Appendix_B_NPS-Cable-Standard-v-1_0_0001.pdf

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY- ATTACHMENT A

STRUCTURED CABLE PLANT

STANDARD

National Park Service (NPS)

Version 1.0 July 14, 2016

THE ATTACHED MATERIALS CONTAIN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INFORMATION THAT IS "FOR

OFFICIAL USE ONLY", OR OTHER TYPES OF SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

REQUIRING PROTECTION AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE. THE ATTACHED MATERIALS

MUST BE HANDLED AND SAFEGUARDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH NPS MANAGEMENT

DIRECTIVES GOVERNING PROTECTION AND DISSEMINATION OF SUCH INFORMATION.

AT A MINIMUM, THE ATTACHED MATERIALS WILL BE DISSEMINATED ONLY ON A "NEED-TO-

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OFFERING SUFFICIENT PROTECTION AGAINST THEFT, COMPROMISE, INADVERTENT ACCESS, AND

UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

DOCUMENT CHANGE HISTORY

Version Date Author Description

1.0

07-14-2016

Brian Blanchard

● Initial Document

Issued and Approved By:

National Park Service

Date

CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Purpose 1

1.2 Background 1

1.3 Scope 1

1.3.1 System 1

1.3.2 Documentation 2

2.0 NETWORK CABLE PLANT OBJECTIVES 2

3.0 STRUCTURED CABLE PLANT DESIGN 2

3.1 Structured Cable Plant Approach 3

3.2 Horizontal Workstation Cabling 3

3.3 Workstation Outlets 6

3.4 Backbone Cabling 7

4.0 SPECIFICATIONS 11

4.1 Cable Color 11

4.2 Horizontal Cables 11

4.3 Information Management Outlets 12

4.4 Backbone Cabling 13

4.4.1 Intra-Building Fiber Optics 13

4.4.2 Inter-Building Fiber Optics 13

4.5 Patch Cables (Workstation and Patch Panel) 14

4.6 Patch Panels 14

4.7 Equipment Racks 14

4.8 Cabinets and Swing Gates 15

5.0 COPPER CABLE INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS 16

5.1 Horizontal Cables 16

5.2 Patch Cables (Workstation) 17

5.3 Patch Cables (Panel) 17

5.4 Copper Cable Termination 18

6.0 INSTALLATION OF OPTICAL FIBER CABLES AND CONNECTORS 19

6.1 Fiber Horizontal Workstation Cable 19

6.2 Backbone Fiber Cable 19

6.3 Optical Fiber Cable Jacket 19

6.4 Optical Fiber Connector 19

6.5 Optical Fiber Cable Termination 20

7.0 FACEPLATE CONFIGURATION 20

8.0 PATCH PANELS 20

8.1 Copper Patch Panels 20

8.2 Fiber Optic Patch Panels 21

9.0 EQUIPMENT RACK 22

10.0 GROUNDING 23

11.0 CABLE LADDERS AND FASTENERS 24

12.0 ADMINISTRATION AND LABELING CONVENTIONS 24

12.1 Building Designation 24

12.1.1 Floor 24

12.1.2 Wiring Closets 24

12.1.3 Cable Numbers 25

12.2 Information Management Outlet 25

12.3 Intra and Inter-Building Backbone Cables 25

12.4 Patch Panel Patch Cables 26

13.0 TEST AND DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES 26

13.1 Testing of Installed Copper Cable 26

13.2 Testing of Optical Fiber Cables 27

14.0 BUILDING PATHWAYS, CONDUIT, AND CLOSETS 28

14.1 Closet Specifications (MDF and RWC) 28

14.1.1 General Requirements 28

14.1.2 Environmental 28

14.1.3 Construction 29

14.2 Conduits 30

15.0 DOCUMENTATION 30

15.1 Letter of Certification 31

15.2 Implementation Report 31

15.3 Detailed Materials List 31

15.4 Cable Plant Test Certification Letter 32

15.5 Copper Cable Test Results 32

15.6 Fiber-optic backbone Cable Test Results 32

15.7 As-Built Site Drawings 32

ATTACHMENT A—GLOSSARY

ATTACHMENT B—SAMPLE LETTER OF CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT C—SAMPLE CONTRACTOR INFORMATION FORM

ATTACHMENT D—SAMPLE IMPLEMENTATION REPORT

ATTACHMENT E—SAMPLE DETAILED MATERIALS LIST

ATTACHMENT F—SAMPLE CABLE TEST CERTIFICATION LETTER

ATTACHMENT G—NPS MASTER FACEPLATE SHEET

ATTACHMENT H—NPS FACEPLATE DATA SPECIFICATION SHEETS

EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1: Typical Office Cable Planning 4

Exhibit 2: Workstation (IMO) Faceplates without Optical Fiber Cables, Single Gang 6

Exhibit 3: Backbone Fiber Distribution 10

Exhibit 4: 6a Cable Specifications 12

Exhibit 5: Typical Rack/Cabinet Enclosures 16

Exhibit 6: T568B Pair/Pin Assignments 18

Exhibit 7: Consolidated Closet, Voice and Data; Share Single Rack (less than 72 locations)…..22 Exhibit 8: Multimode Fiber Cable Specifications

Exhibit 9: Single Mode Fiber Cable Specifications 27

1.1 INTRODUCTION

1.2 Purpose

This document has been prepared for the National Park Service (NPS) with the specific purpose of setting standards for structured cable plants in support of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Voice connectivity that will function as follows:

● Accommodate the functional requirements of present and future information services.

● Support a multi-product and multi-vendor environment.

