Equipment Outlet (EO) is the designation for the outermost connector in a generic structured cabling deployment.  The EO provides a point of connection, administration, and testing to a telephone, computer, building automation system (BAS) device, wireless access point (WAP), camera, or any other networkable device.  The EO is different from the Telecommunications Outlet (TO), which is the assembly consisting of one or more connectors mounted on a faceplate, housing, or supporting bracket used exclusively in the work area in a commercial building application.

While it is well-known that Standards require a minimum of two permanent links be brought to each TO in the work area, practices related to EO usage when supporting BAS device and WAP connections can be confusing.  Here is some useful guidance excerpted from Standards that address structured cabling for BAS devices and informative bulletins that provide supplemental guidance on how to use a grid-based structured cabling approach for wireless access point connections.

BAS device (including camera, security, fire alarm, access control, energy management, HVAC, lighting/power control, audio/video paging, digital signage, service/equipment alarm, and other non-voice/data communications) connections:

•  A Horizontal Connection Point (HCP) supports flexibility in a zone cabling topology for fast and easy reconfiguration of BAS device coverage areas and may be configured as an interconnect (i.e. one patch panel or connecting block) or a cross-connect (i.e. two patch panels or connecting blocks)
• When the HCP is configured as a cross-connect, an EO shall not be installed to ensure that the cabling system serving the BAS device contains no more than four connection points
• When the HCP is configured as an interconnect, the use of an EO is optional (i.e. direct connections from the BAS device to the HCP are allowed)
• If an HCP is not present, then an EO must be used
• Only one permanent link connection is required to each BAS device
• Refer to ANSI/TIA-862-A  and ISO 16484 for additional information

WAP connections:

• EOs are shown in all example deployment figures provided in applicable TIA and ISO/IEC guidelines addressing cabling to WAPs – there are no provisions for making the EO an optional connection point in these technical bulletins
• A minimum of two permanent link connections to each IEEE 802.11ac wireless access point is recommended to support link aggregation
• Refer to TIA TSB-162-A and ISO/IEC TR 24704 for additional information

Siemon recommends a grid-based zone cabling topology using an interconnect at the HCP and an EO at each BAS device or WAP connection as shown in the figure below. This design supports ease of coverage area reconfiguration, administration, and cable management, as well as the ability to overlap coverage areas and allocate spare HCP ports to support new equipment or telecommunications outlet connections.

Recommended Grid-Based Zone Cabling Topology

This Telecommunications Systems Bulletin  provides guidelines on the topology, design, installation, and testing of cabling systems intended to support wireless local area networks (WLANs), including the pathways and spaces to support the cabling and wireless access points (WAPs).

TSB-162-A “Telecommunications Cabling Guidelines for Wireless Access Points” was developed by the TIA TR-42.1 Commercial Building Cabling Subcommittee and published in November, 2013.  Significant changes from the previous edition include:

• Category 6A balanced twisted-pair cabling or OM3 optical fiber cabling is recommended for support of WLANs
• Information on using link aggregation (the use of multiple equipment outlets (EOs) for a single access point) to support greater than 1 Gbps Wi-Fi transmission rates and/or increased power requirements was added
• Maximum link length calculations were modified to account for different equipment cord types
• Information on wireless access point mounting options was added
• Information on physical security for wireless access points was added

TSB-162-A Content

• Equipment Outlet Locations
• Remote Antennas
• Power Options
• Cabling to Wireless Access Point
• Pathways and Spaces
• Administration and Labeling
• Mounting and Installation
• Performance and Testing Guidelines
• Annexes addressing Wireless Access Point Physical Security Options and Bibliography

It is recommended that a grid of square cells be used when designing coverage areas.   An EO (or multiple EOs if link aggregation is being supported) is placed at the center of each cell and an equipment cord connects the EO to a WAP located anywhere within the same cell.  The maximum length of this equipment cord is the radius of the circle that circumscribes the square cell.  It may be beneficial to offset the cells in the horizontal plane on alternating floors to afford better coverage.

Typical Uniform Grid Size

In many cases, a grid of square cells will be distributed uniformly throughout the building.  Based on the typical coverage area of currently available wireless access points and common commercial building layouts, a pre-cabled grid with 18.3 m (60 ft) square cells is recommended.  This results in a cell radius (R) of 13 m (42 ft).

Typical Uniform Coverage Area Grid Pattern

Passive optical networking (PON) is an in-building optical fiber application that is capable of distributing voice, video, and data to the desktop over one single-mode fiber.   The three main components to a PON implementation are the:

1. passive optical networking line terminal (OLT) located in the building or campus entrance facility,
2. passive optical networking splitters located in the telecommunications closet on each floor, and
3. passive optical networking terminals (ONT) located in end-user work areas

While PON equipment may be connected using point-to-point cabling, the flexibility of the system is greatly enhanced if the network is deployed over a TIA and ISO/IEC compliant structured cabling system.  These advantages include:

• ease of upgrades to new technologies,
• the ability to replace equipment with minimal service disruption,
• support of moves, adds, and changes (MACs),
• the ability to change equipment vendors,
• enhanced administration and labeling capability, and
• support of back-up and redundant connections

To ensure compliance with ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 and ISO/IEC 11801 Edition 2.2, a minimum of two permanent links shall be provided for each work area.  For an infrastructure anticipated to support PON technology, Siemon recommends that a minimum of one 2-fiber single-mode permanent link supported by duplex SC or LC connectivity and one category 6A or higher balanced twisted-pair permanent link be provided at each work area.  The availability of a category 6A copper cabling link supports future adoption of remote powering (e.g. Power over Ethernet or PoE) technology and 10GBASE-T transmission speeds with minimal need to upgrade or replace existing PON equipment.

