program, sacramento, ca

25-29 te300 its technician training, tampa, Fl

27-29 pm120 telecommunications project management, sacramento, ca

27-29 pm121 information technology project management, sacramento, ca

dd = distribution designda = data distribution designin = installation

te = cabling installationWd = Wireless designosp = outside plant design

pm = project managementtt = installation

MARCH 2008

3-7 da110 designing networks, tampa, Fl


3-7 in200 its installer 2 training, montgomery, al

3-7 in200 its installer 2 training, sioux Falls, sd

3-7 te300 its technician training, Winston-salem, nc



10-14 pm125 telecommunications project management program, chatsworth, ca

10-14 te300 its technician training, sioux Falls, sd

12-14 dd300 telecommunications distribution methods manual update review, toa baja, pr

12-14 da200 network design specialty review, tampa, Fl


24-26 dd120 grounding and protection Fundamentals for telecommunications systems,

overland park, Ks

More courses on page 53


BICSI Courses For more information about courses, please contact BICSI at +1 800.242.7405

(USA/Canada toll free) or +1 813.979.1991 or visit www.bicsi.org.

CONTINUED MARCH 2008

2008 Region Meetings

U.S. North-Central Breakfast ClubFebruary 1Doubletree Guest SuitesOmaha, NE

U.S. South-Central Region MeetingFebruary 12 The Reed CenterMidwest City, OK

Canadian Region MeetingFebruary 12 Cisco Toronto Office Toronto, ON

U.S. South-Central Breakfast ClubFebruary 22 Spazio’s-Comfort InnSt. Louis, MO

U.S. South-Central Region MeetingMarch 7 Doubletree HotelOverland Park, Kansas

Canadian Region MeetingMarch 19 Southern Alberta Institute of AlbertaAlberta, ON

U.S. South-Central Breakfast ClubApril 3 Venue TBD, Wichita, Kansas

U.S. South-Central Breakfast ClubApril 4Venue TBD, Overland Park, Kansas

U.S. South-Central Breakfast ClubMay 16Spazio’s-Comfort InnSt. Louis, MO

25-26 pm100 telecommunications project management Fundamentals, philadelphia, pa

25-29 pm125 telecommunications project management program, philadelphia, pa


25-29 Wd110 designing Wireless networks, philadelphia, pa

27-29 pm120 telecommunications project management, philadelphia, pa

27-29 pm121 information technology project management, philadelphia, pa

31-april 3 dd200 telecommunications distribution design review, philadelphia, pa

31- april 4 in100 its installer 1 training, boise, id

31-april 4 in200 its installer 2 training, lenexa, Ks

dd = distribution designda = data distribution designin = installation

te = cabling installationWd = Wireless designosp = outside plant design

pm = project managementtt = installation

2-4 Wd200 Wireless design specialty review, philadelphia, pa


7-8 pm100 telecommunications project management Fundamentals, tampa, Fl


7-11 in200 its installer 2 training, boise, id

7-11 pm125 telecommunications project management program, tampa, Fl

7-11 te300 its technician training, lenexa, Ks

9-11 pm120 telecommunications project management, tampa, Fl

9-11 pm121 information technology project management, tampa, Fl



19-24 dd102 designing telecommunications distribution systems, nashville, tn

20-24 da110 designing networks, nashville, tn

20-24 osp110 cable plant design, nashville, tn

20-24 Wd110 designing Wireless networks, nashville, tn

21-25 in100 its installer 1 training, nashville, tn


23-24 pm100 telecommunications project management Fundamentals, nashville, tn

23-26 dd200 telecommunications distribution design review, nashville, tn

23-27 pm125 telecommunications project management program, nashville, tn

24-26 da200 network design specialty review, nashville, tn

24-26 Wd200 Wireless design specialty review, nashville, tn

25-26 osp200 osp design specialty review, nashville, tn

25-27 dd300 telecommunications distribution methods manual update review, nashville, tn

25-27 pm120 telecommunications project management, nashville, tn

25-27 pm121 information technology project management, nashville, tn

28-30 oF100 optical Fiber installation theory and technique, nashville, tn

28-may 2 in200 its installer 2 training, nashville, tn

APRIL 2008


standards report

Donna Ballast,RCDD

[email protected]