● Facilitate the planning and installation of cabling systems that will support the diverse communication needs of building occupants.

● Ensure uniformity of structured wiring and hardware infrastructure installations in all NPS facilities.

The primary focus of this document is to define the standards for material, infrastructure, design, installation, and certification with respect to structured cabling systems for NPS facilities. This document shall replace, modify, or otherwise supersede previous releases of these standards. For questions or comments regarding this document, contact the NPS WAN Manager at (###)

An electronic version of this document resides in ####

1.3 Background

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Because of increasing demands on service resources, NPS personnel must be able to share information rapidly and efficiently in order to succeed in fulfilling the Service mission.

In addition to this document, which establishes the cabling standards for the NPS, other documents are being developed that provide additional related information such as:

● NPS LAN standards.

● NPS Wide Area Network (WAN) standards.

● Voice Communications standards.

1.4 Scope

1.4.1 System

Typical structured cabling systems include the following elements:

● Horizontal cable.

● Horizontal cross-connects.

● Transition point (optional).

● Main cross-connect (MC).

● Intermediate cross-connect.

● Backbone cabling, intra and inter.

● Workstation locations or information management outlets (IMO).

● Remote wiring closet (RWC).

● Main distribution frame (MDF).

● Entrance facility (EF).

● Grounding

● Administration

1.4.2 Documentation

This document is intended to address the following specifications and installation practices related to structured cable plant installation:

● Recognized media.

● Closet requirements, environmental and design.

● Distribution cabling.

● Cabling specifications and limits.

● Installation practices.

● Performance testing.

● Supporting documentation.

2.0 NETWORK CABLE PLANT OBJECTIVES

The objective of this network approach is to provide the NPS with a standardized, cost-effective cable plant infrastructure that will accommodate present and future voice, video, and data requirements. Workstation cabling infrastructure shall support bandwidth demands from 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) speeds. Backbone cable infrastructure shall support bandwidth demands from Gigabit speeds and beyond. The installation of the cable plant infrastructure shall comply with local codes, as well as, industry and Federal standards.

3.1 STRUCTURED CABLE PLANT DESIGN

The network cable plant shall utilize the following cable distribution methods to support connectivity throughout the building:

● Horizontal workstation cabling, which will connect the user workstation, or information management outlet (IMO) to the nearest Remote Wiring Closet (RWC).

● Where appropriate, Intra and Inter-building copper backbone cable, which provides connectivity between wiring centers and the Main Distribution Frame

(MDF.)

● Work zone distribution cabling for open office space.

● Fiber optic intra and inter-building backbone cable, which also provides connectivity between wiring centers and the MDF.

3.2 Structured Cable Plant Approach

This section will describe the approach to structured cabling, identify and describe the various cable types, and provide detailed cable specifications for cable plant installation. These are minimum specifications for new cable plant installations or major renovations. These specifications follow the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA)/Electronic Industries Association (EIA) recommendations, Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI), and in addition, provide specific guidelines unique to the NPS. Detailed cable plant material specifications and overall minimum characteristics are provided in Section 4.

3.3 Horizontal Workstation Cabling

All end-user workstation locations, whether occupied or vacant, shall be cabled to the nearest wiring center. Also, storage rooms, conference rooms and similar space not designated as offices shall be cabled to allow for office expansion, as shown in Exhibit 1.

In general, each RWC equipment rack/cabinet shall be capable of supporting a maximum of 480 data cables. A second rack/cabinet is required to support up to 480 voice cables, providing a consolidated voice and data closet. The combined racks/cabinet provides ample space for a total combined 240 workstation locations (voice and data utilizing NPS Option #1 cabling faceplate).

In smaller installations, typically less than 120 workstation locations, a single equipment rack/cabinet will suffice for both voice and data terminations.

To comply with ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 specification distance limits, the cable run from any user workstation location to the nearest wiring center shall not exceed 100 meters (328 feet). The actual length of a cable run is defined as the total combined length of the station cord, workstation cable, and patch-panel cable. When planning or designing office space the communications closets should be located within 90 meters of any workstation outlet. This design approach allows the addition of patch cables and workstation cords to connect devices, without exceeding the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 specification distance limits.

In a building not exceeding two stories, horizontal workstation cabling may be installed to a single point, such as a computer room, wiring center, or the MDF. This scenario may be used in place of a creating a RWC, thus eliminating any need for backbone cabling systems. This installation method should be utilized when cost is a constraint and the length of the cable run does not exceed the specified distance limits.

Exhibit 1: Typical Office Cable Planning

One outlet, includes 3 cables each CAT6 configured per TIA/EIA 568B

July 14, 2016 4 Structured Cable Plant Standard

Each user workstation location shall be cabled with three 4-pair, unshielded twisted pair (UTP), Category (CAT) 6a copper cables for data transmission, that will be labeled as “Data A” and “Data B” and “Data C.” The cable shall have a fire-retardant, plenum rated jacket unless it is known that cabling is only in non-plenum space.

Each workstation cable that is routed through a suspended ceiling area shall be secured in a manner that will keep all cable plant off of any suspended ceiling tiles, sprinkler systems, ceiling suspension hangers, and adhere to local and Federal building codes. Cable plant installed in plenum environments should provide enough slack to facilitate minor construction modifications, or cable re-locations, without the need to install new cable altogether. This installation approach normally requires approximately 20 feet of cable slack, secured in an appropriate manner, to ensure cable is minimized from radio frequency interference (RFI) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI) sources. However, installed cable shall at no time exceed the overall specifications for total lobe length of 100 meters in accordance with the ANSI/TIA/EIA standards. If required, an independent suspension system shall be installed for the cable plant, to keep the cables off of and away from the existing ceiling grid and fixtures.

