Cabling Installation & Maintenance articles from December 2006

Cabling Installation & Maintenance archives from December 2006

Let your voice of experience be heard.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... In the last two issues of this magazine, our monthly columnist, Donna Ballast, addressed what she has coined the "wet link phenomena." In October, she introduced us all to the issue, which develops when water-based cable-pulling lubricants are...

PoE and the NEC: a prelude.(Ask DONNA)(Power over Ethernet, National Electrical Code )
December 1, 2006... Last month, in continuing to report on the Wet Link Phenomena, I heavily referenced different parts of the National Electrical Code (NEC). One notation I made at the very end of my reporting, which did not make it into the final cut of the...

Why shielded twisted-pair matters for 10Gbase-T: considering performance, density, and speed of installation, the advantages of foiled cable are undeniable.(design)
December 1, 2006... While Category 6A unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling is getting a lot of attention these days, we believe foiled UTP (F/UTP) is a more viable alternative for running 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) over copper. Elimination of alien crosstalk...

The loose-tube advantage for data center applications: the traditional round cable goes head-to-head with ribbon fiber in terms of value and performance.(installation)
December 1, 2006... A data center is at the heart of many successful enterprise business processes. As such, it needs to operate at 100% efficiency. Dubbed the "factory floor of the Information Age," the data center can house one company's data storage or host...

Outside-plant system design is an ageless art and science: from its beginnings in the Bell System to its applications today, the outside plant has always required specialized skill and expertise.(technology)
December 1, 2006... The set of knowledge and skills required to accurately design a customer-owned outside-plant (OSP) cabling system has roots that date back more than one-and-a-half centuries, to the first telegraph system. Lessons learned and best-practices...

Paging systems alert: new features abound: still-popular analog paging systems have adapted to meet user demands.(security)
December 1, 2006... Over the past five years, the market for paging systems has grown substantially as customers realize the value of effectively alerting everyone in a building during an emergency. "Paging is the absolute best way to notify everyone," says...

Power over Ethernet pioneer PowerDsine acquired by IC manufacturer Microsemi.(INDUSTRY spotlight)
December 1, 2006... PowerDsine (www.powerdsine.com), the company whose unwritten mission is to turn the RJ-45 interface into a universal receptacle for the transmission of power to networked devices, is being acquired by integrated-circuit and semiconductor...

San Francisco, CA--a prototype portable data center, "Project Blackbox," has been unveiled by Sun Microsystems (www.sun.com).(Short runs ...)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO, CA--A prototype portable data center, "Project Blackbox," has been unveiled by Sun Microsystems (www.sun.com). Aimed at such applications as military and oil platforms, the mobile data center is housed in a standard shipping...

Germantown, MD--tapping into powerline communications technology (PLC), Telkonet's (www.telkonet.com) iWire system is using high-speed broadband access via existing electrical infrastructure to provide energy management and control for a 500-unit luxury apartment complex on New York's Roosevelt Island.(Short runs ...)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... GERMANTOWN, MD--Tapping into powerline communications technology (PLC), Telkonet's (www.telkonet.com) iWire system is using high-speed broadband access via existing electrical infrastructure to provide energy management and control for a...

Santa Clara, CA--a recent multivendor interoperability test at Isocore Internetworking Lab (www.isocore.com) sought to validate Internet-protocol television IPTV service delivery over Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) and hybrid optical transport networks.(Short runs ...)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... SANTA CLARA, CA--A recent multivendor interoperability test at Isocore Internetworking Lab (www.isocore.com) sought to validate Internet-protocol television IPTV service delivery over Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) and hybrid optical...

Allendale, NJ--an RFID wireless network for MedStar Health in Washington, DC features more than 40 Dataprobe (www.dataprobe.com) iBoot network monitoring devices dispersed throughout the facility to enable remote management of critical equipment.(Short runs ...)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... ALLENDALE, NJ--An RFID wireless network for MedStar Health in Washington, DC features more than 40 Dataprobe (www.dataprobe.com) iBoot network monitoring devices dispersed throughout the facility to enable remote management of critical...

Cranmer appointed BICSI's executive director.(INDUSTRY spotlight)(Building Industry Consulting Services, International)(David C. Cranmer)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... BICSI's executive board of directors has named David C. Cranmer, RCDD, the association's new executive director, effective January 1. Cranmer has served as interim executive director since June. "After a thorough search of many qualified...

