Copper Structured Cabling Design Guide

1. Introduction

• This guide provides standards-based requirements and recommendations for twisted-pair cabling in commercial buildings.
• Covers design, testing, cabling performance, power separation, environmental guidelines, cabling components, and telecommunications spaces.
• Both shielded and unshielded systems are discussed.

2. Design Fundamentals

Hierarchical Star Model

• Cables extend from a single location to multiple destinations in a one-to-many configuration.
• Applications include floor-to-floor and building-to-building connections.

Design Components

• Spaces: Telecommunications Rooms, Equipment Rooms, Work Areas.
• Pathways: Guide and protect cables (horizontal and vertical orientations).
• Cables: 100-ohm balanced twisted-pair cables, shielded or unshielded.
• Connectors: Terminate cable pairs at both ends.
• Cords: Connect devices or link connectors.

Backbone Design Layouts

• Multi-floor buildings use a vertical backbone.
• Very tall buildings may have multiple Equipment Rooms.
• Campus design includes Main and Satellite Buildings.

Horizontal Design Layouts

• Serves multiple Work Areas from a Telecommunications Room.
• Telecommunications Enclosure: Optional smaller versions of Telecommunications Rooms.
• Consolidation Point: Adds flexibility in cable replacement.
• Multi-User Telecommunications Outlet Assembly (MUTOA): Used in shared spaces for multiple users.

3. Planning Considerations

Cabling System Performance

• Linked to maximum network data rate.
• Table: Copper cabling categories and maximum Ethernet data rates.

Topologies

• Basic connection: Switch port to network device.
• Several connector topologies: Two-connector, Three-connector (cross-connect or interconnect), Four-connector.

Work Area Cord Length Limits

• Calculated based on cable length and AWG of cords.

Separation from Power Cables

• Minimum distances to avoid electromagnetic interference.

Temperature and Humidity Requirements

• Class B environments, range for temperature, humidity, and dew point.

4. Design Guidelines

Work Area

• Specifications and components for Work Areas.

Consolidation Point

• Optional interconnection in horizontal cable.

Telecommunications Room and Enclosure

• Specifications for centralized distribution spaces.

Equipment Room

• Centralized space for backbone and other connections.

Entrance Space

• Transition point from outdoor to in-building cables.

5. Installation and Testing Guidelines

Installation

• Standards and practices to ensure quality installation.

Testing

• Levels: Basic verification, Network qualification, Certification.
• Testing for compliance with cabling standards.

Annexes

Annex A: Design Examples for Unshielded Cabling Systems

• Examples for Category 6A, 6, and 5e.

Annex B: Design Examples for Shielded Cabling Systems

• Examples for Category 6A, 6, and 5e.

Annex C: HDBaseT Cabling Considerations

• Allows HDMI signals over twisted-pair cables up to 100 m.

References

• Lists various TIA standards for structured cabling systems.