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BICSInews<br />

advancing in<strong>for</strong>mation transport systems PRESIDENT’S ME<strong>SS</strong>AGE 3<br />

<strong>When</strong> <strong>Wireless</strong> <strong>LAN</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>LAN</strong> <strong>SS</strong> <strong>10</strong><br />

<strong>Using</strong> <strong>Baluns</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Audio</strong> Video Applications <strong>SS</strong> 20<br />

Is Broadband Over Power Line <strong>for</strong> Real? <strong>SS</strong> 24<br />

Formulating User Expectations Into Design Documents <strong>SS</strong> 28<br />

September/October 2006<br />

BICSI UPDATE 32-35<br />

COURSE SCHEDULE 36-37<br />

STANDARDS REPORT 38<br />

Volume 27, Number 5


2006 BICSI Officers<br />

PRESIDENT—John Bakowski, RCDD/NTS/OSP/WD Special<strong>is</strong>t;<br />

St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada; 905-646-5<strong>10</strong>0; jbakowski@bicsi.org<br />

PRESIDENT-ELECT—Edward Donelan, RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t; Telecom<br />

Infrastructure Corp.; Pawling, NY; 845-855-4202; edonelan@bicsi.org<br />

SECRETARY—Steve Calderon, RCDD/NTS/OSP Special<strong>is</strong>t; IT Design Corp.;<br />

Westlake Village, CA; 805-777-0073; scalderon@bicsi.org<br />

TREASURER—Brian Hansen, RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t; Leviton; Rosemount,<br />

MN; 651.423.9140; bhansen@bicsi.org<br />

U.S. NORTHEAST REGION DIRECTOR—Chr<strong>is</strong>tine Klauck, RCDD/NTS<br />

Special<strong>is</strong>t; SIEMON; Watertown, CT; 860-945-5889; cklauck@bicsi.org<br />

U.S. SOUTHEAST REGION DIRECTOR—Charles (Chuck) L. Wilson,<br />

RCDD/NTS/OSP Special<strong>is</strong>t; Wilson Technology Group, Inc.; Brooksville, FL;<br />

352-796-9891; cwilson@bicsi.org<br />

U.S. NORTH-CENTRAL REGION DIRECTOR—Jerry L. Bowman,<br />

RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t, CI<strong>SS</strong>P, CPP; CommScope Enterpr<strong>is</strong>e Solutions;<br />

Columbus, OH; 614-853-3812; jbowman@bicsi.org<br />

U.S. SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION DIRECTOR—James (Ray) Craig,<br />

RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t; Craig Consulting Services; Coppell, TX; 972-393-1669;<br />

rcraig@bicsi.org<br />

U.S. WESTERN REGION DIRECTOR—David M. Richards,<br />

RCDD/NTS/OSP Special<strong>is</strong>t; PCC Network Solutions; Chatsworth, CA;<br />

818-534-1<strong>10</strong>8; drichards@bicsi.org<br />

CANADIAN REGION DIRECTOR—Roman Dabrowski, RCDD; Bell Canada;<br />

Toronto; Ontario, Canada; 416-657-2021; rdabrowski@bicsi.org<br />

EUROPEAN REGION DIRECTOR—Brendan “Greg” Sherry,<br />

RCDD/NTS/WD Special<strong>is</strong>t; Qualitas Limited; Essex, UK; (44-17) 0873-3032;<br />

gsherry@bicsi.org<br />

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR—David C. Cranmer, RCDD; BICSI;<br />

Tampa, FL; 800-242-7405 or 813-979-1991; dcranmer@bicsi.org<br />

COMMITTEE CHAIRS: BICSI CARES—John D<strong>is</strong>cenza, General Cable Corp;<br />

Weston Ontario, Canada; 416-791-2401; jd<strong>is</strong>cenza@bicsi.org • CODES—Phil<br />

Janeway, RCDD; Time Warner Telecom; Indianapol<strong>is</strong>, IN; 317-713-2333;<br />

pjaneway@bicsi.org • EDUCATION ADVISORY—Michael Collins, RCDD; SBC;<br />

Bellaire, TX; 713-567-1234; mcollins@bicsi.org • EXHIBITOR ADVISORY—<br />

Kurt Templeman, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave; Research Triangle Park, NC;<br />

919-541-8<strong>10</strong>0; ktempleman@sumitomoelectric.com • ETHICS—Carl Bonner,<br />

RCDD/OSP/WD Special<strong>is</strong>t; Network Communications Supply Company;<br />

Milton,FL; 850-626-6863; cbonner@bicsi.org • INSTALLATION— David<br />

Cranmer, RCDD; The Highlands Group; Fort Bragg, CA; 707-964-7449; dcranmer@bicsi.org<br />

• MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING ADVISORY—Edward<br />

Boychuk, RCDD; Convergent Technology Partners; Flint, MI; 8<strong>10</strong>-720-3820;<br />

eboychuk@bicsi.org • NOMINATING—John Bakowski, RCDD/NTS/OSP/WD<br />

Specialst; St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada; 905-646-5<strong>10</strong>0; jbakowski<br />

@bicsi.org • REGISTRATION & SPECIALTIES SUPERVISION—R.S. “Bob”<br />

Erickson, RCDD/NTS/OSP/WD Special<strong>is</strong>t; Communications Network Design;<br />

Haysville, KS; 316-529-3698; rerickson@bicsi.org • STANDARDS—Theron<br />

J. (T.J.) Roe, RCDD; Garrett Com, Inc.; Hockessin, DE; 302-235-0995;<br />

troe@bicsi.org • TECHNICAL INFORMATION & METHODS—David P.<br />

Labuskes, RCDD/NTS/OSP Special<strong>is</strong>t; RTKL Associates, Inc.; Baltimore, MD;<br />

