An unchanging principle is that whatever you install today will need to be changed tomorrow!
The role of cable management is to provide recognized routes for cables such that old cables can in years to come be easily removed and new ones installed.
Good Installation Practices
Cable ManagementAn unchanging principle is that whatever you install today will need to be changed tomorrow! The role of cable management is to provide recognized routes for cables such that old cables can in years to come be easily removed and new ones installed.
It also ensures that cables don’t get damaged etc by enforcing slow bends and avoiding kinks. It also ensures that cable routes are kept well away from other services – it’s of little use if future additions to office lighting result in power cables being laid alongside data cables simply because the data cables were dragged haphazardly across the suspended ceiling as so often happens.
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Good Installation Practices
Cable Management:
Cable management systems shall be installed:
• To allow installation and removal of the cable without risk of damage to the cable
• Without sharp edges or corners that could damage the cabling installed within or upon them
• To enable the creation of fire barriers in accordance with local regulations
• Taking into account relevant external/environmental influences – in particular:
– Cable management systems shall be installed to ensure that water or other contaminant liquids cannot collect
– Where required, sections of cable management systems shall be jointed to prevent ingress of gases,liquids, etc.
Cable management systems shall be installed:
To allow installation and removal of the cable without risk of damage to the cable
Without sharp edges or corners that could damage the cabling installed within or upon them
To enable the creation of fire barriers in accordance with local regulations
Taking into account relevant external/environmental influences – in particular:
o Cable management systems shall be installed to ensure that water or other contaminant liquids cannot collect
o Where required, sections of cable management systems shall be jointed to prevent ingress of gases, liquids, etc.
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Minimum Installed Bend Radius:
Minimum installed cable bend radius is specified by the manufacturer. If instructions do not exist then the following shall apply:
• 25 mmfor 4-pair balanced cables with a diameter up to 6 mm
• 50 mmfor 4-pair balanced cables with a diameter over 6 mm
Good Installation Practices
Bend Radius
Excessive cable bends can alter the conductor positions and therefore the transmission characteristics of a cable.
Minimum cable bend radius, particularly for fibre optic cables, is specified by the manufacturer. If instructions do not exist then the following shall apply:
25 mm for 4-pair balanced cables with a diameter up to 6 mm 50 mm for 4-pair balanced cables with a diameter over 6 mm These figures are from the ISO/IEC 11801:2002 standard.
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Cable stacking height:
• For pathway systems that provide continuous support (e.g. cable trays), the stacking height shall not exceed 150 mm (6 inches).
Good Installation Practices
150 mm maximum
Cable Stacking Height
For pathway systems that provide continuous support (e.g. cable trays), the stacking height shall not exceed 150 mm (6 inches).
This rule is to avoid crushing the bottom cables by the weight of the rest of the cables on top.
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Cable stress:
• When installing cables, cords or jumpers, appropriate techniques shall be applied to eliminate cable stress by
– Tension in suspended cable runs – Tightly cinched cable bundles
Good Installation Practices
Cable Stress
When installing cables, cords or jumpers, appropriate techniques shall be applied to eliminate cable stress by
Tension in suspended cable runs
Tightly cinched cable bundles
The cable should be supported by the cable tie but still be able to be moved back and forth inside the tie.
Do not put any stress on the cable jacket
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Cable supports:
For pathway systems that provide non-continuous support:
• The maximum distance allowed between supporting elements of the pathway system is 1500 mm (5 ft)
Good Installation Practices
Cable Supports
For pathway systems that provide non-continuous support, the maximum distance allowed between supporting elements of the pathway system is 1500 mm (5 ft). If the distance between supports is longer, the weight of the unsupported cable due to the catenary effect could distort the cables as they pass over the supports.
Although 1500 mm maximum is specified, it is recommended not to space the supports greater than 1000 mm apart.
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Cable stacking height
For pathway systems that provide non-continuous support:
• The maximum stacking height shall be calculated according to the following formula
h=150/(1+L x 0,0007)
Good Installation Practices
h
Cable Stacking Height
For pathway systems that provide non-continuous support, the maximum stacking height shall be calculated according to the following formula
h=150/(1+L x 0,0007)
Where h is the maximum stacking height and L is the distance between supports.
For example, if the distance between the supports is the maximum 1500 mm, then the maximum stacking height would be calculated as follows.
h=150/(1+1.05) h=73.17 mm
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Good Installation Practices
Cable stacking height
Stacking height for typical distance L L
mm
H mm
0 150
100 140
150 136
250 128
500 111
750 98
1000 88
1500 73
To avoid having to make calculations, the table shows the stacking height for typical distances between supports.
