telecommunications structured cabling systems

18Telecommunications Structured Cabling

Systems

18.1.0 Introduction18.1.1 Important Codes and Standards18.1.2 Comparison of ANSI/TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC, and CENELEC Cabling Standards18.2.0 Major Elements of a Telecommunications Structured Cabling System.18.2.1 Typical Ranges of Cable Diameter18.2.2 Conduit Sizing-Number of Cables18.2.3 Bend Radii Guidelines for Conduits18.2.4 Guidelines for Adapting Designs to Conduits with Bends18.2.5 Recommended Pull Box Configurations18.2.6 Minimum Space Requirements in Pull Boxes Having One Conduit Each

in Opposite Ends of the Box18.2.7 Cable Tray Dimensions (Common Types)18.2.8 Topology18.2.9 Horizontal Cabling to Two Individual Work Areas18.2.10 Cable Lengths18.2.11 Twisted-Pair (Balanced) Cabling Categories18.2.12 Optical Fiber Cable Performance18.2.13 Twisted-Pair Work Area Cable18.2.14 Eight-Position Jack Pin/Pair Assignments (TIA-568A)(Front View of

Connector)18.2.15 Optional Eight-Position Jack Pin/Pair Assignments (TIA-568B)(Front

View of Connector)18.2.16 Termination Hardware for Category-Rated Cabling Systems18.2.17 Patch Cord Wire Color Codes18.2.18 ANSI/TIA/EIA-568A Categories of Horizontal Copper Cables (Twisted-

Pair Media)18.2.19 Work Area Copper Cable Lengths to a Multi-User Telecommunications

Outlet Assembly (MUTOA)18.2.20 U.S. Twisted-Pair Cable Standards18.2.21 Optical Fiber Sample Connector Types18.2.22 Duplex SC Interface18.2.23 Duplex SC Adapter with Simplex and Duplex Plugs18.2.24 Duplex SC Patch Cord Crossover Orientation18.2.25 Optical Fibers18.2.26 Backbone System Components18.2.27 Backbone Star Wiring Topology18.2.28 Example of Combined Copper/Fiber Backbone Supporting Voice and

Data Traffic18.2.29 Backbone Distances18.2.30 Determining 100 mm (4 in) Floor Sleeves

Section

18.1

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18.2.31 Determining Size of Floor Slots18.2.32 Conduit Fill Requirements for Backbone Cable18.2.33 TR Cross-Connect Field Color Codes18.2.34 TR Temperature Ranges18.2.35 TR Size Requirements18.2.36 Allocating Termination Space in TRs18.2.37 Typical Telecommunications Room (TR) Layout18.2.38 TR Industry Standards18.2.39 TR Regulatory and Safety Standards18.2.40 Environmental Control Systems Standards for Equipment Rooms (ERs)18.2.41 Underground Entrance Conduits for Entrance Facilities (EFs)18.2.42 Typical Underground Installation to EF18.2.43 Equipment Room (ER) Floor Space (Special-Use Buildings)18.2.44 Entrance Facility (EF) Wall Space (Minimum Equipment and

Termination Wall Space)18.2.45 Entrance Facility (EF) Floor Space (Minimum Equipment and

Termination Floor Space)18.2.46 Separation of Telecommunications Pathways from 480-Volt or Less

Power Lines18.2.47 Cabling Standards Document Summary18.3.0 Blown Optical Fiber Technology (BOFT) Overview18.3.1 Diagram Showing Key Elements of BOFT System18.3.2 BOFT Indoor Plenum 5-mm Multiduct18.3.3 BOFT Outdoor 8-mm Multiduct18.3.4 BOFT Installation Equipment

18.1.0 Introduction

Structured cabling is a term widely used to describe a generic voice, data, andvideo (telecommunications) cabling system design that supports a multiproduct,multivendor, and multimedia environment. It is an information technology (IT)infrastructure which provides direction for the cabling system design based on theend user’s requirements, and it enables cabling installations where there is littleor no knowledge of the active equipment to be installed.

The following provides an overview of the industry standards.

18.1.1 Important Codes and Standards� American National Standards Institute (ANSI)� Canadian Standards Association (CSA)� Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique (CENELEC)� Federal Communications Commission (FCC)� Insulated Cable Engineers Association (ICEA)� International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)� Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)� International Organization for Standardization (ISO)� International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical

Commission Joint Technical Committee Number 1 (ISO/IEC JTC1)� U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)� National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Research in Construction

18.2 Section Eighteen

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Telecommunications Structured Cabling Systems 18.3

(NRC-IRC)� Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Alliance (TIA/EIA)

18.1.2 Comparison of ANSI/TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC, andCENELEC Cabling Standards

TABLE 18.1.2*

(continued)

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18.2.0 Major Elements of a TelecommunicationsStructured Cabling System.

