Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.

A Reference Guide To:

ISO 11801
EN 50174
ISO 18010
ISO/IEC 24764
EN 50310
EN 50173
ANSI/TIA-568-C
ANSI/TIA-606-A
ANSI/TIA-942
IEEE 802.3af
IEEE 802.3at
IEEE 802.3an
IEEE 802.3ba
IEEE 802.11

European Standards Reference Guide

 Anixter: The Cabling System Experts
For more information, visit [Link] or call [Link].

Anixter is a leading global supplier of communications and

security products, electrical and electronic wire and cable,
fasteners and other small components. We help our customers
specify solutions and make informed purchasing decisions
around technology, applications and relevant standards.
Throughout the world, we provide innovative supply chain
management services to reduce our customers’ total cost of
production and implementation.
Purpose of Industry Standards
By providing guidelines for installation, maintenance and testing
to improve availability and reduce expenses associated with
downtime, the telecommunications standards define cabling
types, distances, connections, cable system architectures, cable
termination standards, performance characteristics, installation
and testing methods. The standards provide recommended best
practices for the design and installation of cabling systems to
support a wide variety of existing and future systems to extend
the life span of the telecommunications infrastructure. A single
common structured cabling system for all communications
and security systems simplifies moves, adds and changes,
maximises system availability and extends the usability
of a cabling system. By adhering to industry standards,
industrial environments can expect to fully experience the
benefits of structured cabling on overall performance.

2| Telecommunications Infrastructure for Industrial Premises Standards Reference Guide

 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Scope of this Guide
This document is meant as a reference that highlights the key points
of the ISO 11801, EN 50174, ISO 18010, ISO/IEC 24764, EN 50310, EN
50173, ANSI/TIA-568-C, ANSI/TIA-606-A, ANSI/TIA-942, IEEE 802.3af,
IEEE-802.3at, IEEE 802.3an, IEEE 802.3ba and IEEE 802.11 standards.
It is not intended as a substitute for the original documents. For further
information on any topic in the guide, refer to the actual standard. See the
section called “Reference Documents” for instructions on how to order
a copy of the standard itself.

Abbreviation References
ANSI American National Standards Institute
EN CENELEC
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IEEE Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers
ISO International Organisation for Standardisation
NEC National Electrical Code
NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
TIA Telecommunications Industry Association

European Standards Reference Guide |1

 Table of Contents
For more information, visit [Link]

ISO/IEC 11801, Generic Cabling for Customer Premises...........................3

EN 50173, Information Technology–Generic Cabling Systems................26
EN 50173 Part 2, Installation Planning and
Practices Inside Buildings................................................................30
ISO/IEC 18010:2002, Pathways and Spaces........................................... 37
ISO/IEC 24764, Generic Cabling Systems for Data Centres.....................42
EN 50310, Application of Equipotential Bonding and Earthing
in Buildings with Information Technology Equipment........................46
ANSI/TIA-568-C.0, Generic Telecommunications Cabling
for Customer Premises..................................................................... 47
ANSI/TIA-606-A, Administration Standard for the
Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings...........56
ANSI/TIA-942, Telecommunications Infrastructure
Standard for Data Centres................................................................68
ISO 11801 Class E A (Augmented Category 6) Standard...........................78
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-ad10, Augmented Category 6 or
ISO 11801 Class E A Cables................................................................79
IEEE 802.3af, Power over Ethernet (PoE) Standard.............................................80
IEEE 802.3at, Power over Ethernet+ (PoE+) Standard....................................80
IEEE 802.3an, Physical Layer and Management Parameters
for 10 Gbps Operation, Type 10GBASE-T............................................ 81
IEEE 802.3ba Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and
Management Parameters for 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps Operation........82
IEEE 802.11, Wireless Standard.............................................................83
The Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab...............................................85
Anixter ipAssuredSM...............................................................................88
Reference Documents............................................................................89

2| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Purpose of the ISO/IEC 11801 Standard
The international standard provides users with an application-
independent generic cabling system capable of supporting a wide range
of applications. It provides users with a flexible cabling scheme, so
modifications are both easy and economical. Building professionals
(architects, for example) are given guidance on the accommodation
of cabling at the initial stages of development.
The international standard specifies a multimanufacturer cabling system
that may be implemented with material from single and multiple sources
and is related to:
• International standards for cabling components developed
by committees in the IEC
• S tandards for the installation and operation of information
technology cabling as well as for testing of installed cabling
• Applications developed by technical committees of the IEC
• P lanning and installation guides that take into account
the needs of specific applications.
Generic cabling defined within this International Standard:
• S pecifies a cabling structure that supports a wide variety
of applications
• S pecifies channel and link classes C, D, E, E A, F and FA, meeting
the requirements of standardised applications
• Specifies channel and link classes E and F based on higher
performance components to support future applications
• Specifies optical channel and link classes OF-300, OF-500
and OF-2000
• Involves component requirements and specifies cabling
implementations that ensure performance of permanent
links and channels that meet or exceed the requirements
for cabling classes
• Specifies a generic cabling system that is anticipated
to have a usable life in excess of 10 years.

European Standards Reference Guide |3

 Cabling Subsystems
For more information, visit [Link]

The three generic cabling systems’ subsystems include the campus

backbone, building backbone and horizontal cabling. These subsystems
are connected to create a generic cabling system with a structure similar
to the one shown in Figure 1.

Terminal
CD BD FD CP TO equipment

Campus Building Horizontal Work

backbone backbone cabling area
cabling cabling subsystem cabling
subsystem subsystem

Generic cabling system

Figure 1 – Generic cable system diagram

Any connections between each of the subsystems are generally achieved

using cross-connections by way of either patch cords or jumpers. In the
case of centralised cabling, passive connections in the distributors are
achieved by using cross-connections or interconnections.

Campus Subsystem (CD)

The campus backbone system connects the campus distributor to the
building distributor, which is typically positioned in another building and
may include the campus cables, the building entrance facility and the
connecting hardware.

Building Backbone Subsystem (BD)

The building backbone system extends from the building distributor to the
floor distributors. This location may include building backbone cables,
jumpers, patch cords and connecting hardware.

4| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Horizontal Cabling Subsystem (FD) and (TO)
The horizontal cabling system extends from the floor distributors to the
telecommunications outlets. This may include the horizontal cabling,
jumpers and patch cords in the floor distributor, mechanical terminations
at the outlet and floor distributor, consolidation points and the
telecommunications outlet.

Design Objectives
The campus, building backbone and horizontal cabling should be designed
to support existing and emerging applications to enable the longest
possible life of the system.

Incorporating Functional Elements

The CD and the FD can be located in equipment rooms or
telecommunications rooms. Guidance for the accommodation of
distributors is given in ISO/IEC TR 14763-2. All cables should be routed
using pathways. Within the ISO/IEC 18010 standard, the requirements
for the pathways and cable management are provided; these can include
ducts, conduits and trays.

Telecommunications room

FD
TO CP
FD
TO
FD
TO
FD CD/BD Campus backbone cable
TO
External network
Equipment room Building
entrance facility

Figure 2 – E xamples of how elements of the infrastructure

are accommodated within a building

European Standards Reference Guide |5

 Balanced Cabling Performance
For more information, visit [Link]

General
This clause specifies the minimum performance of generic balanced
cabling. The performance of balanced cabling is specified for channels,
permanent links and CP links (see Figure 3).

Channel

Permanent link

CP link

FD
EQP C C C C C C TE
CP TO
Equipment Patch cord/
cord jumper CP cable work area cord

C = Connection

Figure 3 – Channel and permanent link diagram

The performance specifications are separated into six classes

(C to F) for balanced cabling. This allows for the successful
transmission of applications over a channel.

Classification of Balanced Cabling

This standard specifies the following classes for balanced cabling:
Class C is specified up to 16 MHz.
Class D is specified up to 100 MHz.
Class E is specified up to 250 MHz.
Class E A is specified up to 500 MHz.
Class F is specified up to 600 MHz.
Class FA is specified up to 1,000 MHz.

6| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Return Loss
The return loss requirements are applicable only to Classes C, D, E and F.

Copper Cable Construction

The ISO standard uses a cabling scheme for the various constructions
available today. The following chart defines these requirements:

XX / XXX

Balanced element TP=Twisted pair

Element screen U=Unscreened

F=Foil screened

Overall screen F=Foil screened

S=Braid screen
SF=Braid and foil screen

Figure 4 – E xample: F/UTP – Overall foil screened cable

with unscreened twisted pairs

Cabling Installation Requirements: Minimum Bend Radius

The minimum bend radius after installation for four-pair cables:
• 25 mm for four-pair cables with a diameter up to 6 mm
• 50 mm for four-pair cables with a diameter over 6 mm
For minimum bending radius requirements during installation,
refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

European Standards Reference Guide |7

 Comparison between ISO 11801:2002 and
For more information, visit [Link]

ANSI/TIA-568-C.1
The Subsystems of a Structured Cabling System
Campus Distributor (CD) and Building Entrance (BEF)
Building entrance facilities provide the point at which outdoor cabling
interfaces with the intrabuilding backbone cabling. The physical
requirements of the network interface are defined in the TIA-569-B
standard. Refer to the EN 50174-1 standard for European specifications
and ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 for U.S. specifications.

Building Distributor (BD) and Equipment Room Facility (ER)

The design aspects of the BD/ER room are specified in the TIA-569-B
and EN 50174-1 standards. This room usually houses equipment of
higher complexity that serves the entire building, such as servers and
telecoms switches. Any or all of the functions of a floor distributor or
telecommunications room may be provided by this room.

Backbone Cabling
Backbone cabling provides interconnection between a floor distributor
and telecommunications rooms, a building distributor and equipment
rooms, and a campus distributor and entrance facilities. It consists of
the backbone cables, intermediate and main cross-connects, mechanical
terminations, and patch cords or jumpers used for backbone-to-backbone
cross connection.
This includes:
• Vertical connection between floors (risers)
• Cables between a BD/ER and building cable entrance facility
or campus distributor
• Cables between buildings (interbuilding).

8| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Equipment room
Main cross-connect

Inter-
building
Equipment room
Intermediate
cross-connect

Backbone media options

UTP – 800 metres
Multimode Fibre – 2,000 metres Intra-
Single-Mode Fibre – 3,000 metres building

Telecommunications rooms
Figure 5 – Backbone star topology diagram

European Standards Reference Guide |9

 Other Design Requirements
For more information, visit [Link]

• Star topology design.

• Implement no more than two hierarchical levels of backbone
cross-connects.
• Do not install bridge taps.
• Main intermediate cross-connect or patch cord lengths
shall not exceed 20 m (66 ft).
• Avoid areas with high levels of EMI or RFI.
• Meet grounding requirements as defined in the EN 50310
and J-STD-607-A standards.
Note: It is recommended that the user consults with equipment manufacturers,
application standards and system providers for additional information
when planning shared-sheath applications on copper backbone cables.

Maximum Backbone Distances

Media Type Main to Horizontal Main to Intermediate Intermediate to Horizontal
Cross-Connect Cross-Connect Cross-Connect
Copper (Voice*) 800 m (2,264 ft.) 500 m (1,640 ft.) 300 m (984 ft.)
Multimode 2,000 m (6,560 ft.) 1,700 m (984 ft.) 300 m (984 ft.)
Single-Mode 3,000 m (8,855 ft.) 2,700 m (8,855 ft.) 300 m (984 ft.)

ISO 11801 Performance of Optical Fibre Cable

Class OF-300 channels up to 300 m
Class OF-500 channels up to 500 m
Class OF-2000 channels up to 2,000 m

Table 1 – Maximum backbone distances

*Note: Backbone distances are application dependent. The maximum distances
specified above are based on voice transmission for UTP/ScTP and data
transmission over fibre. A 90 m distance applies to UTP/ScTP. Current
state-of-the-art distribution facilities usually include a combination
of both copper and fibre optic cables in the backbone.

Floor Distributor (FD) and Telecommunications Room (TR)

A FD/TR room is the area within a building that houses the
telecommunications cabling system equipment. This includes the
mechanical terminations and/or cross-connects for the horizontal and
backbone cabling system. Please refer to the ISO 11801 and TIA-569-B
standards for the design specifications of the FD/TR room.

10| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Horizontal Cabling
Specified Horizontal Cabling Topology: Star
The horizontal cabling system extends from the work area
telecommunications information outlet to the FD or TR room and consists
of the following:
• Horizontal cabling
• Telecommunications outlet
• Cable terminations
• Cross connections
• Patch cords
Four media types are recognised as options for horizontal cabling,
each extending a maximum distance of 90 m:
• Four pair, 100 ohm UTP/ScTP cable (22–24 AWG solid conductors)
• Two fibre, 62.5/125 μm or 50/125 μm optical cable

100 Metres
Telecommunications
Information room
outlet

90 M
Workstation 3 Metres etre Cross-connect
s
Information
outlet
90 Metres

Workstation 3 Metres
Information
s
outlet etre
90 M 6 Metres of
3 Metres patch cord
Workstation

Figure 6 – Horizontal cable maximum distances and information outlets

European Standards Reference Guide |11

 In addition to the 90 m of horizontal cable, a total of 10 m is allowed
For more information, visit [Link]

for work area and telecommunications room patch and jumper cables.

