For: www.wireville.com
"Heard On The Street" Column
Issue: June 2007
By: Frank Bisbee
The
Information Age is just getting warmed up
The Heard On The Street (HOTS) monthly column is
sponsored by many manufacturers, distributors, associations, publications, and
contractors. This stream of information is gathered and assembled by the staff
of Wireville.com and Communication Planning Corporation. There is something for everyone.
The Information (content) is
for educational and informative purposes. This service is brought to our
readers at no charge. For more than a decade, www.wireville.com website has delivered
all the news that you can use. Keep sending us your news items.
We appreciate the constant
stream of feedback from the readers because it serves to improve the column.
Special Appreciation To The Associations For Sharing Their
Information
We support the efforts of
these associations to develop a safer and more productive workplace.
- ACUTA www.acuta.org
- BICSI www.bicsi.org
- BOMA www.boma.org
- NAIOP www.naiop.org
- CABA www.caba.org
- AFCOM www.afcom.com
- NECA www.necanet.org
- FOA www.thefoa.org
- NFPA www.nfpa.org
- NAED www.naed.org
- AIA www.aia.org
- AHLA www.ahla.org
- AHA www.aha.org
- EWG www.ewg.org
- EIA www.eia.org
- TIA www.tiaonline.org
- NASTD www.nastd.org
- NEMA www.nema.org
- IEEE www.ieee.org
- And many others
ALSO, special appreciation to
the fine publications that share articles and news to make our jobs more
effective. These publications give the readers a very good and inexpensive
education for strategies and tactics to improve the value for the information
services consumer. The information superhighway begins in Wireville.
Yup! The Information Age is
just getting warmed up.
But that’s just my opinion.
Frank Bisbee
SMP Data ( Formerly Superior Modular Products) is proud to
announce several new products designed to meet specific telecommunication needs
for both copper and fiber applications. From the FiberOpticx(tm) product line, SMP Data introduces the
RTC1UB Series Fiber Optic Enclosures. These fiber cabinets offer users a
quick solution for plug and play connectivity. They can be ordered empty
for field installations or completely pre-terminated for easy plug and play
options. Click on the link below to download more information: www.smpdata.com/smp/pages/products/newproducts.html From the Rack Technologies product line, SMP Data introduces two
product sets including new Horizontal and Vertical Finger style cable
management. The Finger Duct Cable Management system offers pass thru
holes for easy installation and cable maintenance and the rounded edge fingers
assist with easy removal and installation of covers making moves, adds, and
changes safe and easy. Click on the link below to download more
information:
"Heard On The Street" Monthly Column
www.wireville.com
4949 Sunbeam Rd, Suite 16
Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 645-9077 office
(904) 645-9058 fax
frank@wireville.com
SMP Data Is Proud To Announce Several New Products
www.smpdata.com/smp/pages/products/newproducts.html
In addition to the new Finger Duct Cable Management, the Rack
Technologies product line is pleased to launch the new TERAX(tm) enclosures.
The TERAX(tm) Wall Mount Cabinet is a modular solution for housing
telecommunications and networking equipment in locations requiring security and
versatility. This enclosure was designed explicitly for applications
requiring large zone distribution capabilities that can be easily installed and
offer a secure environment to protect communications components. Click on
the link below to download more information:
www.smpdata.com/smp/pages/products/newproducts.html
SMP Data is also proud to announce the release of their 2007
Product Catalog. This new catalog features all of SMP Data's innovative
product lines along with ordering information, technical data, and full color
pictures. In addition to the full line catalog, customers can request an
interactive CD version, fully downloadable to offer instant access. To
request a copy of the new SMP Data Communications Product Catalog, contact your
local sales rep or fill out the Catalog Request form at
www.smpdata.com/smp/pages/support/literature.html
Electrical Contractor Convention To feature “Think Green” topics
The National Electrical
Contractors Association (NECA) will host a “Think Green” on Sunday, October 7,
2007 during their annual convention in
Specific workshops and
seminars focused toward this emerging new technology include:
It isn’t Easy being Green: But it’s
Profitable
Presenter: Jim Benya Benya Lighting Design
NJATC
Photovoltaics and Distributed Generation
Presenters:
Todd Stafford, NJATC Senior Director; Jim Dunlop, NJATC Curriculum specialist
Contractor
Opportunities in the Solar Market Today & Tomorrow
Presenter: Tom Martinez - IBEW 111
Energy Efficiency / Green Products & Fire Stops
Presenter: Christopher De Marco, Specified Technologies, Inc.
Advancements in Integrated Lighting Controls
Presenter: Howard Wolfman, Osram Sylvania
Residential Green Products & Energy Efficiency
Presenter: Jay McLellan, HAI, Home Automation, Inc.
Solar Opportunities for Contractors
Presenter: Jake Brown, Day4Energy
Energy Code Compliance
Presenter:
Charles Knuffke, The WattStopper
Emerging Green Markets: The Role of the Electrical Contractor on Green Building
Projects
Presenters: Cassandra Quaintance and
Ellen Kotzbauer
In addition, attendees will find renewable energy solutions in the “Green
Alley” within the NECA trade show. Manufacturers of the latest solar, wind and
other energy-efficient technologies will be on hand to discuss design and
installation opportunities that offer new options for commercial and
residential use. These tools will give attendees the pro-active edge they need
to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines, created by the U.S. Green
Building Council.
The National Electrical Contractors Association is the voice of the $100
billion industry responsible for lighting, power, and communication systems in
buildings and communities across the
Leading Cabling Contractor Gets Ahead Of The Competition With CIS
An advanced Cabling
Installation System (CIS) from Beast Cabling Systems, Inc. recently enhanced
the installation process for The Mercury Group, a leading contractor providing
installation of network communications systems for a variety of customers.
CIS is an innovative system
of components designed to bring systemization and control to the various tasks
required to properly install network cabling. CIS enables proper bend radius,
separation, organization, metering, and labeling of cables for consistent,
efficient installations that conserve time and material, reduce errors, and
enhance industry best practices for overall better network performance.
“We’re always looking for
innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition while maximizing the
efficiency and accuracy of every project,” says Gary Berlin, Vice President of
Operations for The Mercury Group. “When we researched CIS, Beast Cabling
Systems came to our location, introduced the system, and provided excellent
training.”
The Mercury Group recently
deployed the CIS while cabling a large broadcasting company, realizing a
significant increase in efficiency. “We installed cabling on one floor using
traditional methods, and then we deployed CIS on the next floor. We saw a 35%
labor savings with CIS,” says
The Beast Cabling Systems CIS
offers a system for easily and properly identifying and labeling cables during
installation to reduce errors and provide the foundation for a fully and
properly labeled infrastructure. The Wirewolf™ component mounts in front of the
Beast Cabling Systems CIS, and once cables have been pulled to stations, the
equipment side of the cables are sorted to the left and right through holes in
the Wirewolf’s Plexiglas panel that correspond to rack layouts. Contractors
using the Wirewolf report saving 18 hours of labor for every 300 cables pulled.