4<strong>10</strong>-537-6070; dlabuskes@bicsi.org<br />

President’s Message<br />

John Bakowski,<br />

RCDD/NTS/OSP/<br />

WD Special<strong>is</strong>t<br />

jbakowski@bicsi.org<br />

Education and Training <strong>for</strong><br />

Our Changing Industry<br />

Given that our customers depend upon us, it <strong>is</strong><br />

no surpr<strong>is</strong>e that earning leadership status requires<br />

a commitment to continual improvement of our<br />

skills and knowledge. BICSI’s members by nature<br />

are leaders and tend to prosper in our industry<br />

because <strong>the</strong>y continually seek to better <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

through BICSI’s education and training programs.<br />

Education and training <strong>is</strong> and always has been<br />

<strong>the</strong> beating heart of BICSI. Over <strong>the</strong> years we have<br />

packaged it in different ways. On a <strong>for</strong>mal bas<strong>is</strong>, <strong>the</strong>re are printed manuals<br />

and instructor-led training <strong>for</strong> classroom-based training courses. Less <strong>for</strong>mal<br />

yet no less important <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> education BICSI delivers through accompl<strong>is</strong>hed<br />

speakers at region meetings and conferences, or through knowledgeable<br />

writers in BICSI News. Perhaps <strong>the</strong> most valuable learning that occurs comes<br />

from networking opportunities in <strong>the</strong> exhibit halls, region luncheons,<br />

breaks between speakers, or in <strong>the</strong> RCDD lounge at our conferences.<br />

Because education and training <strong>is</strong> more important than ever <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

transport systems (ITS) professionals, we are working hard on delivering<br />

ex<strong>is</strong>ting and new education and training in new ways. For example,<br />

introduction of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Wireless</strong> Design Reference Manual (now in its second<br />

edition), training and specialties continue to fill an important need.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r good example <strong>is</strong> how we’ve reached out to o<strong>the</strong>r organizations<br />

and individuals to help produce new manuals and training in areas such<br />

as audio/video and electronic safety and security. The “Talent not Turf”<br />

aspects of our “Reach Out” project are being viewed with envy by <strong>the</strong> ITS<br />

industry as being a leader on a unique cooperative program serving <strong>the</strong><br />

members of <strong>the</strong> respective organizations.<br />

Still, as an organization, BICSI has more to do. That’s because we realize<br />

that when it comes to training and education, <strong>the</strong>re really <strong>is</strong> never<br />

“too much.” Many members have already experienced <strong>the</strong> self-paced,<br />

Web-based training on <strong>LAN</strong>, network storage and remote access now available,<br />

and more of <strong>the</strong>se courses are on <strong>the</strong> way. In addition, you’ll soon<br />

see training series on topics such as outside plant and network design that<br />

provide CECs and are delivered through live, Web-enabled<br />

sessions that will also be available as video-on-demand. Making ex<strong>is</strong>ting<br />

content and materials more convenient to access (i.e., without travel and<br />

time constraints) will make BICSI education and training more available—<br />

and make all of us more valuable in <strong>the</strong> marketplace.<br />

As I look around <strong>the</strong> ITS industry, I believe BICSI’s ITS professionals have<br />

<strong>the</strong> most to gain from <strong>the</strong> convergence of building systems onto unified<br />

networks. Each of you <strong>is</strong> in a position to take <strong>the</strong> lead on ITS projects. BICSI<br />

intends to deliver <strong>the</strong> education and training you need to become more<br />

diversified in your portfolio of services and more valuable to <strong>the</strong> industry. .<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 03


On <strong>the</strong> Cover<br />

Tapping <strong>the</strong> Strong Market f<br />

and Light Commercial Projec<br />

BICSI designers and installers are well qualified to earn th<strong>is</strong> business.<br />

BY JOHN PRYMA<br />

04 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

There <strong>is</strong> an opportunity <strong>for</strong> BICSI<br />

designers, trainers, and installers to<br />

participate in <strong>the</strong> residential and light<br />

commercial wiring markets. There are<br />

a lot of similarities between <strong>the</strong> wiring<br />

requirements of high-end residential<br />

dwellings and those of a small business.<br />

Currently, BICSI <strong>is</strong> updating <strong>the</strong> Residential<br />

Network Cabling Manual (to be renamed <strong>the</strong><br />

Home Technology Reference Manual [HTRM]<br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2 nd edition) and <strong>the</strong> Telecommunications<br />

Industry Association (TIA) <strong>is</strong> adding<br />

additional coaxial cabling requirements to<br />

<strong>the</strong> residential standard. In addition to<br />

structured cabling <strong>for</strong> voice, video, and<br />

data, <strong>the</strong>se markets also require monitored<br />

security, access control, surveillance video<br />

and d<strong>is</strong>tributed audio. Both of <strong>the</strong>se markets<br />

are expanding and <strong>the</strong>ir fragmented nature<br />

provides <strong>for</strong> business opportunities in your<br />

local area.<br />

Residential Market<br />

In <strong>the</strong> United States <strong>the</strong>re are two million<br />

new housing units built annually. Of <strong>the</strong>se,<br />

70 percent are single family and 30 percent<br />

are multi-family. A conservative estimate <strong>is</strong><br />

that 33 percent of new homes were prewired<br />

in 2004, 40 percent were pre-wired in<br />

2005 and 46 percent will be pre-wired in


or Residential<br />

ts<br />

2006. These estimates were based only on installations<br />

meeting <strong>the</strong> requirements of <strong>the</strong> ANSI/TIA-570-B,<br />