When routed above a suspended ceiling, horizontal cables should be routed down the inside of walls (“fished”) wherever possible to ensure no exposed cable is visible. If walls cannot be fished, surface mounted (external) raceway may be used to route the cable from the ceiling to the information outlet and installed in a surface-mounted outlet box. All attempts should be made to ensure no horizontal cable is exposed within the building area, providing a neat, professional installation. Horizontal cables shall never be exposed to outdoor elements without being protected in proper conduit/raceway systems and have proper lightning and bonding protection installed.

Optical fiber cable can also be used for horizontal workstation connectivity when the following conditions exist:

● Distance requirements exceed the 100 meter cable-length specification.

● Known high bandwidth/security requirements that exceed copper cable limitations and business case support the installation.

● Space inside or outside of the walls to support the minimum fiber cable bend radius.

● Severe EMI or RFI in the copper cable plant.

● Adequate funding.

● Proposed fiber optic to the desktop is approved by the NPS WAN Manager and NPS ACIO.

● High level LAN classifications.

If optical fiber cables are used for workstation connectivity, each workstation location shall be cabled with an OM-4 MM cable with 4-strand, 50/125 micrometer (µm), graded index, multi-mode optical fiber cable with proper coating to meet local fire and building codes, whereas plenum is recommended. The cable shall be labeled as described in Section 12 of this document.

3.4 Workstation Outlets

Each workstation area shall use a standard Information Management Outlet (IMO) faceplate that can support a minimum of four dual-connection interfaces (remote jack RJ-45, LC, or MTRJ connectors). Regardless of the installation contractor, all data cable shall utilize a single Information Outlet. Information outlets must be capable of future growth without the need to replace the entire Information Outlet. Information outlets can be either single gang or dual gang standard size; sizing will be determined by number of cables being installed. The data cables shall be installed on three RJ-45 jacks.

Exhibit 2: Workstation (IMO) Faceplates without Optical Fiber Cables, Single Gang

3.5 Backbone Cabling

Intra and Inter-backbone cabling may consist of either or both copper and optical fiber cables and are required where there exists more than one wire center. The intra and inter-backbone shall be installed to provide structured connectivity between closets (see page. 9). The installation provides a star-topology cable infrastructure that is capable of supporting high-speed and high bandwidth requirements between key resources in an enterprise building or campus environment.

A multi-mode, single mode, or combination of fiber-optic backbone structure provides the means of interconnecting all wiring closets to the MDF in a multi-segmented environment.

Optical fiber not only provides extensive bandwidth capabilities to the LAN and voice, but it also provides a solution to the distance-related problems encountered with copper cables in large installations and campus environments.

Copper backbone cabling is required to support voice services, however, the specifications and designs are determined on a site-by-site basis. This is due to the variety, funding, capacity and availability of voice services and designs. Copper backbone may also be installed to support networking services, where distance limitations do not exceed the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 specifications. Copper backbone cabling provides a redundant connectivity option in the event of a catastrophic fiber failure, and shall be installed where voice and data closets are physically separated.

Each remote wiring closet shall be connected to the MDF with a multi-strand, optical fiber backbone cable that runs directly from the wiring center to the MDF. All strands will be terminated with LC style connectors in accordance with the ANSI/TIA/EIA standards in rack-mounted patch panels. A minimum 12-strand fiber shall be installed in any facility providing connectivity between communications closets. It is estimated that 12 strands of multi-mode fiber will meet most of the intra and inter backbone connectivity needs currently deployed and planned for NPS facilities. Considering the myriad of site functions, building designs, physical layout, application requirements and future technologies, backbone design is a critical element in the planning stages. To ensure facilities are properly engineered with respect to backbone fiber types and counts, the NPS WAN Committee will provide engineering design in concert with local Automated Data Processing (ADP) support personnel and facilities architects. This ensures both short-term and long-term requirements are met in a cost-effective manner.

The optical fiber Intra and Inter-backbone cabling shall have one port per strand for cross-connection, and will conform to the specifications in Sections 4 and 6 of this document.

Exhibit 3: Backbone Fiber Distribution

Remote Wire Closets

(RWC)

Intra-Backbone

Inter-Backbone

Main Distribution Frame (MDF)

4.1 SPECIFICATIONS

This section provides detailed component characteristics and specifications with respect to the materials used to install the structured cable plant.

4.2 Cable Color

The National Park Service has the need for computer equipment to be connected with appropriate color data cables. To meet this requirement, the following color configuration will be used:

Telephone and Communication Services will use Blue data cables for all connections.

If necessary, alternate color fiber cables may be substituted for any system, as long as the cables are clearly marked on both ends designating the level of information traveling across the fiber.

4.3 Horizontal Cables

All cable, equipment, and materials shall meet applicable ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B, National Electrical Code (NEC) 770, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Verification Program standards. All cable equipment and materials must be manufactured by facilities that are International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 registered and certified.

● Shall be CAT 6a rating in accordance with ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2

● Four-pair, 100-Ohm, 24 American Wire Gage (AWG).

● The cable should have contiguous, 2-foot segment-length markers printed on the cable jacket. The markings must also show the applicable performance CAT 6a, as well as the fire rating of the cable being installed.

● The finished cable shall be 100% plenum rated in accordance with the requirements of NEC Article 800, UL 444, NFPA 262, (UL 910), and applicable Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards.

Note: CAT 6a cable types must meet or exceed specifications listed in Exhibit 4.

