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TEST & MEASUREMENT
Testing made easy
By Dan Payerle Barrera, Global
Product Manager, Data Cable
Testers, IDEAL Networks
www.idealnetworks.net
How to approach MPTL testing
when the capability is a new
feature offered by certifiers
A Modular Plug Terminated Link (MPTL) is nothing more
than an Ethernet cable terminated with a female socket
(jack) on one side and a male plug on the other, whereas a
standard Permanent Link is terminated with sockets on both
sides of the cable. Simple, right? Wrong.
The name Modular Plug Terminated Link is new, but
the practice of installing LAN cabling with a socket on one
side and a plug on the other goes back to the beginning
of twisted pair cabling. An MPTL makes perfect sense
to anyone who wants to connect a networked device by
plugging the cable directly into the device. Installers of IP
security cameras have been doing this since the advent of
IP CCTV.
Today, virtually every building system including security,
A/V, access control, lighting and climate control is either
operating over Ethernet cabling or has the capacity
to connect to the network. This means the cabling to
support these services is now coming into the scope of
communications designers who leave nothing to chance
when it comes to cable performance.
Despite this, there are currently no standards that define
how to test a link with plug terminations at one or both
sides. Plus, testing MPTLs is new and tester manufacturers
have only recently begun offering this capability. So, how
can installers approach MPTL testing?
LAN cable standards
Both the ISO/IEC 11801 series and ANSI/TIA 568 series
of communications cabling standards define component
specifications and installation practices for LAN cabling
in commercial spaces. The standards define common
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