Multiuser Telecommunications Outlet Assembly (MUTOA)

Optional practices for open office environments are specified for any
horizontal telecommunications cabling recognised in ISO 11801 and
ANSI/TIA-568-C.1.

Telecommunications Multiuser
room telecommunications
outlet assembly
Equipment Patch cords/
cable jumpers Work
area
cables
Horizontal Horizontal
cross-connect cables
Telecommunications
outlet/connectors
Backbone Work area
cable
Figure 7 – MUTOA use diagram

A multiuser telecommunications outlet assembly (MUTOA or MUTO)

facilitates the termination of multiple horizontal cables in a common
location, for example within a column, wall or permanently secured
furniture cluster. Work area cables may then be routed through furniture
pathways and directly connected to work area equipment. Each furniture
cluster should have one MUTOA that serves a maximum of 12 work areas.
Ceiling and access floor mounting is not allowed by the ISO 11801 and
ANSI/TIA-569-B standards.

12| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Maximum Work Area Cable Length is Determined by the Following Table
Length of Horizontal Cable Maximum Length of Work Maximum Combined Length of
m (ft.) Area Cable (24 AWG) m (ft.) Work Area Cables, Patch Cords
and Equipment Cable m (ft.)
90 (295) 5 (16) 10 (33)
85 (279) 9 (30) 14 (46)
80 (262) 13 (44) 18 (59)
75 (246) 17 (57) 22 (72)
70 (230) 22 (72) 27 (89)

Table 2 – Maximum work area cable length

Note: For optical fibre, any combination of horizontal, work area cables, patch
cords and equipment cords may not exceed 100 m (328 ft.).

Work area telecommunications

Telecommunications Horizontal outlet/connector or multiuser
room cables telecommunications outlet assembly.

Consolidation
point
Work
area
Horizontal cables
cross-connect

Backbone
cable Work area
Figure 8 – Consolidation point

A consolidation point differs from a MUTOA in that it requires

an additional connection for each horizontal cable run. Only one
consolidation point (an interconnection point in the horizontal cabling)
is allowed, at a distance of at least 15 m (49 ft.) from the FD/TR room.
A transition point (e.g., transition from round to flat under-carpet cable)
is not allowed. A consolidation point is installed in unobstructed building
columns, permanent walls, ceilings or access floors (if accessible).

European Standards Reference Guide |13

 The multiuser telecommunications outlet and consolidation point methods
For more information, visit [Link]

are intended to be mutually exclusive. Labelling and allowance for spares

is required. Moves, adds and changes should be administered in the
telecom room.

Connecting Hardware Configuration

Copper Connectors

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Figure 9a – IEC 60603-7 series interface for Category 5, 6 and 6A. Please
note the categories refer to the IEC requirements and not the
TIA-568 range of standards.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

61 31 41 51

Figure 9b – IEC 60603-7 series interface for Category 7 and 7A. Please
note the categories refer to the IEC requirements and not the
ANSI/TIA-568 range of standards.

14| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
LATCH
1 2 7 8
6 3 4 5

Figure 9c – IEC 61076-3-104 interface for Category 7 and 7A. Please

note the categories refer to the IEC requirements and not
the TIA-568 range of standards

Backward Compatibility
Fixed Connector (Jack) Performance at the TO
Category 5 Category 6 Category 6 A Category 7 Category 7A
Category 5 Category 5 Category 5 Category 5 Category 5 Category 5
Free Category 6 Category 5 Category 6 Category 6 Category 6 Category 6
Connector Category 6A Category 5 Category 6 Category 6A Category 6A Category 6A
(Plug) Category 7 Category 5 Category 6 Category 6A Category 7 Category 7
Category 7A Category 5 Category 6 Category 6A Category 7 Category 7A

Table 3 – Backward compatibility

I nformative Return Loss Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Technical Specifications of Copper Horizontal Cabling
Minimum Return Loss (dB)
Frequency MHz Class C Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 15,0 17,0 19,0 19,0 19,0 19,0
16 15,0 17,0 18,0 18,0 18,0 18,0
100 N/A 10,0 12,0 12,0 12,0 12,0
250 N/A N/A 8,0 8,0 8,0 8,0
500 N/A N/A N/A 6,0 8,0 8,0
600 N/A N/A N/A N/A 8,0 8,0
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6,0

Table 4 – Informative return loss values for channel at key frequencies

European Standards Reference Guide |15

For more information, visit [Link]

Informative Insertion Loss Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Frequency Maximum Insertion Loss (dB)
MHz Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
0.1 6,0 5,5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
1 N/A 5,8 4,2 4,0 4,0 4,0 4,0 4,0
16 N/A N/A 14,4 9,1 8,3 8,2 8,1 8,0
100 N/A N/A N/A 24,0 21,7 20,9 20,8 20,3
250 N/A N/A N/A N/A 35,9 33,9 33,8 32,5
500 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 49,3 49,3 46,7
600 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 54,6 51,4
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 67,6

Table 5 – Informative insertion loss values for channel at

key frequencies

Informative NEXT Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Frequency Minimum Channel NEXT (dB)
MHz Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
0.1 27,0 40,0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
1 N/A 25,0 39,1 63,3 65,0 65,0 65,0 65,0
16 N/A N/A 19,4 43,6 53,2 53,2
65,0 65,0
100 N/A N/A N/A 30,1 39,9 39,9
62,9 65,0
250 N/A N/A N/A N/A 33,1 33,1
56,9 59,1
500 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 27,9
52,4 53,6
600 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
51,2 52,1
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
N/A 47,9

Table 6 – Informative NEXT values for channel at key frequencies

Informative PS NEXT Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Minimum PS NEXT (dB)
Frequency MHz Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 60,3 62,0 62,0 62,0 62,0
16 40,6 50,6 50,6 62,0 62,0
100 27,1 37,1 37,1 59,9 62,0
250 N/A 30,2 30,2 53,9 56,1
500 N/A N/A 24,8 49,4 50,6
600 N/A N/A N/A 48,2 49,1
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A 44,9

Table 7 – Informative PS NEXT values for channel at key frequencies

16| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Informative ACR-N Values for Channel at Key Frequencies
Minimum ACR-N (dB)
Frequency MHz Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 59,3 61,0 61,0 61,0 61,0
16 34,5 44,9 45,0 56,9 57,0
100 6,1 18,2 19,0 42,1 44,7
250 N/A -2,8 -0,8 23,1 26,7
500 N/A N/A -21,4 3,1 6,9
600 N/A N/A N/A -3,4 0,7
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A -19,6

Table 8 – Informative ACR-N values for channel at key frequencies

Informative PS ACR-N Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Minimum PS ACR-N (dB)
Frequency MHz Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 56,3 58,0 58,0 58,0 58,0
16 31,5 42,3 42,4 53,9 54,0
100 3,1 15,4 16,2 39,1 41,7
250 N/A -5,8 -3,7 20,1 23,7
500 N/A N/A -24,5 0,1 3,9
600 N/A N/A N/A -6,4 -2,3
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A -22,6

Table 9 – Informative PS ACR-N values for channel at key frequencies

Informative ACR-F Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Minimum ACR-F (dB)
Frequency MHz Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 57,4 63,3 63,3 65,0 65,0
16 33,3 39,2 39,2 57,5 63,3
100 17,4 23,3 23,3 44,4 47,4
250 N/A 15,3 15,3 37,8 39,4
500 N/A N/A 9,3 32,6 33,4
600 N/A N/A N/A 31,3 31,8
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A 27,4

Table 10 – Informative ACR-F values for channel at key frequencies

European Standards Reference Guide |17

For more information, visit [Link]

Informative Ps ACR-F Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Minimum PS ACR-F (dB)
Frequency MHz Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
1 54,4 60,3 60,3 62,0 62,0
16 30,3 36,2 36,2 54,5 60,3
100 14,4 20,3 20,3 41,4 44,4
250 N/A 12,3 12,3 34,8 36,4
500 N/A N/A 6,3 29,6 30,4
600 N/A N/A N/A 28,3 28,8
1000 N/A N/A N/A N/A 24,4

Table 11 – Informative PS ACR-F values for channel at key frequencies

Informative Propagation Delay Values for Channel at Key Frequencies

Frequency Minimum Propogation Delay (µs)
MHz Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class E A Class F Class FA
0.1 20,000 5,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
1 N/A 5,000 0,580 0,580 0,580 0,580 0,580 0,580
16 N/A N/A 0,553 0,553 0,553 0,553 0,553 0,533
100 N/A N/A N/A 0,548 0,548 0,548 0,548 0,548
250 N/A N/A N/A N/A 0,546 0,546 0,546 0,546
500 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0,546 0,546 0,546
600 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0,545 0,545
1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0,545

Table 12 – Informative propagation delay values for channel

at key frequencies

Delay Skew for Channel

Class Frequency Maximum Delay Skew (µs)
A ƒ = 0.1 N/A
B 0.1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 1 N/A
C 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 16 0,050 a
D 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 100 0,050 a,c
E 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 250 0,050 a,c
EA 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 500 0,050 a,c
F 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 600 0,030 b,c
FA 1 ≤ ƒ ≤ 1,000 0,030 b,c
a This is the result of the calculation 0,045 ÷ 4 x 0,001 25.
b This is the result of the calculation 0,025 ÷ 4 x 0,001 25.
c Delay skew of the given installed cabling channel shall not vary by more than 0,010 (µs) within this
requirement, due to effects such as daily temperature variations.

Table 13 – Delay skew for channel

18| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Informative PS ANEXT Values for Channel at Key Frequencies
Minimum PS ANEXT (dB)
Frequency MHz Class E A Class FA
1 67,0 67,0
100 60,0 67,0
250 54,0 67,0
500 49,5 64,5
1,000 N/A 60,0

Table 14 – Informative PS ANEXT values for channel at key frequencies

Informative PS ANEXTavg values for channel at key frequencies

Frequency MHz Minimum Class E A PS ANEXTavg (dB)
1 67,0
100 62,3
250 56,3
500 51,8

Table 15 – Informative PS ANEXTavg values for channel at key

frequencies

Class EA /Augmented Category 6 Channel Requirements

Note: The requirements for ISO 11801 Class E A are more demanding compared
to the TIA Augmented Category 6 requirements. Anixter’s Infrastructure
Solutions Lab tests to the more stringent ISO 11801 standard.

ISO Compared to TIA

Characteristics 500 MHz (dB) ISO Class E A TIA Augmented Category 6
PSNEXT Loss 24,8 dB 23,2 dB
NEXT Loss 27,9 dB 26,1 dB
PSANEXT Loss 49,5 dB 49,5 dB
Return Loss 6,0 dB 6,0 dB
Insertion Loss 49,3 dB 49,3 dB
Referred to by IEEE Yes No

Table 16 – ISO versus TIA performance comparison

European Standards Reference Guide |19

 General Information on Optical Fibre
For more information, visit [Link]

There are six optical fibre categories that are specified to support various
applications; four of these are multimode fibre (OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4)
and two are single-mode fibre (OS1, OS2). The following table covers the
current bandwidths available.

Cabled Optical Fibre Attenuation (Maximum) dB/km

OM1, OM2, OM3
and OM4 Multimode OS1 Single-Mode OS2 Single-Mode
Wavelength 850 nm 1,300 nm 1,310 nm 1,550 nm 1,310 nm 1,383 nm 1,550 nm
Attenuation 3,5 1,5 1,0 1,0 0,4 0,4 0,4

Table 17 – Cabled optical fibre attenuation

Optical Wavelength Categories

Minimum Modal Bandwidth MHz x km
Overfilled Launch Bandwidth Effective Modal Bandwidth
Wavelength 850 nm 1,300 nm 850 nm
Category Nominal Core Diameter (µm)
OM1 50 or 62,5 200 500 Not specified
OM2 50 or 62,5 500 500 Not specified
OM3 50 1,500 500 2,000
OM4 50 3,500 500 4,700
Note: Modal bandwidth requirements apply to the optical fibres used to produce the relevant cabled optical fibre
category and are assured by the parameters and test methods specified in IEC 60793-2-10. Optical fibres that
meet only the overfilled launch modal bandwidth may not support some applications specified in Annex F.

Table 18 – Optical wavelength categories

There are no bandwidth restrictions on single-mode fibre that can be

measured in the field today.
Optical cables terminated in the work area shall be terminated using a
duplexable LC connector that meets IEC 61754-20 for new installations.
Existing connectivity can be extended.

20| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Optical Fibre Connectors
Colour coding of connectors is recommended to assist with identification
of the optical fibre types installed. The recommendations are:
• Multimode 50 μm and 62.5 μm: Beige or black
• Single-mode PC: Blue
• Single-mode APC: Green

A B

B A
Horizontally Mounted
B A
A B Simplex
Connectors
Vertically Mounted
A

Duplex
B

Connectors
B A

User Side Cabling Side

Figure 10 – Duplexable LC connectivity configuration with an example

of polarity identification
Note: Shading and A/B markings are for information only.