We are encouraged to trust standards development groups to specify complete cabling criteria that are capable of providing applications assurance for tomorrow’s technologies today. The International Organization for Standard-ization (ISO) is the leader in the development of structured cabling standards

for the global marketplace. Regional standards groups such as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Japanese Standards Association (JSA/JSI), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) also develop local specifications. Within the ISO standards, cabling components are characterized by a performance category, and permanent links and channels are described by a performance class. Class D, class E and class F are described in ISO/IEC 11801, 2nd edition, Information Technology—Generic Cabling for Customer Premises, which was published in 2002. Class D permanent link or channel uses category 5e components to support a frequency bandwidth of 1 to 100 MHz for 100 m (328 ft). Class E permanent link or channel uses category 6 components to support a frequency bandwidth of 1 to 250 MHz for 100 m (328 ft). Class F permanent link or channel uses category 7 components to support a frequency bandwidth of 1 to 600 MHz for 100 m (328 ft). Class EA and class FA, which are now being specified in new commercial building cabling designs, will be described in Amendment 1 to ISO/IEC 11801, 2nd edition. While not yet published, the requirements within the draft appear stable, and we are told to expect a 2008 publication. Class EA permanent link or channel will use category 6A components to support a frequency bandwidth of 1 to 500 MHz for 100 m (328 ft). Class FA permanent link or channel will use category 7A components to support a frequency bandwidth of 1 to 1000 MHz for 100 m (328 ft).

The Unwritten Order of Things The plan is for structured cabling standards to specify generic design topologies and installation practices that are typically characterized by minimum levels of transmission performance. The applications standards organizations (e.g., IEEE) then reference these structured cabling standards to ensure the operation of their applications. In reality, the plan has not worked out so

well for the end user. In the mid 1990s, the structured cabling standards organizations, of which the vast majority of the members are employed by cabling manufacturers, developed their first version of the best unshielded twisted-pair cabling, category 5/class D. IEEE then developed the 1000BASE-T application to use the installed base of category 5/class D. 1000BASE-T is a bidirectional four-pair transmission scheme. It was soon discovered that to support 1000BASE-T over a 100 m (328 ft) four-connector channel would require some cabling enhancements. After improving near-end crosstalk (NEXT) loss, equal level far-end crosstalk (ELFEXT) and return loss and characterization of crosstalk when all pairs are energized, they published category 5e/class D. In the early 2000s, the structured cabling standards organizations developed their second version of the best unshielded twisted-pair cabling, category 6/class E. Improvements included twice the frequency bandwidth and characterization of component balance to limit conversion between common mode and differential mode signals. IEEE then developed the 10GBASE-T application to use the installed base of category 6/class E. It was soon discovered that to support 10GBASE-T over a 100 m (328 ft) four-connector channel would require some cabling enhancements. 10GBASE-T, through the use of digital signal processing, is afforded full internal pair-to-pair crosstalk cancellation. But 10GBASE-T is particularly sensitive to undesired signal coupling from outside the sources, hence the term alien crosstalk. After increasing frequency bandwidth to 500 MHz and improving alien crosstalk margin, they will publish category 6A/class EA. When we design and install structured cabling systems, we choose the strongest base to provide for both present and future network applications. We are constantly told by cabling manufacturers to install the best cabling available, which usually equates to the most expensive components in their product line. We are told by network hardware vendors to use the cabling that we have and upgrade the equipment. We actually specify the best solution that our clients can afford and are willing to pay for. With the sly humor that made his public moments sparkle, then departing President Ronald Regan said, “trust, but verify . . . we are still going to play the game but always cut the cards.” That truly is the order of things in our industry. We as designers making the tough decisions based on the information we have available at the time. You still need to walk the trade show floor and ask the hard questions, like what about class F? Because it is the right thing to do. n


The Order of Things

• Military • NASA • Cable TV • Telecom • Power and utilities • DOTs • Hospitals • Fortune 500 • Universities

To see how MaxCell can improve your next installation, visit www.maxcell.us or call us at 1-888-387-3828.

MaxCell textile innerduct has been installed in the most demanding networks on the planet. Such as the United States government.

We’ve been installed in military bases around the world such as , , and

. MaxCell’s capacity and cost-savings have helped the government .

We’ve also been trusted by almost every industry application possible:

• Military • NASA • Cable TV • Telecom • Power and utilities • DOTs • Hospitals • Fortune 500 • Universities

They chose MaxCell for

,and .

MaxCell for ,

andand .and

MLKN_MXCL_45996 MaxCell BICSI.in1 1 10/15/2007 9:49:06 AM

PANDUIT is a Global LeaderProviding Innovative End-To-EndNetwork Connectivity Solutionsthat Enable the Deployment of Technology.

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■ Modular patch panels include a high-density angled version thatquadruples rack density when used with vertical cable managers

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10 Gb/s systems deliver verified low loss, allowing for greaternetwork design flexibility and longer reach network segments

■ Application specific trunk, interconnect, and hydra cableassemblies are 100% tested to assure verified opticalperformance for improved network integrity

PANDUIT provides the leadership, innovation, and quality necessaryto ensure the performance, reliability, and interoperability of anintegrated network. Invest in a trouble-free, high performanceinfrastructure for the lowest total cost of ownership.

Visit us at www.panduit.com/qn32Contact Customer Service by email: [email protected] by phone: 800-777-3300 and reference ad # qn32

PANDUIT is a Solutions Enabler Partner for IP Communications within the Cisco Technology Developer Program.

#5156 BICSIN.qxp 12/6/2007 10:33 AM Page 1

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