The Basics of Structured Cabling
In order to understand structure cabling one needs to dive deep into why companies even need structured cabling to begin with. The main reason why one would need structured cabling is the fact that it helps us to build a complete and a secured telecommunications infrastructure. This infrastructure comes with plenty of benefits that includes the provision of telephone services, security services or the transmission of data (broadband) through a computer network including those in Birtinya or Kunda Park on the Sunshine Coast. However, one must know that there are more to structured cabling and here are some basics.
Cable Ownership:
Perhaps a precise understanding of structured cabling can be understood in terms of ownership. A structured cable begins from where the service provider (SP) ends. This the point which we term as demarcation or to be more technical, its called Network Interface Device (NID). A practical example would be, that if you’re looking to get a telephone installed. The SP would connect the service lines at the point of NID.
Cabling structures of course vary. The following factors can play a part in defining a cabling structure:
- Architecture and the style of building
- Purpose of installation
- Equipment that will be connected to it
- Installation requirements
- Upgrade of an already installed structured cables
Standardised Installation Techniques:
The installation of cabling infrastructure should always follow a standardised installation technique. As structured cables often come with a lot of complexities and to ensure optimal performance a standardized installation routine is needed.
For installers, structured cabling should be followed with precise standard and practices. And the body that regulates this is the ANSI (American National Standards Institute). This body is responsible for devising and making sure that structured cabling provides follow the guidelines pertaining to installation, designing and maintenance. The following are some of the benefits of following standard procedures:
- A consistent design and installation procedure
- All requirements physical as well as transmissional are fulfilled
- It gives you room to further upgrade at a later stage
- Uniformity is achieved
Main Elements of Structured Cabling:
Structured cabling has the following elements that make up its overall infrastructure. It has backbone pathways as well as cables that come in vertical and horizontal orientations. Furthermore, telecommunication closets, work area spaces, cross-connect facilities, transition points and consolidation points.
Entrance Facilities:
Another important element of this infrastructure is the entrance facility. The entrance facility connects the external service lines to the one that is in the premises. The entrance facility provides a getaway to connect to outside service facilities. It also houses transition outside plant cabling to cabling approved intra-building construction, which gets transitioned to fire rated cable. It is also the network demark between the service provider and customer premises. National and electric codes govern these places.
Backbone cabling:
The entrance facility’s network branches out to other building, floor to floor, which builds the backbone. It normally consists of components that include patch cords, backbone cables, mechanical terminations, or cross connects (intermediate & main). This type of cabling is ore related to the infrastructure and can include intra and inter-building backbone cables.
The main components of backbone cabling are:
- Cable pathways
- The actual cables
- Connecting hardware
- Miscellaneous support facilities e.g. grounding hardware
Cable Connectors: A mechanical device that is used for interfacing a cable to piece of equipment or one cable to another. It keeps loss to a minimum.
Fiber allows light impulses to be transferred to another cable while copper uses electrical signals and a good connection requires an alignment of connectors.
A connector can withstand hundred cycles without failing, which is calculated as mean time between failures (MTBF), therefore it is essential for the integrity of all telecommunications.