European Standards Reference Guide |21

For more information, visit [Link]

Supported Distance and Insertion Loss for Specific Applications over Optical Fibre
Maximum channel length m Insertion Loss dB
Nominal
transmission 50/125 μm 62,5/125 μm
Network application wavelength nm optical fibre optical fibre 50/125 62.5/125
ISO/IEC 8802-3: FOIRL 850 514 1000
ISO/IEC 8802-3:10BASE-FL and FB 850 1514 2000 6,8 12,5
ISO/IEC TR 11802-4: 4 and
16 Mbps Token Ring 850 1857 2000 8,0 13,0
ATM at 155 Mbps 850 1000b 1000a 7,2 7,2
ATM at 622 Mbps 850 300b 300a 4,0
ISO/IEC 14165-111: Fibre Channel
(FC-PH) at 1062 Mbps d 850 500b 300a 4,0
IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-SXd 850 550b 275a 3,56 2,6
IEEE 802.3: 10GBASE-SRd 850 300c 2,6 1,6
IEEE 802.3: 40 GBASE-SR4 d 850 100c, 125e
IEEE 802.3: 100GBASE-SR10d 850 100c, 125e
1 Gbps FC (1,0625 GBd)d 850 500a 300b 2,62
2 Gbps FC (2,125 GBd)d 300c 850 3,31 2,1
150b, 380c,
4 Gbps FC (4,25 GBd) d 850 400e 70 4,48 1,78
50b, 150c,
8 Gbps FC (8,5 GBd)d 850 200e2 21 2,32 1,62
35b, 100c,
16 Gbps FC (14,025 GBd)d 850 130e 15
IEEE 802.3: 100BASE-FX 1300 2000 2000
IEEE 802.5t: 100 Mbps Token Ring 1300 2000 2000
ATM at 52 Mbps 1300 2000 2000 5,3 10,0
ATM at 155 Mbps 1300 2000 2000 5,3 10,0
ATM at 622 Mbps 1300 330 500 2 6,0
IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-LXc 1300 550b 550a 2,35 2,35
IEEE 802.3 10GBASE-LX4 d 1300 300a 300a 2,0 2,0
a Minimum cabled optical fibre performance of category OM1 is specified
b Minimum cabled optical fibre performance of category OM2 is specified
c Minimum cabled optical fibre performance of category OM3 is specified
d T hese applications are bandwidth limited at the channel lengths shown. The use of lower attenuation
components to produce channels exceeding the values shown cannot be recommended.
e Minimum cabled optical fibre performance of OM4 is specified

Table 19 – Maximum channel lengths and insertion loss (where

specified) supported by optical fibre applications for
multimode optical fibre

22| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Supported Distance and Insertion Loss for Specific Applications over Optical Fibre
Nominal transmission Maximum channel
Network application wavelength nm length m Insertion Loss dB
ISO/IEC 9314-4: FDDI SMF-PMD 1310 2000
ATM at 52 Mbps 1310 2000 10,0
ATM at 155 Mbps 1310 2000 7,0
ATM at 622 Mbps 1310 2000 7,0
ISO/IEC 14165-111: Fibre Channel
(FC-PH) at 1062 Mbps 1310 2000 6,0
IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-LX 1310 2000 4,56
IEEE 802.3: 40GBASE-LR4 1310 2000
IEEE 802.3: 100GBASE-LR4 1310 2000
IEEE 802.3: 100GBASE-ER4 1310 2000
1 Gbps FC (1.0625 GBd) 1310 2000 7,8
2 Gbps FC (2.125 GBd) 1310 2000 7,8
4 Gbps FC (4.25 GBd) 1310 2000 4,8
8 Gbps FC (8.5 GBd) 1310 2000 6,4
IEEE 802.3: 10GBASE-LR/LW 1310 2000 6,2
1 Gbps FC 1550 2000
2 Gbps FC 1550 2000
IEEE 802.3: 10GBASE-ER/EW 1550 2000
IEEE 802.3: 40GBASE-LR4 1550 2000 f.f.s.
IEEE 802.3: 100GBASE-LR4 1550 2000 6,3
IEEE 802.3: 100GBASE-ER4 1550 2000 18,0

Table 20 – Maximum channel length and insertion loss (where

specified) supported by optical fibre applications for
single-mode optical fibre.

Note: E N 50173 published across Europe is harmonised with the

ISO 11801 standard.

European Standards Reference Guide |23

 Definitions of Electrical Parameters
For more information, visit [Link]

Return loss: A measure of the degree of impedance mismatch between

two impedances. It is the ratio, expressed in decibels, of the amplitude of
a reflected wave echo to the amplitude of the main wave at the junction of
a transmission line and a terminating impedance.
Insertion loss: This term has replaced the term “attenuation” (ATTN).
It is a measure of the decrease of signal strength as it travels down
the media.
NEXT loss (near-end crosstalk): A measure of the unwanted signal
coupling from a transmitter at the near-end into a neighbouring
(nonenergised) pair measured at the near-end.
PSNEXT loss (powersum near-end crosstalk): A computation of the
unwanted signal coupling from multiple transmitters at the near-end into
a neighbouring (nonenergised) pair measured at the near-end.
FEXT loss (far-end crosstalk): A measure of the unwanted signal
coupling from a transmitter at the near-end into a neighbouring pair measured at
the far-end.
ACRF (attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end) or ELFEXT (equal-
level far-end crosstalk): A measure of the unwanted signal coupling
from a transmitter at the near-end into a neighbouring pair measured
at the far-end, relative to the received signal level measured on that
same pair.
PSFEXT loss (powersum far-end crosstalk): A computation of the
unwanted signal coupling from multiple transmitters at the near-end
into a neighbouring pair measured at the far-end.
PSACRF (powersum attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end) or
PSELFEXT (powersum equal-level far-end crosstalk): A computation
of the unwanted signal coupling from multiple transmitters at the
near-end into a neighbouring pair measured at the far-end, relative to the
received signal level measured on that same pair.
Propagation delay: The time needed for the transmission of signal to
travel the length of a single pair.
24| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Propagation delay skew: The difference between the propagation delay
of any two pairs within the same cable sheath. Delay skew is caused
primarily because twisted-pair cable is designed to have different twists
per foot (lay lengths). Delay skew could cause data transmitted over one
wire pair to arrive out of sync with data over another wire pair.
ANEXT loss (alien near-end crosstalk): A measure of signal coupling
from a near-end disturbing pair into a disturbed pair of a neighbouring
cable or connector pair or part thereof, measured at the near-end.
PSANEXT loss (powersum alien near-end crosstalk): A computation
of signal coupling from multiple near-end disturbing pairs into a disturbed
pair of a neighbouring channel, cable or connector pair or part thereof,
measured at the near-end.
AFEXT loss (alien far-end crosstalk): A measure of signal coupling
from a near-end disturbing pair into a disturbed pair of a neighbouring
cable or connector pair or part thereof, measured at the far-end.
PSAFEXT loss (powersum alien far-end crosstalk): A computation
of signal coupling from multiple near-end disturbing channel pairs into
a disturbed pair of a neighbouring channel or part thereof, measured at
the far-end.
PSAACRF (powersum alien attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end)
or PSAELFEXT (powersum alien equal-level far-end crosstalk): A
computation of signal coupling from multiple pairs of disturbing channels
to a disturbed pair in another channel measured at the far-end and
relative to the received signal level in the disturbed pair at the far-end.

European Standards Reference Guide |25

 Purpose of the EN 50173 Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

This group of European standards specifies:

• The structure and configuration of the backbone cabling
subsystems of generic cabling systems within the types
of premises defined by the EN 50173 series of standards
• Channel performance requirements in support
of the EN 50173 series of standards
• Link performance requirements in support
of the EN 50173 series of standards
• Backbone cabling reference implementations in support
of the standards in the EN 50173 series
• Component performance requirements in support
of the standards in the EN 50173 series.
Part 1 of the 50173 family of standard covers the requirements
of the environment that the cable is to be installed. This requirement
is know today as the MICE designation and refers to the local conditions
that the cabling components are to be exposed. With regard to
temperature, the local environment is considered to be the operating
temperature of the cabling.

26| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Section Contents
EN 50173
Information Technology–Generic Cabling Systems
Environmental Requirements................................................................ 28
Industrial Areas.................................................................................... 28

European Standards Reference Guide |27

 EN 50173 Information Technology –
For more information, visit [Link]

Generic Cabling Systems

Part 1 of the 50173 family of standards covers the environmental
requirements of the location where the cable is to be installed. This
requirement is known today as the MICE designation, which refers to the
local conditions that the cabling components are to be exposed. With
regard to temperature, the local environment is considered to be the
operating temperature of the cabling.

Environmental Requirements

Increasing severity

Classes
Mechanical M1 M2 M3
Ingress rating I1 I2 I3
Climatic C1 C2 C3
Electromagnetic E1 E2 E3

The MICE matrix defines environmental classes in three levels

and four parameters.

Legend
M 1I 1C 1E 1 describes a worst-case environment according
to ISO/IEC 11801
M 2I 2C 2E 2 describes a worst-case light industrial environment
M 3I 3C 3E 3 describes a worst-case industrial environment

The MICE concept is based on the assumption that cabling, even under
Figure 11
the–worst
MICEconditions
designation
of an environmental class, is still protected and
helps to guarantee reliable network operation.
Industrial Areas
Industrial premises cabling may traverse from the front office through
the factory floor. The factory floor may include work areas and automation
islands. Typically, industrial premises encompass environments that
are much harsher when compared to commercial office environments.

28| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
As such, additional performance requirements for industrial-premises
telecommunications components must be considered.

Figure 12 – Typical industrial environment

For further information on the MICE environmental requirements, please

refer to the EN 50173-1:2007+A1:2009. Information Technology-Generic
Cabling Systems-General requirements.

European Standards Reference Guide |29

 Purpose of the EN 50173 Standard Part 2
For more information, visit [Link]

EN 50174-2 and EN 50174-3 are intended to be used by the personnel

directly involved in the planning aspects of the specification phase
and installation phase. EN 50174-2 is applicable inside buildings and
EN 50174-3 is applicable outside buildings.
This European standard is also relevant to:
• Architects, building designers and builders
• Main contractors
• Designers, suppliers, installers, inspectors (auditors),
maintainers and owners of information technology cabling
• Public network providers and local service providers
• End-users.
Other standards that may be referenced within this standard are:
• Other parts of the EN 50174 series
• Generic cabling design (EN 50173 series)
• Application dependent cabling design (e.g., EN 50098 series)
• Testing of installed cabling (EN 50346)
• Equipotential bonding requirements (EN 50310).

30| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Section Contents
EN 50173 Part 2
Installation Planning and Practices Inside Buildings
Requirements from EN 50174-2:2009................................................... 32
Pathways.............................................................................................. 32
Cable Management............................................................................... 32
Screened Cabling.................................................................................. 32
Mains Power Cabling............................................................................ 33
Separations Requirements.................................................................... 33
Summary.............................................................................................. 36

European Standards Reference Guide |31

 Guidelines From CENELEC EN 50174 Cabling
For more information, visit [Link]

Installation Part 2: Installation Planning and

Practices Inside Buildings
Requirements from EN 50174-2:2009
The EN 50174 Part 2 covers the requirements of copper installation
within commercial premises. The following extract refers to the issue of
cable installation. This is not a full extract, but it highlights some of the
requirements for separation distances for various cable types and the
requirements for containment.

Pathways
When it comes to a minimum bend radius, four-pair balanced cabling shall
be a minimum of eight times the outside cable diameter. Optical fibre
cable and coaxial cables shall have a minimum of 10 times the outside
cable diameter. Within the cable containment, the stacking height of the
cables is specified by the manufacturer’s instructions. If these are not
available, then the maximum allowable height shall not exceed 150 mm
when there is continuous support (e.g., trays). For pathways that do not
supply continuous support such as ladder rack, the height is reduced and
the standard should be referenced under clause 4.4.

Cable Management
Cable trunking systems shall meet the following standard EN 50085-1
and the relevant Part 2. Cable tray and ladder systems shall meet
the EN 61537.

Screened Cabling
When planning a screened cable installation, consider the effect that the
earthing of the cable screen has on electromagnetic performance of the
screened cabling. This shall be independent of the requirements for safety
earthing. If the screen is only earthed at one end, the effectiveness for
low-frequency interference depends on the performance of the screen
within the cable. Additional screening can be provided against high-
frequency electromagnetic fields if the cabling is earthed at both ends.
If the cable management system is manufactured from multiple sections,

32| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
the electromagnetic screening must be interconnected to ensure
continuity. The bonds for this shall meet the performance requirements as
specified in EN 50310. Continuity shall be maintained throughout the entire
length of the installation, which includes passing through fire barriers.

Mains Power Cabling

Electrical installations shall meet the requirements of HD 374/HD 60364
and/or local regulations as appropriate. Metallic information technology
cabling and mains power cabling shall be segregated as specified within
clause 6 of this EN 50174-2.