The figure below depicts Siemon’s recommended minimum PON-ready backbone and horizontal cabling topology for buildings having a main cross connect (Distributor C) and a horizontal cross connect (Distributor A) only.  This recommended minimum topology may also be applied to larger build outs that support Cabling Subsystem 2 and 3 runs and an intermediate cross connect (Distributor B) or configurations where the PON splitter is housed in a zone box.

Recommended Standards Compliant PON Deployment Topology

These summary tables provide information regarding support distances for Ethernet applications that operate over balanced twisted-pair and singlemode and multimode optical fiber cabling and direct attach twinaxial cable assemblies.  This information can assist the cabling designer in determining appropriate media for the building infrastructure based on required throughput and reach.  Consult IEEE 802.3 application standards and network equipment manufacturers’ specifications to establish complete system and cabling requirements and capabilities.

IEEE 802.3bt™ “IEEE Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair” is currently under development by the IEEE P802.3bt DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair Task Force and is anticipated to publish in February, 2016.  Available Type 1 and Type 2 Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies employ two balanced twisted-pairs to deliver remote power.  Employing four balanced twisted-pairs to deliver remote power offers many benefits, including improved efficiency and increased power.  This project will augment the capabilities of existing Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and Powered Device (PD) specifications with Type 3 (≤ 60W at the PSE) and Type 4 (≤ 100W at the PSE) requirements and associated power management information.  Compatibility with existing PoE equipment will be maintained.

The current focus of the IEEE P802.3bt DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair Task Force is the development of a draft for Task Force review.

The DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair Call-For-Interest Consensus Presentation can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/4PPOE/public/mar13/CFI_02_0313.pdf

The Project Authorization Request (PAR), approved on approved May 15, 2013, can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/bt/P802d3bt_PAR.pdf

The project objectives, adopted on May 15, 2013, with changes from July 17, 2013, (refer to: http://www.ieee802.org/3/4PPOE/objectives_0713.pdf) are as follows:

• The project will amend IEEE Std 802.3-2012 by amending Clause 33
• IEEE Std 802.3 will comply to the limited power source and SELV requirements as defined in ISO/IEC 60950
• Specify Mutual Identification to address four pair operation
• The standard shall not preclude the ability to meet FCC/CISPR/EN Class A, Class B, Performance Criteria A and Performance Criteria B with data for all supported PHYs
• Support for operation over the following channels that have DC loop resistance of no greater than 25 ohms:
• Class D or better 4-pair copper medium from ISO / IEC 11801:2002, including Amendments 1 & 2 ;
• Class D or better media from ISO / IEC 11801:1995;
• Category 5e or better cable and components as specified in ANSI/TIA-568-C.2;
• Category 5 cable and components as specified in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A
• Support operation with 10GBASE-T
• The project shall support a minimum of 49 Watts at the PD PI
• Define parameters to limit maximum pair-to-pair current imbalance
• 4PPoE PDs, which operate at power levels consistent with IEEE 802.3-2012 PDs, will interoperate with IEEE 802.3-2012 PSEs
• 4PPoE PSEs will be backwards compatible with IEEE 802.3-2012 PDs
• Update management parameters

IEEE 802.3bz™ “IEEE Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s Operation” is currently under development by the IEEE P802.3bz 2.5/5GBASE-T Task Force and anticipated to publish in August, 2017.  Various implementations of IEEE Std 802.11ac-2013 based enterprise wireless access points can operate at 1.3 Gb/s, 2.6 Gb/s, 3.5 Gb/s and even higher  theoretical maximum throughput speeds.  As a result, there is a need for optimized Ethernet speeds between 1 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s to support balanced twisted-pair uplink connections to these devices.  This project will define two new Physical Layer (PHY) specifications for 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T and will specify optional Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) operation for the PHYs.

2.5GBASE-T is targeted to operate over “defined use cases and deployment configurations” of class D/category 5e cabling and 5GBASE-T is targeted to operate over “defined use cases and deployment configurations” of class D/category 5e cabling and class E/category 6 cabling.  It is not anticipated that 2.5GBASE-T will operate over the entire installed base of class D/category 5e cabling or that 5GBASE-T will operate over the entire installed base of class D/category 5e cabling and class E/category 6 cabling.  TIA is currently developing TSB-5021 to address the evaluation of installed category 5e and 6 cabling configurations for possible support of 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T.  It is likely that extended frequency characterization( i.e. extended performance above 100 MHz for class D/category 5e and above 250 MHz for class E/category 6) and additional field test qualification measurements will be described in TSB-5021.

Siemon recommends that class E_A/category 6A or higher grade of cabling be used for support of new IEEE Std 802.11ac-2013 based enterprise wireless access point uplink connections, even if it is anticipated that 2.5GBASE-T or 5GBASE-T equipment will be deployed.

