Electrical Contracting News (ECN) December 2016 | Page 32
SPECIAL
FEATURE
DATA CABLING
‘The newest
version of
PoE will
allow for
more than
a three-fold
increase in
the amount
of power
transmitted
through IP
networks.’
Convergence in
the office.
The newest version of PoE, expected
to be adopted in 2017, will allow for
more than a three-fold increase in the
amount of power transmitted through IP
networks (up to 100W). IP networks will be
able to connect and power devices such
as TV monitors. It is vital that selected
cables and bundles can manage the high
levels of heat generated by the current
flowing through the cabling. That could
mean more ventilated pathways and
cable management systems and baskets
becoming more popular than trunking,
for example. We may also see larger
cross-sections for pathways, with bigger
30-32 Data Cabling – Nexans.indd 32
The increasing number of high speed
wireless backbones will require Category
6A components to support consecutive
generations of equipment. Increased
wireless networking drives the need to
use 2,5G, 5G or even 10G in the wired
backbone. This helps ensure that when
many devices are connected, available
bandwidth doesn’t become so ‘diluted’ that
it becomes unusable.
Saving money on cabling might seem a
good idea at the outset, but this will place
serious restrictions on bandwidth, causing
a lot of disruption later and undermining
the total investment. The upfront cost of
good cabling is, after all, just a fraction of
what it costs to retrofit cables and other
system components.
spaces allowed for cabling. This is directly
opposed to the commercial pressure to
make pathways and spaces as small as
possible. Large diameter cables dissipate
heat better than small diameter cables.
Lower resistance cables develop less heat
and generally speaking, better categories
of cabling are advisable.
Looking ahead
The Internet of Things and the related need
for wireless access will drive an increase
in the amount of Distributed Building
Services cabling required in an installation.
11/11/2016 16:40