Cabling Installation & Maintenance articles from May 2007

Cabling Installation & Maintenance archives from May 2007

The cabling industry as an example.(Conference news)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... 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 page 35). While that article extensively...

Inside the numbers: 10-GbE cost comparisons: this vendor roundtable discussion provides perspective on the pricing issues associated with different 10-Gigabit Ethernet media choices.(design)(Cover story)(Discussion)
May 1, 2007... As a technical undertaking, 10GBase-T is an accomplishment of significant proportions. The engineering efforts required to create a protocol for transmitting 10 billion bits of data per second on eight copper wires are worthy of celebration and...

Pre-terminated solutions: think 'quick': available in copper and fiber media, pre-terminated systems promise to save time and money.(installation)
May 1, 2007... As a designer or installer working on a new or retrofitted data center, certain critical issues can keep you up at night: "Will the system work when it goes live? Will it live up to performance claims? How will we stay on schedule and within...

Recable the Titans with a zone solution: the high school made famous on the silver screen is moving to a new facility, and integrating zone-cabling solutions with armored fiber-optic cable.(technology)
May 1, 2007... Remember the Titans, a movie released in 2000, focused on student integration in 1971 at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. At that time, three area high schools were combined into one campus--T.C. Williams High School--to achieve...

Metrics and efficiency the future of data centers: the keynote address at a data center conference outlined the causes of, and pointed toward cures for, power-consumption woes.(data centers)
May 1, 2007... Attendees at the Data Center World conference and exhibition in late March had the opportunity to hear presentations and visit product displays focusing on the cabling systems, structured or unstructured, that support data-center operations....

WLAN planning moves to RF coverage software: with traditional site surveys offering little value, RF coverage software can provide a more effective way to design the wireless LAN.(wireless)
May 1, 2007... When planning a wireless local area network (WLAN), radio-frequency (RF) site surveys are a common method for determining the best location for a given wireless access point (WAP). But conducting an RF site survey in the traditional manner of...

IP video surveillance, mesh network installation aid Dallas police crime watch.(INDUSTRY spotlight)
May 1, 2007... A wireless video surveillance network for the Dallas Police Department, designed to help reduce crime in the Texas city's central business district, combines wireless Internet protocol (IP) video surveillance with multi-service mesh technology....

Structured cabling solution extends reach to security markets.(INDUSTRY spotlight)(alliances of Berk-Tek Inc. and Ortronics Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The NetClear structured cabling solution, an alliance between Ortronics/Legrand (www.ortronics.com) and Berk-Tek (www.nexans.com), now includes security and surveillance applications designed to operate over Internet protocol (IP), including...

Mayville, WI--among several recent acquisition and business expansion announcements in the cabling industry, rack and cabinet maker Mayville Products Corp. (www.mayvilleproducts.com) has acquired EMI Security Products business from APW Ltd., which has provided CCTV camera housings to the security marketplace since 1985.(Short runs ...)
May 1, 2007... MAYVILLE, WI -- Among several recent acquisition and business expansion announcements in the cabling industry, rack and cabinet maker Mayville Products Corp. (www.mayvilleproducts.com) has acquired EMI Security Products business from APW Ltd.,...

Network infrastructure products provider CommScope (www.commscope.com) plans to acquire substantial assets of Signal Vision Inc., whose products include digital passives, indoor amplifiers, and addressable taps for the broadband radio frequency subscriber market.(Short runs ...)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... * Network infrastructure products provider CommScope (www.commscope.com) plans to acquire substantial assets of Signal Vision Inc., whose products include digital passives, indoor amplifiers, and addressable taps for the broadband radio...

Coleman Cable.(Short runs ...)
May 1, 2007... * Coleman Cable (www.colemancable.com) plans to acquire all the equity interests in Copperfield LLC, one of the largest private fabricators and insulators of copper electrical wire and cable in the U.S. Copperfield sells its wire and cable...