The current focus of the IEEE P802.3bz 2.5/5GBASE-T Task Force is the circulation of their draft document for Task Force review and comment resolution.  Current baseline objectives incorporated into the draft include:

• Adopt fully LDPC coded PAM 16 running at 200Ms/s 2.5GBASE-T
• Adopt fully LDPC coded PAM 16 running at 400Ms/s for 5GBASE-T
• Other parameters are scaled from 10GBASE-T electrical specifications

The IEEE 802.3 Next Generation Enterprise Access BASE-T PHY Call-For-Interest Consensus Presentation can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/cfi/1114_1/CFI_01_1114.pdf

The Project Authorization Request (PAR), approved on March 26, 2015, can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/bz/P802.3bz.pdf

The project objectives, adopted on March 12, 2015, (refer to: http://www.ieee802.org/3/bz/ngeabt_objectives_802.3WG_approved_0315.pdf) are as follows:

• Support full duplex operation only
• Preserve the 802.3 / Ethernet frame format utilizing the 802.3 MAC
• Preserve minimum and maximum Frame Size of current 802.3 standard
• Support Auto-Negotiation (Clause 28)
• Support optional Energy Efficient Ethernet (Clause 78)
• Support local area networks using point-to-point links over structured cabling topologies, including directly connected link segments
• Do not preclude meeting FCC and CISPR EMC requirements
• Support PoE (Clause 33)
• including amendments made by the IEEE P802.3bt DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair Task Force
• Support MAC data rates of 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s
• Support a BER better than or equal to 10^-12 at the MAC/PLS service interface (or the frame loss ratio equivalent)
• Select copper media from ISO/IEC 11801:2002, with any appropriate augmentation to be developed through work of 802.3 in conjunction with ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25/WG3 and TIA TR-42
• Define a 2.5 Gb/s PHY for operation over:
• Up to at least 100m on four-pair class D (category 5e) balanced copper cabling on defined use cases and deployment configurations
• Define a 5 Gb/s PHY for operation over:
• Up to at least 100m on four-pair class E (category 6) balanced copper cabling on defined use cases and deployment configurations
• Up to 100m on four-pair class D (category 5e) balanced copper cabling on defined use cases and deployment configurations

This Standard provides specifications for the planning and installation of a structured cabling system for educational buildings and facilities.  Included are requirements for cabling, cabling topologies, and cabling distances, pathways and spaces (e.g., sizing and location), and other ancillary requirements.  Guidance on selection of media and network design is provided and of particular importance to support the multitude of services and systems that can be found in educational buildings and spaces.

ANSI/TIA-4966 “Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Educational Facilities” was developed by the TIA TR-42.1 Commercial Building Cabling Subcommittee  and published in May, 2014.  This Standard specifies recognized cabling and cabling category recommendations for educational facilities.  In addition to traditional LAN deployments, the structured cabling specified by this Standard is also intended to support a wide range of classroom layouts.

ANSI/TIA-4966  Content

• Topology
• Backbone Cabling (Cabling Subsystem 2 and Cabling Subsystem 3)
• Horizontal Cabling (Cabling Subsystem 1)
• Work Area
• BAS Cabling
• Telecommunications Spaces
• Building Pathways
• Wireless Access Points
• Firestopping
• Installation Requirements
• Grounding and Bonding
• Administration
• Cabling Requirements
• Annex addressing Typical Classroom Layouts

Significant differences from TIA-568-C.0

• It is recommend to use the LC connector (ANSI/TIA-604-10-B) in new installations when one or two fibers are used to make a connection at the equipment outlet
• It is recommended that all areas of an educational building have wireless coverage unless prohibited

TIA-4966 Recognized Horizontal Cabling Media

100-ohm balanced twisted-pair cabling

• Categories 5e, 6, and 6A
• Category 6A is recommended for new installations

Multimode optical fiber cabling

• OM1, OM2, OM3, or OM4
• 850 nm laser-optimized 50/125 μm (OM3 or OM4) is recommended for new installations

Singlemode optical fiber cabling

• OS1 or OS2

Broadband coaxial cabling

• Series 6 or Series 11

TIA-4966 Recognized Backbone Cabling Media

100-ohm balanced twisted-pair cabling

• Categories 3, 5e, 6, and 6A
• Category 6A is recommended for new installations
• Category 3 should be limited to analog voice applications

Multimode optical fiber cabling

• OM1, OM2, OM3, or OM4
• 850 nm laser-optimized 50/125 μm (OM4) is recommended for new installations

Singlemode optical fiber cabling

• OS1 or OS2

Broadband coaxial cabling

• Series 6 or Series 11

Pathway Design Guidance

Since the lifespan of educational buildings make the building core and shell susceptible to multiple changes not typically associated with commercial buildings, additional pathways should be placed in areas where the core and shell components of the facility are likely to re-main for extended periods of time.

Recommended Wireless Access Point Density

• Residence halls: one WAP per 150 m² (1600 ft²)
• Other typical buildings: one WAP per 230 m² (2500 ft²)
• Places of assembly (e.g., large classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums): estimate the number of access points based upon expected occupancy as shown the following table:

Due to inherent imbalances in balanced twisted-pair cabling and components, differential mode signals traveling along balanced twisted-pairs can be partly converted to common mode signals and common mode signals traveling along a balanced twisted-pairs can be partly converted to differential mode signals. This mechanism is referred to as mode conversion.  There are multiple mode conversion parameters within a twisted-pair and between twisted-pairs that can manifest as additional sources of alien crosstalk between channels.

TSB-1197 “Mode Conversion Parameters for Balanced Twisted Pair Cabling” was developed by the TIA TR-42.7 Copper Cabling Subcommittee and published in September, 2014.  TSB-1197 presents models that explain the effects of mode conversion parameters within a pair (TCL,LCL, TCTL, and LCTL), mode conversion parameters between pairs (NEXT_dc , NEXT_cd, FEXT_dc, and FEXT_cd), and other common mode parameters (NEXT_cc, FEXT_cc, IL_cc, and RL_cc) on alien crosstalk between channels.  In addition, this bulletin provides an assessment of mode conversion parameters for  category 6A UTP cabling and components and includes methods that may be used to evaluate these parameters.  These models are provided to help cabling professionals better understand noise coupling mechanisms in balanced twisted-pair cabling (including alien crosstalk and other sources of external noise); it not the intent of this bulletin to specify performance recommendations for these parameters.