Exhibit 4: Cable Specifications

Specification Category 6a CAT 7

Frequency Range 500 MHz 600 MHz

Attenuation (minimum at 100 Mhz) -- 20.8 dB

NEXT (minimum) 27.9.1 dB 62.1 dB

PS-NEXT (minimum) -- 59.1 db

PS-ELFEXT (minimum) -- (not yet specified)

PS-ANEXT (minimum) 49.5 dB --

EL-FEXT (minimum) 9.3 dB (not yet specified)

PS-AELFEXT (minimum) 23.0 dB 14.1 dB

Return Loss (minimum) 8.0 dB 14.1 dB

Characteristic Impedance -- 100 ohms = 15%

Delay Skew (maximum) -- 20 ns

4.4 Information Management Outlets (IMO)

● Provide ANSI/TIA/EIA symbol icons for application identification (LAN, Voice, etc).

● Provide individual label window for cable identification.

● Provides a high-density design.

● Offers solutions for secure environments.

● Must match make and model in existing facilities.

● Meets or exceeds ANSI/TIA/EIA specifications.

● Mounts to standard electrical 2 inch and 4 inch gang boxes.

● Allows all modules (jacks) to be loaded and accessed from the front. No need to remove faceplate.

● Meets all Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 68 specifications.

● Provides standard 110D type insertion displacement connector (IDC) Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted connector.

● Is offered in a multitude of colors.

● Provides interchangeability between modules.

● Offers non-keyed RJ-45 style connectors and keyed.

● Offers LC or interchangeable modular fiber connectors.

● Is available in the ANSI/TIA/EIA-T568B wiring configuration.

4.5 Backbone Cabling

Backbone cabling shall be a minimum of 12-strand multi-mode fiber optic. In limited instances, single mode fiber-optic cable may be used for distances that exceed 500 meters, in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance organizations. The IEEE 802.3z and IEEE 802.3ab published standards apply to gigabit Ethernet and overall specifications.

CAT 5e copper backbone cabling shall meet the same specifications as stated in Section 4.1 (Horizontal Cabling), in addition to the multi-pair construction in increments of 25, 50 and 100 pair complements. Voice copper backbone cabling is not specified in this standards document and shall be determined on a case-by-case basis. Voice copper backbone cables are not subject to the same 100 meter distance limitations as specified for networking backbone cabling which is the CAT 6a cable plant.

4.5.1 Intra-Building Fiber Optics

Specifications for fiber backbone cabling that will interconnect closets within a single building or high-rise environment are defined in this section.

4.5.1.1 Multi-Mode Fiber Optics

● 50/125-µm optical fiber plenum (OFNP) or optical fiber riser (OFNR).

● Maximum Attenuation: 3.5/1.0 dB km at 850/1300 nm.

● Minimum Bandwidth: 200/500 MHz km at 850/1300 nm.

● Tight buffered.

● Plenum or riser rated.

4.5.1.2 Single-Mode Fiber Optics

● 8.3/125-µm OFNP or OFNR.

● Maximum Attenuation: 1.0/0.5 dB km at 1310/1550 nm.

● Tight buffered.

● Plenum or riser rated.

4.4.2 Inter-Building Fiber Optics

Specifications for fiber cable that will interconnect remote buildings in a campus environment.

4.4.2.1 Multi-Mode Fiber Optics

● OM-4 MM cable

● 50/125-µm OFN, OFNP, or OFNR.

● Maximum Attenuation: 3.0/1.0 dB km at 850/1300 nm.

● Minimum Bandwidth: 3500 / 4700 MHz·km at 850/1300 nm.

● Loose Tube.

● Not Rated, Plenum rated, or Riser rated.

4.4.2.2 Single-Mode Fiber Optics

● 8.3/125-µm OFN, OFNP, or OFNR.

● Maximum Attenuation: 1.0/0.5 dB km at 1310/1550 nm.

● Armored.

● Loose Tube.

● Rodent Resistant for areas prone to infestation.

● Not Rated, Plenum rated, or Riser rated.

4.5 Patch Cables (Workstation and Patch Panel)

● Shall conform to the ANSI/TIA/EIA specifications be it CAT 6a or CAT 7.

● 4-pair, UTP stranded cable.

● RJ-45 connectors on both ends.

● The patch cables shall be wired in accordance with the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2 and ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.3 specifications.

● Certified by the manufacturer as compliant with the ANSI/TIA/EIA CAT 6a or CAT 7 criteria.

● Cables shall be available in a wide variety of colors and lengths.

4.6 Patch Panels

● Shall conform to the ANSI/TIA/EIA CAT 6a or CAT 7 specifications.

● The patch panel wiring shall be in compliance with ANSI/TIA/EIA T568B wiring standards.

● Provide back wire management hardware.

● Provide modular design to facilitate field repairs.

● Provides standard 110D type IDC PCB mounted connector.

● Available in low and high density configurations.

● Meet the standard EIA-310 relay rack spacing specifications.

● Provide RJ-45 interface.

● Meets all FCC Part 68 specifications.

● Available in 12, 24, and 48 port capacities.

● Match make and model within existing facilities, where possible.

4.7 Equipment Racks

● Shall conform to the ANSI/TIA/EIA standards.

● Conform to the standard EIA-310 mounting specification.

● Provide pre-tapped 5/16" or 10/32" threading or rack nuts.

● Provide a flexible modular concept.

● Provide vertical wire management.

● Provide floor mounting hardware except for swing gate style hardware.

● Match make and model within existing facilities, where possible. See Exhibit 5 for a typical rack and cabinet structure.