Residential Telecommunications Cabling Standard. An additional<br />

<strong>10</strong> percentage points could be added to <strong>the</strong> above<br />

numbers if we were to add in installations that do not<br />

meet <strong>the</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tribution device and home-run cabling<br />

requirements of <strong>the</strong> standard, but do use category 5e UTP<br />

and RG-6 coaxial cables.<br />

There are approximately <strong>10</strong>7 million ex<strong>is</strong>ting homes<br />

in <strong>the</strong> United States that will need retrofitting with structured<br />

cabling to support a home office or a home <strong>the</strong>ater.<br />

The increasing deployment of residential <strong>LAN</strong>s and highspeed<br />

connectivity to <strong>the</strong> Internet will require th<strong>is</strong>. Also,<br />

with <strong>the</strong> switch to digital video and high definition<br />

entertainment content, proper wiring will be important<br />

to facilitate streaming video and to provide <strong>for</strong> wholehouse<br />

audio. The purchase of a new computer, or a high<br />

definition (HD) telev<strong>is</strong>ion by <strong>the</strong> homeowner will drive<br />

<strong>the</strong> retrofit market.<br />

The residential market <strong>is</strong> still fragmented, but <strong>is</strong> rapidly<br />

consolidating. Twenty years ago, <strong>the</strong> top <strong>10</strong>0 builders<br />

only represented 20 percent of <strong>the</strong> market. Now <strong>the</strong>se<br />

builders represent almost 40 percent, with <strong>the</strong> top <strong>10</strong><br />

builders on <strong>the</strong> l<strong>is</strong>t representing a 20 percent share.<br />

However, 60 percent of <strong>the</strong> volume <strong>is</strong> still held by smaller<br />

and often local builders.<br />

Regionally <strong>the</strong>re are differences in new home construction.<br />

Through May of th<strong>is</strong> year <strong>the</strong> south led with<br />

434,000 building permits, <strong>the</strong><br />

west had 216,500, <strong>the</strong> midwest<br />

125,600 and <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>ast<br />

only 74,300. The total of<br />

850,400 translates to approximately<br />

two million units<br />

annually. Permits <strong>for</strong> single<br />

family dropped by 4<br />

percent from <strong>the</strong> prior<br />

year, but those <strong>for</strong> multifamily<br />

rose by 9 percent.<br />

Residential Requirements<br />

ANSI/TIA-570-B was approved and publ<strong>is</strong>hed in 2004<br />

and requires a star topology with home run cables from<br />

<strong>the</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tribution device, commonly referred to as a residential<br />

cabinet or panel, to <strong>the</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation outlets in <strong>the</strong><br />

individual rooms. The maximum allowable cable run <strong>is</strong><br />

90 m (295 ft) and an additional <strong>10</strong> m (33 ft) are allotted<br />

<strong>for</strong> patch cords. The d<strong>is</strong>tribution device must be located<br />

close to <strong>the</strong> telecommunication services entry point and<br />

must be within 1.5 m (5 ft) from a grounded duplex 15<br />

amp, 115 VAC electrical outlet. A Grade 1 in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

outlet <strong>is</strong> cabled with one category 5e (category 6 <strong>is</strong> recommended)<br />

and one RG-6 cable. A Grade 2 in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

outlet <strong>is</strong> cabled with two category 5e (category 6 <strong>is</strong> recommended)<br />

and two RG-6 cables.<br />

The standard also incorporates requirements <strong>for</strong> security,<br />

whole-home audio and home automation cabling. A<br />

security system <strong>is</strong> an important part of <strong>the</strong> pre-wire, since<br />

it protects <strong>the</strong> builder’s investment prior to closing and<br />

<strong>the</strong> homeowner’s possessions after move-in. Frequently,<br />

video surveillance cameras are deployed at <strong>the</strong> job site to<br />

prevent <strong>the</strong>ft and vandal<strong>is</strong>m. Security systems typically<br />

use a two-conductor cable <strong>for</strong> passive sensors detecting<br />

door or window opening and a four-conductor cable <strong>for</strong><br />

active sensors, such as motion detectors. A licensed security<br />

dealer, who <strong>is</strong> knowledgeable in programming <strong>the</strong><br />

system and connecting it to a monitoring service, best<br />

installs <strong>the</strong>se systems.<br />

Homeowner Needs<br />

Increasingly, homeowners want to have a home <strong>the</strong>ater<br />

with an HDTV and surround-sound speakers. They<br />

also want a d<strong>is</strong>tributed audio system <strong>for</strong> l<strong>is</strong>tening to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

favorite music throughout <strong>the</strong> home. Both of <strong>the</strong>se can<br />

be easily pre-wired. For example, one of <strong>the</strong> builders in<br />

Celebration, FL offers a home <strong>the</strong>ater and whole-house<br />

audio option. Each home <strong>is</strong> pre-wired with audio cable to<br />

ceiling and patio speaker locations. The family room <strong>is</strong><br />

pre-wired <strong>for</strong> surround sound. If <strong>the</strong><br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 05


homeowner chooses to buy th<strong>is</strong> option, <strong>the</strong> installer uses<br />

a hole saw to access <strong>the</strong> cable and to mount <strong>the</strong> speakers,<br />

a plasma TV <strong>is</strong> installed over <strong>the</strong> fireplace and <strong>the</strong> amplifiers,<br />

receivers and o<strong>the</strong>r electronics are placed in <strong>the</strong><br />

entertainment center.<br />

Energy management <strong>is</strong> necessary to offset high utility<br />

bills. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> accompl<strong>is</strong>hed with setback <strong>the</strong>rmostats,<br />

lighting controls and automated drapes. A home automation<br />

system can be used to accompl<strong>is</strong>h th<strong>is</strong> and <strong>the</strong> software<br />