TSB-140 Content

• Mode Conversion Parameters
• Modeling Results

Q:         When will category 8 standards be ratified? Both ISO/IEC and TIA Telecommunications Cabling Standards bodies are developing requirements for the balanced twisted-pair media that will support the 25GBASE‑T and 40GBASE-T applications that are currently under development by IEEE 802.3.  ISO/IEC is developing requirements for             class I cabling constructed from category 8.1 components and class II cabling constructed from category 8.2 components.  TIA is developing requirements for category 8 cabling constructed from category 8 components and is also undertaking an initiative to develop class II cabling requirements that will harmonize with ISO/IEC.  Draft ISO/IEC class I and II and TIA category 8 cabling specifications are mature and currently circulating for industry comment and review.  Depending upon the number and type of proposed changes received during the review process, these Standards could publish as early as 2015 Q4.  It is reasonable to expect that both ISO/IEC and TIA Standards will be available for purchase early next year.

Q:         What are the main characteristics of category 8 cabling and how will they affect data center infrastructure? Class I, class II, and category 8 cabling is characterized to 2 GHz and intended to support 30 meter cabling channels that contain no more than 2 connectors.  These channels and the emerging 25G/40GBASE-T applications that they support are specifically targeted for deployment at the data center “edge” where server to switch connections are made.  Data center designers that can arrange their rack and cabinet layouts to support maximum       30-meter channel connections at these locations today will be well-positioned to migrate to  25G/40GBASE-T when the technology becomes available.

Q:         How is the performance of category 8 cabling improved over its predecessor versions? Interestingly, for every transmission parameter except return loss, ISO/IEC             class F_A channel and permanent link limits are more severe than those proposed specified for       class I and category 8 up to 1 GHz.  In the case of internal crosstalk parameters, the differences are significant; with class FA beating class I and category 8 performance by more than 20 dB! Class I and category 8 do have an advantage in that they are characterized out to double the bandwidth of class F_A.  Class II requirements represent the most stringent performance specifications for balanced twisted-pair cabling that the industry has ever seen.  The end result is that class I, class II, and category 8 cabling will offer unprecedented signal-to-noise margin for support of 25 Gb/s and higher transmission rates.

Q:         Is category 8 cabling mainly for support of 40GBASE-T? Class I, class II, and category 8 cabling has a unique channel topology that is optimized for support of both 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T server to switch connections in the data center.

Q:         Will category 8 cabling be backward compatible with lower category cabling? Class I, class II, and category 8 cabling will be backward compatible with lower classes and categories of cabling.  For example, a category 8 connector can be used in a class E_A channel and class E_A channel performance will be assured.

Q:         Will a new type of connector be required for category 8 or can a modular eight-position modular RJ-45 interface be used? Class I and category 8 cabling specifications support modular RJ-45 style connectors.  The performance associated with class II cabling can only be realized when category 8.2 cables are used in conjunction with non RJ-45 interfaces such as the Siemon TERA® connector.

Q:         Will category 8 cables be physically similar to category 6A and 7A cables and can category 8 cabling be installed leveraging existing infrastructure and termination methods? Class I, class II, and category 8 cabling will have a similar “look” and “feel” to lower grades of cabling and installation methods will not be significantly different.  This cabling may be installed in existing pathways and conduit; however, the existing infrastructure will need to be upgraded to support 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T.

Q:         Will category 8 cabling require more power? Class I, class II, and category 8 cabling does not require more power to operate.  In fact, due to lower dc resistance and insertion loss, these cables may more efficiently support remote powering applications (e.g. Power over Ethernet or “PoE”) and offer improved heat dissipation.  Higher speed Ethernet equipment, however, does tend to consume more power and it is realistic to expect that first generation 25G/40GBASE-T equipment will consume more power per port than 10GBASE-T equipment.  As technology evolves, it is likely that 25G/40GBASE-T equipment port power consumption will be comparable to 10GBASE-T equipment port power consumption.

Q:         Will the arrival of category 8 cabling impact the adoption of category 7A cabling? Since class II channel performance can be achieved with many of the category 7A connectors (e.g. Siemon TERA) that are commercially available today, end-users should not see the arrival of class I and category 8 products significantly change the landscape of available high speed cabling options.  In fact, the superior performance offered by class II cabling may encourage more users to adopt fully-shielded cabling solutions constructed from non RJ-style connectors.  Furthermore, while it’s too early to guarantee 25GBASE-T application support, there are efforts in place to characterize the capability of existing installed class F_A/category 7_A cabling plants to support 25 Gb/s data transmission.

Is there a “sweet spot” for data centers transitioning from 10GBASE-T to higher speeds?  Based on recent market surveys and technical feasibility analysis, the answer is definitely yes.  Trends for cloud servers and the latest forecast on server port speeds, both reported by Dell’Oro, lead to the conclusion that 25GBASE-T is a critical and heretofore lacking point on the migration roadmap to 40GBASE-T.  In addition, multiple feasibility presentations have clearly demonstrated that 25GBASE-T can allow users to leverage capital investment and research and development in 10GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T technology to optimize deployment costs as server and switch data speeds incrementally increase.

The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group formally approved merging the initiative to develop 25GBASE-T application requirements with the IEEE P802.3bq project to develop 40GBASE-T in September of 2015.  25GBASE-T will support the benefits of backwards-compatible BASE‑T technology and both 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T are planned for operation over TIA category 8 and ISO/IEC class I and class II cabling.  The deployment opportunity for 25GBASE-T is aligned with 40GBASE-T and defined as the same 2-connector, 30 meter reach topology supporting data center edge connections (i.e., switch to server connections in row-based structured cabling or top of rack configurations).  Interestingly, it is anticipated that frequency scaling will be employed to characterize the channels supporting 25GBASE-T (i.e. channels will characterized to 1,250 MHz) and 40GBASE-T (i.e. channels will characterized to 2,000 MHz).