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Equipment Rack Clearance:
• The location of cabinets, frames and racks shall provide a minimum clearance of 1.2 metres on all faces where access is required
Good Installation Practices
1.2 metre (4 feet))) minimum clearance
1.2 metre (4 feet)) minimum clearance
1.2 metre (4 feet)) minimum clearance
Equipment Rack Clearance
The location of cabinets, frames and racks shall provide a minimum clearance of 1.2 metres on all faces where access is required
This separation distance usually equates to the width of two floor tiles and is needed to allow doors to be opened fully. If two rows of cabinets are installed face-to-face, it is not necessary to double the distance.
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Equipment locations:
Cabinets, frames and racks shall notbe installed, 1) In toilet facilities and kitchens
2) In emergency escape ways 3) In ceiling or sub-floor spaces
4) Within cabinets or closure containing fire hose reels or other fire extinguishing equipment
Good Installation Practices
Equipment Location
Cabinets, frames and racks shall not be installed,
In toilet facilities and kitchens – water contamination is very possible in these environments
In emergency escape ways – access to emergency escape ways must always be kept clear. A cabling technician working in such a location is a potential hazard
In ceiling or sub-floor spaces – the space afforded by these locations is usually very limited and access can be difficult and may disturb building occupants.
Within cabinets or closure containing fire hose reels or other fire extinguishing equipment – water contamination and the potential hazard posed by a cabling technician being present during an emergency situation make these locations no-go areas
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Differentiation of Termination Fields
Cables with different performance categories should be terminated in different terminating fields.
Good Installation Practices
Category 6 Category 6A
Differentiation of Termination Fields
Cables of differing performance categories should be terminated in different termination fields to avoid confusion and possible wiring mistakes. Bundles of Category 6 and 6A cables should definitely be kept apart to avoid alien crosstalk between the two cable types.
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Mounting Connecting Hardware
• Connecting hardware like TOs shall be securely mounted at planned locations.
• Devices such as baluns and impedance matching adapters, if used, shall be external to the outlet.
Good Installation Practices
Mounting Connecting Hardware
Connecting hardware like TOs shall be securely mounted at planned locations. This involves using proper screws or other appropriate fixing methods.
Devices such as baluns and impedance matching adapters, if used, shall be external to the outlet.
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Earthing (Grounding) and Bonding
All earthing (grounding) and bonding shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant national or local codes and regulations.
Good Installation Practices
Normally, the shields are bonded to the equipment racks which are, in turn, bonded at a designated ground.
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Cabling Practices
• To avoid stretching, pulling tension should not exceed 110N (25 1bf) for 4-pair cables.
Good Installation Practices
Cabling Practices
To avoid stretching, pulling tension should not exceed 110N (25 1bf) for 4-pair cables. This is the equivalent to the weight of a full 305 metre box of UTP cable.
Avoid stacking too many boxes or reels when pulling multiple cables as this may lead to unexpectedly high pulling tensions.
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Good Installation Practices
Conductor termination
• The connecting hardware used for balanced cabling shall be installed to provide minimal signal impairment by preserving wire pair twists and conductor separation as closely as possible to the point of mechanical termination (by not changing the original twist).
• In addition only a minimum of the cable sheath shall be removed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Conductor Termination
The connecting hardware used for balanced cabling shall be installed to provide minimal signal impairment by preserving wire pair twists and conductor separation as closely as possible to the point of mechanical termination (by not changing the
original twist).
The most a cable pair will require untwisting is 180 degrees to ensure that the correct colour conductors fit into the corresponding wire slots.
In addition only a minimum of the cable sheath shall be removed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This is to avoid having long lengths of uncovered conductor pairs causing crosstalk and return loss problems.
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Cable Termination
• Pin/pair assignments shall be either the T568A or T568B configuration as specified in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1
Good Installation Practices
T568A T568B
Pin/Pair Assignment
Pin/pair assignments shall be either the T568A or T568B configuration as specified in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-C.1
Colour-coded labels on the jacks and patch panels show the correct wire positions for each scheme.
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Cable Termination
• Care is needed to ensure that pairs are terminated consistently at the Telecommunications Outlet and Floor Distributor.
Good Installation Practices
T568A T568A
T568B T568B
T568A T568B
Care is needed to ensure that pairs are terminated consistently at the Telecommunications Outlet and Floor Distributor.
All conductors must be terminated straight through without transposition of pairs.
This is achieved by ensuring that the same colour code is followed at all termination points.
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Pin/Pair Configuration For Crossover:
Use a crossover cable to connect units with identical interfaces
.
Good Installation Practices
If a transposition is needed in order to connect two units with identical interfaces, for example two computers, then a cross-over patch cord must be used at one end.
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Instruction Guide:
To ensure initial and continuing performance of the cabling system follow product installation guide which comes with the Giganet products.
Good Installation Practices
Instruction Guides
To ensure initial and continuing performance of the cabling system and eligibility for the Giganet performance warranty follow the product installation guide that comes with each Giganet product. Installation videos are also available at the Giganet web site www.giga-net.co.uk
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