“The process of pulling cable
normally includes back-feeding disorganized batches of cable to the closet
where you face the time-consuming task of sorting cables for termination. CIS
allows you to quickly sort those cables for termination in the closet right
after you pull them,” says Greg Bramham, Vice President of Business Development
for Beast Cabling Systems.
Pleased with the results and
customer service, The Mercury Group purchased three CIS systems for use on
other large cabling installations, including a high school, major college
campus, and large Coast Guard academy.
“The support from Beast
Cabling Systems has been second to none. They help us make sure that we’re
using the system to its fullest capacity through training, site visits, and
constant support,” says
About The Mercury Group
The Mercury Group has over 25
years experience providing a wide range of copper, fiber, and wireless
communications system installation, ongoing maintenance, professional
consulting services and product implementations for end users, equipment
manufacturers, and electrical and general contractors. As a BICSI Premier
Contractor, The Mercury Group maintains rigorous quality standards and best practices.
For more information, visit www.mercury-group.com.
About Beast Cabling Systems
Headquartered in
The Cabling Industry As An Example
Each month this year we have
devoted at least one article to the topic of data centers; this month’s article
focuses on the keynote address delivered at the most recent Data Center World
conference (see p. 35). While that article extensively discusses keynoter
Christian Belady’s insistence that efficiency metrics are in the long-term
future for data center managers, it’s worth noting that Belady also discussed
the expected emergence of standardization in the data center industry.
“Standardization will create
a plug-and-play environment,” said Belady, who is a professional engineer and a
distinguished technologist on the staff at HP (www.hp.com). Later in his
remarks, he noted that industry consortium The Green Grid
(www.thegreengrid.org), in addition to its efforts to quantify efficiency, is
trying to achieve some level of interoperability among data center components.
In those
regards—standardization, plug-and-play deployment, and interoperability—the
forward-thinkers in the data center industry could do well to examine the path
the cabling industry has followed for nearly two decades. It could be said that
the structured cabling industry was anything but “structured” before users of
twisted-pair systems began specifying those products by certain Levels.
Initially disruptive and proprietary, Anixter’s (www.anixter.com) Levels
program eventually became, almost verbatim, the category system by which
twisted-pair systems originally were specified under the auspices of the TIA
(www.tiaonline.org).
So was born the set of
standards that still paves the way for the development, marketing,
specification, and use of structured cabling systems. While data center
managers look forward to a day when their systems can interoperate, those in
the cabling trade take for granted that Vendor A’s Category 6 patch cord will
plug into Vendor B’s Category 6 patch panel for a connection that delivers
Category 6 performance. All because the TIA’s TR-42 Engineering Committee has
continued to come through on the promise to create interoperable twisted-pair
cabling specifications.
The framework in place for
the creation of cabling standards has already entered the realm of data
centers, evidenced by the TIA’s development of its 942 standard specifically
related to telecommunications infrastructure for the data center. Sure, I have
been critical of the manner in which the TIA’s cabling standards come to
fruition, including the political inner workings of some of the groups that
ultimately produce those specifications. But at the same time, it is difficult
to dispute the notion that these standards, as a collective group, have
established a performance baseline that cabling-system users can rely upon,
particularly to support specific Ethernet protocols.
With that in mind, the
cabling industry could actually serve as something of an example to leaders in
the data center industry in their aspirations to create standardized
specifications. As the article on page 35 makes clear, data center managers
have serious and significant energy-consumption issues to contend with, to the
point where the United States Congress directed the nation’s Environmental Protection
Agency to study data centers’ power consumption. Kind of makes alien crosstalk
look like child’s play. Nonetheless, the effort to make data centers capable of
plug-and-play deployment is somewhere on that industry’s collective agenda, and
to them I submit the TIA cabling standard-creation process as an example of the
successes and the trappings inherent in such an effort.
One of Belady’s cautionary
comments was that standardization ultimately will lead to commoditization among
data center equipment; he cited the personal-computer industry, saying we
should not be surprised to see the data center industry follow the PC’s path. I
contend that despite some claims to the contrary, cabling has not become a
commodity market. Despite the fact that every cable, connector, or full system
of a given category must by definition meet specific electrical-performance
criteria, the engineering and, yes, the marketing staffs of our industry’s
suppliers have differentiated their product sets enough that we cannot say a
cable is a cable is a cable (or a connector is a connector is a connector).
We are in fact in a dynamic
and vibrant industry today; we have years of standards-based performance
assurances to count on, coupled with a constantly improving product set. Sure,
it can be frustrating to sort through the myriad product choices and even more
frustrating to wait out the standards-creation process. But I suggest it’s
better than the alternative. Plus, we don’t have Congress breathing down our
necks to see what we’re up to.
PATRICK McLAUGHLIN
Chief Editor
patrick@pennwell.com
Reprinted with full
permission of CI & M Magazine – www.cable-install.com
Rich Promoted Director Of Business Development For Leviton’s Government Services Program
Leviton Manufacturing Company
is pleased to announce the promotion of Chuck Rich to the position of Business
Development Director for its Government Business Development Program. In his
new post Rich will spearhead sales of the company’s voice and data networking
solutions to U.S. Government and military installations. He will also oversee joint sales with the
Government’s network of certified contractors and system integrators. Rich
brings to his new position more than 17 years of experience assessing,
specifying and recommending products and solutions for military information and
communication systems.
Rich began his career with
Leviton in 2004 as National Business Development Manager for Government
Business, where he managed the sale of voice, data and connectivity solutions.
Prior to joining Leviton he served as a military communications (MILCOM)
systems advisor in end-user requirements and assessments for
Rich holds a BS in Industrial
Engineering from the
Anixter Inc. Takes The LEED With Green-Building Certification
Anixter's Alsip Distribution Facility
Becomes the Largest Distribution Facility in the
Anixter Inc., the
world's leading distributor of communication products, electrical and
electronic wire & cable and a leading distributor of fasteners and other
small parts ("C" Class inventory components) to Original Equipment
Manufacturers (OEMs), announced that its distribution facility in
LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) for New Construction and Major Renovations is a green
building rating system that was designed to guide and distinguish high-performance
commercial and institutional projects, including manufacturing plants,
laboratories and other building types. LEED gives building owners and operators
the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their
buildings' performance. LEED promotes a whole- building approach to
sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and
environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy
efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
"Anixter pursued USGBC's LEED
certification because we wanted to provide employees with a healthy,
employee-friendly work environment in addition to being a good corporate
citizen," said Jay Zwart, Anixter Senior Vice President -- Operations.