� Horizontal pathway systems� Horizontal cabling systems� Backbone distribution systems


TABLE 18.1.2 (Continued)*

*Here, and throughout chapter, indicates that this material is reprinted with permission from BICSI’s Telecommunications Distribution MethodsManual, 9th Edition.

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� Backbone building pathways� Backbone building cabling� Work areas (WAs)� Telecommunications Outlets (TOs)� Telecommunications Rooms (TRs)� Equipment Rooms (ERs)� Telecommunications Entrance Facilities (EFs)

The data which follows provides key data and details for these major elements.

18.2.1 Typical Ranges of Cable Diameter


TABLE 18.2.1*

TABLE 18.2.2*

18.2.2 Conduit Sizing-Number of Cables

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18.2.3 Bend Radii Guidelines for Conduits


TABLE 18.2.3*

TABLE 18.2.4*

18.2.4 Guidelines for Adapting Designs toConduits with Bends

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18.2.5 Recommended Pull Box Configurations


18.2.5*

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18.2.6 Minimum Space Requirements in Pull BoxesHaving One Conduit Each in Opposite Ends of the Box


TABLE 18.2.6*

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18.2.7 Cable Tray Dimensions (Common Types)


TABLE 18.2.7*

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18.2.8 Topology

ANSI/EIA/TIA-568A specifies a star topology—a hierarchical series of distributionlevels. Each WA outlet must be cabled directly to a horizontal cross-connect {HC[floor distributor (FD)]} in the telecommunications room (TR) except when a con-solidation point (CP) is required to open office cabling, or a transition point (TP) isrequired to connect undercarpet cable. Horizontal cabling should be terminated ina TR that is on the same floor as the area being served.

NOTES: Splices are not permitted for twisted-pair horizontal cabling.

Bridged taps (multiple appearances of the same cable pairs at several distributionpoints) are not permitted in horizontal cabling.

Cabling between TRs is considered part of the backbone cabling. Such connectionsbetween TRs may be used for configuring “virtual bus” and “virtual ring” cablingschemes using a star topology.

18.2.9 Horizontal Cabling to Two Individual WorkAreas


18.2.9*

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18.2.10 Cable Lengths


TABLE 18.2.10*

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18.2.11 Twisted-Pair (Balanced) Cabling Categories


NOTES:Categories 1 and 2 are not recognized cables.Category 4 is not recommended.Categories 3 and 5e meet ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 and B.2.Categories 6 and 7 specifications are under development in TIA and ISO/IEC.

TABLE 18.2.11*

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18.2.12 Optical Fiber Cable Performance


TABLE 18.2.12*

18.2.13 Twisted-Pair Work Area Cable

18.2.13*

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18.2.14 Eight-Position Jack Pin/Pair Assignments(TIA-568A)(Front View of Connector)


18.2.14*

18.2.15*

18.2.15 Optional Eight-Position Jack Pin/PairAssignments (TIA-568B)(Front View of Connector)

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18.2.16 Termination Hardware for Category-RatedCabling Systems


TABLE 18.2.16

TABLE 18.2.17

18.2.17 Patch Cord Wire Color Codes

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18.2.18 ANSI/TIA/EIA-568A Categories ofHorizontal Copper Cables (Twisted-Pair Media)


TABLE 18.2.18*

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18.2.19 Work Area Copper Cable Lengths to a Multi-User Telecommunications Outlet Assembly (MUTOA)


TABLE 18.2.19*

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18.2.20 U.S. Twisted-Pair Cable Standards


TABLE 18.2.20*

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18.2.21 Optical Fiber Sample Connector Types


18.2.21*

18.2.22*

18.2.22 Duplex SC Interface

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18.2.23 Duplex SC Adapter with Simplex andDuplex Plugs


18.2.23*

18.2.24*

18.2.24 Duplex SC Patch Cord CrossoverOrientation

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18.2.25 Optical Fibers


18.2.25

18.2.26 Backbone System Components

TABLE 18.2.26*

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18.2.27 Backbone Star Wiring Topology


18.2.27*

TABLE 18.2.26 (Continued)*

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18.2.28 Example of Combined Copper/FiberBackbone Supporting Voice and Data Traffic


18.2.28*

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18.2.29 Backbone distances


18.2.29*

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18.2.30 Determining 100 mm (4 in) Floor Sleeves