Separations Requirements
The following separation distances refer to data cables installed with
a known application as listed in the EN 50173 standard for Information
technology, generic cabling system. Segregation of cables often depends
on the construction of both the power cables and/or the copper IT cables.
If either of these cables is shielded, then the separation distances can
be reduced.
The requirements for separation include the following and are dependant
on the cable type:
• Electromagnetic immunity
• Coupling attenuation for screened twisted-pair cables
• Transverse conversion loss (TCL) for unscreened cables
• Screening attenuation for unbalanced coaxial and twin axial cables
• T he mains power cable construction, the quantity and type of
electrical circuit
• Dividers between the cable types
If unshielded power cables and unshielded twisted-pair data cables
are installed in an open tray, this will be the worse case. The distances
should be at the maximum recommended separation. The opposite applies
to shielded power and data cables installed in metal containment with
a metal divider; there can be zero separation. These types of cable and
containment are suitable for noise environments or where there is limited
space to install the cables.

European Standards Reference Guide |33

 Table 21 gives examples of combinations of cables and containment along
For more information, visit [Link]

with the minimum distance apart that these should be installed. These
should be used in conjunction with Table 22, which covers power factor.

Containment applied to cable types

Segregation Separation without
Classification electromagnetic Open metallic Perforated metallic Solid metallic
(from Table 23)* barrier containment a containment b, c containment d
d 10 mm 8 mm 5 mm 0 mm
c 50 mm 38 mm 25 mm 0 mm
b 100 mm 75 mm 50 mm 0 mm
a 300 mm 225 mm 150 mm 0 mm
a S creening performance (0 MHz to 100 MHz) equivalent to welded mesh steel basket of mesh size 50 mm x 100
mm (excluding ladders). This screening performance is also achieved with steel tray (duct without cover) of less
than 1 mm wall thickness and more than 20 percent equally distributed perforated area.
b S creening performance (0 MHz to 100 MHz) equivalent to steel tray (duct without cover) of 1 mm wall thickness
and no more than 20 percent equally distributed perforated area. This screening performance is also achieved
with screened power cables that do not meet the performance defined in note d.
c The upper surface of installed cables shall be at least 10 mm below the top of the barrier.
d S creening performance (0 MHz to 100 MHz) equivalent to a steel conduit of 1.5 mm wall thickness. Separation
specified is in addition to that provided by any divider/barrier.

Table 21 – Containment applied to cable types

*Note: It is recommended that the segregation classification is obtained from the
cable manufacturer before any installation commences. This should provide
an accurate guide for calculation of separation distances where required.

Power Cabling Factor for 20 Amp 230 Volt 1 Phase Circuit a, b, c

Quantity of Circuits Power Cabling Factor (P)
1–3 0.2
4–6 0.4
7–9 0.6
10 – 12 0.8
13 – 15 1.0
16 – 30 2
31 – 45 3
46 – 60 4
61 – 75 5
>75 6
a Three-phase cables shall be treated as three-of-one phase cables.
b More than 20 amps shall be treated as multiples of 20 amps.
c L ower voltage AC or DC power supply cables shall be treated based upon there current ratings
(e.g., a 100 amp 50 volt DC cable equals 5 of 20 cables [P = 0.4]).

Table 22 – P ower cabling factor for 20 amp 230 volt

1 phase circuit a, b, c

34| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
This gives the required power factor considering the amount of power
cables and their current carrying capacity.
Example: Class E A Unshielded (Segregation c) Open metallic containment = 38 mm
separation from power. In addition to this, if there are 10 20-amp circuits, a one-
phase the power factor rating is 0.8. Therefore, 38 mm x 0.8 = 30 mm separation.

Classification of information technology cables

Screened Unscreened Coaxial/twinaxial
Coupling attenuation TCL at 30 MHz Screening attenuation Segregation
at 30 MHz to 100 MHz to 100 MHz at 30 MHz to 100 MHz Classification
dB dB dB
≥80 a ≥70 −10 × lg ƒ ≥85 d d
≥55 b ≥60 −10 × lg ƒ ≥55 c
≥40 ≥50 −10 × lg ƒc ≥40 b
<40 <50 −10 × lg ƒ <40 a
a Cables meeting EN 50288-4-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category 7) meet Segregation Classification “d.”
b C ables meeting EN 50288-2-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category 5) and EN 50288-5-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category 6)
meet Segregation Classification ”c.” These cables may deliver performance of Segregation Classification “d”
provided that the relevant coupling attenuation requirements are also met.
c C ables meeting EN 50288-3-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category 5) and EN 50288-6-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category 6)
meet Segregation Classification ”b”. These cables may deliver performance of Segregation Classification “c” or
“d” provided that the relevant TCL requirements are also met.
d Cables meeting EN 50117-4-1 (EN 50173-1:2007, Category BCT-C) meet Classification “d.”

Table 23 – Classification of information technology cables

The requirements for separation between information technology cables

and mains power cables depend upon many different requirements:
• E lectromagnetic immunity for IT can be measured as coupling
attenuation for screened balanced cables
• Transverse conversion loss (TCL) for unscreened balanced cables
• Construction of the mains cable and quantity installed
• P resence of dividers between the information technology cables
and the mains power cables
Full information on the requirements can be found in section 6.2 of the
EN 50174-2:2009 standards document.

European Standards Reference Guide |35

 Specific EMI Sources
For more information, visit [Link]

Source of disturbance Minimum separation mm

Fluorescent lamps 130 a
Neon lamps 130 a
Mercury vapour lamps 130 a
High-intensity discharge lamps 130 a
Arc welders 800 a
Frequency induction heating 1,000 a
Hospital equipment b
Radio transmitter b
Television transmitter b
Radar b
a T he minimum separations may be reduced provided that appropriate cable management systems are used or
product suppliers guarantees are provided.
b W here product suppliers’ guarantees do not exist, analysis shall be performed regarding possible disturbances
(e.g. frequency range, harmonics, transients, bursts, transmitted power).

Table 24 – L isted here are separation requirements between metallic

cabling and specific EMI sources

Summary
There are many other factors that need to be taken into account,
and there is not one direct answer for each cable construction type.
Separation requirements can change depending on some or all of the
following considerations:
• Electrical circuit type
- 1 phase
- 3 phase
- 20 amps
- Multiple circuits
• Local regulations may require a barrier
• Future expansion
The sections on cable segregation can be found within the standard under
Section 6. Tables 22, 23 and 24 refer to cable separation distances.
Please refer to the EN 50174 series of standard for full information.

36| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Purpose of the ISO/IEC 18010:2002 Standard
The telecommunications infrastructure is an integral part of building
design. It may include voice, data, environmental control, security,
audio, television, sensing, alarms, paging and other low voltage and
power limited signal systems. These systems are subject to frequent
changes. Design of the pathways and spaces should accommodate
this dynamic behaviour.
This standard significantly influences the design of other building
services, such as electrical power and heating, ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC).
ISO/IEC 18010 generally makes no specific recommendations among
the design options available for telecommunications pathways and
spaces. For example, the choice between a conduit system and a tray
system is not delineated. It is up to the telecommunications designer
to properly select among the options based upon the applications
at hand and the constraints imposed.
This standard generally imposes no specific requirements for
the dimensions of pathways and spaces reference should always
be made to:
• Local regulations and standards
• Telecommunications service providers’ rules
• Manufacturers’ guidelines.

European Standards Reference Guide |37

 Section Contents
For more information, visit [Link]

ISO/IEC 18010:2002
Pathways and Spaces
Customer Premises Cabling.................................................................. 39
Building Telecommunications Spaces................................................... 39
Telecommunications Room (TR) or Floor Distributor (FD)...................... 39
Equipment Room (ER) or Building Distributor (BD)................................ 40
Access Floor......................................................................................... 40
Cable Trunking Systems (Conform to IEC 61084)................................... 41
Campus Pathways and Related Spaces................................................. 41

38| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Introduction to ISO/IEC 18010:2002
Pathways and Spaces
Customer Premises Cabling
The ANSI/TIA-569-B standard is widely accepted within the data
communications market and referenced extensively around the world.
An international standard is also available. The following information
has been extracted from the ISO/IEC 18010 standard.

Building Telecommunications Spaces

Work Area (WA)
• A minimum of two separate outlet locations should be provided in
the initial design to offer maximum flexibility within the work area.

Telecommunications Room (TR) or Floor Distributor (FD)

• A telecommunications room should contain the telecommunications
equipment, cables, terminations and associated cross-connect
cables.
• It should be located as close as possible to the centre of the area
to be served. Horizontal pathways should terminate in this location.
• The TR should not be shared with electrical installations other than
those for telecommunications.
• A minimum of two electrical outlets from separate supplies shall
be provided. Additional outlets shall be placed around the room
at regular intervals.
• Environmental requirements apply only to cabling based on the
ISO/IEC 11801 standard. HVAC should be included in the design
to maintain a temperature the same as the adjacent office area.

European Standards Reference Guide |39

 Equipment Room (ER) or Building Distributor (BD)
For more information, visit [Link]

Any or all of the functions of a TR or building entrance facility may

alternatively be provided by an equipment room.
These factors need to be considering when building an equipment room:
• Floor loading
• Access for heavy equipment
• Located above water levels
• HVAC to be supplied and located away
from sources of EMI/RFI interference

Access Floor
In new constructions, the access floor should be depressed. This depth
shall be the same as the finished access floor. Where this is not possible,
then suitable ramps or steps shall be installed. Care should be taken to
ensure there is sufficient clearance below the access floor surface.
Pay special consideration to the following factors:
• Quantity of cables, especially in areas
with restricted access
• Secondary pathway system, if any
• Crossing of cable runs
• Bend radius limitations of the cable
to enable cable exit
• Sufficient space for access
• Other services

40| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Cable Trunking Systems (Conform to IEC 61084)
These system types include:
• Wall and ceiling cable trunking systems
• Floor cable trunking systems
• Service poles made from cable trunking
• Cable tray and ladder
• Conduit systems
• Furniture pathways
• In-wall cabling
• Service poles.

Campus Pathways and Related Spaces

Campus pathways and related spaces include:
• Direct buried pathways
• Underground pathways
• Tunnels
• Aerial
• Building entrance facilities
• Maintenance holes and hand holes.
For full details, please refer to the full ISO/IEC 18010 standard.

European Standards Reference Guide |41

 Purpose of the ISO/IEC 24764 Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

This standard has been designed to effectively specify the correct

infrastructure for today’s data centre environment. Cabling within
data centres comprises both application-specific and multipurpose
networks that are mission critical. Generic cabling designs in accordance
with ISO/IEC 11801 have supported the development of high data rate
applications based upon a defined cabling model. This international
standard recognises the benefit of generic cabling to provision multiple
services and to connect large quantities of equipment within the limited
space of data centre premises, and it is to be used in conjunction
with ISO/IEC 11801.
This international standard provides:
• An application-independent generic cabling system
and an open market for cabling components
• Requirements for infrastructures that support critical
applications within data centres
• A flexible cabling scheme so modifications are both
easy and economical
• A scalable structure to support expansion with minimum
operational disruption
• Guidance that allows for the accommodation of cabling before
specific requirements are known; i.e., in the initial planning
either for construction or refurbishment
• A cabling system that supports current products
and provides a basis for future product development
and applications standardisation.

42| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Section Contents
ISO/IEC 24764
Generic Cabling Systems for Data Centres
Generic Cabling Systems For Data Centres............................................44
Fibre Connectors ................................................................................. 45

European Standards Reference Guide |43

 Generic Cabling Systems For Data Centres
For more information, visit [Link]

ISO/IEC 24764
The ISO/IEC 24764 standard differs from other TIA standards in
terminology. This should be noted when designing a data centre using
standards such as ANSI/TIA-942.

ENI MD ZD LDP EQ

EQP

Distributor in
accordance with
ISO/IEC 11801
Network Main Zone Equipment
access distribution distribution cabling
cabling cabling cabling
subsystem subsystem subsystem

Generic cabling system

Figure 13 – Structure of generic cabling within a data centre

The minimum requirement specified in this standard for cabling includes

Class E A for copper installations and OM3 for optical fibre. Within ISO/IEC
24764, the ISO 11801 document is referenced for the infrastructure.
Until the Administration ISO/IEC 14763-2 standard is published, the
ISO/IEC 18010 should be referenced. Earthing and equipotential bonding
refer to the EN 50130 standard. Testing of installed cable refers to the
IEC 61935-1 and ISO/IEC 14763-3 standards.
The main copper cabling shall be designed to provide a minimum of Class
E A channel performance as specified in ISO/IEC 11801. Where multimode
optical fibre is to be used, the main and zone distribution cabling shall
provide channel performance as specified in ISO/IEC 11801 by using a
minimum of Category OM3 cabled optical fibre and hardware.

44| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Equipment Cord Restrictions
Segment Minimum (m) Maximum (m)
MD-ZD 15 90
Equipment Cord at the MD 2a 5
Equipment Cord at the ZD 2b 5
Patch Cords 2 -
All Cords - 10
a If there is no cross-connect at the MD, the minimum length of the equipment cord at the MD is 1 m.
b If there is no cross-connect at the ZD, the minimum length of the equipment cord at the ZD is 1 m.

Table 25 – Equipment cord restrictions

This table specifies the recommended maximum lengths at a given

parameter. However, these are not fixed and should be used for
reference only. The maximum length of the fixed main distribution cable
will depend on the total length of cords to be supported within a channel.
During the operation of the installed cable, an administration system in
accordance with ISO/IEC 14763-219 shall be implemented to ensure that
the length of cords used to create the channel conform to the design rules
of this standard.

Fibre Connectors
Optical interfaces shall meet the requirements of IEC 61754-20 (LC
interface) and will work for two single-mode or multimode optical fibres.
For more than two optical fibres, the IEC 61754-7 (MPO interface) shall be
used. See ISO/IEC 14763-221 regarding optical fibre polarity management.
For further details and confirmation, please refer to the ISO/IEC 24764
standard document.

European Standards Reference Guide |45

 EN 50310 Application of Equipotential
For more information, visit [Link]

Bonding and Earthing in Buildings with

Information Technology Equipment
This standard covers the earthing and bonding of the information
technology equipment in building for safety, functionality and
electromagnetic performance. There are different levels of complexity
within grounding and bonding systems, and these depend on the size of
the installation. Further information is referred to within the document
including HD 384/HD EN 60364 and EN 300253.
The EN 50310 standard should be referenced in Europe and should be
applied at least in the case of newly constructed buildings and whenever
possible in existing buildings. All electrical building codes shall be
followed in specific countries and may take precedence over EN 50310.
Please refer to the full standard for details.

46| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Purpose of the ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 Standard
The ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 standard enables the planning and installation
of a structured cabling system for all types of customer premises.
It specifies a system that will support generic telecommunications
cabling in a multiproduct, multimanufacturer environment. By serving
as the foundation for premises telecommunications cabling
infrastructure, the ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 standard provides additional
requirements for other standards specific to the type of premises
(e.g., ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 contains additional requirements applicable
to commercial building cable).
The standard specifies requirements for generic telecommunications
cabling, including:
• Cabling system structures
• Topologies and distances
• Installation, performance and testing
• Optical fibre transmission and test requirements.
This standard replaces ANSI/TIA-568-B.1 dated April 12, 2001,
and its addenda. It incorporates and refines the technical content
of ANSI/TIA-568-B.1-1 Addendum 1, 568-B.1-2 Addendum 2,
568-B.1-3 Addendum 3, 568-B.1-7 Addendum 7, TSB125, TSB140
and TSB153.

European Standards Reference Guide |47

 Section Contents
For more information, visit [Link]

ANSI/TIA-568-C.0
Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises
Telecommunications Cabling System Structure..................................... 49
General............................................................................................49
Topology...........................................................................................49
Equipment Outlets........................................................................... 50
Distributors......................................................................................50
Cabling Subsystem 1....................................................................... 50
Cabling Subsystem 2 and Cabling Subsystem 3............................... 51
Recognised Cabling......................................................................... 51
Cabling Lengths.............................................................................. 51
Cabling Installation Requirements........................................................ 52
Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling.........................................................52
Maximum Pulling Tension................................................................ 52
Minimum Bend Radius..................................................................... 52
Cable................................................................................................52
Cord Cable.......................................................................................52
Cable Termination........................................................................... 53
8-Position Modular Jack Pin-Pair Assignments................................ 53
Cords and Jumpers.......................................................................... 54
Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Screened Cabling............ 54
Optical Fibre Cabling........................................................................55
Minimum Bend Radius and Maximum Pulling Tension.......................55
Polarity............................................................................................55

48| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Telecommunications Cabling System Structure
General
Figure 14 shows a representative model of the functional elements of
a generic cabling system for ANSI/TIA-568-C.0. In a typical commercial
building where ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 applies, Distributor C represents the
main cross-connect (MC), Distributor B represents the intermediate
cross-connect (IC), Distributor A represents the horizontal cross-connect
(HC), and the equipment outlet (EO) represents the telecommunications
outlet and connector.

Cabling DC Cabling
Subsystem 3 Subsystem 3
Cabling DB DB
Subsystem 2
DA DA Cabling
Cabling Subsystem 1
Subsystem 1
EO EO EO EO EO EO EO

Legend
DC
EO Equipment outlet Cabling
DA Distributor A Subsystem 2 DA Cabling
DB Distributor B Subsystem 1
DC Distributor C Cabling
---- Optional cabling Subsystem 1
EO EO EO
Optional consolidation point

Figure 14 – Elements that comprise a generic cabling system

Topology
• Star topology
• N o more than two distributors between Distributor C
and an equipment outlet (EO)

European Standards Reference Guide |49

 Equipment Outlets (EOs)
For more information, visit [Link]

Also called the work area (WA) in ANSI/TIA-568-C.1, equipment outlets

are the outermost location to terminate the cable in a hierarchical star
topology.

Distributors
Distributors provide a location for administration, reconfiguration,
connection of equipment and testing. They can be either interconnections
or cross-connections.

Distributor A
Interconnection Cross-connection
Active equipment

Connecting
Cord hardware
Patch cord
Connecting Connecting
hardware hardware

Equipment outlet Equipment outlet

Figure 15 – Interconnections and cross-connections

Cabling Subsystem 1
• Provides a signal path between Distributor A, Distributor B
or Distributor C and an EO (see Figure 15)
• Contains no more than one transition point or consolidation point
• S tipulates that splices shall not be installed as part of a balanced
twisted-pair cabling subsystem and that splitters shall not be
installed as part of optical fibre for Cabling Subsystem 1

50| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Cabling Subsystem 2 and Cabling Subsystem 3
Cabling Subsystem 2 and Cabling Subsystem 3 provide signal paths
between distributors (see Figure 15). The use of Distributor B is optional.

Recognised Cabling
The recognised media, which shall be used individually or in
combination, are:
• 100-ohm balanced twisted-pair cabling
• Multimode optical fibre cabling
• Single-mode optical fibre cabling.
Cabling media other than those recognised above may be specified
by the appropriate premises cabling standards.

Cabling Lengths
Cabling lengths are dependent upon the application and upon the specific
media chosen (see following table).

Cabling Lengths
Application Media Distance m (ft.) Comments
Ethernet 10BASE-T Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
Ethernet 100BASE-TX Category 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
Ethernet 1000BASE-T Category 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
Ethernet 10GBASE-T Category 6A 100 (328)
ASDL Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 5,000 (16,404) 1.5 Mbps to 9 Mbps
VDSL Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 5,000 (16,404) 1,500 m (4,900 ft.) for 12.9 Mbps;
300 m (1,000 ft.) for 52.8 Mbps
Analog Phone Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 800 (2,625)
FAX Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 5,000 (16,404)
ATM 25.6 Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
ATM 51.84 Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
ATM 155.52 Category 5e, 6, 6A 100 (328)
ATM 1.2G Category 6, 6A 100 (328)
ISDN BRI Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 5,000 (16,404) 128 kbps
ISDN PRI Category 3, 5e, 6, 6A 5,000 (16,404) 1.472 Mbps

Table 26 – Maximum supportable distances for balanced twisted-pair

cabling by application, which includes horizontal and
backbone cabling (application specific)

European Standards Reference Guide |51

 Cabling Installation Requirements
For more information, visit [Link]

• Cabling installations shall comply with the authority having

jurisdiction (AHJ) and applicable regulations.
• Cable stress caused by suspended cable runs and tightly cinched
bundles should be minimised.
• Cable bindings, which are used to tie multiple cables together,
should be irregularly spaced and should be loosely fitted
(easily moveable).

Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling

Maximum Pulling Tension
• The pulling tension for a 4-pair balanced twisted-pair cable shall
not exceed 110 N (25 pound-force) during installation.
• For multipair cable, manufacturers’ pulling tension guidelines
shall be followed.

Minimum Bend Radius

Cable
• The minimum inside bend radius, under no-load or load, for a 4-pair
balanced twisted-pair cable shall be four times the cable diameter.
• The minimum bend radius, under no-load or load, for a multipair
cable shall follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Cord Cable
• The minimum inside bend radius for a 4-pair balanced twisted-pair
cord cable shall be one times the cord cable diameter.

52| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Cable Termination
• C ables should be terminated with connecting hardware of the same
performance (Category) or higher.
• T he Category of the installed link should be suitably marked
and noted in the administrative records.
• T he cable geometry shall be maintained as close as possible
to the connecting hardware and its cable termination points.
• T he maximum pair untwist for the balanced twisted-pair cable
termination shall be in accordance with Table 27.

Pair Untwist Lengths

Category Maximum Pair Untwist mm (in.)
3 75 (3)
5e 13 (0.5)
6 13 (0.5)
6A 13 (0.5)

Table 27 – Maximum supportable pair untwist length

for Category cable termination

8-Position Modular Jack Pin-Pair Assignments

Pin-pair assignments shall be as shown in Figure 16 or, optionally,
per Figure 17 if it is necessary to accommodate certain 8-pin cabling
systems. The colours shown are associated with 4-pair cable.

­­­Figure 16 – Front view of 8-position jack pin-pair assignments (T568A)

European Standards Reference Guide |53

For more information, visit [Link]

Figure 17 – Front view of optional 8-position jack

pin-pair assignment (T568B)

Cords and Jumpers

Cross-connect jumpers and modular plug cords should be of the same
Category or higher as the Category of the cabling to which they connect.
It is recommended that modular cords be factory manufactured.

Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Screened Cabling

• The screen of screened twisted-pair (ScTP) cables shall
be bonded to the telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)
or telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB).
• A voltage greater than 1 volt rms between the cable screen and the
ground of the corresponding electrical outlet used to provide power
to the equipment indicates improper grounding.

54| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Optical Fibre Cabling
Minimum Bend Radius and Maximum Pulling Tension
Measured to the inside curvature, the bend radius is the minimum a cable
can bend without any risk to kinking it, damaging it or shortening its life.
The smaller the bend radius, the greater the material flexibility.

Minimum Bend Radius and Maximum Pulling Tension

Minimum Bend Radii
Maximum Tensile While Subjected To
Load During Maximum Tensile Load No Tensile Load
Cable Type and Installation Details Installation (During Installation) (After Installation)
Inside Plant Cable with 2 or 4 Fibres 220 N 50 mm 25 mm
Installed in Cabling Subsystem 1 (50 lbf) (2 in.) (1 in.)
Inside Plant Cable with more than Per manufacturer 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
4 Fibres outside diameter outside diameter
Indoor/Outdoor Cable with up to 1335 N 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
12 Fibres (300 lbf) outside diameter outside diameter
Indoor/Outdoor Cable with more 2670 N 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
than 12 Fibres (600 lbf) outside diameter outside diameter
Outside Plant Cable 2670 N 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
(600 lbf) outside diameter outside diameter
Drop Cable Installed by Pulling 1335 N 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
(300 lbf) outside diameter outside diameter
Drop Cable Installed by Directly 440 N 20 times the cable 10 times the cable
Buried, Trenched or Blown into Ducts (100 lbf) outside diameter outside diameter

Table 28 – Maximum and minimum pulling tension and bend radius

for different cable types

Polarity
Transmit-to-receive polarity must be maintained throughout the cabling
system. (Annex B of the full standard describes methods to do this.)

European
EuropeanStandards
StandardsReference
ReferenceGuide
Guide |55
|55
 Purpose of the ANSI/TIA-606-A Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

Modern buildings require an effective telecommunications infrastructure

to support the wide variety of services that rely on the electronic
transport of information. Administration includes basic documentation
and timely updating of drawings, labels and records. Administration
should be synergistic with voice, data and video telecommunications,
as well as with other building signal systems, including security, audio,
alarms and energy management.
Administration can be accomplished with paper records, but in today’s
increasingly complex telecommunications environment, effective
administration is enhanced by the use of computer-based systems.
A multitenant commercial building has a life expectancy of at least 50
years. Moreover, in a multitenant environment, continuous moves, adds
and changes are inevitable.
Administrative record keeping plays an increasingly necessary role in the
flexibility and management of frequent moves, adds and changes. This
standard concisely describes the administrative record keeping elements
of a modern structured cabling system.

56| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Section Contents
ANSI/TIA-606-A
Administration Standard for
Commercial Telecommunications Infrastructure
Elements of an Administration System..................................................58
Classes of Administration......................................................................59
Class 1 Administration..........................................................................60
Class 2 Administration.......................................................................... 61
Class 3 Administration..........................................................................62
Class 4 Administration..........................................................................63
Identification Formats...........................................................................64
Identification Format Example...............................................................64
Summary of Record Elements................................................................65
Grounding and Bonding Administration..................................................66
Label Colour Coding............................................................................... 67

European Standards Reference Guide |57

 Elements of an Administration System
For more information, visit [Link]

• Horizontal pathways and cabling

• Backbone pathways and cabling
• Telecommunications grounding and bonding
• Spaces (e.g., entrance facility, telecommunications room,
equipment room)
• Firestopping

Figure 18 – A typical model for the infrastructure elements used

in an administration system

58| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Classes of Administration
Four classes of administration are specified in this standard
to accommodate diverse degrees of complexity present in
telecommunications infrastructure. Each class defines the administration
requirements for identifiers, records and labelling. An administration
system can be managed using a paper-based system, general-purpose
spreadsheet software or special-purpose cable management software.