can reside on <strong>the</strong> home computer. Residential media<br />

servers are now being installed in high-end homes with<br />

very large storage capabilities so that <strong>the</strong> homeowner can<br />

store 50 or more HD movies and thousands of songs.<br />

With <strong>the</strong>ir storage capabilities, <strong>the</strong>se computers can be<br />

effectively used to automate <strong>the</strong> home and allow <strong>for</strong> local<br />

and remote control of <strong>the</strong> environment, <strong>the</strong> entertainment,<br />

monitor security, and provide access authorization.<br />

Residential Testing<br />

The TIA also requires testing of residential installations.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> necessary since high-speed Internet connections<br />

and entertainment bandwidth demands frequently<br />

require a higher speed network in a high-end home than<br />

would typically be found in a small business. At pre-wire<br />

a v<strong>is</strong>ual inspection <strong>is</strong> per<strong>for</strong>med of <strong>the</strong> installation to verify<br />

length and to ensure that minimum bend radii were<br />

not violated and runs are tested <strong>for</strong> continuity. At trimout<br />

<strong>the</strong> cable runs are qualified by actually transmitting<br />

high-speed data and broadband video over <strong>the</strong>se if service<br />

provider connections are available. If services are not<br />

available, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> runs can be characterized using a<br />

hand-held tester. Residential testers are now available<br />

that can be used to test both <strong>the</strong> UTP and coaxial<br />

cabling, or a commercial tester may be used.<br />

The TIA <strong>is</strong> also working very closely with <strong>the</strong> Society<br />

of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) to draw<br />

on <strong>the</strong>ir expert<strong>is</strong>e with coaxial cabling so that <strong>the</strong> addendum<br />

to <strong>the</strong>ir residential standard can reference ex<strong>is</strong>ting<br />

SCTE standards. Th<strong>is</strong> may also yield additional test methods<br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> coaxial cabling utilizing test equipment developed<br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> cable operators. BICSI recently announced a<br />

cooperative agreement with <strong>the</strong> TIA that will facilitate<br />

communications. The Consumer Electronics Association<br />

(CEA) has publ<strong>is</strong>hed a d<strong>is</strong>tributed audio standard and <strong>is</strong><br />

working on an installation document focusing on speaker<br />

selection and positioning.<br />

Residential Marketing and Selling<br />

<strong>When</strong> marketing to <strong>the</strong> homeowner and selling to <strong>the</strong><br />

builder, we want to sell <strong>the</strong> lifestyle that <strong>is</strong> available with<br />

a “connected home.” Due to <strong>the</strong> rapid pace of innovation<br />

in music (iPod), video (HDTV) and communications<br />

(Internet and VoIP) consumers are quickly becoming<br />

aware of what new technologies are available and what<br />

06 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

<strong>the</strong>y would like to have in <strong>the</strong>ir new home.<br />

Builders are trying to l<strong>is</strong>ten to <strong>the</strong> consumer, but at<br />

<strong>the</strong> same time are reluctant to add too much cost to a<br />

new spec house. A good comprom<strong>is</strong>e <strong>is</strong> to get builders to<br />

offer as a standard a basic structured cabling system,<br />

which can be expanded with options to include wholehouse<br />

audio, a home <strong>the</strong>ater and a security system. These<br />

options can provide additional revenue to <strong>the</strong> builder<br />

and installer. The basic system should not add more than<br />

two percent to <strong>the</strong> cost of <strong>the</strong> home and, with <strong>the</strong><br />

options, not total more than about five percent of <strong>the</strong><br />

cost. All of <strong>the</strong> required voice, data, video, audio and<br />

security cabling necessary should be part of <strong>the</strong> pre-wire.<br />

The consumer can <strong>the</strong>n order <strong>the</strong> electronics as part of<br />

<strong>the</strong> supplied system prior to closing, or can add <strong>the</strong><br />

equipment later. Most of <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> cost of <strong>the</strong> options<br />

can be rolled into <strong>the</strong> mortgage.<br />

Light Commercial Market<br />

There are 5.7 million businesses in <strong>the</strong> United States.<br />

Of <strong>the</strong>se, five million businesses employ less than 20 people.<br />

These are light commercial applications, or small<br />

businesses. There are many of <strong>the</strong>se in your community.<br />

According to <strong>the</strong> government, retail trade <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> highest<br />

with 523,356, construction <strong>is</strong> 467,568, professional <strong>is</strong><br />

465,459, healthcare <strong>is</strong> 366,533, wholesale trade <strong>is</strong><br />

195,473, hotels and restaurants are 201,620 and finance<br />

and insurance are 90,365. The small business segment <strong>is</strong><br />

growing in our economy and adding employees.<br />

The top <strong>10</strong> states <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>mation of small business<br />

are Cali<strong>for</strong>nia with 451,159, New York with 297,205,<br />

Texas with 249,200, Florida with 238,258, Illino<strong>is</strong> with<br />

171,515, Pennsylvania with 162,645, Ohio with 142,429,<br />

New Jersey with 129,940, Michigan with 128,462 and<br />

North Carolina with 98,733. These states collectively<br />

have a total of over two million small businesses, which<br />

represents 40 percent of <strong>the</strong> total <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />

Light Commercial Requirements<br />

Small business owners require <strong>the</strong> same telecommunications<br />

and operational capabilities as a large business. They<br />

need a telephone key system and high-speed Internet<br />

access; an E<strong>the</strong>rnet computer network; monitored security,<br />

access control and video surveillance; a d<strong>is</strong>tributed audio<br />

system and possibly entertainment video; and HVAC and<br />

lighting controls. Thus <strong>the</strong> requirements of a small business<br />

are very similar to those of a high-end home. A telephone<br />

key system will work in a large home, or in a small business;<br />

<strong>the</strong> computer network in both, including Internet<br />

access, can be <strong>the</strong> same; <strong>the</strong> home will have a plasma TV in<br />

<strong>the</strong> home <strong>the</strong>ater, while <strong>the</strong> medical clinic will have one in<br />

<strong>the</strong> waiting room; whole-house audio will also work in a<br />

dental clinic; both will need monitored security, surveillance<br />

video and some type of access control.