Tension relievers: ever-faithful cable pullers: a sampling of everything from complete pulling and labeling systems, to traditional fish poles for hard-to-reach installations, to mini-lubricants for your tool belt.(product update)
December 1, 2006... The more things change, the more they stay the same" is a saying well-suited to cable-pulling and its equipment. But while some tools of the trade have remained as popular and effective now as they were when introduced years ago, advanced...

Industrial Ethernet cabling.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... New additions to the line of DataTuff Industrial Ethernet cables include: a LSZH unshielded Category 5e featuring 24 AWG solid bare copper conductors with rip cord, polyolefin insulation, and a .030-inch industrial-grade, sunlight-resistant...

Foiled twisted-pair solution.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The Uniprise foiled twisted-pair (FTP) solution is designed to address cabling needs for automotive, industrial and government installations. It includes Category 6 and 5e cabling, patch cords, modular patch panels, and information outlets....

IP audio amplifier.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The ii3-ESS IP audio amplifier module is designed to transform LANs and WANs into IP-based public address systems. It creates zoned paging to drive a single 8-[OMEGA] speaker, or multiple speakers in an array. With a maximum output of 20 watts,...

Coax cable stripper.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The Model 824 portable coax cable stripper can process material from .030 to .430-inch OD, including RGU, semi-rigid, plenum, and heliax. Featuring an all-metal cutter head, the tool is built to strip up to four levels in less than five seconds...

10-Gig cable certifier.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... Built to provide standards-compliant 10-Gbit/sec certification supporting cabling from 10 Mbits/sec to 10-GbE, the DTX CableAnalyzer 10-Gig Certification Kit consists of a set of communications modules that snap in to the company's DTX-1800...

Low-profile fusion splicer.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The Fitel S122M12 is a portable mass fusion splicer for single fibers up to 12-fiber ribbon, and designed to deliver a 15-second splice and 45-second heat time for 12-fiber ribbon. According to the company, the splicer incorporates...

Multi-length cable ties.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... Available in lengths of 4 to 11 inches, these cable ties feature tensile strength ranging from 18 to 50 pounds. They are especially suited for temporary securing needs, and come in multiple packaging options that include polybag, reusable...

Hybrid fiber breakout box.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... Designed to allow distribution of high-definition (HD) cameras over existing fiber tie-lines, the portable SMPTE 304M is a 4.5-inch single-channel hybrid fiber breakout box. Each hybrid connector breaks out to two ST female connectors on a...

Horizontal managers.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... Injection-molded E Series horizontal wire managers are designed to smooth the installation and rework of cables on a standard 19-inch rack. Extra wide spacing between fingers and smooth edges are designed for easy routing of cable bundles,...

Handheld RF power meter.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The Model 3500 portable RF power meter is designed to provide the accuracy of a benchtop RF power meter while in the field. With a frequency range of 10 MHz to 6 GHz, the Model 3500 is built for such applications as WLAN and WiMax devices, and...

Wireless device server.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The XPress DR+ Wireless is a DIN-rail mounted WiFi 802.11 device server capable of connecting industrial equipment to the LAN or Internet. The server can connect directly to equipment on the factory floor, or out in the field, and present a...

Data center power manager.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... The 5250 Series of enterprise AC power control devices is designed to provide remote power management for intelligent power distribution in the data center or remote equipment closet. Available in both horizontal and vertical designs, the 5250...

Audio, data fiber links.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... DVM-1000 Series devices provide fiber-optic links for video, audio, and data. The basic 9-bit video/24-bit audio unit supports one video, two audio, and three data channels. The DVM-1500 bi-directional device supports one video, four audio, and...

CAD labeling software.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... CAD-Connect labeling software is designed to generate labels quickly within programs such as AutoCAD and Visio. It combines a proprietary wizard interview process with the company's EasyMark labeling software to capture and organize identifiers...

LCD monitor mounts.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... This new line of LCD monitor mounts is designed to deliver excellent viewing angles for security and control room applications. The tilt-mount, single-arm wall-mount, and dual-arm articulating wall-mount devices are UL-listed, rated up to 90...

MDU multi-provider module.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... Based on designs from InfiniSys, these Multi-Provider voice modules for the company's SOHO Access line of enclosures provide a centralized distribution of phone services in multi-dwelling unit (MDU) installations. Each module is designed to...

MoCA diplexers.(New Products)
December 1, 2006... C60349, C6-58, and CX6077 diplexers for Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) applications are designed to enable RF distribution of enhanced triple play (voice, data, and video) services. Used in network interface devices, video over telephone,...