Classes of Administration

Identifier Description of identifier Class of administration

1 2 3 4
fs Telecommunications space (TS) R R R R
fs-an Horizontal link R R R R
fs-TGMB Telecommunications main R R R R
grounding busbar (TMGB)
fs-TGB Telecommunications R R R R
grounding busbar (TGB)
fs1 /fs2-n Building backbone cabling R R R
fs1 /fs2-n.d Building backbone pair or optical fibre R R R
f-FSLn(h) Firestop location R R R
[b1 -fs1] /[b2 -fs 2]-n Campus backbone cable R R
[b1 -fs1] /[b2 -fs 2]-n/d Campus backbone or optical fibre R R
b Building R R
c Campus or site R

Table 29 – Identifier descriptions and classes of administration

European Standards Reference Guide |59

 Class 1 Administration
For more information, visit [Link]

Class 1 addresses the administration requirements for a building

or premise that is served by a single equipment room (ER).
The following infrastructure identifiers shall be required in Class 1
Administration when the corresponding elements are present:
• Telecommunications space (TS) identifier
• Horizontal link identifier
• Telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB)
• Telecommunications grounding busbar (TGB)

Class 1 Identifiers
Identifier Description of identifier
f Numeric character(s) identifying the floor of the building occupied by the TS
s Alpha character(s) uniquely identifying the TS on floor f or the building area
in which the space is located
fs The TS identifier
a One or two alpha characters uniquely identifying a single patch panel, a group of patch panels
with sequentially numbered ports, or an IDC connector (punch-down block), or a group of IDC
connectors, serving as part of the horizontal cross-connect
n Two to four numeric characters designating the port on a patch panel,
or the section of an IDC connector on which a four-pair horizontal cable
is terminated in the TS
TMGB Portion of an identifier designating a telecommunications main grounding busbar
TGB Portion of an identifier designating a telecommunications grounding busbar

Table 30 – Class 1 identifiers

60| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Class 2 Administration
Class 2 addresses the administration of infrastructure with one or more
telecommunications spaces (TS) in a single building.
The following infrastructure identifiers shall be required in Class 2
Administration when the corresponding elements are present:
• Identifiers required in Class 1 Administration
• Building backbone cable identifier
• Building backbone pair or optical fibre identifier
• Firestopping location identifier
Class 2 Administration may also include pathway identifiers.

Class 2 Identifiers
Identifier Description of identifier
fs1 TS identifier for the space containing the termination of one end
of the backbone cable
fs2 TS identifier for the space containing the termination of the other end
of the backbone cable
n One or two alphanumeric characters identifying a single cable with
one end terminated in the TS designated fs1 and the other end terminated
in the TS designated FS 2
fs1 /fs 2 -n A building backbone cable identifier
d Two to four numeric characters identifying a single copper pair or
a single optical fibre
FSL An identifier referring to a firestopping location
h One numeric character specifying the hour rating of a firestopping system

Table 31 – Class 2 identifiers

European Standards Reference Guide |61

 Class 3 Administration
For more information, visit [Link]

Class 3 Administration addresses infrastructure with multiple buildings

at a single site.
The following infrastructure identifiers shall be required
in Class 3 Administration:
• Identifiers required in Class 2 Administration
• Building identifier
• Campus backbone cable identifier
• Campus backbone pair or optical fibre identifier
The following infrastructure identifiers are optional
in Class 3 Administration:
• Identifiers optional in Class 2 Administration
• Outside plant pathway element identifier
• Campus pathway or element identifier
Additional identifiers may be added if desired.

Class 3 Identifiers
Identifier Description of identifier
[b1-fs1] /[b2-fs2]-n Campus backbone identifier
d Two to four numeric characters identifying a single copper pair or a single optical fibre
b One or more alphanumeric characters identifying a single building

Table 32 – Class 3 identifiers

62| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Class 4 Administration
Class 4 Administration addresses infrastructure with multiple sites
or campuses.
The following infrastructure identifiers shall be required
in Class 4 Administration:
• Identifiers required in Class 3 Administration
• Campus or site identifier
The following infrastructure identifiers are optional in Class 4
Administration:
• Identifiers optional in Class 3 Administration
• Intercampus element identifier
Additional identifiers may be added if desired.

Class 4 Identifiers
Identifier Description of identifier
c One or more alphanumeric characters identifying a campus or a site

Table 33 – Class 4 identifiers

European Standards Reference Guide |63

 Identification Formats
For more information, visit [Link]

A unique alphanumeric identification code is created for every location,

pathway, cable and termination point. The standard includes these
suggestions:

Alphanumeric Identification Code

Code Description Code Description
BCxxx Bonding conductor HHxxx Handhole
BCDxxx Backbone conduit ICxxx Intermediate cross-connect
Cxxx Cable Jxxx Jack
CBxxx Backbone cable MCxxx Main cross-connect
CDxxx Conduit MHxxx Manhole or maintenance hole
CTxxx Cable tray PBxxx Pull box
ECxxx Equipment (bonding) conductor Sxxx Splice
EFxxx Entrance facility SExxx Service entrance
ERxxx Equipment room SLxxx Sleeve
Fxxx Fibre TCxxx Telecommunications closet
GBxxx Grounding busbar TGBxxx Telecommunications grounding busbar
GCxxx Grounding conductor TMGB Telecommunications main grounding busbar
WAxxx Work area

Table 34 – Alphanumeric identification codes

Identification Format Example

The actual format in the preceding chart is not mandated by the standard.
However, the chosen format must be consistent and provide a unique
identifier number for each system element. This method lends itself to
organising and updating multiple records by the use of powerful relational
database (three-dimensional spreadsheet) programs.

Identification Example
J0001 Label for an information outlet jack
D306 Designation for a work area
3A-C17-005 Termination in closet 3A, column C, row 17,
block position 005

64| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Examples like those above (taken from the ANSI/TIA-606-A text and
administrative labelling map) indicate the flexibility of conventions that
can be established for purposes of naming. Logical naming conventions
can also convey considerable additional information about other linkages.
Further examples are included in the complete standard.

Summary of Record Elements

Table 35 outlines the minimum required information and required
linkages. Further information is optional. A multidimensional database
or spreadsheet is helpful.

European Standards Reference Guide |65

For more information, visit [Link]

Documentation Requirements
Record Required Information Required Linkages

Pathway Pathway identification # Cable records

Pathway type Space records
Pathways Pathway fill Pathway records
and Pathway load Grounding records
Spaces Space Space identification # Pathway records
Space type Cable records
Grounding records
Cable Cable identification # Termination records
Cable type Splice records
Unterminated pair #s Pathway records
Damaged pair #s Grounding records
Available pair #s
Termination Termination hardware #s Termination position records
Wiring Hardware Termination hardware type Space records
Damaged position #s Grounding records
Termination Termination position # Cable records
Position Termination position type Other termination records
User code Termination hardware records
Cable pair/condition #s Space records
Splice Splice identification # Cable records
Splice type Space records
TMGB TMGB identification # Bonding conductor records
Busbar type Space records
Grounding conductor #s
Resistance to earth
Date of measurement
Grounding Bonding Bonding conductor ID# Grounding busbar records
Conductor type Pathway records
Conductor Busbar identification #
TGB Busbar identification # Bonding conductor records
Busbar type Space records

Table 35 – Documentation requirements

Grounding and Bonding Administration

Telecommunications systems require a reliable electrical ground
reference potential, provided by a dedicated grounding and bonding
conductor network.

66| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
WARNING
IF THIS CLAMP OR CABLE IS LOOSE OR MUST BE REMOVED,
PLEASE CALL THE BUILDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER.

Figure 19 – Sample label

Bonding conductor cabling shall be coloured green or labelled

appropriately with an alphanumeric identifier and warning label.
Grounding records are similar to cable record format.

Grounding and Bonding Terms (with abbreviation):

TMGB Telecommunications main grounding busbar
TBB Telecommunications bonding backbone
TGB Telecommunications grounding busbar
TBBIBC Telecommunications bonding backbone
interconnecting bonding conductor
Label Colour Coding
Shown here are the colour codes used for termination field labels.

Field Label Color Codes

Termination Type Color Comments
Demarcation point Orange CO terminations
Network connections Green Also aux. circuit terms.
Common equipment Purple PBX, host, LANs, Mux
First-level backbone White MC-IC terminations
Second-level backbone Grey IC-TC terminations
Station Blue Horizontal cable terms.
Interbuilding backbone Brown Campus cable terms.
Miscellaneous Yellow Aux., maint., security
Key telephone systems Red

Table 36 – Field label colour codes

The abbreviation “terms.” is used in this example (for space
considerations) to mean “terminations.”

European Standards Reference Guide |67

 Purpose of the ANSI/TIA-942 Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

Telecommunications Infrastructure
Standard for Data Centres
The purpose of this standard is to provide requirements and guidelines
for the design and installation of a data centre or computer room. It is
intended for designers who need a comprehensive understanding of
the data centre design including the facility planning, the cabling system
and the network design. It facilitates the planning for data centres to
occur earlier in the building development process (architectural, facilities
and IT).
Data centres support a wide range of transmission protocols. Some of
these protocols impose distance restrictions that are shorter than those
imposed by this standard. When applying specific transmission protocols,
consult standards, regulations, equipment manufacturers and system
service suppliers for applicability, limitations and ancillary requirements.
Consider consolidating standardised and proprietary cabling into a single
structured cabling system.

The standard specifies:

• Cabling design
• Network design
• Facilities design
• Informative annexes containing best practices
and availability requirements
• Spaces
• Pathways
• Racks and cabinets.

68| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Section Contents
ANSI/TIA-942
Telecommunications Infrastructure
Standard for Data Centres
Data Centre Cabling Infrastructure......................................................70
Hot and Cold Aisles..............................................................................71
Horizontal Cabling...............................................................................72
Backbone Cabling................................................................................73
Recognised Cabling Media for Horizontal
and Backbone Applications.................................................................74
Redundancy.........................................................................................74

European Standards Reference Guide |69

 Data Centre Cabling Infrastructure
For more information, visit [Link]

The basic elements of a data centre cabling system include the following:
• Horizontal cabling
• Backbone cabling
• Cross-connect in the entrance room or main distribution area
• Main cross-connect (MC) in the main distribution area
• Horizontal cross-connect (HC) in the telecommunications room,
horizontal distribution area or main distribution area
• Zone outlet or consolidation point in the zone distribution area
• Outlet in the equipment distribution area

Figure 20 – Example of basic data centre topology

Note: The TIA-942 standard is currently in the process of being updated.
Please check the TIA for the most recent updates.

70| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Hot and Cold Aisles
Cabinets and racks shall be arranged in an alternating pattern, with the
fronts of cabinets and racks facing each other in a row to create hot and
cold aisles.
Cold aisles are in front of racks and cabinets. If there is an access floor,
power distribution cables should be installed here under the access
floor on the slab. Hot aisles are behind racks and cabinets. If there is
an access floor, cable trays for telecommunications cabling should be
located under the access floor in the hot aisles.
A minimum of 1 m (3 ft.) of front clearance shall be provided for
installation of equipment. A front clearance of 1.2 m (4 ft.) is preferable
to accommodate deeper equipment. A minimum of 0.6 m (2 ft.) of rear
clearance shall be provided for service access at the rear of racks and
cabinets. A rear clearance of 1 m (3 ft.) is preferable. Some equipment
may require service clearances of greater than 1 m (3 ft.).

Front

Cabinets

Rear
This row of tiles can be lifted Hot aisle (rear of cabinets)
Rear

Cabinets
Align front or rear of cabinets
with edge of floor tiles
Front
This row of tiles can be lifted
Cold aisle (front of cabinets)
This row of tiles can be lifted
Align front or rear of cabinets Front
with edge of floor tiles
Cabinets

Rear

Figure 21 – Hot and cold aisles

European Standards Reference Guide |71

 Horizontal Cabling
For more information, visit [Link]

The horizontal cabling is the portion of the telecommunications cabling

system that extends from the mechanical termination in the equipment
distribution area to either the horizontal cross-connect in the horizontal
distribution area or the main cross-connect in the main distribution
area. The horizontal cabling includes horizontal cables, mechanical
terminations, and patch cords or jumpers. It may also include a zone
outlet or a consolidation point in the zone distribution area.
The following partial listing of common services and systems should
be considered when designing the horizontal cabling:
• Voice, modem and facsimile telecommunications service
• Premises switching equipment
• Computer and telecommunications management connections
• Keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) connections
• Data communications
• Wide area networks (WAN)
• Local area networks (LAN)
• Storage area networks (SAN)
• Other building signalling systems (building automation systems
such as fire, security, power, HVAC, etc.)