The IEEE 802.3 802.3bq amendment specifying physical layer and management parameters for 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T operation is on the fast track; with publication anticipated mid-2016.  This is definitely one application to watch!

Refer to, “A Green Light for 25GBASE-T”, recently published in ICT Today, and “The Potential Impact of 25GBASE-T”, recently published in Inside Networks, for additional information.

IEEE Std 802.3™-2012 “IEEE Standard for Ethernet” was developed by the IEEE 802.3 Maintenance Task Force and published in December, 2012.  This revised Standard incorporates approved maintenance changes and the content of the following amendments to the previous edition IEEE Std 802.3™-2008 Standard:

• IEEE Std 802.3™-2008/Cor1-2009 (Pause Reaction Delay Corrigendum)
• IEEE Std 802.3at™-2009 (DTE Power Enhancements)
• IEEE Std 802.3av™-2009 (10Gb/s PHY for EPON)
• IEEE Std 802.3az™-2010 (Energy-efficient Ethernet)
• IEEE Std 802.3ba™-2010 (40Gb/s and 100Gb/s Ethernet)
• IEEE Std 802.3bc™-2009 (Ethernet Organizationally Specific type, length, values  (TLVs))
• IEEE Std 802.3bf™-2011 (Ethernet Support for the IEEE P802.1AS Time Synchronization Protocol)
• IEEE Std 802.3bg™-2011 (40Gb/s Ethernet Single-mode Fibre PMD)

While it sounds logical to say that first wave IEEE 802.11ac 80 MHz devices provide performance on par with structured cabling systems because they can theoretically deliver a maximum throughput of 1.3 Gb/s, there are two main reasons why this statement is inaccurate.  The first is that, since wireless is a shared network, the maximum available bandwidth is actually split between multiple users.  Keeping in mind that one 802.11ac access point (AP) can serve 30 to 60 clients, it’s easy to see that there is substantial opportunity for network slow time due to lack of bandwidth depending on user needs at any given time.  This is in significant contrast to a 1000BASE-T network, where each user has the full 1 Gb/s bandwidth available at all times.  The second reason why this statement is problematic is that total bandwidth is specified differently for wired versus wireless systems.  For example, since 1000BASE-T transmits in full-duplex (transmitting and receiving over the same cable pairs at the same time), it is capable of operating at a maximum rate of 1 Gb/s in the upstream direction and 1 Gb/s in the downstream direction.  This is different from wireless networks, which transmit in half-duplex and whose stated bandwidth is an indication of throughput in both directions combined.

The major shortcoming of an all-wireless data network is the high likelihood of periodic network slow down and saturation due to number of users and the applications in use.  The experience of Wi-Fi connections on an airplane comes to mind; whereby the internet provider has to throttle speed and  restrict streaming applications to be able to provide a stable, albeit slow, connection to all users.  A better practice is to supplement a traditional structured cabling network with a wireless network.  The advantages of this approach include improved reliability, dedicated access and improved performance for specific users and locations, and flexibility to support future IP-services such as those required by smart building or security applications.

So, the bottom line is that, unless a user is connected to a dedicated (i.e. there are no other users on the wireless network!) second wave 802.11ac AP operating at greater than 2 Gb/s, he will not experience speed and network accessibility even comparable to a 1000BASE-T structured cabling  network.  And, given that market statistics show that enterprises are finally migrating to 10GBASE-T in the work area, it is extremely unlikely that wireless networks will make cabled networks obsolete anytime soon.

IEEE 802.3by™ ”IEEE Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 25 Gb/s Operation” is currently under development by the IEEE P802.3by 25 Gb/s Ethernet Task Force and anticipated to publish in September, 2016.  25 Gb/s has been identified as a cost-optimized step on the migration path to 400 Gb/s speeds and will maximize the efficiency of server to first-level equipment (i.e. Top-of-Rack, access layer, and leaf) connections.  This project will define 25 Gb/s Physical Layer (PHY) specifications for operation over up to 100 m of multimode optical fiber cabling and up to 5 m of a single lane (two pairs) of twinaxial cable and attachment interfaces supporting 25 Gb/s transmission in electrical backplanes.  The recognized direct attach twinaxial cable assembly form factors are SFP28 to SFP28, QSFP28 to QSFP28, and QSFP28 to 4 x SFP28.

The five new PHY specifications are as follows:

25GBASE-CR:  25 Gb/s using 25GBASE-R encoding over one lane of twinaxial copper cable

25GBASE-CR-S: Equivalent to 25GBASE-CR without support for the RS-FEC sublayer

25GBASE-KR: 25 Gb/s using 25GBASE-R encoding over one lane of an electrical backplane

25GBASE-KR-S: Equivalent to 25GBASE-KR without support for the RS-FEC sublayer

25GBASE-SR: 25 Gb/s using 25GBASE-R encoding over multimode fiber

The IEEE 802.3 25 Gb/s Ethernet Call-For-Interest Consensus Presentation can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/cfi/0714_1/CFI_01_0714.pdf

The current focus of the IEEE P802.3by 25 Gb/s Ethernet Task Force  is circulating their draft document for Sponsor ballot review and resolving comments.