Residential installations follow ANSI/TIA-570, while commercial<br />

installations follow ANSI/TIA/EIA-568. The principal<br />

difference <strong>is</strong> in <strong>the</strong> termination of UTP cables: T568A <strong>for</strong> residential<br />

and T568B <strong>for</strong> commercial. The only difference<br />

between <strong>the</strong> two <strong>is</strong> that pairs two and three are reversed.<br />

A small home and a small business will both use a residential<br />

cabinet, while a large home and a large business will<br />

use a commercial 19-inch rack. The big difference <strong>is</strong> in <strong>the</strong><br />

requirements of <strong>the</strong> cable. A single family home can be<br />

wired with CM (general purpose) cable. A single story commercial<br />

building can also use CM if <strong>the</strong> HVAC <strong>is</strong> ducted <strong>for</strong><br />

both supply and return. However, cables going between<br />

floors must be CMR (r<strong>is</strong>er) l<strong>is</strong>ted and those in an air plenum,<br />

ei<strong>the</strong>r above a false ceiling, or below a ra<strong>is</strong>ed computer room<br />

floor, must be CMP (plenum) l<strong>is</strong>ted. It <strong>is</strong> very important that<br />

<strong>the</strong> AHJ be consulted, since local requirements may be more<br />

stringent in certain areas than <strong>the</strong> requirements of <strong>the</strong><br />

National Electrical Code ® (NEC ® ).<br />

Small Business Needs<br />

The small business owner wants to better connect with<br />

h<strong>is</strong> or her customers; wants to empower employees to be<br />

more efficient; needs to control costs through better productivity<br />

of ex<strong>is</strong>ting resources; and wants a reliable and scalable<br />

system. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> a market that <strong>is</strong> nestled between commercial<br />

and residential and may be underserved. Commercial<br />

installers typically focus on large business and residential<br />

installers do not fully understand it. However, <strong>the</strong> reality <strong>is</strong><br />

that large businesses, in general, are contracting while small<br />

businesses are growing.<br />

With less than 20 employees, a small business may only<br />

need a maximum of 25 voice and data drops. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> comparable<br />

to <strong>the</strong> number of drops that a residential installer puts<br />

into in a large home. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> considerably smaller than <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>10</strong>0 plus drops that a commercial installer <strong>is</strong> interested in.<br />

However, th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> a good opportunity <strong>for</strong> both installers since<br />

<strong>the</strong> business <strong>is</strong> available in <strong>the</strong>ir local community. Also, a<br />

small business customer <strong>is</strong> likely to grow and will need to<br />

expand facilities, or to relocate to a larger facility.<br />

Light Commercial Marketing and Selling<br />

Marketing should be on a local bas<strong>is</strong>. Public records of<br />

business incorporation or licensing can be used <strong>for</strong> leads.<br />

Frequently, local advert<strong>is</strong>ing and referrals work well. It’s a<br />

two-way street <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> installer. A residential installer who<br />

wired a doctor’s home may find out that he <strong>is</strong> building a<br />

new clinic. A commercial installer working with a legal partnership<br />

may find out that one of <strong>the</strong> lawyers <strong>is</strong> building a<br />

new home. Thus, residential and light commercial opportunities<br />

frequently cross over.<br />

The process involved in selling a light commercial wiring<br />

installation <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> same as <strong>for</strong> a large business. The needs of<br />

<strong>the</strong> business owner must be identified and addressed. A site<br />

survey <strong>is</strong> required, a bill of material needs to be developed<br />

08 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

and a labor estimate prepared. From th<strong>is</strong> a proposal<br />

can be written <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> customer. Once <strong>the</strong> contract <strong>is</strong><br />

signed, <strong>the</strong> work needs to be carefully planned and<br />

scheduled. During <strong>the</strong> pre-wire phase all of <strong>the</strong> voice,<br />

data, video, security, surveillance video, access control<br />

and audio cables should be installed and properly<br />

identified. At trim-out <strong>the</strong> cables are terminated and<br />

runs tested. The test results are <strong>the</strong>n submitted with<br />

<strong>the</strong> invoice.<br />

Conclusion<br />

The telephone and cable companies are competing<br />

to supply triple-play services to <strong>the</strong> home cons<strong>is</strong>ting of<br />

voice, video and high-speed data. The telephone companies<br />

already supply wireless voice and data services<br />

and <strong>the</strong> cable operators are now working hard on<br />

being able to do <strong>the</strong> same. Th<strong>is</strong> highly competitive<br />

environment among service providers will benefit<br />

both homeowners and business owners. With high<br />

bandwidth single-mode optical fiber being available at<br />

<strong>the</strong> side of <strong>the</strong> house or business, or at <strong>the</strong> curb, both<br />

residential and light commercial wiring will need to be<br />

upgraded to accommodate <strong>the</strong> enhanced services<br />

being offered.<br />

The BICSI designer, trainer and installer <strong>is</strong> well<br />

qualified to pursue both residential and light commercial<br />

wiring opportunities. BICSI, in cooperation with<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r industry associations, <strong>is</strong> updating its methods<br />

manuals and training offerings to better serve <strong>the</strong> residential<br />

and light commercial markets. Examples of<br />

th<strong>is</strong> are <strong>the</strong> upcoming rev<strong>is</strong>ion of <strong>the</strong> Residential<br />

Network Cabling Manual (to be renamed <strong>the</strong> Home<br />

Technology Reference Manual [HTRM] <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2nd edition),<br />

