How to Specify an Augmented Category 6 Cabling System

Transcription

1 How to Specify an Augmented Category 6 Cabling System 10GBASE-T - IEEE 802.3an is a specification for the transmission of ten gigabit Ethernet over existing Category 6 copper cables or a new standard of products called Augmented Category 6. It was published in September GBASE-T has a limited capability on existing Category 6 but for new installations the forthcoming Augmented Category 6 or Cat6 A is recommended. These standards come in two groups. The first gives methods of installing and testing cabling to understand their performance relative to 10GBASE-T requirements and the second group are product standards for the new range of Cat6 A products. The product standards are: Draft - ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10 Transmission Performance Specifications for 4-pair 100 Ω Augmented Category 6 Cabling. Draft - ISO/IEC Edition 2.1 Information Technology Generic Cabling for Customer Premises. (Draft document number ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 N 755.) Draft EN Amd 1 The test standards are: Draft - ISO/IEC Guidelines for Support of 10GBASE-T over Copper Balanced Pairs of Class E and Class F as per ISO/IEC 11801:2002 and IEEE802.3an. Draft EN ANSI/TIA-TSB-155 Additional Guidelines for 4-pair 100 Ω Category 6 Cabling for 10GBASE-T Applications. March At the time of writing, May 2007, only TSB 155 has been published (March 2007) but all the other product standards are expected before the end of Relevant Articles: Specifying 10 Gigabit Ethernet: Part 1 Specifying 10 Gigabit Ethernet: Part 2 10 Gigabit Ethernet - Questions & Answers

2 System specification The cabling system must be designed according to: EN :2002 Information Technology - Generic Cabling Systems -- Part 1: General Requirements and Office Areas. All components must meet the Category 6 A specification Draft - ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B The cabling system must meet the Permanent Link and Channel performances defined in the draft standards as Class E A as a minimum. At least one product combination must be externally verified by a competent laboratory. The overall design must take into account any relevant portions of BS 8300 (access for the disabled) e.g. when selecting mounting heights for wall sockets. 2 Components Specification 2.1 Cable The cable must be four-pair Category 6 with a low-flammability sheath The cable must be of the following construction; foil screened pairs with an overall braid screen The cable must be 100% tested by the manufacturer The flammability performance must meet IEC as a minimum. 2.2 Connecting Hardware Patch Panels Must be 19 rack mounting, in exact multiples of 1U (44 mm) in height Cable termination must be Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDC) Front connectors to be 24 x RJ45 style IEC Electrical performance to be Category 6 A All connecting hardware must be shielded with a continuous metal screen Connectors Cable termination must be IDC Connectors to be RJ45 style IEC Electrical performance to be Category 6 A All connecting hardware must be shielded with a continuous metal screen.

3 2.2.3 Patch Leads Must be 27 AWG (STP) stranded, with low flammability sheath to IEC Connectors must be RJ45 style IEC Electrical performance to be Category 6 A. 3 Installation Specification 3.1 The cabling system must be procured from one manufacturer. 3.2 The cabling system must be installed according to the manufacturer s instructions. 3.3 Planning, quality control, documentation and earthing/bonding must be according to EN parts 1 and 2. External cables must be installed according to EN50174 part Earthing and bonding must be according to the manufacturer s instructions and EN , EN and BS % of the installed cables must be tested according to TSB Alien crosstalk testing is not required if screened construction cabling is used % of the test data must be reviewed by the manufacturer and approved by the manufacturer before any warranty certificate is released. 3.8 The Permanent Link must be tested to TSB 155 with a Level III cable tester set to Cat 6 A Permanent Link. A Cat 6 generic interface must be used on the tester. 3.7 Cabling must be tested in both directions and the results stored in an electronic database compatible with the tester manufacturer's cable management programme. 3.8 The cabling must be covered by a manufacturer s product and application warranty and installed by an installer accredited and trained by the manufacturer. Proof of training, which must be less than two years old, must accompany the tender. 3.9 A labelling and administration system must be designed into the cable system in line with EN or ISO or TIA/EIA Separation of power and data cables must be according to EN part 2 and BS 6701 except where local or national electrical safety regulations require a greater separation Mitigation installation techniques are not required due to the use of screened cables and components. 4 LAN Applications 4.1 Any communications protocol designed for use on a 100-ohm (nominal) characteristic impedance Class E A cabling system must operate satisfactorily on the installed cabling system. Satisfactory shall mean better than one in ten-tothe-power-of-ten bit error rate whilst in the presence of up to 3 V/m external interference over 500 MHz for at least thirty minutes.

4 4.2 LAN operation shall include, but not be limited to, ATM at 155 Mb/s, 622 Mb/s and 1.2 Gb/s. Gigabit Ethernet to IEEE 802.3ab and 10 Gb/s Ethernet to IEEE 802an. 4.3 Delay skew of the Permanent Link shall be better than 20 nanoseconds (typical) to ensure satisfactory video operation. 5 EMC Performance The structured cabling system shall comply with cable balance and EMC requirements of EN and ISO 11801:2002 and will not degrade the EMC performance of any electrical device connected to it. This facility shall be guaranteed by the manufacturer. 6 Reference to Standards BS 6701 Telecommunications Equipment and Telecommunications Cabling. Specification for Installation, Operation and Maintenance (2004). BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations (IEE 16 th Ed). BS 8300 Design of Buildings and their Approaches to Meet the Needs of the Disabled. EN Information Technology, Generic Cabling Systems (2002). EN Information Technology, Cabling Installation. Parts 1, 2 (2000) and Part 3 (2003). EN Application of Equipotential Bonding and Earthing in Buildings with Information Technology Equipment. EN Information Technology - Cabling Installation - Testing of Installed Cabling (2002). EN Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Generic Standards - Emission Standard for Residential, Commercial and Light-Industrial Environments. IEEE 802.3ab Physical Layer Specification for 1000 Mb/s Operation on Four Pairs of Category 5 or Better Balanced Twisted Pair Cable (1000BaseT), July IEEE 802.3an Physical Layer and Management Parameters for 10 Gb/s Operation. ISO/IEC Information Technology - Generic Cabling for Customer Premises. (2002). ISO Information Technology Implementation and Operation of Customer Premises Cabling. Part 1 Administration. Part 2 - Planning and Installation. Part 3 - Testing of Optical Fibre Cabling. IEC Flammability of a Single Vertical Cable. IEC Detail Specification for Connectors, 8 way. Test Methods and Related Requirements for use at Frequencies up to 200 MHz. IEC Generic Specification for Testing of Generic Cabling in Accordance with ISO/IEC Part 1. IEC Halogen Gas Emission. IEC Smoke Corrosivity.

5 IEC Smoke Density and Evolution. ISO 11801:2002 Information Technology Generic Cabling for Customer Premises. TIA/EIA 568-B Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard (2001 Addendum B2-1). TIA-606 Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings.