- Standardization: Structured cabling has been supported by standards since 1990, and professionals working in the field are generally familiar with the values, terms, and limits. This has allowed installations to grow with a high degree of quality, capacity, and equivalence. - Oversizing: One of the main challenges of structured cabling is longevity. In this case, longevity doesn't mean lasting a long time, but rather the ability to accommodate new applications, network speeds, etc., throughout its lifespan. What appears to be oversizing at the time of installation proves suitable for the future, as it protects the investment and minimizes costs associated with future upgrades. This characteristic has allowed low-speed and low-bandwidth signals to be easily accommodated, primarily in twisted-pair cables.
Alongside these two factors that drove physical convergence (different protocols, encodings, and analog and digital transmission types over the same type of cable), another phenomenon is occurring that promotes logical convergence, accelerating the use of multiple services over structured cabling. This phenomenon is known as "Everything over IP," and it's as rapid as the evolution of the internet itself. Today, IP phones and cameras are commonplace, and automation systems like sensors and controllers are evolving in the same direction. For structured cabling, which has always handled Ethernet and IP connections (today, the two are often confused despite operating at different layers), this change is seamless.
A good structured cabling project considers not only voice and data signals but also CCTV cameras (analog or IP), wireless network access points (Wi-Fi), access controls and sensors, and the lighting and air conditioning system, among others. Video signals, which are demanding in their transmission and could not previously be handled by cabling, are being integrated as media become more bandwidth-intensive and the process of transporting over IP is realized.
Transmission Media.
The two most common transmission media in structured cabling are copper twisted-pair cables and fiber optic cables. Despite being a common medium on the market, coaxial cable has a small share in this specific sector, although its use is important in video connections.
Twisted-pair cable has evolved considerably since its conception for telephone networks, and today it is very different from the original. Despite maintaining the same principles, its role as a transmitter of low-frequency analog signals has radically changed to the transport of high-frequency digital signals. Signal encoding, noise cancellation, and echo cancellation place such demands on the processors in network cards, cables, and connectors that we have never been closer to the tipping point for fiber optics than we are today.
Fiber optics is gaining significant traction in mission-critical facilities such as data centers. The optical medium has always been ideal for extended periods, as it better supports increases in network speeds.
Currently, the most modern transmission media used in data centers, mission-critical systems, and all those that aim to protect investment and facilitate future migrations are Category 6A twisted-pair cables (Augmented Category 6) and optical cables with OM4 fibers.
The first type can be used in networks up to 10 Gbps and has a usable bandwidth of 500 MHz. The main concern in developing this cable category was minimizing a phenomenon known as Alien Cross-Talk (AXT), where noise generated by adjacent wire pairs, rather than those within the cable itself, can interfere with communications. The best way to block this interference is shielding with metallized tape, which, in addition to being economical and easy to handle, is still very effective.
On the other hand, OM4 multimode optical fiber is capable of transmitting 100 Gbps up to a distance of 150 m, an extremely high rate that will soon be commonplace in data centers. In addition to being faster, these fibers are more robust and flexible. Currently, some fibers can wrap around a small coin, thus facilitating installation in homes or minimizing the challenges of managing numerous cables in confined spaces.
The evolution of optical media is not limited to fibers alone, but also extends to connectivity. Along with the need for higher transmission rates came the need for increased connection density and parallel transmission. The answer to these needs was MPO (Multi-Fiber Push-On). The large number of fibers combined with the small footprint is driving very high levels of port and connection density, thus facilitating network expansion with space efficiency and high performance, as it is the optical interface of choice for 40 and 100 Gbps networks.
Special environments
place high demands on communications and can be considered "mission-critical," requiring them to be more reliable, available, and very fast. Three mission-critical special environments stand out: data centers, hospitals, and industrial facilities.
Their systems must differ from those of commercial or residential buildings. Above-average quality levels are required for everything from power supply, air conditioning, civil construction, and cabling to the design, products, and services themselves. In the United States, each of these areas has even earned its own specific standards and telecommunications infrastructure: TIA-942 (Data Centers), TIA-1005 (Industry), and TIA-1179 (Healthcare-Related Facilities).
Mission-critical means greater availability, fewer outages, and more network reliability. Two such facilities have much in common regarding cabling planning and usage: data centers and hospitals.
- Both have their own standards: this means that the generic cabling standard is insufficient to meet their specific demands;
- Their primary activity is related to services that cannot be interrupted;
- More robust cabling: higher-performance transmission media such as Category 6A cables and OM4 fibers are required to provide the highest possible speed, future compatibility, and availability. Redundant and separate routing is also recommended for the design of these solutions, which guarantee a lower incidence of single points of failure.
The approach we must take is no different for security and monitoring rooms, tunnel control, road and mine access, radio and television stations, and other locations that can be classified as mission-critical and requiring high availability. For these environments, as well as for other installations, cabling deserves a unique and specialized approach, just like the environments themselves.