The
The building itself was built with steel
that is 100 percent recycled content. Its ventilation system has zero air
pressure so that when a door is open there is little or no exchange of air or
outside pollution. The air management system, during the warm months, cools the
interior at night and helps maintain the temperature during the day without the
aid of air conditioning. The LEED-certified facility is not only helping save
the environment but is helping save money as well. Energy costs are close to 25
percent less than what was being spent in the previous building.
"The LEED guidelines made possible a
well-designed, environmentally- conscious workplace that has improved morale
and productivity which ultimately results in lower operating costs for our
company, and superior service for our customers," said Zwart.
Anixter has taken its responsibility to
the environment even further by creating offers through our READY!(sm)
Deployment Services program that will help our customers meet their LEED
requirements. More information is available about READY! Deployment Services on
our Web site at http://www.anixter.com.
By Paul Barker
Three years ago at the
National Electrical Contractors Association’s VDV/IBS Conference in
Soon after its arrival,
Henkels & McCoy, a privately held engineering, network development and
construction firm with headquarters in Blue Bell, Pa., issued an advisory in
which it noted that electricians, inspectors and low voltage contractors will
use NEC Codebook 2002 for installation and inspections, while lawyers and
insurance companies use it to determine criminal liability and/or financial
responsibility resulting from a catastrophic event. The NEC defines abandoned
cable as installed communications cable that is not terminated at both ends at
a connector or other equipment and not identified “For Future Use” with a tag.
Bisbee, for one, applauded
the move. “The accumulation of miles and miles of cabling left in the ceilings
and walls of facilities has become a major concern for life safety over the
past years,” he said in his presentation to NECA delegates.
“Cables that are abandoned in
ceilings, riser systems and air handling systems are a source for fueling fire,
smoke and sub-lethal toxic fumes that can incapacitate. In addition, PVC
jackets tend to break down over time. This decomposition process is accelerated
by exposure to increased temperatures and humidity.”
In
As one industry watcher who
asked not to be identified concluded recently, people die from inhaling toxic
gasses, not smoke. He also waded into the FT-4 vs. FT-6 debate saying that none
of the proponents of the more expensive FT-6 discuss toxicity, only smoke.
There are, he added, a lot of myths and half-truths on this subject.
Toxicity testing needed
Dunn Harvey, a veteran
telecommunications consultant based in Laval, Que., agrees that the real
problem is toxicity and not smoke by itself.
“In most cases (except fog) smoke will contain
numerous toxic gasses. In all cases of fire, carbon monoxide is generated. This
is extremely lethal and it is next to impossible to prevent it in any fire and
it does not depend on cable having FT-4 or FT-6 rating.”
“Since the real problem is
toxicity, until someone finds a way to test for toxicity and eliminate the
toxicity, there will not be a real answer to people dying from inhaling gasses
and smoke.”
"In Nova
Scotia if you install data cable, first off you must have a license, secondly,
you need a permit and third, it will be inspected," says Graham, a master
electrician by trade. "The province has rules in their Electrical
code that I love, one of them being that every third tie wrap must be
non-combustible and the cable bundle must have a separate attachment.
"Unfortunately,
we don't have the same rules in other provinces. As an example, we have a
network cabling apprenticeship program in
Bisbee,
meanwhile, says that when it comes to abandoned cable as a health hazard there
is no question that the situation in
Toxic nightmare
“First of all, the plenum
issue in the
“Calling it a fire hazard is
a neat way to try and hide the really big problem. The real problem is how many
thousands and thousands of pounds of lead in those jackets are sluffing off in
the air system? The thermal plastics containing LEAD stabilizers used in most
cables are a problem, nobody’s recycling it.”
“What we have is a toxic
nightmare. It’s like saying the reason we are taking the asbestos out is
because of the fire hazard. That’s where we are right now. You can call it what
ever you want to call it, it’s the law of the land in this country and many
others that have adopted the National Electrical Code.”
“In the cabling business, one
of the components used in the stabilizer was lead. It was cheap, it was
effective and it allowed the cable to last longer under heat and humidity. It
also allowed the machines to run faster when they were extruding it.”
“Now, about 90% of all that
cable installed the air systems are jacketed with materials that have high
concentrations of lead -- anywhere from 7-10%. Even at 1%, which would be many,
many times over what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is saying
exposure limits are, we are looking at more than 10,000 parts per million.”
When it comes to abandoned
cable, meanwhile, Robert Horne, co-founder of the Attain Group, an
“If it is not used, it should
be pulled out,” he says. “It’s the same as leaving old wood and paper around
that could catch fire. It’s an extra fuel that is not needed. The bottom line
is this: You have a fuel load in the ceiling and if it’s abandoned, remove it.
“As far as the toxicity of
the cable is concerned, the National Fire Code allows for an FT-6 and FT-4
rating. If a code change was to occur that says it must be this type of cable,
of course we would abide by it, but until that time, I would not advise anyone
to change to low smoke, specialty cable that is very expensive.
Subhead: Few firms pull cable
out
“If it is that much of an
issue then I would say the legislators and the people who make the changes to
the code, should be making those changes. Why would I advise them to spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars more for the wrong type of cable? It’s just a
complete waste of money.”
If there is any doubt, Horne
turns to a codes specialist in order to get a proper interpretation of the
building and fire codes currently in existence.
Ross McCubbin, founder of
Amik Technology, an IT consulting firm based in
“Sometimes companies will
move in and try and re-use cabling, but more often than not when they move and
especially rental properties they tend to cut the wire across the cross-connect
they had and away they go, which can render it useless for the next guy,” he
says. “It means there is a whole bunch of PVC and FEP cabling out there.
“As those cables sit there,
they are breaking down. A lot of it is generated by the decomposition of the
jacket and it’s blowing around in the air spaces and eventually down on the
people.”
So what is it going to take
to solve the abandoned cable crisis? McCubbin for one, advocates a combination
of increased education and legislation. “Education can go a long way,” he says.
“Ideally, there should be a level playing field from a code and quality control
perspective.”
Reprinted with full
permission of CNS magazine – www.cnsmagazine.com
www.communicationplanning.com www.wireville.com
KITCO Fiber Optics Names New Distributor
KITCO Fiber Optics is please
to announce that it has appointed Norfolk Wire & Electronics as a
distributor of KITCO’s commercial products. KITCO and Norfolk Wire &
Electronics have a long association together as KITCO was originally a division
of Norfolk Wire in the early 1990’s. Geoff Clark, President and CEO of
KITCO, stated: “With 8 locations in
According to Ron Hurley,
Norfolk Wire’s original founder, “We are proud to have the opportunity to
provide KITCO’s outstanding fiber optic products to our customers. As we
continue to expand our business, we look to KITCO for their expertise in
product development and training. I am especially excited about their new
products and the ability to develop custom fiber optic kits for our customers.”
About
About KITCO Fiber Optics:
KITCO is a leading provider of fiber optic connectorization products, training
and consulting services to the military and commercial communications
industry. We specialize in the design and fabrication of fiber optic
tools, tool kits and custom cable assemblies; producing private label kits for
a number of major connector manufacturers and selling our own broad line of
commercial and military products. We develop curriculum and provide
commercial and military training worldwide, and serve as the U.S. Navy’s sole
shipboard fiber optic trainer. Our highly skilled field services team can
respond to your fiber optic requirements anytime, anywhere – rapidly providing
the best solutions for overcoming system problems or delays. www.kitcofo.com
The New Urbanism: The Feng Shui Of Community Planning
Carlini’s Comments, MidwestBusiness.com’s oldest column, runs
every Wednesday. Its mission is to offer the common man’s view on
business and technology issues while questioning the leadership and visions of “pseudo”
experts.
Should community planners
start changing their approach to municipal planning and status quo
infrastructures? You’d better really understand the market first, warns James
Carlini.
Last week, I attended the Killer App Expo on municipal
broadband as a guest of Graham Richard – the mayor of
- The need to have a rebirth of the American
municipality,
- The need to create a solid platform for economic
development through network infrastructure, and
- The need to bring new business concepts like Six
Sigma into everyday municipal operations.
In addition to his speech,
another keynote speaker was Andres Duany. He focused
on the need to reevaluate the way municipal planning is approached
architecturally.
New Urbanism
Duany is one of the founders
of the architectural movement of the new urbanism concept in community
planning.
I liked some of his
statements. For example, he said: “Cities should be designed like a suit or a
pen.” When calculating open space and other municipal plan requirements, he
also said: “Bean counting is passing for planning.” He is also against
“suburban sprawl” and has some real issues with the decline of neighborhoods.
He also focused on putting a
mixture of houses on a street, making sure people can walk to some of their
destinations and creating a “neighborhood feel” rather than a
drive-to-everywhere subdivision.
Duany talked about bringing
everyone together and recreating the neighborhood. Instead, since the end of
World War II, suburban subdivisions and track houses have created more of a
buffer zone of economically divided households. These include the cheap
townhouse developments, the mid-range single family homes and the expensive
sprawling estate homes.
He also pointed out the trend
of some people looking for more housing solutions that are “green” (good for
the environment). His argument is that creating these types of community models
are “morally superior” and would have an effect on a certain element of buyers.
Duany also pointed out that any city without a downtown area will lose its
young.
There were many points Duany
brought up that made sense about designing communities with more of a
neighborhood feel to them. Still, he did not sell me 100 percent.
When you look at the
realities of what’s selling on the market, the secluded miniature mansions that
cost millions of dollars (which he discounted as not being good) seem to be
doing much better than the “affordable row houses and townhouses” that are in
so many urban and suburban settings.
Reality: New Urbanism
Lacks Universal Appeal
The rules and approaches that
are laid out in new urbanism are like the rules in classic music composition.
Those who have studied music
know the tonic chord should follow the dominant chord and all the other classic
composition rules that lay out the approach for writing a “classical piece”.
The same structured approach is found in elements of architecture. Classic
rules dictate the structure and final outcome of the piece or the building or
neighborhood in architecture.
Some great composers (like
Richard Strauss) came along and broke all the classic rules in music
composition.
Many others followed in jazz
and other forms of music. Some consumers have never gotten past classical
music. While the vast majority of people have gone so far beyond classical
music, it does not appeal to them for a myriad of reasons. The same can be said
of many other “traditions of structure” including architecture and classical
community planning.
Like any other product or
fashion, the new urbanism approach doesn’t appeal to the total market. The real
estate market is divided into many segments that require different amenities to
please different buyers. Many are focused on different key elements like status
and icons of achievement.
There are some who don’t want
to live in an urban setting. Other elements that change decisions to locate in
areas (like school quality, safety, property tax costs and overall
affordability) also impact a decision. There are some who want privacy and
exclusion from a neighborhood and will pay a premium for that choice.
Hybrids vs. Heavy
Horsepower
As for energy consumption, houses
and cars have a different appeal to many consumers.
It’s hard to get everyone to
look at a hybrid as their ultimate dream car and socially responsible
transportation goal when you have society and entertainment icons like Paris
Hilton and Jennifer Lopez driving heavy horsepower Bentley “drop-head coupes”
(the British phrase for convertibles).
Even government figures that
preach conservation, then hop into a limousine or private jet are viewed as
hypocrites by those that have no option but to run their big SUVs because they
cannot afford to buy a more fuel-efficient car at this time.
How can they preach “buy
yourself a small hybrid” while they use up more fuel in one cross-country
flight than what the average consumer will purchase in a couple years? Also,
Nascar won’t be changing to hybrids any time soon.
The consumer market is too
segmented. The message for success that is amplified in the media is not living
in a harmonically even, eco-friendly neighborhood as much as it is screaming
for go-for-broke ambiance and individualism.
That image of ambiance is
manifested in a huge house, couple 500-horsepower cars, a floating mansion,
items like Greg Norman’s $70 million mega yacht and other non-green play toys.
Trend setters and
architectural futurists like Duany attempt to say the “young generation” will
be more focused on green and will be socially conscious on energy. I totally
disagree. I say look at the north suburban high school parking lots where one
parent from a
If you don’t think young
consumers are brand conscious, talk to the parents who have to buy
super-expensive North Face jackets for them because they would be ostracized at
high school wearing anything less.
If anything, younger
consumers will be hyper-sensitive to availability of bandwidth, home theatres
and other high-bandwidth consumption amenities that have yet to be developed
before they ask if the water heater or furnace are “energy efficient” or
solar-powered.
Bandwidth Will Be Key
Homes that have fiber to
the home (FTTH) are already perceived to have a higher value, according to
one of the panelists who spoke at the conference. That value is rising. Add
$5,000 to the price if it has FTTH. Add $7,000 in 2008. In a couple years, it
will be: “You don’t have FTTH? Here is an offer for $20,000 less.” Worse, it
could be: “Sorry. We’re just not interested at any price.”
Maybe we should start
mandating high-speed connectivity as part of the building codes for new
construction.
From a state standpoint, in
return for a statewide franchise that some incumbents want (like in HB 1500 in
The connection to work will
be virtual as more people telecommute and don’t depend on transportation. The
green achievement will be facilitated more through connectivity than through
everyone buying a hybrid. If everyone can telecommute to work one or two days a
week, that is a huge reduction in their energy expenditures.
