What are the 6 components of structured cabling?

2021-11-25 06:12:00 By : Ms. Angela Huto

In the past few decades, the wiring of voice and data communication systems is far less complicated than it is today. Most systems use two or four pairs of copper wires wrapped in adhesive to protect the cables. Connection usually involves stripping the ends of the wires to expose the copper conductors. Then connect it to a set of connectors, usually called connection blocks, to connect physical equipment to switching equipment, such as a PBX system.

With the growth of digital transmission in almost all types of voice and data communication equipment in the late 1970s and early 1980s, new types of wiring and connectors emerged. The idea is to simplify the process of connecting devices to its main system, hoping to speed up the process of building wired infrastructure for voice and data devices.

With the development of wiring and connection points, wiring, connectors and different types of wiring (including copper cables, optical fibers and coaxial cables) need to be more standardized. The American National Standards Institute and the Telecommunications Industry Association have developed a series of standards ANSI/TIA-568 to introduce guidelines for all aspects of residential and commercial building cable distribution systems.

These standards have shaped structured cabling systems. Structured cabling is based on six components, which together provide a convenient, repeatable and easy-to-implement framework for installing telecommunications cabling. The six components of structured cabling are as follows:

Structured cabling greatly simplifies the installation of the cable infrastructure supporting various voice and data communications equipment. Whether installing coaxial sockets at home or wiring skyscrapers, these components are manufactured to specific standards for electrical transmission, resistance, cable length, connectors and cable manufacturing.

Structured cabling can also enhance troubleshooting of cabling issues when using appropriate diagnostic equipment designed to be compatible with ANSI/TIA-568.0/1 standards. The use of structured wiring is also easier to install, because the interface is standardized, usually using a snap-in connector.

The release of ANSI/TIA-568 standard in 1991 greatly helped the development of structured cabling systems. Its parts include general telecommunications cabling for customer premises (C.0) and commercial building telecommunications infrastructure standards (C.1). These two standards have been updated countless times in the past 30 years, and the current iterations are ANSI/TIA-568.0 (customer premises) and ANSI/TIA-568.1 (commercial buildings). The last update of both was in March 2020.

Structured cabling greatly simplifies the installation, troubleshooting and maintenance of cable infrastructure. This saves money by standardizing all hardware components and cable types. It can also save installation time because the connector and its wiring are greatly simplified. The ANSI/TIA-568 standard applies to almost any type of residential and commercial wiring requirements.

1. Entrance facility (EF). Telecommunication facilities entering a building or residence from the outside (from a local service operator or a private network) pass through an opening in the outer wall through a pipe. The wiring enters the room where other equipment is deployed, including network connection points, patch panels, equipment racks, hardware connectors, power supplies, and protective equipment for grounding, shielding, and lightning protection.

2. Equipment room (ER). The area where the entrance wiring is connected to the wiring infrastructure inside the building is the equipment room. It is equipped with a wiring board to provide connections for backbone wiring, horizontal wiring and intermediate wiring. Since the room may also be equipped with network switches, PBXs, servers, and other equipment, it should be environmentally controlled to ensure that the temperature and relative humidity levels are maintained according to the equipment supplier’s specifications.

3. Backbone wiring. Also called riser cabling-because it is usually installed in vertical channels or risers connected to each floor-backbone cabling links EF, telecommunications and other ERs, and operator spaces. Two subsystems are defined for backbone cabling:

The types of cables used in backbone cabling include:

Note: The entrance cable is usually determined by the operator, not the user's responsibility.

4. Telecommunications equipment room (TR) and telecommunications cabinet (TE). The environmentally controlled area can be a dedicated room (TE) or part of another larger room (TR), such as a general utility room. The hardware in these spaces terminates horizontal cables and backbone cables. This is also where local cables (called jumpers or jumpers) are used to cross-connect different cables on the patch panel. IC or MC can also be installed here to provide additional connection resources.

5. Horizontal wiring (wiring subsystem 1). Providing telecommunication resources for users in the work area or other rooms on the floor is the work of horizontal wiring. A typical cable line runs from the user's equipment to the nearest TR on the same floor. Regardless of the cable type, the maximum allowable cable length between TR and user equipment is 295 feet.

Horizontal wiring includes cables, connectors, wiring boards, jumpers and jumpers in TR/TE. They may also include multi-user telecommunications socket assemblies and merging points to connect multiple devices or cables in a single connector.

The types of cables used in horizontal wiring include:

6. Work area (WA). The area from the connector or jack in the wall outlet to the user equipment using the cable is considered WA. It is the ultimate destination of the structured cable system.

Structured cabling greatly simplifies the installation process of voice and data communication equipment. Its continued use means that new devices, such as IoT systems, will be easily supported.

Learn more about the TIA-568 standard

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