Structured Cabling (BIT3222)

Structured Cabling Standards

Dr. Nadia IRADUKUNDA

E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

Kigali, Rwanda
Structured Cabling Standards

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 Structured Cabling Standards
v Standards are sets of rules or procedures that are either widely used, or officially
specified to provide a model of excellence.
v A network that is built to standards should work well, or interoperate, with other
standard network devices.
v These standards are constantly reviewed and periodically updated to reflect new
technologies and the increasing requirements of voice and data networks.
v As new technologies are added to the standards, others are phased out.
v The famous standards used in structured cabling are based on:
TIAE: Telecommunications Industry Association
EIA: Electronic Industries Alliance

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Why Cabling Standards?

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 Why Cabling Standards

v Meet performance requirements

v Provide personal safety
v Protect equipment from failure
v Recognize regulatory considerations/ guidelines for cabling
v Provide direction for proper installation.

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For example: TIA/ EIA 568A, 568B Wiring

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 Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries
Alliance (EIA)
v The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) are trade
associations that develop and publish a series of standards covering structured voice and data wiring
for LANs.
v These standards are shown in Figure à

n Both TIA and EIA are accredited by

the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) to develop voluntary
telecommunication industry
standards.
n Many standards are labeled
ANSI/TIA/EIA.
n The various committees and
subcommittees of TIA/EIA develop
standards for fiber optics, user
premise equipment, network
equipment, wireless communications,
and satellite communications.
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TIA/EIA standards for buildings

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Network Testing/ Cable Certification and
Documentation

Dr. Nadia IRADUKUNDA

E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

Kigali, Rwanda
Cable Testing

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 Cable Testing
v Testing is the most important step in the finish phase of cable installation.
n Testing verifies that all the wires are working properly so that the customer does not
discover problems later.
n It is better to catch a problem before it becomes a major issue.

n Tests relating to cable function are found in TIA/EIA-568-B.1.

n The following common cable faults are shown in Figure 1:

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Cable Testing
v Opens
n Occurs when wires in a cable fail to make a
continuous path from end to end.
n Opens are usually due to improper termination,
breakage, or faulty cable
v Shorts
n Occurs when wires in a cable touch each other
and short the circuit
v Reversed pairs
n Occurs when in one pair, wires are mixed.

v Split pairs
n Occurs when wires are mixed among pairs

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Cable Certification and
Documentation

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What is the difference between Cable
testing and cable certification?

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 Cable Certification
v Testing is not the same as certification.
n Testing is for functionality and determines if the wire can carry the signal from

end to end.
n Certification, or performance testing, is a statement about cable performance.

v Certification answers the following questions:

n How well does the signal travel down the cable?

n Is the signal free from interference?

n Is the signal strong enough at the other end of the cable?

v Structured cabling systems that adhere to installation standards must be

certified.
v Certification meters perform all of the required performance tests to adhere to the
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B standards.

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 Certification Specifications
v The commonly used specifications include the following:

1. Specified Frequency Range. Each cable is tested at a frequency range that will be used in daily
service.
n A higher grade indicates a higher range.

2. Attenuation. The amount of signal that a cable will absorb is a measure of its attenuation.
n Lower attenuation indicates higher-quality conductors and cables.

3. Near End Crosstalk (NEXT). This occurs when signals from one pair interfere with another pair at
the near end of the cable.
n Crosstalk can affect the ability of the cable to carry data.

n The amount of NEXT a cable must be able to tolerate is specified for each grade.

4. Far End Crosstalk (FEXT). This occurs when signals from one pair interfere with another pair at the
far end of the cable.

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 Con’t
5. Return Loss. Some of the signal that travels down a wire bounces off imperfections such as
impedance mismatches.
n It can be reflected back toward the sender and form a source of interference. This is referred to
as return loss.
6. Propagation Delay. The electrical properties of the cable can affect the speed of a signal.
n The value of this delay is used to perform certain measurements, such as time domain
reflectometry.
n Propagation delay for a cable is usually specified as a maximum allowable amount of delay, in
nanoseconds.

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CABLE DOCUMENTATION

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 Documentation
v Detailed documentation is used to show the customer that the cabling has
reached certain standards.
v Documentation must be accessible to be useful.
n Electronic delivery ensures that the results are always available when needed.
n A paper set of both the as-built documents and the certification results should be provided to the customer.
v It is vital that documentation be kept for a variety of reasons.
v Good documentation will:
n Enable a completely unfamiliar person to quickly grasp the network topology. This is
most important in an environment where frequent staff changes can be expected.
n Help the network to grow in a planned and well structured manner, allowing the best use
of available budget.
n Assist others involved with your network such as cable installers, network trouble-shooters and
consultants. By enabling them to see exactly what is in place, they will save time and understand
exactly what is required, which will result in cost savings.
n Provide a valuable tool for locating faults when things go wrong.
n Assist recovery of insurance in the event of fire or theft.
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 Details to Record
v The documentation need not be time-consuming or overly formal, but at a minimum
the following details should be kept together, preferably in a loose leaf binder:
n Drawings showing the location of cable runs, (preferably with individual cable

lengths marked for any legacy thin Ethernet runs).

n Size and occupancy of any existing cable ducts or conduits, which are available

for use when expanding the network.

n Details of the capacity and type of cabling and connectors used.

n Records of the designation and location of outlets.

n Any certification carried out on the cabling (e.g. Cat5 test results).

n Diagrams showing how any hubs, bridges, switches or routers are used to

connect the network (may be shown on a network management system).

n Records of software licenses and versions of software installed.

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 Discuss the following into groups
1. a) What is a patch cord and what is it used for?
b) What is a patch panel, and what’s its purpose?
c) There are two methods used when testing ,i.e., the channel test and the
link test.
Discuss the difference between the two’s.
2. Discuss briefly the network certification, and cite 10 cable certification
specifications.
3. Explain why it is of vital importance to keep the network documentation.
4. What is meant by headroom in cabling, and why is cable headroom important
to your network?
5. Explain in details why is it necessary to have cabling standards?
n Discuss 10 cabling standards used in structured cabling.

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Thank you for Your Attention
Dr. Nadia IRADUKUNDA
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]