4.8 Cabinets and Swing Gates

● Shall conform to the ANSI/TIA/EIA standards.

● Conform to the standard EIA-310 mounting specification.

● Provide pre-tapped 10/32" threading or rack nuts.

● Provide a flexible modular concept.

● Provide vertical wire management.

● Provide floor mounting hardware except for swing gate style hardware.

● Match make and model within existing facilities, where possible.

● Available in widths up to 24 inches or more.

● Available in depths up to 42 inches or more.

● Allow fan assembly installation.

● Lockable and offer matching key/lock design where multiple cabinets are installed.

● Are of a welded, uni-body construction.

● For areas located within seismic activity, meet Zone 4 earthquake vibration test conditions in accordance with National Electrical Bell Standards (NEBS) document TR-NWT-000063, Issue 4, 1992

Exhibit 5: Typical Rack/Cabinet Enclosures

24 "

19 "

SD

84"

5.1 COPPER CABLE INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS

This section details the specifications that are to be used when installing all copper cabling. All work shall be ANSI/TIA/EIA–568-B, ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A, ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A, NEC 770 and IEEE 802 standard specification quality (as applicable).

5.2 Horizontal Cables

These are cables installed from a typical workstation location back to a central point within a building or facility. These cables connect the IMO (jack), back to a central point, the closet. The closet may be the MDF or an RWC. These cables shall be installed in compliance with ANSI/TIA/EIA, building and industry practices. Cables should never be exposed nor create any safety hazards for the public.

All copper cables shall be positioned at a minimum distance of 4 inches from any EMI device (such as a light ballast, electrical motor, or power line). If contact is unavoidable (as in modular furniture), the copper cables shall not run more than 5 feet in parallel with the interference-generating medium. If traversing is necessary, all copper cables shall cross power lines and electrical conduits at a 90-degree angle to minimize interference.

Copper cables installed in a suspended ceiling environment shall at all times be self-suspended in the plenum air space by the use of a separate suspension system or installation in the building construction frame at the top of the permanent ceiling, if it exists. At no time shall cables be secured to the suspended ceiling grid, water pipes, or electrical conduits.

All cables should be installed as far above the suspended ceiling as possible, and should be bundled together with tie-wraps at intervals no less than 6 feet unless a dedicated cable tray system is available to support the cable. The tie-wraps should not be installed so tight as to "dent" or compress the cable jacket because this could create excessive crosstalk in the cables, causing failure during the testing of the cable to meet CAT 6a specifications.

5.3 Patch Cables (Workstation)

The workstation patch cable connects the end user devices (personal computer, terminals, etc.)

to the IMO (jack). For most installations, these patch cables will be provided and left on-site for the deployment team or local network people to install when setting up workstations and are not included in the overall cable plant certification. The workstation patch cable may be any length as long as the combined lengths of the workstation patch cable, the horizontal workstation cabling, and the patch-panel cable does not exceed 100 meters (328 feet). These cables are normally pre-constructed, certified and ordered in standard one-foot incremental lengths.

5.4 Patch Cables (Panel)

The patch-panel cable connects the horizontal cable port to the voice and data electronics within a central wire center or closet, typically a RWC or MDF. These cables are identical to the workstation cables and are pre-constructed and certified by the manufacturer. It is the cable installer’s responsibility for patching all active cable locations into active ports, unless otherwise directed by the NPS manager or designated representative. These cables are pre-certified by the manufacturer; therefore, it is unnecessary to include them in the cable plant certification. Wire management and organization is important to facilitate troubleshooting, repair, and documentation and, as such, there are key elements to ensure patch cords are properly installed.

The following requirements shall be followed for patching workstation ports to electronics:

● The patch-panel cable may be any length, provided that the combined length of the workstation patch cable, the horizontal workstation cabling, and the patch-panel cable does not exceed 100 meters (328 feet).

● If the installation vendor chooses, custom-length, certified station cables can be used.

● Patch cables must be labeled and matching on both ends, in a standard one-up numeric convention. An example would be a closet that has 100 active workstations, thus 100 patch cables are installed, one for each active node, starting with cable identification (ID) number one and ending with ID number 100. Any support personnel would be able to view the station patch panel and electronics equipment to determine which specific port a particular station is connected.

● Patch cable numbering shall be affixed to both ends of each patch cord approximately one inch from the terminator or mod plug.

● Label IDs must be legible and produced with indelible ink. The preferred method is a printed label. Installers must avoid the use of materials that will distract from the appearance of the installation, or any temporary marking.

● Ensure patch cables are installed in a manner that does not require support personnel to “tug” or “trace” cables in order to determine the active port.

● Cables must be dressed utilizing available horizontal and vertical wire management.

● Patch cables should provide a neat and organized appearance, eliminating large bundles of cables in single locations, preventing tangles and using incorrect or oversized cables that produce excess slack.

● Cables shall never exceed the minimum bend radius or have kinks or nicks in accordance with the ANSI/TIA/EIA specifications.

● Cables should utilize left and right vertical wire management to reduce cable patch congestion produce and even cable distribution within a given cabinet.

● Patch cables shall never create a trip hazard or other risk to equipment, services or personnel.

5.5 Copper Cable Termination

This section applies to both the workstation and closet cable termination practices. All copper cable terminations shall conform to ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B standards. The key areas and specifications are highlighted below:

● Pair twists shall be maintained as close as possible to the point of termination. Untwisting shall not exceed 13mm (0.5 in.) for CAT 6a links.

● Strip back only as much jacket as is required to terminate individual pairs.

