Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Structured Cabling has become the watchword of the cabling industry. Today's
structured cabling systems offer the promise, no, the
guarantee
of a consistent high-
performance wiring infrastructure that can support a very wide variety of data and
voice communications functions. The structured system is a boon for both equip-
ment manufacturers and communication system users, because it provides a com-
mon, predictable medium for interconnecting high-speed computers and
workstations, as well as low-tech voice and fax, and medium-speed wide area net-
work (WAN) circuits (such as DSL and T1). One structure can support virtually all
applications.
That is the ideal, and it is deliverable with properly designed and installed
structured cabling. There are several systems of structured cabling, but the current
“king of the hill” is called ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 (alternately referred to simply as TIA-
568). This key standard has been the guiding light of the data cabling industry since
its inception. Created and managed by what is now the TR 42 Standards Committee
of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the standard has undergone
many addenda, revisions, and technical bulletins. Beginning with the pivotal “-A”
revision, the 568 standard has dominated the implementation and development of
cabling infrastructure and considerably influenced many associated standards, such
as IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, which it was arguably created to support, and IEEE 802.5
Token-Ring. Its international, European-based counterpart is ISO/IEC 11801, and
provisions of both are carefully coordinated to support a host of interfaces, appli-
cations, cable types, testing parameters, and connecting devices.
With the “-B” revision, known as TIA-568-B, the standard took on a multifac-
eted character. Rather than try to coordinate the diverse technological progression
of structured cabling designers and the copper/fiber dichotomy, the TR 42 commit-
tee elected to split the standard into multiple subsections, each with its own stand-
ing body and revision process. The result was a triumvirate of standards,
TIA-568-B.1, -B.2, and -B.3, supporting overall system design standards, copper
cabling components, and fiber cabling components, respectively. Each standard divi-
sion proceeded independently of the others, although the overall goal remains to
revise the overall standard on approximately a 4-year cycle.
Now the latest “-C” revision is upon us, and a new section, called “C.0” has
been added. The C.0 section will cover generic cabling information, while the C.1
section will continue to cover the current design standards for commercial building
telecom cabling, as well as supporting newly emerging ones. The draft revisions of
all four sections of TIA-568-C are in various stages of the approval process. The end
result will be a more comprehensive standard that extends the structured cabling
system for several of the latest applications, including 10 gigabit fiber, copper, and
coax.
