Structured Cabling is a set of standards that determine how to wire a data center, office or building for data or voice communications, typically using Category 5/5e or Category 6/6A Copper cabling and/or Single-Mode or Multi-Mode Fiber Optic cabling
These standards define how to lay the cabling in a star formation, such that all outlets terminate at a central patch panel (which is normally 19 inch rack-mounted), from where it can be determined exactly how these connections will be used. Each outlet can be ‘patched’ into a data network switch (normally also rack mounted), or patched into a ‘Power over Ethernet/PoE’ which is used to connect and power devices like IP Phones, IP Video Cameras, & Wireless Access Points.
It is normal to see different color patch cables used in the patch panel to help identify which type of connection is being carried, though the structured cabling standards do not require this.
The standards demand that all eight connectors in the Category 5/5e or Category 6/6A Copper cabling are connected. This is a good thing as it means that they fully support features such as Power over Ethernet which require the so-far unused brown cables.
Key Components:
Key components of Structured Cabling design include entrance facility, main equipment room, backbone cable, backbone pathway, Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF), and horizontal distribution system.
Structured Cabling ‘Standards” require voice, data, and video wiring and electronics facilities within a building to support the newest forms of telecommunications. A series of standards has been developed to provide guidance in designing new buildings and remodeling older facilities.
Some facilities that need to be taken into consideration are:
- • Building entrance facilities
- • Entrance wiring closets
- • Floor wiring closets
- • Lightning protection
- • Grounding,
- • Backbone raceways,
- • Horizontal raceways,
- • Backbone wiring
- • Horizontal wiring.
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