TIA/EIA-568A Performance Specifications
Media and Connecting Hardware Performance Specifications
100 ohm Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cabling System
As transmission rates have increased, higher performance UTP cabling has become a necessity. In addition, some means of classifying horizontal UTP cables and connecting hardware by performance capability had to be established. These capabilities have been broken down to a series of categories as follows:
- Category 3
- Cables/connecting hardware with transmission parameters characterized up to 16 MHz
- Category 4
- Cables/connecting hardware with transmission parameters characterized up to 20 MHz
- Category 5
- Cables/connecting hardware with transmission parameters characterized up to 100 MHz
Characteristic impedance of horizontal categorized cables = 100 ohms ± 15 percent from 1 MHz to the highest referenced frequency (16, 20 or 100 MHz) of a particular category.
Horizontal UTP Cable
Attenuation/NEXT Loss (worst pair)
Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 Frequency (dB) (dB) (dB) (MHz) Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT 0.064 0.9 / - 0.8 / - 0.8 / 0.150 - / 53 - / 68 - / 74 0.256 1.3 / - 1.1 / - 1.1 / - 0.512 1.8 / - 1.5 / - 1.5 / - 0.772 2.2 / 43 1.9 / 58 1.8 / 64 1.000 2.6 / 41 2.2 / 56 2.0 / 62 4.000 5.6 / 32 4.3 / 47 4.1 / 53 8.000 8.5 / 27 6.2 / 42 5.8 / 48 10.000 9.7 / 26 6.9 / 41 6.5 / 47 16.000 13.1 / 23 8.9 / 38 8.2 / 44 20.000 - / - 10.0 / 36 9.3 / 42 25.000 - / - - / - 10.4 / 41 31.250 - / - - / - 11.7 / 39 62.500 - / - - / - 17.0 / 35 100.000 - / - - / - 22.0 / 32
Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 20 degrees C]
NEXT: per 100 meters (328 feet)
Characteristic Impedance of backbone cabling = 100 ohms ± 15 percent from 1 MHz to the highest referenced frequency of a particular category (16, 20 or 100 MHz).
Backbone UTP Cable
Attenuation/Power Sum NEXT
category 3 category 4 category 5 frequency (db) (db) (db) (mhz) attn/next attn/next attn/next 0.064 0.9 / - 0.8 / - 0.8 / - 0.150 - / 53 - / 68 - / 74 0.256 1.3 / - 1.1 / - 1.1 / - 0.512 1.8 / - 1.5 / - 1.5 / - 0.772 2.2 / 43 1.9 / 58 1.8 / 64 1.000 2.6 / 41 2.2 / 56 2.0 / 62 4.000 5.6 / 32 4.3 / 47 4.1 / 53 8.000 8.5 / 27 6.2 / 42 5.8 / 48 10.000 9.7 / 26 6.9 / 41 6.5 / 47 16.000 13.1 / 23 8.9 / 38 8.2 / 44 20.000 - / - 10.0 / 36 9.3 / 42 25.000 - / - - / - 10.4 / 41 31.250 - / - - / - 11.7 / 39 62.500 - / - - / - 17.0 / 35 100.000 - / - - / - 22.0 / 32
Attenuation per 100 meters (328 feet.) @ 20 degrees C
NEXT: per 100 meters (328 feet)
UTP Connecting Hardware and Cords
To ensure that installed connecting hardware (telecommunications outlets, patch cords and panels, connectors, cross-connect blocks, etc.) will have minimal effect on overall cabling system performance, the characteristics and performance parameters presented in this section shall be met.
UTP Connecting Hardware
Attenuation/NEXT Loss
Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 (MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB) 1.00 0.4 / 58 0.1 / 65 0.1 / 65 4.00 0.4 / 46 0.1 / 58 0.1 / 65 8.00 0.4 / 40 0.1 / 52 0.1 / 62 10.00 0.4 / 38 0.1 / 50 0.1 / 60 16.00 0.4 / 34 0.2 / 46 0.2 / 56 20.00 - / - 0.2 / 44 0.2 / 54 25.00 - / - - / - 0.2 / 52 31.25 - / - - / - 0.2 / 50 62.50 - / - - / - 0.3 / 44 100.00 - / - - / - 0.4 / 40
The preferred termination method for all UTP connecting hardware utilizes the insulation displacement contact (IDC).
The following requirements apply only to wire and cable used for patch cords and cross-connect jumpers:
Jumper/patch cord maximum length limitations:
- 20 meters (66 feet) in main cross-connect
- 20 meters (66 feet) in intermediate cross-connect
- 6 meters (20 feet) in telecommunications closet
- 3 meters (10 feet) in the work area
Patch cord cable construction:
- stranded conductors for extended flex-life
Maximum Attenuation of Cable Used in Patch Cords
Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 (MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB) 1.00 3.1 2.6 2.4 4.00 6.7 5.2 4.9 8.00 10.2 7.4 6.9 10.00 11.7 8.3 7.8 16.00 15.7 10.7 9.9 20.00 - 12.0 11.1 25.00 - - 12.5 31.25 - - 14.1 62.50 - - 20.4 100.00 - - 26.4
Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 20 degrees C
= Horizontal UTP cable attenuation + 20 percent (Due to stranded conductors)
To ensure overall system integrity, horizontal cables need to be terminated with connecting hardware of the same category or higher. Also, cables used for patch cords and cross-connect jumpers need to be of the same performance category or higher as the horizontal cables they connect to. Lastly, UTP cabling systems are not Category 3, 4 or 5 compliant unless all components of the system satisfy their respective category requirements.
150 Ohm Shielded Twisted Pair (STP-A) Cabling Systems
The recognized Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cables are IBM type 1A for backbone and horizontal distribution and IBM type 6A for patch cables.
Horizontal and Backbone STP-A Cable
2-pair, 22 AWG solid
Characteristic Impedance =
150 ohms ± 10 percent (3 MHz 300 MHz)
Horizontal and Backbone STP-A Cable
Balanced Mode Attenuation/NEXT Loss (worst pair)
Frequency Attn/NEXT (MHz) (dB) 4.00 2.2 / 58.0 8.00 3.1 / 54.9 10.00 3.6 / 53.5 16.00 4.4 / 50.4 20.00 4.9 / 49.0 25.00 6.2 / 47.5 31.25 6.9 / 46.1 62.50 9.8 / 41.5 100.00 12.3 / 38.5 300.00 21.4 / 31.3
Attenuation: 100 meters (328 feet) @ 25 degrees C
150 Ohm STP-A Data Connector Attenuation/NEXT Loss
Frequency Insert Loss/NEXT (MHz) (dB) 4.00 .05 / 65 8.00 .10 / 65 10.00 .10 / 65 16.00 .15 / 62.4 20.00 .15 / 60.5 25.00 .15 / 58.5 31.25 .15 / 56.6 62.50 .20 / 50.6 100.00 .25 / 46.5 300.00 .45 / 36.9
150 Ohm STP-A Patch Cable (2-pair, 26 AWG stranded)
Characteristic Impedance =
150 ohms ± 10% (3 MHz 300 MHz)
Balanced Mode Attenuation of 150 ohm STP-A Patch Cable is about 1.5 x that of horizontal or backbone STP-A cable (4 MHz 300 MHz).
NEXT performance of 150 ohm STP-A Patch Cable measures approximately 6 dB less than horizontal or backbone STP-A cable (5 MHz 300 MHz).
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20-07-2007 15:46