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CABLING
5
Cable runs
To carefully determine pre-terminated
cable lengths, it’s important to
know the rack-level detail of the
installation. Bend radius and service
loops must be considered, as should
the distances to, from, and within
each cabinet. With pre-terminated
cabling systems, it’s important
to order lengths that don’t come
up short while avoiding too much
slack in cabinets and pathways. Proper
sequencing is also important to ensure
that longer cable trunks are laid into trays
first for an overall cleaner installation.
“Pre-terminated solutions allow for quick clean
up due to minimal leftover materials and scrap.
And because there’s less waste and material to
dispose of, pre-terminated solutions can also
help meet green design, waste reduction, and
material reuse goals”
needs, distance limitations, equipment interfaces, power
consumption, pathway space, and overall life cycle costs. The
environment itself also should be considered, including any
electromagnetic or radio frequency interface (EMI/RFI).
3
Migration and scalability
Knowing the migration strategy and future plans will
go a long way in selecting the right pre-terminated cabling
components. For example, if there’s a need to support a
migration from 10 Gb/s to speeds up to 40/100 Gb/s, careful
consideration must be given to the optical fibre count,
connector type, distances, insertion loss budget, and ease of
switching out cassettes or other connectivity components.
4
Pathways
The position, elevations, required separation, and
type of pathway system used can impact cable lengths. For
example, determining whether cabling will be run overhead
or underfloor, knowing specific rack heights and clearances,
accommodating required separation, and selecting the cable
support system (e.g. ladder rack, cable tray, trough) will all
need to be determined before calculating cable lengths
between equipment and patch panels.
Additional considerations
From density and airflow in the cabinet to preferences
for polarity and colour-coding, proper planning for pre-
terminated cabling solutions requires an extremely detailed
analysis of the customer needs and specifications. The
deployment schedule must also be carefully reviewed and
communicated with the manufacturer to ensure a punctual
delivery of materials.
Tips for choosing the right manufacturer
There are many options when selecting a pre-terminated
assembly manufacturer to work with. Search for a qualified,
reliable provider that can offer services and features such
as guaranteed cabling performance, design assistance,
and the ability to deliver large quantities of pre-terminated
assemblies on time.
All pre-terminated copper or optical fibre purchased
through a manufacturer should be tested and verified by
a third-party to exceed ISO/IEC and IEEE standards. The
manufacturer should also provide 100% testing in a quality
controlled environment before the cabling is shipped out to
the work site. You should also look for these qualities in a
manufacturer:
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•
•
•
Quality documentation and warranty, which means
that each product is labelled with a unique serial
number for full traceability. Also look for lifetime
product, system, and performance warranties.
Look for a manufacturer that offers technical experts
either remotely or onsite at no additional charge to
help with topology and infrastructure layout, along
with elevations, pathways and specifications.
ISO 9001 certification, which includes third-party
auditing of manufacturer sites, functions, products,
services, and processes.
Dedicated 24/7 make to order facilities that can take
on large orders while providing fast turnaround. Orders
that are too large, or too small, may be pushed to the
bottom of the production pile in some manufacturing
environments, but make to order facilities prevent this
problem. n
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