TABLE 18.2.30*

TABLE 18.2.31*

18.2.31 Determining Size of Floor Slots

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18.2.32 Conduit Fill Requirements for BackboneCable


TABLE 18.2.32*

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18.2.33 TR Cross-Connect Field Color Codes


TABLE 18.2.33*

TABLE 18.2.34*

18.2.34 TR Temperature Ranges

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18.2.35 TR Size Requirements


TABLE 18.2.35*

TABLE 18.2.36*

18.2.36 Allocating Termination Space in TRs

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18.2.37 Typical Telecommunications Room (TR)Layout


18.2.37*

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18.2.39 TR Regulatory and Safety Standards

18.2.38 TR Industry Standards


TABLE 18.2.38*

TABLE 18.2.39*

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TABLE 18.2.40*

TABLE 18.2.41*

18.2.40 Environmental Control Systems Standardsfor Equipment Rooms (ERs)

18.2.41 Underground Entrance Conduits forEntrance Facilities (EFs)

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18.2.42 Typical Underground Installation to EF


18.2.42*

18.2.43 Equipment Room (ER) Floor Space(Special-Use Buildings)

TABLE 18.2.43

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18.2.44 Entrance Facility (EF) Wall Space(Minimum Equipment and Termination Wall Space)


TABLE 18.2.44

TABLE 18.2.45

18.2.45 Entrance Facility (EF) Floor Space(Minimum Equipment and Termination Floor Space)

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18.2.46 Separation of TelecommunicationsPathways from 480-Volt or Less Power Lines


TABLE 18.2.46

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18.2.47 Cabling Standards Document Summary


TABLE 18.2.47*

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18.3.0 Blown Optical Fiber Technology(BOFT) Overview

Reprinted with permission of General Cable Corporation (www.generalcable.com).BloLite is the trademark of BICC, PLC and is used under license.

Blown optical fiber technology is an exciting method of delivering a fiber solutionthat provides unmatched flexibility and significant cost savings when comparedwith conventional fiber cables. In a blown optical fiber system, the fiber route is“plumbed” with small tubes. The small tubes, known as microduct, come in 5- and8-mm diameters and are approved for riser, plenum, or outside-plant applica-tions. They are currently available as a single microduct, or with two, four, andseven microducts bundled (straight, not twisted) and covered with an outersheath, called multiducts. They are lightweight and easy to handle. Splicing alongthe route is accomplished through simple push-pull connectors. These microductsare empty during installation, thereby eliminating the possibility of damaging thefibers during installation.

Fiber is then installed, or “blown,” into the microduct. The fiber is fed into themicroduct and rides on a current of compressed air. Carried by viscous drag, thefibers are lifted into the airstream and away from the wall of the microduct, there-by eliminating friction even around tight bends.

In a relatively short period, coated fibers can be blown for distances up to 1 km(3281 ft) in a single run of 8-mm-diameter microduct, up to 1000 ft vertical, orthrough any network architecture or topology turning up to 300 tight corners with90 bends of 1-in radius for over 1000 ft, utilizing 5-mm-diameter microduct.

The practical benefits of BOFT systems translate directly into financial benefitsfor the end user. For most installations, a BOFT infrastructure is similar to orslightly higher than the cost for conventional fiber cabling. Savings can be realizedduring the initial installation because (1) it simplifies the cable installation byallowing the pulling of empty or unpopulated microduct, (2) fewer, if any, fibersplices may be required, and (3) you only pay upfront for those fibers that you needimmediately. The additional expense of hybrid cables is eliminated.

True cost savings and the convenience of blown optical fiber are realized during thefirst fiber upgrade or moves, adds, and changes. An upgrade of an existing fiberbackbone generally will incur workplace disruptions such as removing a ceilinggrid, moving office furniture, and network downtime that requires the work to bedone outside normal business hours. New fibers can be added to a BOFT systemsimply by accessing an existing unpopulated microduct and blowing in the fibers.There is no disruption to the workplace, and the process requires a minimalamount of time to complete. In the event that there are no empty microducts, theexisting fiber can be blown out in minutes and replaced with the new fiber(s)immediately.

The flexibility of BOFT makes it particularly amenable to renovation and retrofitapplications.

18.3.1 Diagram Showing Key Elements of BOFTSystem (page 18.37)


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18.3.1 Diagram Showing Key Elements of BOFT System

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18.3.2 BOFT Indoor Plenum 5-mm Multiduct


18.3.2

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18.3.3 BOFT Outdoor 8-mm Multiduct


18.3.3

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18.3.4 BOFT Installation Equipment


18.3.4

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telecommunications structured cabling systems

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