● All connecting hardware shall be installed to provide well-organized cable management in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines.

● All four pairs must be terminated.

● Pin/Pair assignments shall follow the T568B configuration (see Exhibit 6).

Exhibit 6: T568B Pair/Pin Assignments

6.1 INSTALLATION OF OPTICAL FIBER CABLES AND CONNECTORS

This section provides the specifications to be used when installing all optical fiber cabling.

6.2 Fiber Horizontal Workstation Cable

The fiber horizontal workstation cable connects the workstation to the wiring center. This cable shall be four-strand, multi-mode, 50/125 µm, optical fiber cable with graded index 250 or 900 µm buffer. Contiguous, 2-foot, segment-length markers shall be printed on the cable jacket.

The bend radius of any optical fiber cable installed shall be at least eight times the outside diameter of the cable. For example, a six-strand optical cable with an outside diameter of .30 inches and shall have a minimum bend radius of 2.40 inches.

Pulling tension for optical fiber cables must adhere to and not exceed manufacturer specifications.

6.3 Backbone Fiber Cable

The optical fiber home-run backbone cable shall connect each remote wiring closet to the MDF.

This cable shall be 12-, or 24-, or more strand, single mode for PBX, 50/125 µm, optical fiber cable with graded index, 250 or 900 µm buffer, and contiguous, 2-feet, segment-length markers printed on the cable jacket. All Intra and Inter-backbone fiber cables shall be installed in conduit or plenum-rated inner-duct.

Fiber-optic cable shall not share conduits with copper medium unless separation between copper and fiber is maintained. For large campus or complex backbone fiber installations where multiple conduits or pathways exist, fiber-optic cable shall be separated from the copper cable installation, wherein fiber-optic cable is dedicated to one conduit, copper to another. In retrofit or existing buildings, where pathways are insufficient to maintain separation between copper and fiber, the NPS shall review and approve the design prior to installation.

6.4 Optical Fiber Cable Jacket

All overhead or above-ceiling installations shall use optical fiber cable with a plenum-graded jacket that is marked with a UL rating of “OFNP” or equivalent. All non-air-return (non-plenum) installations can use optical fiber cable with either a plenum or non-plenum jacket (such as PVC) that is marked with a UL rating of “OFNR” or equivalent.

6.5 Optical Fiber Connector

The optical fiber connector for workstation or backbone connections shall follow the ANSI/TIA/EIA standards for installation. NPS is reviewing the MTRJ as an acceptable connector, but the use of this style will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

New buildings shall use LC type connectors for workstation and/or backbone installation.

In retrofit buildings, fiber connectors may match the existing installed connectors.

6.6 Optical Fiber Cable Termination

All optical fiber cables shall be light tested prior to installation. This is typically done while the cable is still on spools or reels and only ensures all strands pass light prior to pulling cable into conduits and pathways.

The minimum termination shall be four strands for a horizontal cable. When installing fiber-optic backbone cabling, all strands will be terminated with the appropriate connectors and capped with a dust boot. All strands shall be terminated and tested.

All optical fiber cables shall have a service loop [BICSI] (wrapped in an appropriately sized loop for the minimum bend radius of the cable) positioned at each end, where possible before being terminated with connectors. All intermediate slack in the optical fiber cable shall be loosely coiled and suspended to avoid hard bends or kinks.

7.0 FACEPLATE CONFIGURATION

Workstations that are not connected to an optical fiber cable typically utilize a single-gang faceplate that can support up to four connection ports (see Exhibit 2).

Workstations that are connected to optical fiber cables shall have a double-gang faceplate and junction box installed that can support up to 12 connection ports.

8.1 PATCH PANELS

Patch panels, both fiber and copper are the approved methods of providing connectivity between horizontal cables, Intra and Inter-backbone copper, fiber backbone, and common network service devices, such as switches, PBX, routers, and other electronics.

Patch panel installation must adhere to manufacturer specifications and installed utilizing all wire management hardware, both front and back. Panels shall be installed to best utilize both vertical and horizontal wire managers, and should be separated by horizontal wire managers.

There should be a minimum of one horizontal wire manager for each horizontal patch panel.

Panels must be clearly marked as to the outlet designation. Labels must be of permanent indelible typed materials.

8.2 Copper Patch Panels

Each panel will be installed to provide the maximum use of rack space. Each panel will be mounted in an equipment rack that shall conform to the EIA-310 mounting-hole spacing standard.

Separate patch panels will segregate “Data A”, “Data B” and “Data C” cables. The upper patch panel will be used for “Data A” only; the middle patch panel will be used for “Data B” only. The lower patch panel will be used for “Data C” only. Exhibit 7 shall be used as a model for all new installations, and should be followed as close as possible for major retrofits and renovations with respect to existing cable plant configurations. Deviations to these layout exhibits shall be reviewed and approved by the NPS.

8.3 Fiber Optic Patch Panels

Optical fiber cable patch panels for workstation connections (also called fiber cabinets) shall provide LC couplers. Optical fiber cable patch panels for backbone cabling (also called fiber cabinets) shall provide LC. The color scheme and the port numbering scheme on the patch panel shall be consistent in any given installation to reduce confusion and to prevent mistakes in making cross-connections. Fiber patch panels shall be installed in standard increments of six-position, LC loads or interconnect couplers, as required in each wiring closet and MDF.

9.0 EQUIPMENT RACK

There are a multitude of equipment racks and cabinets that are acceptable for use in NPS installations. In these dedicated communications closets, open racks, cabinets and swing gates may be used to meet the needs of the installation.