As for community planning,
the need to understand the market is key.
I believe Duarny has many
good ideas. I just don’t think all people buying houses will settle for the
same elements and amenities he proposes. More architects and city planners must
realize that the old real estate adage of importance has changed from
“location, location, location” to “location, location, connectivity”.
Carlinism: Rules are made to be broken. Those who break them
sometimes create much better end results than the theorists and traditionalists
who made the rules.
Check out Carlini’s blog
at CarlinisComments.com.
James Carlini is an
adjunct professor at Northwestern University. He is also
president of Carlini & Associates. Carlini can be
reached at james.carlini@sbcglobal.net or
773-370-1888.
Click here for
Carlini’s full biography.
Copyright 2007 Jim Carlini
NAED Announces 2007-2008 Board of Directors
The National Association of
Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces its new Board of Directors for
2007-2008. Led by the NAED chair, the Board of Directors is a dedicated group
of industry leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to improve the
association and the electrical distribution channel.
The 2007-2008 NAED Chair of
the Board is Tammy Miller, CEO of Border States Electric Supply in
Active in NAED, she has been
a member of the association’s Board of Directors for the past eight years and
was Western Region Vice President. She has chaired the NAED Finance Committee
and Special Pricing Authorization (SPA) Distributor Task Force. She also serves
on the Channel Advantage Partnership Council. The first woman to serve as NAED
chair, Miller’s new role became official at the conclusion of the 2007 Annual
Meeting, held May 5 – 9 in
“As NAED begins the year-long
celebration of its 100th anniversary, we can take great pride in the
association’s commitment to the success of our members and the distribution
channel,” Miller said. Her theme for the year is “Honor Tradition. Ignite
Innovation.”
“NAED is working on many
tremendous initiatives that will ignite innovation in our channel to help
members be more profitable over the next century. The association truly is the
bridge in our channel that can bring together distributors, manufacturers,
software providers, marketing groups and others to tackle the tough issues,”
she said.
Richard (Dick) Waterman,
executive vice president and CEO of International Electric Supply Corp. (IESC),
will be Chair-Elect. He will work closely with Miller to prepare for assuming
NAED board leadership in 2008 - 2009.
IESC is the holding company
formed after the Rexel Group’s recent acquisition of GE Supply. Based in
Members of the 2007 - 2008 NAED Board of Directors
are:
Tammy Miller, NAED Chair,
Richard (Dick) Waterman, NAED
Chair-Elect, Rexel Inc.,
John Duda, NAED Past Chair,
Butler Supply Inc.,
Daniel Gray, NAED Eastern
Region Vice President, Independent Electric Supply,
Glenn Goedecke, NAED South
Central Region Vice President, Mayer Electric Supply Co.,
Thomas Isenberg, NAED Western
Region Vice President, Western Extralite Co.,
Richard Williams, NAED
Eastern Region Vice President-Elect, Dominion Electric Supply Co. Inc.,
Arlington, Va.
Barry Boyer, NAED South
Central Region Vice President-Elect, Van Meter Industrial Inc.,
Jack Henderson, NAED Western
Region Vice President-Elect, Hunzicker Brothers Inc.,
David White, NAED Member at
Large, Shealy Electrical Wholesalers Inc.,
Robert Reynolds, Jr., NAED
Member at Large, Graybar Electric Company Inc.,
Joe Huffman, NAED Member at
Large, Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc.,
Lawrence Stern, NAED Finance
Committee Chair, Standard Electric Supply Co.,
Jack Mumford, NAED Foundation
Chair, Western Region Sonepar
John Spoor, NAED Foundation Chair-Elect,
State Electric Supply Co.,
Larry Powers, NAED
Manufacturer Representative, Genlyte Group,
Todd Kumm, IDEA Vice Chair,
Dakota Supply Group,
Douglas Borchers, Your
Emerging Talent (YET) Chair, Dickman Supply, Inc.,
As the governing body of
NAED, the Board of Directors is accountable for the effective performance and
direction of the association, as well as communicating to the membership about
NAED’s activities and policies. Within the framework of the association’s
by-laws and policies, the Board of Directors determines measurements for
success, establishes policy imperatives, defines the organization’s vision for
the future, fulfills fiduciary obligations and serves as champions of the association.
NAED officers attend two NAED Board meetings a year and are encouraged to
attend all NAED Regional and Annual Meetings.
NAED is the trade association
for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry. Through networking,
education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps electrical distributors
increase profitability and improve the channel. NAED’s membership represents
approximately 4,200 locations internationally.
New Fiber Inspection And Cleaning Tools Eliminate The #1 Cause Of Fiber Cable Failure
Fluke
Networks, provider of innovative Network SuperVision Solutionstm for the
testing, monitoring and analysis of enterprise and telecommunications networks,
announces the availability of a new miniature video microscope and fiber optic
cleaning kits. These new products improve performance and reliability of
fiber optic links.
"By
far, the most common problem I see with fiber links is end-face
contamination," said Larry Johnson, President of fiber training company
Light Brigade. "And the problem is getting worse. Contamination and
end face damage increases attenuation, reflectance and can cause damage.
With higher network data rates the fiber links are even less tolerant of signal
loss. Proper cleaning techniques are essential, and safe end-face
inspection is critical."
New
inspection, cleaning tools result in better network performance
To help users get the
best performance from fiber links, Fluke Networks is introducing the
FiberInspector Mini, an exceptionally portable video microscope that lets users
view both multimode and singlemode end-faces in crisp detail.
FiberInspector Mini completely protects the user from exposure to harmful laser
light.
Also new
is the Fiber Optic Cleaning Kit. One element of the kit is a Fiber Optic
Solvent Pen which uses a plastic-safe solvent with superior cleaning properties
to isopropyl alcohol. Also included are Fiber Optic Cleaning Card and a
Fiber Optic Cleaning Cube, both of which provide cleaning and wiping surfaces
that are safe to fiber end-faces, and two sizes of Fiber Optic Swabs for
cleaning inside fiber ports. The kit includes a rugged carrying case, and
all items are also sold separately.
New
online instructional video shows best practices for cleaning fiber end-faces
An animated, interactive demonstration showing proper use all of Fluke
Networks' fiber inspection and cleaning tools is available at www.flukenetworks.com/fibercare.
Following the best practices shown in this online video ensures effective
removal of all types of contaminants and avoids costly, unexpected network
downtime.
Product
availability
Fluke Networks' new
FiberInspector Mini and Fiber Optic Cleaning Kit products are available for
immediate delivery from Fluke Networks' sales partners worldwide.