Figure 22 – Horizontal cabling using star topology

72| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Maximum Equipment Area Cord Length

24 AWG UTP/24 ScTP Patch Cords 26 AWG ScTP Patch Cords

Maximum Combined Maximum Combined
Length of Zone Area Length of Zone Area
Length of Maximum Length Cables, Patch Cords Maximum Length Cables, Patch Cords
Horizontal Cable (H) of Zone Area Cable (Z) and Equipment (C) of Zone Area Cable (Z) and Equipment Cable (C)
m (ft.) m (ft.) m (ft.) m (ft.) m (ft.)

90 (295) 5 (16) 10 (33) 4 (13) 8 (26)

85 (279) 9 (30) 14 (46) 7 (23) 11 (35)
80 (262) 13 (44) 18 (59) 11 (35) 15 (49)
75 (246) 17 (57) 22 (72) 14 (46) 18 (59)
70 (230) 22 (72) 27 (89) 17 (56) 21 (70)

Table 37 – Maximum length horizontal and equipment area cables

Backbone Cabling
The function of the backbone cabling is to provide connections between
the main distribution area, the horizontal distribution area and entrance
facilities in the data centre cabling system. Backbone cabling consists
of the backbone cables, main cross-connects, horizontal cross-connects,
mechanical terminations and patch cord or jumpers used for
backbone-to-backbone cross-connections.

Figure 23 – Backbone cabling using star topology

European Standards Reference Guide |73

 Recognised Cabling Media for Horizontal
For more information, visit [Link]

and Backbone Applications

Recognised cables, associated connecting hardware, jumpers, patch
cords, equipment cords and zone area cords shall meet all applicable
requirements specified in ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 and ANSI/TIA-568-C.3. *
• 100-ohm twisted-pair cable **
• Multimode optical fibre cable, either 62.5/125 µ or 50/125 µ,
50/125 µ 850-nm laser-optimised multimode fibre is recommended
• Single-mode optical fibre cable
• Recognised coaxial media: 75-ohm (734 and 735 type) coaxial
cable (Telcordia Technologies GR-139-CORE) and coaxial connector
(ANSI T1.404)
* Since publication of the ANSI/TIA-942 standard, the ANSI/TIA-
568-C.2 and ANSI/TIA-568-C.3 standards supersede the referenced
ANSI/TIA-568-B.2 and ANSI/TIA-568-B.3 standards.
** A lthough not part of the current ANSI/TIA-942 Standard, best
practices for data centres would include recommending Cat 6A
twisted-pair cabling ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 and ANSI/TIA-568-C.2.
Redundancy
Data centres that are equipped with diverse telecommunications facilities
may be able to continue their function under catastrophic conditions that
would otherwise interrupt the data centre’s telecommunications service.
This standard includes four tiers relating to various levels of availability
of the data centre facility infrastructure. The tiers are related to
research conducted by the Uptime Institute, which defines four tiers of
performance as shown in the following table.

74| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Providing redundant cross-connect areas and pathways that are
physically separated can increase the reliability of the communications
infrastructure. It is common for data centres to have multiple access
providers that supply services, redundant routers, redundant core
distribution and edge switches. Although this network topology provides
a certain level of redundancy, the duplication in services and hardware
alone does not ensure that single points of failure have been eliminated.

Tier Clarification
Tier I: Tier II: Tier III: Tier IV:
Basic Redundant Concurrently Fault
Components Maintainable Tolerant
Number of
Delivery paths Only 1 Only 1 1 Active, 1 Passive 2 Active

Redundant
Components N N+1 N+1 2 (N+1) S+S
Support Space
to Raised
Floor Ratio 20% 30% 80-90% 100%
Initial Watts/ft. 20-30 40-50 40-60 50-80
Ultimate Watts/ft. 20-30 40-50 100-150 150+
Raised Floor
Height 12 in. 18 in. 30-36 in. 30-36 in.
Floor Loading
Pounds/ft. 85 100 150 150+
Utility Voltage 208, 480 208, 480 12-15 kV 12-15 kV
Months
to Implement 3 3-6 15-20 15-20
Year First
Deployed 1965 1970 1985 1995
Construction $/ft.
Raised Floor $450 $600 $900 $1,100+
Annual IT
Downtime Due
to Site 28.8 hrs. 22.0 hrs. 1.6 hrs. 0.4 hrs.
Site Availability 99.671% 99.749% 99.982% 99.995%

Table 38 – Uptime Institute tier references

European Standards Reference Guide |75

For more information, visit [Link]

Figure 24 – Telecommunications infrastructure redundancy

Note: The TIA-942 standard is currently in the process of being updated.
Please check with the TIA for the most recent updates.

76| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
The Anixter U.S. Standards Reference Guide
The Anixter U.S. Standards Reference Guide
is an invaluable industry tool to help you stay
informed of recent standard developments
for structured cabling systems. The guide
includes an up-to-date summary of the ANSI/
TIA, ISO, and IEEE standards featuring
standards ANSI/TIA-568-C.0, ANSI/TIA-568-C.1,
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2, ANSI/TIA-568-C.3,
ANSI/TIA-569-B, ANSI/TIA-606-A, J-STD-607-A,
ANSI/TIA/EIA-942, ANSI/TIA/1005, ISO 11801,
ISO 11801 Class E A, IEEE 802.3af, IEEE 802.3at, IEEE 802.3an,
IEEE 802.3ba and IEEE 802.11.
To request a copy, contact your local Anixter
representative, or visit [Link]/literature.

Anixter Standards Reference Guide

Telecommunications Infrastructure for Industrial Premises
Anixter’s Standards Reference Guide for
Telecommunications Infrastructure for
Industrial Premises is an invaluable tool to
help you plan and install telecommunications
cabling infrastructure within and between
industrial buildings. The ANSI/TIA-1005
standard address the potential exposure to
hostile environments in the industrial space.
In addition to the special cabling system
requirements for industrial operations,
including 2-pair cabling systems, the
standard provides definitions for areas in the industrial space
including automation islands, outlets and cables.
To request a copy, contact your local Anixter
representative, or visit [Link]/literature

European Standards Reference Guide |77

 ISO 11801 Class EA Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

The requirements for ISO Class E A are more demanding compared to

the TIA Augmented Category 6 requirements. Anixter’s Infrastructure
Solutions Lab tests to the more stringent ISO standards.
ISO Compared to TIA
Characteristics 500 MHz (dB) ISO Class E A TIA Augmented Category 6
PSNEXT Loss 24.8 dB 23.2 dB
NEXT Loss 27.9 dB 26.1 dB
PSANEXT Loss 49.5 dB 49.5 dB
Return Loss 6.0 dB 6.0 dB
Insertion Loss 49.3 dB 49.3 dB
Referred to by IEEE Yes No

Table 39 – ISO Class E A and TIA Augmented Category 6 performance

comparison

TIA Category 6 versus Augmented Category 6 versus ISO Class E A

TIA Category 5e TIA Category 6 TIA Augmented 6 ISO Class E A
Recognised
by IEEE 802.3an No Yes Yes Yes
55 Metre
Distance Support No Yes Yes Yes
100 Metre
Distance Support No No Yes Yes
Extrapolated Test
Limits for NEXT
and PSNEXT
to 500 MHz No No No Yes

Table 40 – ISO and TIA 10GBASE-T media types

Table 40 summarises the various UTP cabling options and their respective
10 Gigabit performance attributes as defined by the latest draft
standards. Category 5e is not recognised as a viable cabling media
to support 10 Gigabit transmission regardless of its installed cabling
distance. Category 6 cabling will only support 10 Gigabit at a maximum
installed distance of 55 metres.

78| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Today, the only options for operating 10 Gigabit at 100 metres using
RJ45 connectivity are the TIA Augmented Category 6 and ISO Class
E A standards. ISO’s Class E A system has superior NEXT and PSNEXT
performance values when compared with the current TIA Augmented
Category 6 standard.

ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 Augmented Category 6

or ISO 11801 Class EA C­­­ables
10 Gigabit Ethernet Channel Applications
Application 10GBASE Fibre (802.3ae) 10GBASE-T 10GBASE-CX4 (802.3ak)
Data Centre Yes Yes Yes (<15 m)
(Server Clustering)
Horizontal (In Building) No Yes No
Vertical (Risers) Yes No No
Campus/Metro Yes No No

Table 41 – 10 Gigabit Ethernet applications and recommended protocols

In Table 41, the recommended application road maps for 10 Gigabit

Ethernet cabling and protocol types have been provided. The choice
of which media to use will revolve around three variables:
• Circuit distances
• Cost
• Active equipment interfaces (connectors)
10GBASE fibre will maintain traditional applications in backbones and
risers and also in the data centre for server clustering.
10GBASE-T copper will remain in the traditional areas of application
(in horizontal building cabling but also in the data centre between servers
and clusters).
10GBASE-CX4 defines a multiconductor copper solution primarily
designed to connect servers and switches over short distances.

European Standards Reference Guide |79

 IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) Standard
For more information, visit [Link]

The IEEE 802.3af specification calls for power source equipment (PSE)
that operates at 48 volts of direct current. This guarantees 12.95 watts
of power over unshielded twisted-pair cable to data terminal equipment
(DTE) 100 metres away (the maximum distance supported by Ethernet).
That’s enough power to support IP phones, WLAN access points
and many other DTE devices. Two PSE types are supported including
Ethernet switches equipped with power supply modules called endspan
devices and a special patch panel called a midspan device that sits
between a legacy switch and powered equipment, injecting power to
each connection.

IEEE 802.3at Power over

Ethernet + (PoE+) Standard
The IEEE 802.3at Power over Ethernet Plus amendment to the IEEE 802.3af
standard offers improved power-management features and increases the
amount of power to end devices. The new amendment will usher in new
possibilities of powering devices through standard Class D, E, E A, F and FA
cabling. It will allow many more devices, such as access control and video
surveillance, to receive power over a twisted-pair cabling infrastructure.
The standard defines the technology for powering a wide range of devices
up to 25 watts over existing Class D /Category 5e and above cables.
The 802.3at standard states that 30 watts at a minimum are allocated
at the port, so 24.6 watts are ensured at the end-device connector 100
metres away. It also allows for gigabit pass-through. PoE+ represents a
considerable upgrade over the existing PoE standard.

80| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
IEEE 802.3an, Physical Layer and Management
Parameters for 10 Gbps Operation Type 10GBASE-T
Describes the physical layer (PHY) for 10 Gigabit Ethernet transmission
over twisted-pair copper cable.
IEEE 802.3an Standard
Standard Media Distance
ISO Class F (Individual Shields) S/FTP 100 m
ISO Class E A UTP 100 m
TIA Augmented Category 6 UTP 100 m
Shielded Category 6 (Overall Shield) F/UTP, ScTP, STP 100 m
TIA Standard Category 6/ISO Class E UTP <55 m

Table 42 – Maximum 10GBASE-T cabling distances

ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 (Augmented Category 6) and ISO 11801 (Class E A)

cable specifications are based on IEEE cabling models. 100 metres over
UTP is only guaranteed when using Augmented Category 6 or ISO Class E A
compliant cabling systems.

European Standards Reference Guide |81

 IEEE 802.3ba Media Access Control Parameters,
For more information, visit [Link]

Physical Layers and Management Parameters for

40 Gbps and 100 Gbps Operation
The 802.3ba amendment to the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard defines Media
Access Control (MAC) parameters, physical layer specifications and
management parameters for the transfer of 802.3 frames at 40 Gbps
and 100 Gbps. The updated amendment will facilitate the migration
of 10 Gigabit Ethernet from the network core to the network edge by
providing 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps data rates for backbone and backhaul
applications to effectively remove the bandwidth bottleneck that exists
in many corporate networks today.
The following media types and distances are approved as part of the
802.3ba amendment:

40 Gigabit Ethernet
Protocol Media Distance
40GBASE-CR4 Twinax 10 m
40GBASE-SR4 OM3 MMF 100 m
40GBASE-SR4 OM4 MMF 150 m
40GBASE-LR4 SMF 10 km

100 Gigabit Ethernet

Protocol Media Distance
100GBASE-CR10 Twinax 10 m
100GBASE-SR10 OM3 MMF 100 m
100GBASE-SR10 OM4 MMF 150 m
100GBASE-LR4 SMF 10 km
100GBASE-ER4 SMF 40 km

Table 43 – 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps approved media types and distances

82| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
IEEE 802.11 Wireless Standard
IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of wireless LAN/WLAN
standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/MAN standards
committee (IEEE 802). The term 802.11x is also used to denote this set of
standards and is not to be mistaken for any one of its elements. There is
no single 802.11x standard.
802.11 details a wireless interface between devices to manage packet
traffic (to avoid collisions, etc.). Some common specifications and their
distinctive attributes include the following:
802.11a – Operates in the 5 GHz frequency range (5.125 to 5.85 GHz)
with a maximum 54 Mbps signalling rate. The 5 GHz frequency band isn’t
as crowded as the 2.4 GHz frequency because it offers significantly more
radio channels than the 802.11b and is used by fewer applications. It has
a shorter range than 802.11g, is actually newer than 802.11b and is not
compatible with 802.11b.
802.11b – Operates in the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical
(ISM) band (2.4 to 2.4835 GHz) and provides signalling rates of up to 11
Mbps. This is a commonly used frequency. Microwave ovens, cordless
phones, medical and scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth® devices,
all work within the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
802.11e – Ratified by the IEEE in late September 2005, the 802.11e
quality-of-service specification is designed to guarantee the quality
of voice and video traffic. It will be particularly important for companies
interested in using Wi-Fi phones.
802.11g – Similar to 802.11b, this standard supports signalling rates
of up to 54 Mbps. It also operates in the heavily used 2.4 GHz ISM
band but uses a different radio technology to boost overall throughput.
Compatible with older 802.11b.
802.11i – Also sometimes called Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA 2),
802.11i was ratified in June 2004. WPA 2 supports the 128-bit-and-above
Advanced Encryption Standard, along with 802.1x authentication and key
management features.