<strong>the</strong> recent publication of <strong>the</strong> 1st edition of <strong>the</strong><br />

Electronic Safety and Security Design Reference Manual<br />

(E<strong>SS</strong>DRM), which has chapters on security, access control<br />

and video surveillance applications, and <strong>the</strong> joint<br />

BICSI/InfoComm International publication of <strong>the</strong> new<br />

AV Design Reference Manual (AVDRM). As always, BICSI<br />

members will be able to get additional training, both<br />

timely and relevant, enabling <strong>the</strong>m to pursue new<br />

business opportunities. .<br />

John Pryma<br />

PE, RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t<br />

John Pryma <strong>is</strong> director of structured cable <strong>for</strong><br />

Honeywell Cable Products and <strong>is</strong> Chair of <strong>the</strong><br />

TIA Residential Committee. He may be<br />

reached at 800.222.0060 or john.pryma@honeywell.com.


Feature<br />

<strong>When</strong> <strong>Wireless</strong> <strong>LAN</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>LAN</strong><br />

What you need to know to enable pervasive W<strong>LAN</strong> deployments.<br />

BY DAVID CONFALONIERI<br />

By all accounts, enterpr<strong>is</strong>e adoption of wireless <strong>LAN</strong><br />

(W<strong>LAN</strong>) <strong>is</strong> booming. Look at any current IT publication<br />

and you will see yet ano<strong>the</strong>r story on <strong>the</strong><br />

subject. All th<strong>is</strong> would lead you to believe that<br />

enterpr<strong>is</strong>es are striving <strong>for</strong> pervasive wireless deployments.<br />

That <strong>is</strong>, <strong>the</strong>y seek to make <strong>the</strong> W<strong>LAN</strong> <strong>the</strong> primary<br />

method of access or, at least, one that <strong>is</strong> on par with<br />

wired accessibility.<br />

The prom<strong>is</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> all-wireless campus <strong>is</strong> tempting.<br />

However, th<strong>is</strong> increased dependence on <strong>the</strong> W<strong>LAN</strong> infrastructure<br />

ra<strong>is</strong>es <strong>the</strong> stakes. Will per<strong>for</strong>mance and resilience<br />

of <strong>the</strong> wireless network be sufficient? Will <strong>the</strong> complexity,<br />

cost, and r<strong>is</strong>ks of deployment and maintenance outweigh<br />

<strong>the</strong> benefits? The answers are not obvious and, in some<br />

cases, have been d<strong>is</strong>gu<strong>is</strong>ed by hype and m<strong>is</strong>interpretation<br />

of what Wi-Fi technology really does and does not do.<br />

The following will explore <strong>the</strong>se questions.<br />

We will start with a definition of “pervasive” W<strong>LAN</strong>,<br />

<strong>the</strong>n take a close look at <strong>the</strong> IEEE 802.11 , <strong>Wireless</strong> Local<br />

Area Networks standard itself, how it has been implemented<br />

to date, and where new architectures are taking<br />

<strong>the</strong> industry.<br />

Pervasive W<strong>LAN</strong>—Ra<strong>is</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> Bar<br />

H<strong>is</strong>torically, W<strong>LAN</strong>s have been deployed in a tactical,<br />

“hot-spot”-like fashion, serving a limited set of users in<br />

specific situations. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, it <strong>is</strong> wireless-by-exception.<br />

On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, pervasive wireless implies that<br />

it <strong>is</strong> generally available to <strong>the</strong> entire population of users<br />

and applications. To achieve th<strong>is</strong> end, IT’s m<strong>is</strong>sion statement<br />

should be to: “Cost effectively deliver multiple Wi-Fi<br />

services, with wire-like behavior, to many mobile users, over<br />

a wide geographic area.”<br />

The above objective highlights a number of important<br />

system selection elements.<br />

“Cost effectively…” relates to <strong>the</strong> cost of ownership.<br />

The costs of deployment and maintenance today represent<br />

<strong>the</strong> largest expenses associated with owning a<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong>, usually eclipsing <strong>the</strong> original price of <strong>the</strong> equipment.<br />

The complexity of current W<strong>LAN</strong> architectural<br />

approaches ra<strong>is</strong>es questions of cost and project r<strong>is</strong>k when<br />

larger scale, pervasive deployments are attempted.<br />

<strong>10</strong> Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

“…deliver multiple Wi-Fi services…” <strong>is</strong>, of course, <strong>the</strong><br />

mantra of every network owner who needs to find multiple<br />

uses <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> same infrastructure. Th<strong>is</strong>, more often<br />

than not, <strong>is</strong> dictated by financial requirements, even if it<br />

might mean that to co-ex<strong>is</strong>tence of voice, data and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

competing user interests trigger a host of system per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

trade-offs.<br />

“…with wire-like behavior…” points to something we<br />

often <strong>for</strong>get. Namely, that wireless links are notoriously<br />

less stable and pers<strong>is</strong>tent than plugging into <strong>the</strong> wall.<br />

While that may suffice <strong>for</strong> best ef<strong>for</strong>ts Wi-Fi, will th<strong>is</strong><br />

variability be acceptable when user expectations have<br />

been geared to <strong>the</strong> prom<strong>is</strong>e of always on, pervasive wireless<br />

connectivity? How do you make <strong>the</strong> wireless medium<br />

behave like wire?<br />

“…to many mobile users, over a wide geographic<br />

area.” The question of maximizing capacity, coverage,<br />

and mobility will be paramount <strong>for</strong> pervasive wireless<br />

systems. Though th<strong>is</strong> may seem obvious, it <strong>is</strong> not a<br />

given. In fact, <strong>the</strong>se three per<strong>for</strong>mance traits have traditionally<br />

been mutually exclusive. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, designing<br />