About
Fluke Networks
Fluke Networks provides innovative solutions for the installation and
certification, testing, monitoring and analysis of copper, fiber and wireless
networks used by enterprises and telecommunications carriers. The company's
comprehensive line of Network SuperVisiontm Solutions provide network
installers, owners, and maintainers with superior vision, combining speed,
accuracy and ease of use to optimize network performance. Headquartered in
Integrated Zone Cabling Solution
Remember the Titans, a movie released in 2000, focused on student
integration in 1971 at
Today the real
The cabling system consists
of an extensive fiber optic backbone and distribution system from one server
room to multiple zone boxes. Fiber optic
cable is the perfect medium for the long runs to the zone boxes. From each zone box, copper horizontal cable
provides data and video applications. Voice cabling was separately homerun from
the server room directly to the outlets.
Designing to LEED
Designing and building the
new school, which is adjacent to the existing school, took a lot of
coordination between all the contractors -- from the general contractor, Hensel
Phelps Construction Company to the low-voltage wiring group, M.C.Dean,
Inc. The school consists of three floors
and three wings of classrooms, labs and administration, as well as open areas,
such as a central living laboratory. This facility also complies with the U.S.
Green Building Council’s LEED’s rating program to achieve valuable ecological
efficiencies, such as water and energy.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design,
construction, and operation of high performance “green buildings.” LEED gives
building owners the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact
on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach
to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and
environmental health: site development, water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor environmental quality. In fact a new report, prepared by Capital E
(www.cap-e.com), “Greening America’s Schools Costs and Benefits” (October 2006)
documents the financial costs and benefits of green schools compared to
conventional schools and demonstrates that a “greening” school design provides
an extraordinarily cost-effective way to enhance student learning, reduce
health and operational costs and, ultimately, increase school quality and
competitiveness. For the
A 450,000-gallon underground
cistern was installed to collect rainwater from the building’s roof to store it
for toilet flushing, air-conditioning and irrigation. A roof garden cleanses roof-run-off before
draining to the storm sewer and provides a living laboratory for students.
While the adherence to the
LEED program will result in a more efficient water and energy usage, these
unique features created quite a challenge for planning cable pathways and
delivery of both the electrical and telecommunications services. Moseley Architects designed a zone cabling
environment, which allows all of the main data and voice termination to be
housed in one main server room (MDF). From there the data distribution cable,
or backbone, consisting of 12-strands of fiber optic cable, is pulled to the
zone boxes which are housed in the ceilings within the classrooms or
hallways.
Space efficiency with
Armored Cable
“The main design driver was
all about space efficiency, including honing the pathways to minimize the cable
bulk and eliminate intermediate termination closets,” states Douglas Stanley,
RCDD, Telecommunications Designer with M.C. Dean, Inc. (
“The original design included
the zone boxes fed by conduit occupied with standard 62.5 micron fiber optic
cables,” states Luigi Prezioso, Manager of the Telecommunications Group for
M.C. Dean, Inc. Protecting optical fiber
cables within the plenum space has traditionally meant using costly conduit or
innerduct. “By working with the City,
the architects, and Hensel Phelps, we went one step further to save even more
space and by specifying ArmorTek from Berk-Tek, which is an armored jacketed
cable, which totally eliminates the conduit, while providing excellent
protection of the fibers,” notes Prezioso.
“Additionally, armored fiber has been gaining popularity in riser and
plenum spaces due to its inherent qualities such as smaller size, extraordinary
strength, flexibility, easier and faster installation over conventional methods
– which includes installing a conduit and feeding the cable through it,” he
adds.
In addition to saving space,
the ArmorTek helped with the over all project schedule. It saved time by reducing the conduit
installation, in pulling the cable to each location as well as in the
termination procedures in the closet. “Like most installations, the contractor
likes the cabling to be installed from the top floor down. Since the third floor was scheduled to be
completed first and we didn’t want to slow up the schedule by having to wait on
the installation of the conduit, the ArmorTek was the perfect solution,” notes
Prezioso. “Obviously, the armored fiber
optic cable helped us simplify the schedule and conduct multiple activities
simultaneously, which allowed us to meet our deadline, but it also helped the
customer save real estate in the plenum areas,” he adds.
All fiber optic cable was
terminated into Ortronics’ OptiMo fiber cabinets in the one server room on the
second floor. “With armored cable, it can be pulled all the way into the rack,
stripped at the entrance of the fiber cabinet and safely terminated,” states
Rafael Rosa, Telecommunications Lead Technician for M.C. Dean, Inc.
Most of the ArmorTek was
pulled through the hallway drop ceilings and then fed into zone boxes, or
consolidation points, in the classrooms.
However, because the third floor had top side windows along the outer
hallways to provide natural light, the fiber distribution cabling had run
through the classroom ceilings. This had
to be carefully pre-planned so that it would not conflict with other
low-voltage cable services in the same space, such as lighting, audio/paging
and security applications. “Fiber
provides better immunity interferences such as EMI and other signal degradation
caused by close proximity to these cables,” adds
Zoning out
Although the original
TIA/EIA-568-A standard for telecommunications cabling specified direct runs from
the closet to the workstation outlets, the TSB75 supplement provided expanded
guidelines for horizontal cabling. The
TSB75 approved that a point of connect and disconnect could be allowed in the
open office between the telecommunications outlet and the telecommunications
closet. Zone cabling was originally made
popular as a flexible alternative to open offices. Since this addendum, the zone cabling concept
has become popular in other environments, such as schools and data centers, and
is not for just open offices anymore.
With zone cabling,
distribution cables (also called “feeder” cables) are run from the telecom
closet to a series of consolidation points to “feed” a cluster of
workstations. This layout eliminates
additional intermediate closets, as the termination field is located either in
the floor or in the ceiling’s zone boxes within 15 meters of the workstation
outlet. This topology also makes it
easier to make cable changes between the short runs from the consolidation
point to the outlet instead of throughout the entire horizontal run back to the
wiring closet. This cuts down on
installation time, labor and material costs and can result in significant cost
savings over the life of the cabling system.
Zone cabling was selected as
the ideal choice for T.C. Williams for both the space savings, by eliminating
closets, and due to the extended cable run lengths. “Since the design included horizontal distribution runs from the server
room to the data outlet that were well beyond the allowable 90-meter limitation
that industry standards set for copper cable, we used fiber,” states
Stanley. “With fiber, we could extend
the runs up to 300 meters, if needed,” he adds.
Therefore, instead of having
multiple closets with racks and multi-port patch panels taking up valuable
class, hallway or lab space, there were 141 consolidation boxes located in the
ceiling. One zone box could service one
to two classrooms, depending on the number of outlets needed. A typical classroom would require 7 data ports,
whereas lab and administration areas would require up to 40.
Connecting the dots
Each zone box measures 24” x
24” x14”, approximately the same size as a ceiling tile, and houses the active
and passive connectivity, and patching fields to convert the distribution of
services from fiber to copper Category 5e.
