Cabling system technical requirements
General
Cabling and components shall be selected to meet cabling system performance requirements with due consideration to compatibility and performance variation due to temperature.
Category 6 cable and components shall be independently verified for compliance with the Category 6 performance specifications of AS/NZS 3080 by UL, ETL or other approved independent NATA laboratory verification system.
The cabling system manufacturer shall warrant that products will operate to the standards and specifications claimed by the manufacturer and that the product is free from any defects in materials or workmanship.
The Contractor shall make technical and user documentation on the product available to the ECE Service.
Overall System Transmission Performance
Horizontal Cabling Transmission Performance
Performance of the channel containing the horizontal cabling is defined between the equipment outlet at the Floor Distributor (FD) and the Terminal Equipment (TE). A diagram of this setup is available to download from this page. This channel will be referred to as the horizontal cabling channel. The horizontal channel will utilise balanced cabling for ECE Service cabling systems. Please refer to the downloadable diagram on this page for Figure 1 - Horizontal Cabling Channels.
The horizontal cabling channel includes cable sections, connecting hardware, work area cords, equipment cords and patch cords. The connections at the active equipment at the floor distributor and terminal equipment are not included within the channel.
Category 6 installations shall comply with the requirements for Class E channel performance as specified in Clause 6 of AS/NZS 3080. Performance of the permanent link elements of the channel shall comply with the requirements of Annex A of AS/NZS 3080.
The length of the components of the horizontal cabling channel shall not exceed the distance set out in AS/NZS 3080 considering the appropriate length de-rating for maximum ambient temperatures above 20°C except that the length of work area cords shall not exceed 5m.
The permanent link shall be a direct run, free of bridges, taps and splices.
Balanced Cabling
General
Balanced cabling shall meet or exceed the performance requirement of AS/NZS 3080 for the relevant performance class.
Cable of the same manufacturer type shall be employed throughout the entire installation.
Certification that the balanced cabling system meets the specified performance levels shall be provided by the manufacturer.
Category 6 UTP Cable and Connecting Hardware
Category 6 cables used within horizontal cabling subsystems, or as work cords, shall comply with Clause 9 of AS/NZS 3080. In the event that multiple signals share a cable the additional performance requirements of Clause 9.3 of AS 3080 shall be met.
Category 6 connecting hardware used within horizontal cabling subsystems shall comply with Clause 10 of AS/NZS 3080.
Category 6 horizontal cabling shall be terminated with modular 8 pin (RJ45) outlets using the T568A arrangement.
Distributors and Patch Panels
General
Distributors and patch panels shall be designed for 19” rack mounting in accordance with IEC 60297.
Insulation Displacement Punchdown Termination Blocks
Insulation displacement (IDC) punchdown termination blocks shall be matched to the AS/NZS 3080 performance Class E and be compatible with the cable conductor type (solid or stranded).
Balanced Cabling Patch Panels
Patch panels for balanced cabling shall be 24-way or 48-way modular socket (RJ45) with a port density of 24 ports per 1RU.
The connecting hardware of the patch panels shall be rated to the AS/NZS 3080 performance Category 6.
Telecommunication Outlets
Each telecommunication outlet shall incorporate two modular RJ45 sockets designed for IDC termination and comply with AS/NZS 3080 performance Category 6.
All telecommunication outlets shall either be equipped with mechanical protection (e.g. a shutter or “dummy” plug) that prevents finger access to the contact springs, or be installed out of the reach of children.
Where the telecommunications outlet is positioned on an existing duct, modular mounting enclosures shall be used. Blanking plugs shall be fitted where the apertures of the mounting enclosure is not filled with a RJ45 jack.
Faceplates should match power outlets in appearance and manufacture.
Floor mount boxes shall not be used
Balanced Cabling Patch and Work Area Cords
General
Patch cords and work area cords shall be constructed of an 8 wire, stranded Category 6 cable terminated with RJ45 connectors at both ends complying with AS/NZ 3080.
Patch cords and work area cords shall be from the same manufacturer as the horizontal cable and matched to the AS/NZS 3080 performance Category 6 of the cabling system in which they are used.
Pin assignments and colour codes shall conform to the “T568A” arrangement in accordance with AS/NZS 3080 Z.A.2.
All patch cords and work area cords shall be factory-assembled, terminated and certified.
Patch cords and work area cords shall be fitted with moulded boots.
Cord Lengths
Work area cord and patch cord lengths should be supplied in accordance with the brief laid out in Structured Cabling Systems. In no circumstances shall cord lengths cause the distances in Clause 7.2.3.2 and Table 22 of AS/NZS 3080 to be exceeded.
Cord Colour Scheme
There is no mandated colour scheme for patch and work area cords but a colour scheme which positively and uniquely identifies each application is a useful management aid. The following colour scheme is suggested:
- Grey or white for work area cords
- Blue for patching
- Green for network devices
- Red for critical connections, e.g. file servers