The Project Authorization Request (PAR), approved on December 10, 2014, can be found here: http://www.ieee802.org/3/by/P802_3by_PAR_approved_121214.pdf

The project objectives, adopted on November 6, 2014, (refer to: http://www.ieee802.org/3/by/P802_3by_Objectives.pdf) are as follows.

• Support a MAC data rate of 25 Gb/s
• Support full-duplex operation only
• Preserve the Ethernet frame format utilizing the Ethernet MAC
• Preserve minimum and maximum FrameSize of current IEEE 802.3 Standard
• Support a BER of better than or equal to 10-¹² at the MAC/PLS service interface (or the frame loss ratio equivalent)
• Support optional Energy-Efficient Ethernet operation
• Define a single-lane 25 Gb/s PHY for operation over a printed circuit board backplane consistent with channels specified in IEEE Std 802.3bj-2014 Clause 93
• Define a single-lane PHY for operation over links consistent with copper twin axial cables, with lengths up to at least 3m
• Define a single-lane PHY for operation over links consistent with copper twin axial cables, with lengths up to at least 5m
• Define a single-lane PHY for operation over MMF consistent with IEEE P802.3bm Clause 95
• Provide appropriate support for OTN

There’s been a lot of talk lately surrounding bidirectional 40 Gb/s duplex applications, or BiDi for short.  Currently offered as a solution by Cisco®, BiDi runs over duplex OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber using QSFP modules and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology.  It features two 20 Gb/s channels, each transmitting and receiving simultaneously over two wavelengths on a single fiber strand – one direction transmitting in the 832 to 868 nanometer (nm) wavelength range and the other receiving in the 882 to 918 nm wavelength range.  Avago Technologies also offers a similar QSFP BiDi transceiver.

Unidirectional 40 Gb/s duplex fiber solutions are available from Arista and Juniper.  These differ from the BiDi solution in that they combine four 10 Gb/s channels at different wavelengths – 1270, 1290, 1310, and 1330 nm – over a duplex LC connector using OM3 or OM4 multimode or singlemode fiber.  These unidirectional solutions are not interoperable with BiDi solutions because they use different WDM technology and operate within different wavelength ranges.

While some of the transceivers used with these 40 Gb/s duplex fiber solutions are compliant with QSFP specifications and based on the IEEE 40GBASE- LR4 standard, there are currently no existing industry standards for 40 Gb/s duplex fiber applications using multiple wavelengths over multimode fiber – either bidirectional or unidirectional.  There are standards-based 40 Gb/s applications over duplex singlemode fiber using WDM technology, but standards-based 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s applications over multimode use multi-fiber MPO/MTP connectors and parallel optics (40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR4).

40 Gb/s duplex fiber solutions are promoted as offering reduced cost and installation time for quick migration to 40 Gb/s applications due to the ability to reuse the existing duplex 10 Gb/s fiber infrastructure for 40 Gb/s without having to implement MPO/MTP solutions.  However, some of the concerns surrounding these non-standards based 40 Gb/s duplex fiber solutions include:

• Lack of standards compliance and lack of interoperability with standards-based fiber solutions
• Risk of being locked into a sole-sourced/proprietary solution that may have limited future support
• BiDi and other 40 Gb/s duplex transceivers require significantly more power than standards-based solutions
• Lack of application assurance due to operation outside of the optimal OM3/OM4 wavelength of 850 nm
• Limited operating temperature range compared to standards-based solutions

This Standard establishes a benchmark for sustainable energy and materials practices as they relate to the design, specification, deployment, and operation of information technology (IT) and information communication technology (ICT) systems.  A five-phase approach guides architects, consultants, engineers, building owners, facility managers, and occupants in how to implement practices in a manner that exceeds the benchmark criteria.  This Standard is applicable to both new and retrofit low voltage IT and ICT systems.

ANSI/TIA-4994 “Standard for Sustainable Information Communications Technology” was developed by the TIA TR-42.10  Sustainable Information Communications Technology Subcommittee and published in March, 2015.  The Standard is divided into two sections to address the roles that 1) the project designer, system integrator, and design and integration technology teams have in planning and documenting the sustainable aspects of IT systems and 2) the IT manager has in tracking the environmental performance of deployed IT systems.

ANSI/TIA-4994  Content

• Phase Descriptions
• Requirements Common to all Phases
• Planning or Program Phase
• Architectural and Infrastructure Design Phase
• ICT Systems Design Phase
• ICT Systems Integration Phase
• Operations Assessment Phase
• Informative Annex containing a Bibliography

TIA-4994  Phase Descriptions

TIA-4994  Phase Commonality

This Standard provides generic requirements for telecommunications pathways and spaces. Included are separation and isolation considerations for operating environment compatibility, telecommunications facility diversification recommendations to ensure operation in catastrophic conditions, and temperature and humidity requirements.  Architectural (e.g. room size and firestopping) and environmental (e.g. HVAC,  grounding and bonding, and electromagnetic noise reduction) design guidance is also provided.

ANSI/TIA-569-D “Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces” was developed by the TIA TR-42.3 Pathways and Spaces Subcommittee  and published in April, 2015.  This Standard specifies requirements for telecommunications pathways and spaces in commercial and multi-tenant buildings, access provider spaces, and service provider spaces where entrance rooms, distributor rooms, enclosures, racks and cabinets and other telecommunications facilities and infrastructure is located.  Pathway locations include areas above the ceiling, access and cellular floor systems, cable support systems, underfloor duct and insert systems, perimeter pathways and surface mount pathways, and utility columns.