When open racks or swing gates are used, they shall be located within the wiring closets, and they shall provide structural support for the patch panels and required electronics. The open rack will be a standard 19 inches wide by 7 feet tall when used in a floor mount configuration. When space considerations mandate, it is acceptable to use an open, wall-mounted equipment rack (swing gate). If a wall mount configuration is used, the rack must be hinged, and space must be provided so that the rack can swing fully open and provide full access to the back of the rack.

All floor or wall-mounted equipment racks, cabinets and swing gates installed in earthquake-prone geographic areas shall be installed in compliance with specific seismic guidelines, regulations and codes. Special attention must be taken to ensure the proper installation techniques are followed to minimize risk to electronics and cable plant, and most importantly prevent the mounting hardware from toppling over during seismic activity.

Equipment shall be mounted on the rack via holes in the frame or by using mounting hardware that conforms to the EIA-310 mounting-hole spacing standard. As an alternative for non-rack devices, equipment may be placed on flat shelves that are attached to the rack. All racks shall be secured either to the floor or wall with bolts or other fasteners that are rated to withstand the recommended weight limits and shear loads for the rack. Each rack shall include all mounting and assembly hardware (such as nuts and bolts) for full configuration use. When multiple racks and/or cabinets are used and they are butted together in the closet, they shall be bolted together for additional stability. Racks with wheels and wheel locks are acceptable in certain circumstances defined by the NPS. Wheel locks must be engaged at all times other than when actively moving the rack.

WIRE MANAGER

OPEN SYSTEN ARCHITECTURE

WIRE MANAGER

OPEN SYSTEN ARCHITECTURE

Exhibit 7: Consolidated Closet, Voice and Data; Share Single Rack (less than 72 locations)

Floor mounted racks and cabinets shall have a minimum of 36 inches of clearance in front of, behind, and on at least one side. Where space or room layouts limit the minimum clearances required, the installation contractor shall notify the NPS or designated representative for technical direction.

Equipment layout, specifically with respect to rack, cabinet, and swing gate location are critical design elements that ensure future growth, maintenance and flexibility are protected. Proper clearances also allow installers and maintenance personnel the required room to perform work safely and ensure electronics environmental conditions are maintained.

The patch cables shall run neatly through the wire management panels above the electronics, run down the sides of the rack, run below the electronics, and plug neatly into the respective port.

The cables between the patch panels and the electronics shall not be excessively long nor shall they lie on the floor. The patch cables shall be secured and bundled using Velcro securing straps.

Caution: The use of plastic tie-wraps (zip-tie) and/or one time use tie-wraps is no longer acceptable when bundling and securing patch cables on the rack.

A power distribution unit with surge suppression and an on/off switch shall be mounted to the back of the rack to supply at least six outlets for AC power (120-volt, 20-amp service).

10.0 GROUNDING

The National Electronic Code (NEC) provides guidelines to ensure that electrical installations in buildings meet the necessary safety practices to prevent electrical shock hazards to personnel, ensure fault clearance of unintentional electrical breakdowns that could cause fire, and prevent transient voltages from causing electrical damage to installed network components. NEC Article 800 pertains to telecommunications industry and should be consulted for specific guidelines related to this topic. Article 800 also has references to other articles as the need arises.

In all new buildings and major retrofit projects an independent ground bus, installed in each communications closet, shall be provided. The independent ground bus in each closet should be installed by a certified electrician, or properly licensed installer. The independent ground buses are designated for, and utilized exclusively, by the communications equipment. In existing buildings, an independent ground is certainly desirable. In general, all communications systems, cable plant devices, equipment, and components shall be properly grounded and bonded.

All grounding shall be performed to meet the following published standards and guidelines:

● ANSI/TIA/EIA 607

● ANSI/IEEE C-142

● Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 94

● NEC Articles 250 and 800

● UL

● ANSI CI-1978

All equipment racks, cabinets and systems must be properly connected to the independent ground bus per the ANSI/TIA/EIA 607 specifications. It is the responsibility of the cable installer to connect all common closet equipment racks and cabinets to the provided ground bus.

It is also the responsibility of the cable installers to report to the NPS Program Manager any discrepancies with respect to improper or omitted grounding systems.

For connecting equipment within the telecommunications/data wiring closets to the ground bus, a number six wire with green insulation will be used. This ground wire should be no longer than 30 feet.

All ground wire should be routed straight, with sweeping bends, neat, and orderly. Ground wire should be routed in the most direct fashion possible to the equipment. Ground wires should be supported by tie-wraps at 12-inch intervals.

The manufacturer instructions and recommendations shall be followed when grounding the electronic equipment installed in the telecommunications/data wiring closets.

11.0 CABLE LADDERS AND FASTENERS

All cables installed in overhead spaces (such as above ceiling panels) shall be securely strapped to ceiling slab fasteners or cable ladders that are fastened to the ceiling slab to avoid contact with lighting equipment or drop ceiling supports. Wire management channels or cable ladders shall be used to provide orderly arrangement of all installed cables in and around the equipment racks.

As a general rule, all cables shall be securely suspended, fastened, tied, and bundled firmly (without damaging the cable jackets or creating kinks in the cable) to minimize the amount of space required for cabling and conform to BICSI standards. All cable strapping or fasteners must be reconfigurable (Ex. Hook and loop material) with a section width exceeding the minimal bend radius of the cable being secured.

12.1 ADMINISTRATION AND LABELING CONVENTIONS

Label conventions shall apply to all sites, regardless of the number of buildings at the site. This section describes the NPS standard labeling convention for all cable installations, whether new or retrofit.

