Cool for Cat 6

Understandably, manufacturers like to be selling products to new standards as soon as possible, even in advance of the standards being ratified if they are confident enough of drafts not being changed.

This was most evident at the Networks Telecom 99 Show at the NEC, Birmingham, where proprietary Category 6 cabling systems were being vigorously promoted, backed with warranties ranging from 15 to 25 years.

On both sides of the Atlantic there is confidence that the key performance requirements contained in the draft standards for Cat 6/Class E cabling systems prepared by the US Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and International Standards Organization (ISO) in Europe are unlikely to be changed before being ratified. Ratification is expected to be either later this year or early in 2000.

While manufacturers have in effect been given a nod and wink by the standards-making bodies to go ahead in developing systems and components to the proposed Cat 6/Class E performance requirements, some caution is necessary in the selection and use of components to create a system. It is essential that all components used in a system individually meet the proposed performance requirements, particularly backward compatibility.

It is possible for a system to meet proposed Cat 6 requirements yet fail Cat 5 requirements. Even when purchasing a complete Cat 6 cabling system under a long-term warranty such as one of those being promoted at the show it is prudent to inquire about individual components.

Hubbell's Nextspeed 660 cabling system is designed to exceed the proposed standards for Cat 6 utp cabling. Like all of Hubbell's Premise Wiring Systems, it embraces a comprehensive line up of patch panels, patch cords and jacks to be used with cable supplied by Hubbell's chosen cable supplier. Hubbell's published results show that Nextspeed 660t comfortably meets the proposed Cat 6 specifications for the key performance parameters of NearEnd Cross Talk, attenuation, Power Sum NEXT, Equal Level Far End Cross talk and Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio when tested at both 100 and 200 MHz. An independent test house, ETL, has also certified that it meets the proposed Cat 6 specifications. Hubbell states that the system will also support Gigabit Ethernet, the standard which was ratified by IEEE during the week of the show.

Molex Premise Networks, the new name of MOD-TAP to reflect the company's integration with its parent Molex Incorporated, offers its Cat 5 and Cat 6 products under the names PowerCat and PowerCat PLUS respectively. PowerCat PLUS offers customers the opportunity to prepare for future expansion of a new network while at the same time ensuring backward compatibility with existing systems. And it doesn't mean existing customers with Category 5 and 5E networks have to upgrade to Cat 6.

Alcatel was also able to announce that its LANmark Cat 6 range of cables – four pair utp, ftp and s-ftp cables both in pvc and lszh (low smoke zero halogen) had been verified by Delta Electronic Testing as conforming to the latest draft Class E/Cat 6 specifications from ISO/IEC.

Concern has been expressed that a Cat 6 system using RJ-45 style connectors will not fulfil Cat 6 performance requirements (Electrical Contractor, June 1999) and that a new backward compatible connector is required.

The answer to this may be in the RJ type connector from Alcatel, the GG45-GP45, which is designed for Cat 7/Class F applications and is compatible with Cat 5/Class D and Cat 6/Class E applications. Extended tests by the independent Danish laboratory, Delta Electronics Testing, have demonstrated this connector as being fully compatible with an RJ45 connector and it has been accepted by an ISO/IEC working group as the provider of 'a preferred solution'. However the feasibility of this connector type to support Cat 7/Class F is undergoing further evaluation.

The same working group has accepted a non-RJ style connector from the Siemon Company as the international standard interface for Cat 7/Class F shielded cabling. The 'Tera' connector has been proven to perform up to 1GHz over each pair, far exceeding the bandwidth of 600 MHz specified for Cat 7/Class F.

Among features of the Tera connector is the ability to run applications such as broadband video with an upper frequency requirement of 862 MHz.

Krone was showing PremisNET compact network solutions for supporting Cat 3, 4 and 5 twisted pair cable. PremisNET is designed to work with most existing systems and protocols, significantly reducing downtime and anxiety caused by major upgrades.

A range of patch panels, faceplates, cross connects, rack and mounting systems designed for fibre and Cat 3 to 5e cabling was displayed by Wiremold, a leading manufacturer of products for data, voice and power cable management. Last year the company bought Davis, Salamandre, Electrunk and Swifts of Scarborough, making it the leading manufacturer of steel trunking and cable tray in the UK. It also bought a plastics conduit and trunking manufacturer based in Poland.

Lucent Technologies has launched a new patch panel system for improved organisation and management in building wiring systems. Known as the 110 VisiPatch system, it has been designed for the company's Systimax structured connectivity system for high speed data networks. It supports 336 terminations and occupies the same space of the previous system that supported only 300 terminations.

A Cat 5 network system for domestic premises has been launched by Ortronics International. It is designed to support residential and small office multi-media applications. It consists of a central distribution cabin that accommodates and supports an Ethernet/10 Base-T hub and video, audio, and voice data service panels to support multi-media applications, Cat 5 cable, snap in connector modules and wall-mounted connector panels. Andrew Flint, technical manager, European Operations, points out that homeworking installations will require exactly the same standards of performance and connectivity as any office lan and should be designed, installed, and tested to Cat 5 standards in the same way.

In the USA, home-office and entertainment services are growing at the rate of 20% per annum, and Ortronics' research predicts the value of the residential cabling market rising from $52 million in 1999 to $310 million in 2001. In Europe, too, the home market is expanding fast, with 40% of all office workers working from home full or part time within ten years.

Testers

Like the cable suppliers the tester manufacturers, confident that draft Cat 6/Class E specifications are more or less set in stone and have released new products.

Wavetek claims its LT 8600 exceeds the requirements for emerging Cat 6/Class E testing standards. The LT 8600 tests all advanced Power Sum requirements up to 300 MHz, supports up to 15 different tests individually or in a test suite, supports identification of distance to fault and records test results.

Launched at Networks Telecom was Fluke's DSP-4000 digital cable analyzer, designed for testing to Cat 5 and 5e and proposed Cat 6 standards. It can be adapted to test fibre optic installations.

Fibre optics

Launched last year, 3M's Volition fibre optic system has been well received and now boasts many installations in a varied array of types of premises.

Whereas until recently fibre optical systems could not complete with copper systems on cost this has changed, says Des Pool, 3M's European Technical Manager. Many design features have been introduced into the Volition range that reduce production costs. Poole agrees that for small installations copper may have the edge over fibre optics but in large complex installations it will soon be the other way round.