<strong>for</strong> one requires a trade-off in <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. While th<strong>is</strong><br />

trade-off has not been seen as an <strong>is</strong>sue in tactical deployments,<br />

it will quickly r<strong>is</strong>e to <strong>the</strong> level of showstopper in<br />

larger scale systems.<br />

The above d<strong>is</strong>cussion shows that, <strong>for</strong> pervasive W<strong>LAN</strong><br />

to become a reality, consideration must be given to maximizing<br />

<strong>the</strong> overall simplicity, flexibility, and capability of<br />

any chosen system.<br />

Here we must stress <strong>the</strong> word “system” in sharp contrast<br />

to <strong>the</strong> box-centric hype that often dominates Wi-Fi<br />

d<strong>is</strong>cussions. A couple of examples: What good does it do<br />

to have a feature-rich Wi-Fi telephone, if you cannot<br />

actually initiate a call while moving? Is <strong>the</strong> prom<strong>is</strong>e of<br />

IEEE 802.11n high speed relevant if <strong>the</strong>re are so few<br />

channels that to cover your service area you are subjected<br />

to bandwidth-eroding co-channel interference?<br />

IEEE 802.11 Realities<br />

Taking a systems view means understanding <strong>the</strong><br />

design interdependencies. Th<strong>is</strong> starts with recognition of<br />

<strong>the</strong> IEEE 802.11 standard itself. What <strong>is</strong> it really capable


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of doing, and what it <strong>is</strong> not. Consider <strong>the</strong> following traits<br />

of <strong>the</strong> standard.<br />

Frequencies are scarce. W<strong>LAN</strong>s operate in two frequency<br />

bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band <strong>is</strong><br />

where 802.11b and 802.11g modes operate, and such systems<br />

have only three non-overlapping channels available<br />

to <strong>the</strong> designer (<strong>the</strong> red channels shown in Figure 1).<br />

Figure 1–2.4 GHz Channelization Plan<br />

The 5 GHz band, where <strong>the</strong> 802.11a mode operates, <strong>is</strong><br />

a bit better with up to 13 non-overlapping channels<br />

available (subject to regulatory mandates). It <strong>is</strong> interesting<br />

to note that <strong>the</strong> vast majority of users and systems<br />

today are in <strong>the</strong> 2.4 GHz band.<br />

What does frequency scarcity mean to pervasive<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong>? The channel <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> pipe that transports <strong>the</strong> communications<br />

traffic. Clearly, fewer pipes mean less total<br />

capacity. And since we’re talking about radio pipes, trying<br />

to re-use <strong>the</strong> same channel in <strong>the</strong> same geographic<br />

space ra<strong>is</strong>es <strong>the</strong> challenge of co-channel interference.<br />

Data rate <strong>is</strong> a function of d<strong>is</strong>tance. There <strong>is</strong> an<br />

inverse relationship between a client’s received data rate<br />

and its d<strong>is</strong>tance from an access point (AP). In o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

words, <strong>the</strong> far<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> client gets from <strong>the</strong> AP, <strong>the</strong> lower<br />

<strong>the</strong> signal strength, and <strong>the</strong> lower <strong>the</strong> resulting effective<br />

Figure 2–Data Rate to D<strong>is</strong>tance Relationship<br />

12 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

data rate. The drop-off <strong>is</strong> dramatic. Figure 2 shows <strong>the</strong><br />

range-to-data rate relationship <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> 802.11b mode. It <strong>is</strong><br />

important to remember that <strong>the</strong> actual throughput available<br />

to <strong>the</strong> users <strong>is</strong> approximately half of <strong>the</strong> data rate.<br />

What does th<strong>is</strong> range-to-data rate relationship mean to<br />

pervasive W<strong>LAN</strong>? First, a lower data rate translates into<br />

lower aggregate bandwidth. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> coverage capacity<br />

trade-off referenced earlier. Second, a user located away<br />

from an AP will receive a different grade of service than<br />

one that <strong>is</strong> closer in—hardly a desirable trait, since it prevents<br />

you from specifying a service level agreement (SLA)<br />

<strong>for</strong> users. Third, those that are far<strong>the</strong>r out will negatively<br />

impact users that are close in proximity. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> known as<br />

<strong>the</strong> “edge user” phenomenon. To transmit <strong>the</strong> same<br />

amount of in<strong>for</strong>mation, <strong>the</strong> slower-transmitting outlying<br />

users take up more airtime than those who are closer in,<br />

effectively cutting down <strong>the</strong> aggregate bandwidth available<br />

to everyone.<br />

Portability, not mobility. IEEE 802.11 <strong>is</strong> not<br />

designed <strong>for</strong> seamless mobility. It <strong>is</strong> better described as a<br />

standard <strong>for</strong> portability because <strong>the</strong> client, not <strong>the</strong> infrastructure,<br />

<strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> one that decides which AP it will use and<br />

when to effect communications.<br />

How does th<strong>is</strong> impact pervasive W<strong>LAN</strong>? As shown in<br />

Figure 3, th<strong>is</strong> client-centric portability model results in an<br />

effect commonly known as “client bunching.” The client<br />

stays connected to an AP longer than it should, deeming<br />

<strong>the</strong> current AP acceptable, even though a closer-in AP<br />

could have delivered a higher data rate. The net effect <strong>is</strong><br />

lower overall capacity <strong>for</strong> everyone, since it causes <strong>the</strong><br />

edge user condition to pers<strong>is</strong>t. In addition, when <strong>the</strong><br />

client finally decides to<br />

transition from one AP to<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r, it does so by per<strong>for</strong>ming<br />

a hand-off. A<br />

hand-off transaction<br />

involves de-associating<br />

from <strong>the</strong> current AP, scanning<br />

<strong>for</strong> a new one, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>n associating to it. The<br />

hand-off time can impact<br />

continuity of communications,<br />

especially in <strong>the</strong> case<br />

of latency-sensitive applications<br />

such as voice, older<br />

data applications, and virtual<br />

private network (VPN)<br />

security sessions. Minimizing<br />

or completely eliminating<br />

<strong>the</strong> hand-off time<br />

<strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e a design<br />

requirement <strong>for</strong> mobility.


