Category 6 Solutions Intent Category 6 Cabling Where
Category 6 Solutions
Intent Category 6 Cabling • Where it came from • What it is • Why you need it • How you use it
Topics • Standards Background • Performance Characteristics - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 • Cable • Connectors • Permanent Link/Channel • • Network Migration Installation Practices Field Testing Most Frequently Asked Questions
Standards - Background Overview draft 4 draft 8 draft 12 8/99 Ratified 11/99 TIA 568 -A-5 Category 5 e draft 1 draft 9 10/98 draft 1 11/97 draft 3 8/98 draft 11 4/99 draft 5 5/99 draft 7 8/00 draft 9 6/01 Ratified 6/02? TIA 568 -B. 2 -1 Category 6 draft 2 4/98 draft 4 5/99 draft 6 5/00 draft 8 3/01 draft 10 11/01 Development of the TIA Cat 5 e and Cat 6 Standards
Standards - TIA Category 6 Milestones • • • Draft 1 Draft 2 Draft 3 Draft 4 Draft 5 Draft 6 Nov 1997 Apr, 1998 Aug, 1998 May, 1999 May, 2000 • Draft 7 Aug, 2000 • Draft 8 Mar, 2001 • Draft 9 Jun, 2001 • Draft 10 Nov, 2001 • June 2002 ? ? Increase cable/connector specs to 250 MHz Increase channel/link specs to 250 MHz “Attenuation” altered to “Insertion Loss” Change “Basic Link” to “Permanent Link” Modification to Return Loss Limits Patch cord and plug spec Field Tester accuracy Lab testing criteria clarified Likely Ratification
Performance Parameters Cat 6 vs Cat 5 e • All existing Cat 5 e parameters are used for Cat 6 spec, but performance is increased for all parameters • One existing parameter redefined • Three new performance parameters added to Cat 6 spec • All Cat 6 performance criteria quantified to 250 MHz
Performance Parameters Cat 6 vs Cat 5 e Category 6 • • • NEXT PSNEXT FEXT ELFEXT PSELFEXT Return Loss • Propagation Delay • Delay Skew • Attenuation NEXT PSNEXT FEXT ELFEXT PSELFEXT • Return Loss • • Propagation Delay Skew Insertion Loss (Attenuation) Insertion Loss Deviation • LCL - Balance (new) • LCTL - Balance (new)
Parameter Definitions NEXT The cable’s ability to reject noise generated from one pair to an adjacent pair. This is an important parameter as it qualifies the clarity of the received signal once it has traveled along the cable and exposed to interference from signals on adjacent pairs.
Parameter Definitions Powersum NEXT The cable’s ability for any of its twisted pairs to reject the total noise generated by all other pairs tested at the transmitter end of the cable. This is vitally important in supporting applications such as 1000 BASE-T, which use multiple pairs simultaneously in transmitting signals
Parameter Definitions Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions Attenuation (Insertion Loss) The reduction of signal voltage level as it travels along the cabling, due to transmission losses. It is important to minimise the attenuation of the cabling to ensure the transmitted signal is large enough to be recognised at the receiver.
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions ACR and PSACR Power Sum Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio is calculated for any specific frequency as: PSACR = PSNEXT – Attenuation [d. B] PSACR is an indication of the “signal to noise ratio (SNR)” which relates directly to the bandwidth of the cabling system. The bandwidth is determined by the frequency range for which the PSACR is 3 d. B or more. Signals at frequencies that are beyond the bandwidth (PSACR less than 3 d. B) cannot be detected by the receiver due to excessive crosstalk noise.
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions Return Loss A measure of the reflected energy caused by impedance variations at the interfaces between the cable and the connectivity hardware and along the cable length. A low return loss is important to maximize the signal strength at the receiver which minimizes bit errors. A good RL is critical for high bit-rate applications.
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions FEXT/ ELFEXT Similar to NEXT, but a measure of the cable’s ability to reject noise generated from one pair at the far-end to an adjacent pair, but measured at the near-end. This is an important parameter in applications such as 1000 BASE-T which use full duplex transmission, where signals are transmitted from both ends of the cable simultaneously.
Parameter Definitions PSELFEXT Similar to PSNEXT but tested at the receiver end of the cable. ELFEXT is different from FEXT in that it includes the effect of attenuation in the calculation. This parameter is very important in transmission schemes, such as 1000 BASE-T, which uses each of the four pairs to transmit ¼ of the bit-stream.
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions Propagation Delay and Delay Skew A measurement of the difference in time it takes signals to travel down each pair in a cable. In orders to maximize PSNEXT and PSELFEXT performance, each pair is twisted with a different rate. Therefore, the electrical length of each pair is different, which creates different delays in arrival of the signal at the receiver. Delay Skew is defined as the measured time difference between the fastest and slowest pairs in a cable. In high speed parallel transmission scheme applications, such as 1000 BASE-T, excessive delay skew will result in packets of information being received out of sequence, which creates corruption of the signal at the receiver. Time Delay Skew
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics *Draft 10 Nov 01
Parameter Definitions LCL/LCTL Balance is a parameter only introduced to Category 6 and is currently under study for cables. It is a measure of a system’s ability to propagate a differential signal without conversion to a common mode signal, and vice versa. Essentially this means the cable is able to reject outside noise from sources other than from adjacent pairs, such as motors, RF signals, etc, as well as minimising the leakage of signals into other nearby equipment. Poorly balanced twisted pair Input Balanced Differential Mode Signal Unbalanced Output Signal due to poorly balanced twisted pair which causes radiation from the cable and susceptibility for outside interference. Poorly balanced pairs will also increase cross talk.