Open platform IP video surveillance software developer Milestone Systems (www.milestonesys.com) has expanded its European presence by opening an office in Bayern, Germany.(Short runs ...)(Stefan Teuber and Martin Kaufmann appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... * Open platform IP video surveillance software developer Milestone Systems (www.milestonesys.com) has expanded its European presence by opening an office in Bayern, Germany. In addition, Stefan Teuber, previously of Sanyo, has been named sales...

San Juan, PR--with a goal to deliver "the greatest technological breakthroughs in our industry in a professional and constructive atmosphere," the inaugural Caribbean Telecommunications Conference (www.ctc.bz) will be June 6-8 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center.(Short runs ...)
May 1, 2007... SAN JUAN, PR -- With a goal to deliver "the greatest technological breakthroughs in our industry in a professional and constructive atmosphere," the inaugural Caribbean Telecommunications Conference (www.ctc.bz) will be June 6-8 at the Puerto...

Washington, DC--a study sponsored by the Fiber To The Home Council (www.ftthcouncil.org) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; www.tiaonline.org) finds that the number of U.S. homes receiving video, Internet, and voice services over fiber-optic connections has doubled over the past year.(Short runs ...)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON, DC -- A study sponsored by the Fiber To The Home Council (www.ftthcouncil.org) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; www.tiaonline.org) finds that the number of U.S. homes receiving video, Internet, and voice...

Software technology integrates data center design, monitoring, management.
May 1, 2007... In support of what it's calling an "enterprise software strategy for efficient management of company-wide IT physical infrastructure," APC (www.apcc.com) has introduced InfraStruXure Central v4.0, a redesigned platform for the integration and...

Custom cable facility speeds turnaround.(Liberty Wire and Cable)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A recently expanded Custom Facility at Liberty Wire & Cable's (www.libertycable.com) Colorado Springs, CO headquarters will help company technicians hand-craft specialty cable assemblies for installers within a 72-hour turnaround. Liberty,...

Dual media converter.(New Products)(Stratos Optical Technologies )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... This dual-channel media device converts T-1 data rates to fiber-optic cable. Integrating into the backshell of an HMA Expanded Beam bulkhead connector, the Dual T1 Media Converter is designed for tactical communication applications, and is now...

Coax for WLAN.(New Products)(Telegartner Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... RF coaxial connectors from the company's N, TNC, and SMA Series are designed to connect antennas, access points, and circuit cards to wireless LANs (WLAN). To prevent incorrect or improper components from being connected, these devices offer...

Angled Cat 6A, 7 panel.(New Products)(Siemon Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... An angled version of the company's TERA-MAX modular patch panel is designed to support Category 6A 10G 6A F/UTP (screened) and Category 7 (shielded) TERA solutions. According to the company, the panel's 1U, 24-port configuration allows patch...

Automatic transfer PDU.(New Products)(Tripp Lite introduces metered power distribution units)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Four of the company's eight new metered power distribution units (PDU) include dual-power inputs with automatic transfer switch (ATS) functionality, with two of the four adding IP-based remote monitoring and control. Supporting 19-inch rack,...

Industrial cabling.(New Products)(Turck Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Built for industrial installations where weld sparks and slag accumulation are common, DeviceNet cables are now available with thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) jackets, able to withstand up to two million cycles of continuous bending, flexing, and...

Test kit access card.(New Products)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Repeater Access Card plugs into T-l, 56 KB, HDSL, and ISDN apparatus cases for easy access to wiring via an RJ-45 port. Plug the Access Card into mini T-1 slots to verify wiring and perform cable loss testing. The kit includes access cords...

Electro-optical assembly.(New Products)(Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... ZLynx fiber-optic cables with integrated electrical-optical-electrical (EOE) assemblies are designed to drive interconnect reach in the data center 10x further than copper while eliminating weight, interference, and flexibility concerns as the...

Cable tie remover.(New Products)(ACT Fastening Solutions)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... This hand tool is designed to safely remove cable ties and plastic strapping. Smooth safety guards provide added protection as they slide behind the strap to prevent the sharp blades from contacting bundled items. The tool features an ergonomic...