This includes a switch and an Ortronics Clarity5E 24-port copper patch
panel for the Category 5e cable.
“It’s as easy as connecting
the dots,” states Prezioso. “There are basically five rack spaces inside the
zone box. A bracket holds the switch,
which easily slides in front of the door.
The fiber cables are brought into the zone box to make fiber cable
termination simple. On the top is the
copper patch panel with cable managers to make the transition between the fiber
and the copper, neat and organized. Berk-Tek’s LANmark-350 Category 5e cable is
punched down in the back of the copper patch panel and goes directly to the
workstation outlet through a conduit in the wall,” he explains.
When added up, there are a
total of 3,384 SC fiber terminations, 1,602 total outlets and 2,377 Category 5e
jacks. The data system is a warranted
NetClear GT (enhanced Category 5e) system from Berk-Tek and Ortronics/Legrand,
which guarantees the installation workmanship,and products for the entire
channel – from the patch panel to the Ortronics Clarity5E TracJackÒ workstation outlet.
“For the voice, we ran
separate homeruns of Berk-Tek’s Category 3 to each voice outlet, which totaled
35 miles of voice cabling,” states
Graduating Up
Because of the fiber backbone
and ease of accessibility to the zone boxes (or CPs), the horizontal cable can
easily be upgraded in the future for higher bandwidth applications, on an
as-needed basis. In addition, they can
eventually eliminate the Category 3 runs for voice and install VoIP over the
data cabling by simply adding the electronics
connecting through the CPs to the workstations.
“That’s the beauty of the zone cabling topology – to allow upgrades
without having to run cable through out the building. Minimum disruption is certainly a concern in
all educational facilities,” states Prezioso.
“Zone cabling eliminates
downtime by minimizing network disruption and thereby maintains maximum network
productivity,” adds
At this high school, and
throughout the Alexandria City Public Schools system, is a Technology Integration
Project (TIP) to increase student achievement through the full integration of
technology as a tool for learning. By
providing every student with a laptop computer, the school system has made
technology as accessible as all other tools for learning. To provide Internet access, the new
Like the film, which won awards
and accolades for the screenplay and actors, M.C. Dean, Inc. has been
recognized for their collaborative and innovative design ideas and efficient
cabling layout. Watch for the premiere
of this new school in Fall 2007.
Reprinted with full permission of CI
& M Magazinehttp://cim.pennnet.com/home.cfm
Graybar Joins NEMA’s Associate Member Program
The National Electrical
Manufacturers Association (NEMA) today announced that Graybar has joined its
new associate member program. The program is designed to increase the value of
membership within NEMA while making the organization more inclusive and
representative of the electrical manufacturing and standards community.
Graybar, a Fortune 500
company, specializes in supply chain management services and is a leading North
American distributor of high-quality components, equipment, and materials for
the electrical and telecommunications industries.
“NEMA has been collaborating
with Graybar for a number of years,” said NEMA President and Chief Executive
Officer Evan Gaddis. ”We welcome Graybar as a team player in the manufacturing
and distribution community.”
Established in 1925, Graybar
procures, warehouses, and delivers electrical, communications, and data
products, components, and related services. With more than $5 billion in
revenue (2006), Graybar employs nearly 8,000 men and women at more than 250
distribution centers throughout the
NEMA is the trade association
of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and
headquartered near
ACI Communications Corporation: Off To Another Record-Breaking 2007 year!
We have just completed the
structured cabling and wireless data & voice communication system for Dr.
Nicolitz’s
ACI Communications
Corporation has just been awarded
the structured cabling for the voice and data communications contract for Dr.
Bowden’s new
In addition to ACI’s
medical division, the automotive division is having another record breaking
year. We have just completed the new telephone systems for the Coggin Auto Mall
in
ACI’s rapidly growing wireless LAN division has recently
completed projects for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, The City of
Jacksonville, Flagler College, NOVA Southeastern University and the structured
cabling and fiber optics for The Energy Authority in downtown Jacksonville.
In addition to these, ACI
has just completed the installation and networking for Adamec’s Harley
Davidson’s three showrooms in Jacksonville on Baymeadows, Wells Rd. and
Atlantic Blvd. including Adamec’s new Super Center on Baymeadows and I-95.
ACI also houses a wireless division that offers a full
line of wireless accessories including the newest technologies from
Sprint/Nextel. We specialize in helping
business’ increase productivity and gain a significant edge in the marketplace
while simultaneously saving our customers on their overall communication costs.
ACI Communications
Corporation designs, markets and
supports a full range of voice and data communications networks and systems for
the enterprise market.
With a backlog of automotive dealerships and surgery centers in hand, awaiting new facilities in 2007, it looks like it will be another record breaking year for Jacksonville based ACI Communications Corporation. WWW.ACICOM.NET
By
Hugo Draye
There is an old expression,
which says the hardest part of communicating with another person is the final
few inches from the listener’s ear to the brain. In some respects, the same is
true for today’s network.
The data centre, the cabling
and all the other hardware may be state-of -the art. But the last link between
the network and the user is the lowly, often forgotten patch cord. And that
last link, the patch cord, is very often the weakest link.
At slower network speeds, the
patch cord may not have been a major contributor to overall performance.
But with networks running
10GBASE-T, 1000BASE-T and now 10GBASE-T, the quality and performance of every
part of the network, including the patch cords, takes on added importance. As
with other parts of the network, testing to standards can show which patch
cords perform and which will not. And surprisingly, many brand new, just out of
the bag patch cords do not (more on that a little later.)
The permanent link and the
channel: Before looking at the
testing process for patch cords, let’s review how the rest of the cabling is
tested. Most new or modified structured cable links undergo a documented
certification test of the permanent link.
As the name implies, the
permanent link is that portion of the cabling installed on a permanent basis.
The cable itself is hidden within walls, under floors and in ceilings, routed
in cable trays and conduit. The permanent link is certified from one wall plate
jack to the other.
It is possible to certify a
link that includes the patch cords on either end. This is called testing the
channel, and is performed less frequently than a permanent link test.
A proper channel test
requires that the actual patch cords that will be used every day are included
during the test.
Two-person test crew
These patch cords must be
left in position following the test. It requires channel test adapters on the
test equipment to remove measurement effects introduced by the mating of the
patch cord to the jack in the channel adapters. It also involves a two-person
test crew, one on each end of the link.
There is another way to test
the complete channel. A compliant permanent link plus a compliant patch cord
will result in a compliant channel. Since the installer most likely certified
the permanent link, the tenant or the network manager can add a set of tested
patch cords and be assured that the entire link will be compliant to the
performance level for which it was tested.
