ISE Magazine, December 2017

DECEMBER 2017 ISEMAG COM 35 and will support 25 Gbps or 40 Gbps tech refreshes in the future This prevents the need to re cable during upgrades avoiding possible network disruption and additional costs Additionally the 25 40GBASE T standards support auto negotiation which allows 2 connected Ethernet devices to select a common transmission speed For example 10 Gbps servers can communicate with 25 Gbps switches over Category 8 connectivity using the lowest transmission speed in this case 10 Gbps that both can support This provides a convenient path for network migration to 40GBASE T in stages giving the data center owner more flexibility in timing while minimizing disruption and cost Category 8 Testing Standards and Procedures Along with the standards for Category 8 cabling the standards for field testing of cabling have been updated to support Category 8 This was necessary to ensure that testing tools will accurately measure Category 8 cable performance regardless of manufacturer The updated standards include ANSI TIA 1152 A an update to the 1152 standard for field test devices used to test balanced twisted pair cabling provides specifications for instruments used to test Category 8 cabling IEC 61935 1 the international equivalent of the 1152 A testing standard was also updated Its important to understand that field devices designed to certify lower category rated cabling are not capable of certifying Category 8 You cant simply increase the frequency range to 2GHz on a Category 6A testing module and get accurate Category 8 measurements Therefore cable testing manufacturers must develop new testing devices for Category 8 The measurements you make for Category 8 are the same kinds of measurements that you make for other kinds of cabling but with some key differences Frequency Range Category 8 has a frequency range of 2 GHz instead of 500 MHz Therefore a proper testing device will have an increased frequency range Accuracy There are accuracy specifications that cover that 2 GHz range which must be included in order to measure cabling to Category 8 standards Accuracy specifications are very hard for end users to verify Its recommended that before buying a Category 8 cable tester you look for an independent third party verification of the devices accuracy for its frequency range and measurements Shield Integrity Again Category 8 s shielding layers are designed to handle the higher energy of 2 GHz transmissions The new testing standards say that Category 8 shielding must be verified as connected and continuous along the path of the cabling Make sure your Category 8 testing device has the ability to test the shield along the cabling path and wont be fooled by adjacent paths such as groundings or shields on adjacent cables Field Adapters With a Category 8 testing device its essential to have adapters that can connect to a Category 8 modular plug or jack while meeting the 2 GHz frequency range Unless the testing device has these adapters it will not be useful for testing field installations of Category 8 cabling Finally certain performance requirements i e transverse conversion loss resistance unbalance between pairs have been specified for the first time in Category 8 cabling standards While these tests are considered optional for field testing its highly recommended that contractors include these tests to give their clients assurance that the installed Category 8 cabling is working properly and can handle the clients applications nMark Mullins is one of the founding members of Fluke Networks starting in 1993 As Fluke Networks Field Marketing Manager he is responsible for building engagement with customers and sales teams across the Americas For more information please visit www flukenetworks com Mark Dearing is a Senior Product Manager for Leviton Network Solutions and has been with Leviton since 2006 He is certified as a BICSI Registered Communication Distribution Designer RCDD is a Certified Data Center Designer CDCD and is an active participant in standards development with the Telecommunications Industry Association TIA Mark is also a co inventor of several patented products and design features For more information please visit http www leviton com and http www leviton com en products network solutions CATEGORY 8 TESTING