Designing Structured Cabling Systems

Although there has been a significant increase in wireless technology solutions for both home and office use, the need for a high performing Structured Cabling System (SCS) within a building remains high. The demand for high bandwidth from ‘data hungry’ applications continues to increase and the need for cabling system performance to remain ahead of network topology continues to be a fundamental principle of high performance infrastructure design.
 
‘Convergence’ is used to describe the migration of voice, security and audio visual solutions to IP (Internet Protocol) based solutions, which typically run over a single converged data network. As this convergence takes place, there are opportunities to run these services over a single SCS within a coordinated overall model. Such an approach can generate significant cost savings: not only do the quantities of cabling reduce but also associated infrastructure solutions are subsequently downsized. Most visible is the reduction in the number of patch panel and other data termination boards within the IT Patch Rooms.
 
However, converging the many services over a single SCS concentrates the risk and therefore it is essential to evaluate all of the data needs in order to develop an appropriate specification. The key points to consider when designing a Structured Cabling Solution are as follows:
 

1. Bandwidth – It should be determined how much bandwidth each application or product will need to run effectively. This will allow a cabling specification to be selected (Cat6A, Cat6, Cat5e, Fibre, etc.) as well as determining overall quantity and types of cables.
2. Cable lengths – Depending on the application then all cables have a maximum length over which the application will operate. Typically copper (UTP) cabling is limited to 90m whereas fibre can transmit up to 2km without performance issues.
3. Termination types – There are a number of different termination types for the various cabling media and so the required type needs to be specified. Category 6 UTP most commonly terminates on RJ45 ports whereas fibre is SC, ST or LC type.
4. Future proofing – To lay more cables after a SCS has been deployed is a costly and inconvenient exercise and therefore the solution that is deployed should consider not only current requirements but an estimation of future demands. Due to the pace of change of technology this can be a difficult exercise and so it is often best to scale up the backbone solution by utilising fibre.

In summary, there is a greater demand on the capacity of the SCS in order to provide the essential technology services within building solutions. Despite wireless technologies becoming more common the capacity of the SCS is increasing as applications and services demand greater bandwidth that only physical cabling can provide. Savings can be made with a coordinated SCS design and this approach is essential to manage the risk of a single infrastructure solution.
 
For further information on specifying structured cabling solutions within your building contact Technology Moves Consulting.
 
 
Written by:         Steve Taylor

Date: 29/09/2008