So what is the right way to
test patch cords? Do new patch cords need to be tested? What about patch cords
that come with test documentation? Or patch cords that are made on site?
There are accepted industry
standards that define patch cord tests. TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 spells out the limits
for the two most important test parameters for patch cords, Near End Cross Talk
(NEXT) and Return Loss (RL).
An up-to-date certification
tool designed to test patch cords can compare test results with acceptable
limits, but the operator should know a few things.
Patch cords tend to be very
short, typically under three metres. What happens near the ends is more severe,
more detectable and more impactful than the phenomena, which occurs in the
middle of the cable.
This means the quality of the
termination between the cable and the plug is absolutely essential to the patch
cord’s performance.
To properly test the patch
cord, all measurement interference from the test tool must be eliminated, while
every aspect of the patch cord must be included. This requires a dedicated
patch cord adapter on the tester that uses an ideal “reference jack” as defined
by standards.
This reference jack is the
same type used in permanent links, and is performance tested before and after
assembly in the adapter.
The goal is to have the
highest possible “Mated Connection Performance” between the eight exposed
conductors on the patch cord and the matching conductors in the test adapter.
Without this Mated Connection
Performance, RL and NEXT measurements will not be accurate.
This also explains why patch
cords cannot be tested with channel adapters on the test instrument. Channel
adapters are designed to discard the measurement effects of the jack, which is
exactly what must be tested when looking at a patch cord.
Channel adapters also test to
a standard, which assumes long length and multiple connections. The patch cord
standard assumes a very short length and no other connections. This means the
pass/fail limits for a patch cord are higher than that for the channel. If a
user tests a patch cord using channel adapters, a poor quality patch cord could
easily be identified as passing and installed in the system.
Note of caution
As noted above, new
installations are typically certified by the installer. The time to test the
patch cords is when the network manager starts connecting new devices to the
cabling.
A properly conducted patch
cord test requires only one operator, and the addition of affordable adapters
can turn an existing certification tool into a standards-compliant patch cord
tester.
But a note of caution is
required here. Today’s certification tools and adapters can test patch cords
for Cat 5e and Cat 6. As the standards for Cat 6A are not yet complete, there
is not viable way to field test patch cords to Cat 6a.
Cable manufacturers can test
their Cat 6A patch cords with their own connectors, but at this point, these
tests should be considered proprietary due to lack of a finished standard.
Earlier in this article
reference was made to some brand new, right out of the bag patch cords failing
to meet performance standards.
The test consisted of 149 new
patch cords purchased from 34 distributors, assembly houses, retail outlets and
catalogue outlets, all tested with a certification tool using patch cord test
adapters.
The results were surprising
and not encouraging. Category 5e tests revealed a 69.8% failure rate. Category
6 cord requirements are much more strict, and the data showed that 83% of Cat 6
cords tested did not meet the TIA requirements. These failure rates were
roughly equivalent across all purchase channels.
Category 6 failures were
predominately NEXT issues; however, many failed both NEXT and RL. No Cat 6
cords failed RL alone. Failed Category 5e cords had smaller failure margins,
with NEXT and RL problems more evenly distributed. Many failing cords exhibited
damaged or deformed cable, inconsistent assembly techniques, and too tightly
coiled packaging.
It was apparent that most
cord assemblers do not have the proper manufacturing processes or testing
capability to consistently produce compliant Cat 5e or Cat 6 cords.
One Cat 5e assembler had 100%
passing samples. They use high quality bulk cable and plugs, combined with good
handling, assembly, and packaging techniques.
Another assembler uses
similar techniques to produce Category 6 cords. It is possible to produce high
volume, fully compliant Category 5e and 6 patch cords if the proper cable,
plugs, assembly methods, and test gear is used.
Some people prefer to make
their own patch cords, and based on the data above, there appears to be some
reason to think that is a good idea. However, the data collected from Fluke
Networks’ tests shows that self-made patch cords generally have worse
performance than manufactured patch cords, and rarely justify the time,
materials and level of experience needed.
Patch cords are designed to
be made with stranded cable. This version of UTP is far more flexible than the
solid cable used in the permanent link. Do not make the mistake of using a
length of standard UTP and mating it with patch cord plugs.
The plug and crimp tool was
not designed to be used with solid wire, and the resulting connection will
likely fail a performance test. The cord itself will also be prone to
mechanical failure as the solid wire fatigues from flexing and eventually
cracks. If a handmade patch cord must be used, the safe approach is to test it.
Even though patch cords get
used, abused and overlooked, there are several things that can be done to make
strengthen this link:
- Make sure that all permanent links have been
certified. This is an essential part of every installed or modified link.
- Before attaching equipment to the permanent link,
test the patch cords.
- Patch cords should be tested using a
certification tool with patch cord adapters. Do not perform a channel test
on a patch cord.
- Test new patch cords. Some new cords are
susceptible to failure.
- Hand built cords are also prone to failure. If
they must be used, make sure they are tested
Hugo
Draye is Marketing Manager for Fluke Networks’ Certification Tools. With over
20 years of industry experience, Draye frequently lectures at industry seminars
and conferences and his articles appear regularly in the trade press. www.flukenetworks.com
Reprinted with full
permission of CNS Magazine – www.cnsmagazine.com
General Cable Acquires Global Offshore Cable Supplier
General Cable
Corporation (NYSE:BGC - News) announced today that it
has agreed to acquire Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke GmbH & Co. KG (NSW),
located in Nordenham, Germany from Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW - News). The transaction is
expected to close Monday, April 30, 2007. NSW had revenues of approximately
$120 million in 2006.
"With
more than 100 years of experience, NSW has tremendous technical expertise
offering complete solutions for submarine cable systems including the
manufacturing, engineering, seabed mapping, project management, and
installation for the offshore communications, energy exploration, transmission,
distribution, and alternative energy markets," said Gregory B. Kenny,
President and Chief Executive Officer of General Cable. NSW is a leading global
supplier of offshore communications, power and control cables as well as aerial
cables for power utility communication and control networks. NSW has been in
operation since 1899 and is situated in an ideal location with a deep-sea pier
capable of loading cable laying ships directly from their production facility
on the North Sea in northern
NSW
is also a market leader for a variety of specialty products including
specialized high-end winding wire for high voltage motor applications and
specialty extrusions for various filtration and waste water treatment applications.
"General
Cable is very pleased to have the NSW team join our global organization. NSW's
highly regarded technology platform and brand name combined with General
Cable's vast array of complementary products, marketing and logistics strengths
will provide a more complete solution which will be sold globally to these
expanding markets," said Domingo Goenaga, President and Chief Executive
Officer, General Cable Europe.
With nearly $3.7 billion of annual revenues and over 8,000 employees, General Cable is a global leader in the