European Standards Reference Guide |83

 802.11k – Passed in June 2008, the 802.11k Radio Resource Management
For more information, visit [Link]

Standard will provide measurement information for access points and

switches to make wireless LANs run more efficiently. It may, for example,
better distribute traffic loads across access points or allow dynamic
adjustments of transmission power to minimise interference.
802.11n – Ratified in September 2009, ­­­802.11n is a set of standards
for wireless local area network (WLAN) communications, developed by
the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802) in the 5 GHz and
2.4 GHz public spectrum bands. The proposed amendment improves
upon the previous 802.11 standards by adding multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) and many other newer features.

84| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
The Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab
Anixter’s Infrastructure Solutions Lab actively demonstrates the best
practical technology solutions from best-in-class manufacturers in the area
of enterprise cabling, video security and access control for our customers.
Our mission for The Lab is simple—educate, demonstrate and evaluate.
• Educate customers on the latest industry standards and technologies
•Demonstrate the latest infrastructure product solutions
available from our manufacturer partners
•Evaluate our network infrastructure and security solutions to ensure that
our customers are selecting the right products for their specific needs

We are continually testing products in The Lab to ensure:

• Quality products are recommended and delivered to our customers
• Consistency of performance across product lines and within systems
• Interoperability of products and systems to ensure customers can
integrate systems and follow the trend toward convergence.

Networking and security product testing at The Lab includes:

• Random performance testing of Anixter inventory to ensure quality
of standards compliance
• Network throughput and interoperability testing
• Copper and fibre cabling compliance verification
(TIA, ISO/IEC, IEEE)
• Customer proof of concept
• Power over Ethernet (PoE)
• Application testing
• 10 Gig Ethernet cabling testing
• Video over IP, video quality and bandwidth utilisation
• Power over Ethernet capability and verification
• Digital compression image quality vs. analogue technology testing
• Evaluation of analogue and IP cameras, video
management software evaluation, DVR, NDVR
and NVR products.

European Standards Reference Guide |85

 Anixter’s Infrastructure Solutions Lab In Action
For more information, visit [Link]

Challenge: Leading Pennsylvania University

Explores Campuswide Rewiring Project
Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab Resolution: The Anixter Infrastructure
Solutions Lab was called upon to help this university determine which
copper cabling system would best meet its current and future information
technology needs. The university had a variety of different copper
cabling products installed in its network infrastructure: Category 3,
Category 5 and some Category 5e. The Anixter Infrastructure Solutions
Lab deployed computer applications that the university typically carried
over its cabling infrastructure, including Lotus Notes, SAP and streaming
video. Testing found that its current infrastructure was consistently
dropping information, causing the network to operate slowly and
inefficiently. This same traffic was sent over a Category 6 infrastructure
with no degradation to the data. Armed with testing from the Anixter
Infrastructure Solutions Lab, university IT professionals wrote cabling
infrastructure specifications around a higher performing Category 6
system that better met the university’s network performance needs.

Challenge: Major Railway Company Needs Video

Surveillance to Monitor Switchyard
Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab Resolution: A railroad company
wanted to use video surveillance to monitor yards as it assembled unit
trains, but it had a big cabling challenge. Installing traditional cabling in
the switchyard would have entailed major disruptions and expense for the
customer. Instead, Anixter’s Infrastructure Solutions Lab recommended
a sophisticated wireless Internet video surveillance system that did not
require cabling. Anixter was able to simulate the wireless Internet video
surveillance solution in the Infrastructure Solutions Lab for the customer.
The Infrastructure Solutions Lab also provided this customer with test
results illustrating how much bandwidth the video solution would absorb
on the customer’s network as well as the video quality the customer could
expect from the recommended system.

86| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Challenge: National Insurance Company with
Data Centre Cabling Choice
Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab Resolution: The Anixter Infrastructure
Solutions Lab assessed backbone cabling requirements based on the
current and future bandwidth needs for this insurance provider. The
Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab ran representative network traffic
over 62.5-micron, 50-micron and laser-optimised 50-micron fibre (OM3)
to ascertain which would best meet the company’s needs. These tests
were key in determining that the OM3 was the customer’s best choice.

Anixter’s 10 Gigabit Ethernet Cabling Testing

Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab is the only UL Certified lab to
conduct rigorous, independent third-party testing of emerging 10 Gigabit
cabling solutions. Anixter’s 10 Gigabit cabling testing examines electrical
characteristics such as insertion loss, return loss and crosstalk, but also
looks at alien crosstalk (which is part of the Augmented Category 6 spec).
To ensure the 10 Gigabit cabling solutions we sell meet the highest levels
of performance and reliability, the Anixter Infrastructure Solutions Lab
tests the toughest performance parameter, alien crosstalk, in the “worst
case” scenario. Customers can rest assured that the cabling solutions
Anixter sells will provide the network performance they require.

European Standards Reference Guide |87

For more information, visit [Link]

Anixter’s ipAssured program

Anixter’s history of technological innovation has led to the development
of its ipAssured SM program. As the company behind the development
of the original specifications that became the TIA’s Categories,
Anixter is committed to embracing and developing new technologies
and advancements. The technical experts and research capabilities
at Anixter’s Infrastructure Solutions Lab allow Anixter to make
recommendations that help customers make sound business and
technology decisions about their data and security networks.

What is Anixter ipAssured?

Developed and tested at Anixter’s Infrastructure Solutions Lab,
Anixter ipAssured goes beyond what the standards specify and matches
infrastructure solutions to your data center and security applications
based on your current and future technical and life cycle requirements.

Return on Investment
The Lab’s test have shown how an Anixter ipAssured solution
can improve a company’s return on investment (ROI) by selecting
products for the infrastructure upfront, making the initial capital
investment that can save a customer thousands over the lifetime
of any infrastructure.
For more information on the ipAssured program,
please contact your local Anixter representative
or visit [Link]/ipassured.

88| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Reference Documents for Further Information
on Cabling Standards
ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 (2009)
Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises
ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 (2009)
Commercial Building Telecommunications Standard
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 (2009)
Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling
and Component Standard
ANSI/TIA-568-C.3 (2009)
Optical Fibre Cabling Components
ANSI/TIA-1005 (2009)
Telecommunications Infrastructure for Industrial Premises
ANSI/TIA-569-B (2004)
Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces
ANSI/TIA-942 (2005)
Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centres
EN 50174 (2009)
Information Technology - Cabling Installation
EN 50310 (2006)
Application of Equipotential Bonding and Earthing in Buildings
with Information Technology Equipment
EN 50173 (2007)
Information Technology-Generic Cabling Systems
IEEE 802.3af (2003)
Power over Ethernet (PoE) Standard
IEEE 802.3an (2006)
Physical Layer and Management Parameters for 10 Gbps Operation,
Type 10GBASE-T

European Standards Reference Guide |89

 IEEE 802.3at (2009)
For more information, visit [Link]

Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) Power via the Media Dependant

Interface (MDI) Enhancements (PoE Plus)
IEEE 802.3ba (2010)
Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management
Parameters for 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps Operation
IEEE 802.3-2008 (2008)
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)
Access Method and Physical Layer Specification (also known
as ANSI/IEEE Std 802.3-1998 or ISO 8802-3: 1990 (E))
IEEE 802.11
Wireless Standard
802.11n (2009)
802.11k (2008)
802.11e (2005)
802.11i (2004)
802.11a (2003)
802.11b (2003)
802.11g (2003)

ISO/IEC 24764 (2010)

Information Technology – Generic Cabling Systems for Data Centres
ISO/IEC 18010:2002 (2002)
Information technology - Pathways and spaces for customer
premise cabling
IS0/IEC 11801 (2002)
Generic Cabling for Customer Premises

90| [Link]
 Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.
Obtaining Standards Documents
TIA documents may be purchased through Global Engineering Documents
at [Link]. IEEE documents may be purchased through www.
[Link].
For further assistance or more information, contact your local Anixter
sales office. Some material in this publication is reproduced from
standards publications, which are copyrighted by the Telecommunications
Industry Association, International Standards Organisation and CENELEC.
This document was prepared by Anixter Inc.. Anixter is not affiliated
with the Telecommunications Industry Association. TIA is not responsible
for the content of this publication.
For direct assistance in interpreting telecommunications standards,
consider Registered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDD)
certified by the Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI)
at [Link]. Hundreds of Anixter technical professionals are
registered with BICSI.

European Standards Reference Guide |91

Europe and Middle East Locations
Austria Vienna Tel: +43 1 70 112 • [Link]

Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.

Belgium Willebroek Tel: +32 3 86 04 700 • [Link]
Czech Republic Prague Tel: +42 02 72 181000 • [Link]
Denmark Copenhagen Tel: +45 70 10 88 00 •[Link]
Finland Helsinki Tel: +358 201 443 110 •[Link]
France Paris Tel: +33 1 48 63 73 73 •[Link]
Germany Frankfurt Tel: +49 6105 97869 00 • [Link]
Greece Athens Tel: +30 22910 78860 • [Link]
Hungary Budapest Tel: +36 2 350 14 10 • [Link]
Italy Milan Tel: +39 02 54 74 91 • [Link]
Morocco Casablanca Tel: +00 212 5 22 87 94 27 • [Link]
Netherlands Capelle aan den IJssel Tel: +31 10 28 85 900 • [Link]
Norway Oslo Tel: +47 23 24 20 20 • [Link]
Poland Warsaw Tel: +48 22 878 33 14 • [Link]
Portugal Lisbon Tel: +351 21 422 04 00 • [Link]
Republic of Ireland Dublin Tel: +353 1 257 2000 • [Link]
Russia Moscow Tel: +7 495 710 9910 • [Link]
Slovakia Bratislava Tel: +421 2 5788 0333 • [Link]
Spain Barcelona Tel: +34 93 480 08 00
Madrid Tel: +34 91 721 29 60 • [Link]
Sweden Stockholm Tel: +46 8 58 76 03 00
Gothenburg Tel: +46 31 89 95 35 •[Link]
Switzerland Z urich Tel: +41 44 947 25 00
Montreux Tel: +41 21 989 25 00 • [Link]
Turkey Istanbul Tel: +90 216 464 96 64 • [Link]
UAE Dubai Tel: +971 4 806 7100 • [Link]
United Kingdom Aberdeen Tel: +44 (0)11224 722 255
Uxbridge Comms Tel: +44 (0)1895 276800
Uxbridge Wire & Cable Tel: +44 (0)845 604 1301
Warrington Comms Tel: +44 (0)870 242 4700

Telecommunications InfrastructureWarrington Wire & Standards
for Industrial Premises Cable Tel: +44Guide
Reference (0)1925 810121
|3
 FSC LOGO HERE

Aerospace Hardware • Electrical and Electronic Wire & Cable

Enterprise Cabling & Security Solutions • Fasteners
Anixter European Headquarters • Anixter House, 1 York Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex,
UB8 1RN, UK • Tel:+44 (0)1895 818181 • Fax:+44 (0)1895 818182
Anixter Inc. World Headquarters • 2301 Patriot Boulevard, Glenview, IL 60026-8020
[Link] • 224.521.8000 • [Link]
10H0003X0 © 2011 Anixter Inc.• 02/11 • AXE0714

Anixter is a leading global supplier of communications and security products, electrical and electronic
wire and cable, fasteners and other small components. We help our customers specify solutions
and make informed purchasing decisions around technology, applications and relevant standards. Throughout
the world, we provide innovative supply chain management solutions to reduce our customers’ total cost
of production and implementation. A NYSE listed company, Anixter, with its subsidiaries, serves companies
in more than 52 countries around the world. Anixter’s total revenue approximated $5 billion in 2009.

Anixter Inc. does not manufacture the items described in this publication. All applicable warranties are provided by
the manufacturers. Purchasers are requested to determine directly from the manufacturers the applicable product warranties
and limitations. Data and suggestions made in the publication are not to be construed as recommendations or authorisations
to use any products in violation of any government law or regulation relating to any material or its use.