Steel conduit coupler.(New Products)(Allied Tube and Conduit Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Kwik-Fit compression EMT has an integrated steel compression coupling designed to significantly reduce installation time and eliminate the need to purchase/store separate couplings. The all-steel Kwik-Fit requires only one gland nut to be...

Direct-buried cable.(New Products)(Belden Wire and Cable Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Designed to be installed inside or out, and above or below ground, Waterdog cables are suitable for interbuilding connection of management services, such as remote surveillance and indoor security monitoring applications. This line of cables...

Thru-panel terminal.(New Products)(BlockMaster Electronics)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Providing a current-carrying capacity of 60 amps at 600 volts, the Series OTB-357 terminal block is suitable for motor control, power supply, and power distribution design. It accepts wires from 3 to 10 AWG, and includes a snap cover for...

Snap-in bundlers.(New Products)(Cablofil Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Cablo Snap secures cable bundles to wire cable tray, eliminating over-tightened cable ties. An extra-wide, flared design helps eliminate pinched data cables that can hinder signal delivery. To install, snap over cables and squeeze to the...

Adjustable racks.(New Products)(Chatsworth Products Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Available in four heights and four depths, the adjustable ServerRack and Quadra Rack feature integrated grounding and bonding, such as ground terminal block and antioxidant joint compound. Designed for secure structural support to organize and...

Low-loss plug-and-play.(New Products)(Corning Cable Systems)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... With a maximum module loss of 0.5 dB and a total system link loss of 1.0 dB, the Plug & Play Universal System is designed to meet 10-Gbit performance demands. These pre-terminated optical-fiber cabling systems are built to streamline the...

Wall-mountable housing.(New Products)(Corning Cable Systems)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Pretium wall-mountable connector housing family provides interconnect or cross-connect capabilities between the outside plant, riser or distribution cables, and the optoelectronics. The housing can be mounted in main cross-connects or...

Bend-resistant fiber.(New Products)(Fujikura Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... FutureGuide SR7.5 is a bend-resistant fiber with a minimum bend radius of 7.5 mm. Available in a MageTsuyo SR7.5 patch cord, the flexible fiber is designed to return to its original condition after being twisted or bent. Applications include...

Visual fault locator.(New Products)(Fiber Instrument Sales Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... An MTRJ version of the company's visual fault locator includes a 1-mW fiber-coupled laser that produces 650-nm visible red light for improved detection of breaks or excessive bends in fiber-optic cable. The device is built for singlemode and...

Test/measurement tools.(New Products)(Fujikura Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The FLS-20T is a hand-held, battery-operated dual laser light source with protective rubber boot, and is designed to be used in conjunction with an optical power meter to measure optical power loss over a fiber network. The unit can operate in...

Print-and-apply labels.(New Products)(HellermannTyton)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The SwiftMark label printer and applications prints labels and then automatically applies them to a cable. Cables ranging from .06 to .75 inches in diameter can be placed in the primer, and then labeled and wrapped in four seconds or less....

Suite of custom solutions.(Product Focus: estimating software)(Conest Software Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... IntelliBid offers four customizable levels from which to choose for an out-of-the-box solution for any size and type of electrical and data cabling estimating project. With a database of more than 100,000 electrical and data cabling items and...

Job-sharing information.(Product Focus: estimating software)(Accubid Systems)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Version 7 of the Accubid Pro, BidWinner Plus BidWinner, and PowerBid estimating solutions can now share estimating data with Construct Job, the company's Web-based project management system. Using an Integrator utility (free with Version 7),...

Automated building systems tools.(Product Focus: estimating software)(McCormick Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The ABS line of estimating software is designed to help contractors conduct fast. accurate estimates of any of the many jobs entailed in automated building systems work. Solutions range from the simplest version (ABS 3000) to a networkable,...

Code-friendly software.(Product Focus: estimating software)
May 1, 2007... Electrical Calculation Manager now uses the latest job planning equations to provide accurate results that are current with National electrical code 2005 changes. Among its features, the software helps you avoid costly conduit rework due to...