12.2 Building Designation

The designation for the building shall be a two to four character alphanumeric scheme.

Buildings typically have unique names/numbers, whether in multi-story complexes or in campus environments. The first designation should represent the unique building the cable plant is wired within. This nomenclature will rarely change throughout the life of the building and allows a structured naming convention to be used for Inter-building backbone cable installations.

12.2.1 Floor

The designation for the floor shall be a two-digit number. If the floor is a single number such as “4,” place a leading zero before the single-digit, for example “04.”

12.2.2 Wiring Closets

The designation for a wiring center is a single letter. The Computer Room or MDF shall always have the wiring closet designation of “M.” Remote wiring closets that are all located on the same floor shall be labeled A-L and N-Z (“M” is reserved for the MDF). Closets that stack directly on top of each other shall have the same letter designation.

12.2.3 Cable Numbers

The designation for the cable shall be a three-digit number, followed by an “A” or “B” designation, indicating the “Data A” or “Data B” cable drop. Use leading zeros as necessary.

For example, the designation for drop #3A would become 003A.

12.3 Information Management Outlet

The IMO is the interface for the workstation cable and the horizontal workstation cable, which terminates in a wiring closet. This is typically referred to as the “jack” in the industry, also an enhancement to the Bell Labs Universal Service Order Code (USOC) specifications. These specifications also referenced the RJ pin assignments. The ANSI/TIA/EIA now prefers to use the term 8-pin modular plug or connector when describing jack pin-outs. Each information outlet should be labeled according to the following guidelines:

The designations on single-gang and double-gang faceplates will be as follows:

● Building (AANN, or combination).

● Floor (NN, with a leading zero).

● Wiring center (A).

where: VC = Visitor Center building

C

1st floor wiring center and cable drop #111.

● Cable drop (NNN, with leading zeros). For example: “VC-01-C-111”

12.4 Intra and Inter-Building Backbone Cables

These backbone cables interconnect wiring closets either within a building or interconnect buildings in a campus environment.

The naming convention applies the same for Intra and Inter backbone cable labeling.

Standard nomenclature for backbone cabling shall be as follows:

● First Building (4–6 alphanumeric characters).

● First wiring closet (includes floor, closet and pair or strand designations).

● Second Building (2–4 alphanumeric characters).

where: VC801I

Visitor Center building 801 I is the first building (origination point) 1st floor

W = wiring center, closet W 001 = cable pair (copper) or strand (fiber)

RM800K

Resource Management building 800 K is the second building (destination point) 1st floor

● Second wiring closet (includes floor, closet and pair or strand designations). For example, “VC801I-01-W-001 – RM800K-01-M-001”

M = wiring center, Main Distribution Frame

001 = cable pair (copper) or strand (fiber).

The cable label shall be affixed to both ends of the cable, approximately 2 to 3 inches from the termination point. Heat shrink labels are preferable. Wrap-around labels are permissible as long as they are printed using indelible ink and the labels are easily read.

12.5 Patch Panel Patch Cables

The patch panel patch cord connects the horizontal workstation cable to the network electronics.

Patch cables in each wiring closet should be identified on each end of the patch cable in a standard, one-up, numeric order, so that an individual patch cable can be easily identified without having to physically “tug” the cable to follow and identify it.

The cable label shall be affixed to both ends of the cable, approximately one inch from the termination connector or modular plug. The labels should be printed using indelible ink, and the labels should be positioned so they can be easily read.

13.1 TEST AND DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES

The installation contractor shall complete all testing of the cable plant. The installation contractor is responsible for providing all personnel, equipment, instrumentation, and supplies that are necessary to perform the required testing.

13.2 Testing of Installed Copper Cable

All installed copper cables shall be tested with a Level III cable tester to certify that the cable conforms to ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B specifications. The test device shall provide printed and electronic (soft) Pass/Fail test results that show the following:

● Electrical length in feet (accurate to 0.5 feet).

● Cross-talk in dB for each of the four pairs.

● End-to-end attenuation in dB for each of the four pairs.

● Drop number.

● Continuity (for all eight wires).

● Capacitance

● DC resistance

● Impedance

● Date of test

● Name and model of the field tester (i.e. Fluke OMNIScanner 2).

● Software version or level.

● Date the field tester was last calibrated.

● Which test was being performed (permanent link test, channel test).

13.3 Testing of Optical Fiber Cables

Testing shall be of the optical link as specified in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.3 for multi-mode fiber optics and ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-7 method A for single-mode fiber optics. An optical fiber link is defined as the passive cabling network between two optical cross-connects (patch panels or outlets). This includes cable, connectors and splices but does not include active components.

The link test contains the representative connector loss at the patch panel associated with the mating of patch cords, but does not include the performance of the connector at the equipment interface.

If the manufacturer of cables or connecting hardware has supplied post-manufacture performance data, copies of such data are to be included in the documentation.

Testing of installed multimode fiber cable shall meet or exceed the specifications in Exhibit 8.

Exhibit 8: Multimode Fiber Cable Specifications

Horizontal Fiber Attenuation 850 nm Attenuation1300 nm

≤ 90 m ≤ 2.0 dB ≤ 2.0 dB

Backbone Fiber

≤ 2000 m (6560 ft) ≤ fiber length (km) x 3.75 dB/km + number connector pairs x 0.75 dB + number of splices x 0.3 dB

≤ fiber length (km) x 1.5 dB/km + number connector pairs x 0.75 dB + number of splices x 0.3 dB

Testing of installed single-mode fiber cable shall meet or…