Significant changes from the previous edition include:

• Incorporation of revised temperature and humidity requirements from TIA-568-C.1
• Inclusion of a smaller minimum recommended size for distributor rooms
• Clarification of requirements for pull boxes
• Deletion of maximum height requirements for racks and cabinets (a maximum recommended height is still provided)
• Reduction of the minimum access headroom above cable trays from 300 mm (12 in) to 200 mm (8 in)
• Revised recommendations for separating power wiring from balanced twisted-pair cabling
• New requirements for metallic spaces
• New requirements for multi-user telecommunications outlet assembly and consolidation point spaces

Example of Pathways and Spaces in a Single-Tenant Building

Pathways and Spaces in a Single-Tenant Building

Distributor Room Sizing

• The distributor room shall be sized to meet known requirements such as the function of the room, the numbers of equipment and racks needed, and the number of equipment outlets that it will serve
• Sizing shall include projected future as well as present requirements
• A distributor room containing Distributor B should be sized at a minimum of 9 m² (100 ft²)
• A distributor room containing Distributor C should be sized at a minimum of 11 m² (120 ft²) in buildings with a gross area of up to 50,000 m² (500,000 ft²)
• In larger buildings, the size of the distributor room containing Distributer C should be increased in increments of 1 m² (10 ft²) for every increase of 10,000 m² (100,000 ft²) in gross building area

Minimum Floor Space Based on Number of Outlets Served

Temperature and Humidity Requirements

• ASHRAE Class A1, A2, A3, and A4 environmental requirements for telecommunications spaces are provided
• Temperature and humidity specifications provided for distributor rooms, distributor enclosures, entrance rooms or spaces, access provider spaces, service provider spaces, and common distributor rooms are as follows:
• Temperature: 18 – 27°C (64 – 81°F)
• Maximum relative humidity (RH): 60%
• Minimum dew point: 5.5°C (42°F)
• Maximum dew point: 15°C (59°F)

Click here for archive information on ANSI/TIA-569-C.

Customer-owned outside plant cabling is defined as the cabling installed between buildings or points in a customer-owned campus environment.  Customer-owned campus facilities are typically termed “outside plant” (OSP).

ANSI/TIA-758-B “Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard” was developed by the TIA TR-42.4 Outside Plant Subcommittee and published in March, 2012.  This Standard specifies requirements for telecommunications pathways and spaces, cable, connecting hardware, and bonding and grounding systems to support a wide range of IT applications (e.g., voice, data, video, alarm, environmental control, security, audio).

Significant changes from the previous edition include:

• Guidelines for the physical location and protection of below-ground cabling have been added
• ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 is referenced for application distance support lengths

Click here for archive information on ANSI/TIA-758-A.

Grounding and bonding is integral to the reliable performance of both electrical and telecommunications systems.

ANSI/TIA-607-C Generic “Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises” was developed by the TIA TR-42.16 Grounding and Bonding Subcommittee and published in November, 2015.  This Standard provides basic principles, components, and design of telecommunications bonding and grounding that shall be followed to ensure that the telecommunication bonding and grounding systems within a building will have one electrical potential.

Significant changes from the previous edition include:

• Incorporation of the requirements for a structure’s electrical grounding electrode system and the additional telecommunications grounding electrode system design and testing requirements from TIA-607-B.1
• Addition of the requirements for a telecommunications bonding and grounding system for the case when structural metal is used as the telecommunications bonding backbone from TIA‑607-B.2
• Inclusion of an illustrative example of the generic telecommunications bonding infrastructure in a single story large building
• Addition of recommendations for bonding connections for separately divided systems
• New component and design requirements for rack bonding busbars
• Adoption of a minimum bend radius and angle requirements for bonding conductors
• Expanded listing of insulated conductors required to be color-coded green
• New recommendation for a minimum 0.6m (2 ft) grid spacing for mesh bonding networks
• Clarification that patch panels for shielded cabling shall be bonded
• Clarification that bonding requirements apply to all metallic telecommunications pathways
• Additional requirement that exothermic two-hole lugs, when used to make connections to the telecommunications main groundiung busbar (TMGB), be listed

ANSI/TIA-607-C Content

• Regulatory
• Overview of Telecommunication Grounding and Bonding Systems
• Telecommunications Bonding Components
• Design Requirements
• External Grounding
• Performance and Test Requirements
• Annexes addressing Bonding Methods, Grounding Electrodes, Towers and Antennas, Telecommunications Electrical Protection, Electrical Protection for Operator-Type Equipment Positions, and Cross Reference of Terms

The grounding requirements for shielded cabling systems are identical to those specified for unshielded cabling systems with the exception of the following additional step:

• patch panels for shielded cabling shall be bonded to the telecommunications bonding system in accordance with manufacturer instructions

Bonding of the shielded patch panel may be accomplished by connecting a 12 AWG stranded wire from the ground point (or lug) provided on the patch panel to the rack , cabinet, or enclosure, bonding conductor.

Click here for archive information on ANSI/TIA-607-B.

Intelligent building systems include control systems such as security and monitoring (i.e. closed circuit television or CCTV), safety systems such as fire alarm, environmental conditioning systems such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and energy management systems such as internal and external lighting.   The distinct advantage of being able to support multi-product and multi-vendor environments can be realized if these systems, especially those that rely Internet Protocol (IP) communication between devices, are deployed over the same generic structured cabling topology used for telecommunications applications.  Many other low voltage building systems, such as audio/video paging, service/equipment alarms, non-voice/data communications, wireless access points, may also be supported by the telecommunications cabling infrastructure.