PoE midspan.(New Products)(Leviton Telcom)(power over ethernet)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... This line of upgraded Power over Ethernet (POE) midspans is designed to provide safe power over standard Ethernet cabling to existing 10/100Base-T network devices and emerging Gigabit devices (6- and 24-port only). Available in 1-, 6-, and...

Midspan for WLAN.(New Products)(Microsemi Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A single-port gigabit Power over Ethernet (POE) midspan is designed to eliminate the need for external power supplies at remotely deployed WLAN access points and other low-density networks having 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet-connected devices....

Configured enclosure.(New Products)(Middle Atlantic Products Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Designed to save on cost, freight, and labor, Configured AV Enclosures are pre-configured with the company's most commonly requested thermal, cable, and power management solutions. Available as an MRK gangable or ERK stand-alone, the enclosures...

Automation cabling.(New Products)(Northwire, Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... DataCELL FIELD ODVA DeviceNet cable is designed for industrial applications where networked discrete automation and control is required. Featuring a PVC jacket that is resistant to oil, light, and water, these cables are available in:...

10-GbE system.(New Products)(Panduit Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The QuickNet copper cabling system provides a custom, pre-terminated solution designed for fast installation in many structured cabling situations. Factory-tested cable assemblies in custom lengths and configurations include cassettes, jack...

Vertical lacer strips.(New Products)(Middle Atlantic Products Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... These vertical lacer strips are designed to eliminate fishing in cable ties, providing a large number of tie points for organizing and arranging cable runs of any size within a fully integrated enclosure system. The strips accept Velcro-style...

Thermal transfer printer.(New Products)
May 1, 2007... The Cougar LS9 hand-held thermal transfer printer, for electrical and telecommunications installation and maintenance, prints on a wide variety of continuous industrial label materials. P1 label cassettes contain an integrated memory device for...

Cable-routing seal.(New Products)(PDU CABLES)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Air Guard cable seal is designed to help prevent air loss in plenum-cooled floors when access holes are required for cable routing. A removable back brush is designed to simplify cable installation and relocation, seals cable openings, and...

Large format monitor.(New Products)(Pelco)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The 500 and 600 Series large format monitors are designed to maximize space and viewing area for security installations. According to the company, the 500 Series thin-profile LCD features low energy consumption, long life cycle with no burn-in,...

FTTx closures.(New Products)(Preformed Line Products Co.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Coyote terminal closures are designed for splicing into distribution cable and making drop cable connections in FTTx applications. A single-chamber version features a single standard hinged cover incorporating up to nine hardened adapters. Once...

Reusable label dispenser.(New Products)(Rhino Label Printers)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Combining a retractable Sharpie permanent marker with the company's line of durable labels, the RHINO 101 reusable label dispenser is a hand-held device that combines tape, pen, writing surface and cutter in one package. A drop-in cartridge...

Angled RJ-45s.(New Products)(Shaxon Industries, Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... These 60-degree molded RJ-45 cables are designed to provide an angled strain relief boot for both shielded and non-shielded Category 5e applications. Available in tab-up or tab-down designs, the plugs are designed to maintain bend radius...

Wired/wireless networking.(New Products)(3Com Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Unified Gigabit Wireless PoE Switch 24 converges wired and wireless networking, and includes Power over Ethernet (POE) to support VoIP on a single platform. Built for 5 to 250 users, this device features: Layer 2 line-rate gigabit speeds...

Hybrid cables.(New Products)(Timbercon Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... MIL-rated hybrid cables combine fiber and copper into one cable assembly, allowing for simplified installation of military and broadcast applications at only one point of entry. The cable's copper wire is built to carry power while the fiber...

Self-lamination labeler.(New Products)(Tyco Electronics Corp.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... WCD label dispensers contain write-on, self-laminating labels especially suited for harsh environment installations. These pocket-sized dispensers contain a roll of pre-cut label markers, which have a white, 19-mm wide markable area that is...