Parameter Definitions - Cat 5 e vs Cat 6 Performance Characteristics # LCL - Longitudinal Conversion Loss LCTL - Longitudinal Conversion Transfer Loss *Draft 10 Nov 01
Category 6 Cable Enhancements • Increased conductor diameter - 24 AWG to 23 AWG • New conductor alloys • Modified conductor insulation materials • Central spine/cross member • Increased twist rate and rate variances • More precise manufacturing tolerances Cat 5 e cable cross-section Cat 6 cable cross-section
Category 6 Connectivity Enhancements • Single manufacturer mated plug/jack combination most common • Interoperability of jacks and plugs between manufacturers still developing • Use of Printed Circuit Board designs more common than Lead Frame for contacts • Component level performance very difficult to achieve • Compact style vs 8 -wire horizontal connectors more common in patch panels
Permanent Link vs Channel Permanent Link Channel The entire passive transmission path, which includes Patch Cord, Patch Panel, Cable, Outlet and Fly Lead, but excludes active equipment Includes Patch Panel, Cable, and Outlet, but excludes patch or test cords
Network Migration - 10 Mb/s Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet • 10 Mb/s Ethernet (shared coax) • 10 Mb/s Ethernet (switched UTP) • 100 Mb/s Ethernet (switched UTP) • 1 Gb/s Ethernet (switched UTP) • 10 Gb/s Ethernet (switched fibre)
Network Migration 10 Mb/s Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet • 1000 BASE-T • IEEE 802. 3 ab • Cat 5 e cabling • 1000 BASE-TX • TIA-854 • Cat 6 cabling
Network Migration 10 Mb/s Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet • 1000 BASE-T • 4 pair transmission on Cat 5, 5 e or 6 UTP • 250 Mb/s full duplex transmission per pair • Requires transceivers at both ends of each pair • 1000 BASE-TX • 2 pair transmission on Cat 6 UTP • 500 Mb/s half duplex transmission per pair • Requires only one transmitter and one receiver for each pair
Network Migration - 10 Mb/s Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet • 1000 BASE-T • • Complex circuitry Higher cost active equipment Lower cost cabling (Cat 5) Higher overall system cost • 1000 BASE-TX • • Less complex circuitry Lower cost active equipment Higher cost cabling (Cat 6) Lower overall system cost (approx. 25% less than 1000 BASE-T)
Network Migration - 10 Mb/s Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet Why Cat 6 versus Cat 5 e UTP Cabling? • Superior installed performance over Cat 5 e • Migration from 10 Mb/s to 1000 Mb/s data throughput • Potentially lower end-to-end cost over the life of the system • 2 Gbps, 4 Gbps, 10 Gbps… what’s next? • Future proof when ever you can!
Installation Practices Do’s Don’ts Maintain sheathat IDC Maintaincable pair twists close to IDC Don’t unsheath untwist pairs cableany anymore than 25 mm 12 mm at at IDC
Installation Practices Do’s Don’ts Install no and moreloop than 24 cables in Use hook cable fasteners a long bundle Don’t install use cable long ties, looms or compress of large jacket of outer numbers (>24) cables of parallel on bundle cables
Installation Practices Do’s Monitor for at Use cable bendde-reeling radius guides kinks& and smooth incurred IDC, bend cableany no more than 4 x cable diameter Don’ts Don’t allow any kinked cableortoprovide bend cable too sharp, be installed support at IDC insufficient
Field Testing Category 6 There a number of issues that must be considered to accurately and reliably test Category 6 cabling systems • Tester Accuracy • Interoperability • Channel vs Link
Field Testing Category 6 Tester Accuracy • Don’t assume all Level III testers have the same level of accuracy • The accuracy of Level III testers is no longer qualified by cabling standards, and varies between vendors • The purchaser check a tester’s level of accuracy with the vendor before purchasing the unit • Select a tester that offers the level of accuracy that you are comfortable with • Be conscious of your tester’s accuracy when reviewing test results
Field Testing Category 6 Interoperability Due to the unique characteristics of vendors’ Cat 6 plugs and jacks, all Level III field testers utilise various forms of adapters to suit specific brands of Cat 6 Permanent Links
Field Testing Category 6 Link and Channel Testing • All Level III Testers test Permanent Link parameters, using appropriate test heads/adapters and software • The Permanent Link model defined by cabling standards factors out the contribution of NEXT and FEXT by the test leads to the overall Link • Basic Link heads/adapters, which do not remove the effects of the test leads, should not be used as they may yield false test results • Channel parameters cannot currently be tested with Level III testers, as no true Cat 6 Channel adapters are available yet • All tester vendors are developing Cat 6 Channel adapters, but none are released to date
Thank You
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