ANSI/TIA-862-B “Structured Cabling Infrastructure Standard for Intelligent Building Systems ” was developed by the TIA TR-42.1 Commercial Building Cabling Subcommittee and published in February, 2016. Expanding on the content of ANSI/TIA-862-A, TIA-862-B specifies minimum requirements for intelligent building (previously called building automation system or BAS) cabling to support applications that use Internet Protocol (IP) communication, as well as accommodate other protocols that are typically used between devices.  Specific content addresses recommended cabling topology, architecture, design and installation practices, test procedures, and components.

Significant changes from the previous edition include:

• The title of the Standard has been revised
• The term “intelligent building system” replaces “building automation system”
• Additional guidance on the use of structured cabling for wireless systems, remote powering over balanced twisted-pair cabling, and smart lighting has been added

ANSI/TIA-862-B Terminology

ANSI/TIA-862-B Contents

• Cabling Subsystem 1
• Cabling Subsystem 2 and Cabling Subsystem 3
• Wireless
• Power Delivery over Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling
• Distributor Rooms
• Zone Enclosure
• Entrance Facilities
• Transmission and Field Test Requirements
• Bonding and Grounding
• Administration
• Annexes addressing Power Distribution over Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling, Separation of Services, Optional Coverage Area Topologies, Examples of Low Voltage Intelligent Building Systems, and Balanced Multipoint Data Bus

Example Intelligent Building System Applications

Access Control · Audio/Video/Multimedia · Broadband Video · CATV and CCTV · Digital Signage · Elevator Control · Energy Management ·  Sensors, Actuators, and Controls · HVAC Control · Infant Security ·  Intercom · Lighting Monitoring and Control · Master Synchronous Clock · Medical Gas Alarms Safety System Monitors and Displays · Nurse Call · Overhead Paging · Personnel Monitoring · Power Monitoring and Control · Staff Emergency Alarms · Telemetry · Time & Attendance · Visual Information Display · Digital Advertising

Why Use Structured Cabling for Intelligent Building System Applications?

• Proprietary cabling eliminated
• Common services supported
• Redundant pathways reduced
• Low voltage cabling becomes managed
• Provides migration path to IP devices
• Asset control
• Reduced labor/rapid deployment
• MAC costs reduced (Siemon estimates a 15-38% reduction)
• Supports energy conservation
• Infrastructure for low voltage power distribution (e.g. Power over Ethernet or PoE) provided

TIA-862-B Intelligence Building Cabling Infrastructure

Zone cabling supports network convergence of data and voice networks, wireless (Wi-Fi) device uplink connections, and a wide range of sensors, control panels, and detectors for lighting, security, and other building communications.  A zoned structured cabling design consists of horizontal cables run from the floor distributor in the telecommunications room to an intermediate connection point that may be housed in a zone enclosure located in the ceiling space, on the wall, or below an access floor, or flooded throughout a floor space.  Cables are then patched from the zone enclosure to equipment and work area outlets. The benefits of a zoned cabling approach include ease of deployment, the ability to facilitate the use of trunking cables, and improved pathway utilization.  With zoned cabling, moves, additions, and changes (MAC work) cost less and are faster and less disruptive in order to support rapid floor space reorganization.

Intelligent Cabling System Media

• Primarily supported by Category 5e, Category 6, Category 6A, and  Category 7A, copper twisted-pair cabling
• Copper balanced twisted-pair cabling supports Type 1 and Type 2 PoE and other remote powering applications up to 100 W and a maximum of 1 A per pair
• Optical fiber solutions may be deployed if consideration is given to the need to power devices
• TIA-862-A recommends category 6A 4-pair balanced twisted-pair or 2-fiber optical fiber cabling for use in Cabling Subsytem 1
• Siemon recommends Category 6A F/UTP cabling to support improved heat dissipation and Category 7A to support cable sharing in Cabling Subsystem 1

Click here for Siemon’s “Zone Cabling and Coverage Area Planning Guide” describing best practices for the design of zone cabling and coverage areas supporting intelligent building systems.

Click here for archive information on ANSI/TIA-862-A.

Properly planned and installed physical network security systems can protect critical telecommunications infrastructure and components from theft, vandalism, intrusions, and unauthorized modifications.   It is significantly less expensive and less disruptive to install physical network security systems during the building construction or renovation phase than during the building occupancy phase.

ANSI/TIA-5017 “Telecommunications Physical Network Security Standard ” was developed by the TIA TR-42.1 Commercial Building Cabling Subcommittee and published in February, 2016.  This Standard specifies requirements and guidelines to protect and secure the telecommunications infrastructure (e.g. telecommunications cables, pathways, spaces, and other elements of the physical infrastructure) in customer owned premises.  It establishes three levels of physical infrastructure security and provides design guidelines, installation practices, administration, management, and other additional considerations to enhance the physical security of the telecommunications infrastructure.

ANSI/TIA-5017  Content

• Security Planning and Risk Assessment
• Design Guidelines
• Installation Guidelines
• Additional Guidelines and Recommendations for Cabling Security Levels
• Physical Network Security Guidelines
• Intelligent Building Systems for Security
• Administration Considerations for Security

Physical Infrastructure Security Levels

TIA-5017 recognizes three levels of cabling infrastructure security for various security needs:

• SL1 – Basic Security Installation
• SL2 – Tamper Resistance Installation
• SL3 – Critical Security Installation

TIA-5017 recommends that  an AIM system be considered as an additional means to enhance the security of the cabling infrastructure.  The following automated administration capabilities are called out:

• Changes to patch cord connectivity can be detected
• Port availability status on network equipment can be monitored in real time
• Critical network circuits can be identified and breaches reported in real time
• Device connections can be detected and reported and their location identified
• Integration with security cameras can be supported to record events
• Communication and data exchange with other systems and databases is supported
• Emergency call origination location can be identified and reported
• AIM components can be secured