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Figure 3–Client-Centric Portability<br />

Figure 4–Cell Planning Topology<br />

Mixed mode<br />

802.11b/g<br />

degrades system<br />

capacity.<br />

Operating a system<br />

in mixed mode<br />

enables <strong>the</strong> co-ex<strong>is</strong>tence<br />

of 802.11b<br />

and newer 802.11g<br />

devices on <strong>the</strong><br />

same channel.<br />

While th<strong>is</strong> provides<br />

<strong>for</strong> backward compatibility,<br />

<strong>the</strong> price to be paid <strong>is</strong> lower overall bandwidth.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> effect can be severe, as shown in Table 1. The table<br />

shows what happens to <strong>the</strong> aggregate channel throughput<br />

when different proportions of 802.11b and 802.11g<br />

clients are operating on that channel. Notice <strong>the</strong> bottom<br />

right corner. <strong>When</strong> <strong>10</strong> 802.11g clients are present, <strong>the</strong><br />

Table 1–Aggregate Throughput (in Mb/s) of a Mixed Mode Channel<br />

14 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

aggregate throughput <strong>is</strong> 30.5 Mb/s. The introduction of a<br />

single 802.11b client cuts th<strong>is</strong> almost in half. In a pervasive<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> deployment, th<strong>is</strong> effect may represent a serious<br />

trade-off between capacity and support <strong>for</strong> a full<br />

range of device types.<br />

Voice and data contention degrades Quality of<br />

Service (QoS). Voice users require real-time communications<br />

that cannot withstand buffering and retries.<br />

Consequently, when voice and data users compete <strong>for</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> bandwidth of <strong>the</strong> same channel, mechan<strong>is</strong>ms are<br />

needed to grant voice traffic a higher priority than data.<br />

802.11e, a recently ratified standard, <strong>is</strong> available to provide<br />

such a method in Wi-Fi systems. The most common<br />

implementation of 802.11e provides a voice user with a<br />

probabil<strong>is</strong>tic method of obtaining a channel over a data<br />

user. Th<strong>is</strong> approach gives a stat<strong>is</strong>tical advantage to <strong>the</strong><br />

traffic type that has been defined as having a higher priority.<br />

It does th<strong>is</strong> by defining a shorter “back-off” window<br />

<strong>for</strong> voice than <strong>for</strong> data.<br />

The problem with a stat<strong>is</strong>tical solution <strong>is</strong> that it works<br />

well when <strong>the</strong> system <strong>is</strong> not loaded. But when <strong>the</strong> system<br />

<strong>is</strong> heavily loaded, more and more data clients will win<br />

over voice clients, <strong>the</strong>reby denying <strong>the</strong> hoped-<strong>for</strong> QoS.<br />

Also, th<strong>is</strong> system <strong>is</strong> extremely inefficient, since data has to<br />

wait longer, even if no voice calls are actually active.<br />

Finally, th<strong>is</strong> standard requires changes to <strong>the</strong> client,<br />

which have generally not yet become widely available.<br />

One overarching conclusion can be drawn from <strong>the</strong><br />

above d<strong>is</strong>cussion. These 802.11 traits are inconsequential<br />

in small, tactical deployments. But <strong>the</strong>y will have major<br />

implications <strong>for</strong> mid- to large-scale implementations.<br />

The question now <strong>is</strong> how do W<strong>LAN</strong> architectures handle<br />

<strong>the</strong> above constraints to enable a high-per<strong>for</strong>ming,<br />

easy-to-maintain pervasive wireless network?<br />

Traditional<br />

Architectures—Cell<br />

Planning Topology<br />

Every traditional<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> system starts with<br />

<strong>the</strong> prem<strong>is</strong>e of cell planning.<br />

In a cell planning<br />

topology, <strong>the</strong> available<br />

radio channels are d<strong>is</strong>tributed<br />

among <strong>the</strong> APs<br />

as shown in Figure 4.<br />

The diagram shows <strong>the</strong><br />

802.11b/g case, in which<br />

<strong>the</strong>re are only three nonoverlapping<br />

channels<br />

available. Each AP (represented<br />

by a hexagon) <strong>is</strong><br />

assigned a specific radio


Figure 3–Client-Centric Portability<br />

Figure 4–Cell Planning Topology<br />

Mixed mode<br />

802.11b/g<br />

degrades system<br />

capacity.<br />

Operating a system<br />

in mixed mode<br />

enables <strong>the</strong> co-ex<strong>is</strong>tence<br />

of 802.11b<br />

and newer 802.11g<br />

devices on <strong>the</strong><br />

same channel.<br />

While th<strong>is</strong> provides<br />

<strong>for</strong> backward compatibility,<br />

<strong>the</strong> price to be paid <strong>is</strong> lower overall bandwidth.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> effect can be severe, as shown in Table 1. The table<br />

shows what happens to <strong>the</strong> aggregate channel throughput<br />

when different proportions of 802.11b and 802.11g<br />

clients are operating on that channel. Notice <strong>the</strong> bottom<br />

right corner. <strong>When</strong> <strong>10</strong> 802.11g clients are present, <strong>the</strong><br />

Table 1–Aggregate Throughput (in Mb/s) of a Mixed Mode Channel<br />

14 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

aggregate throughput <strong>is</strong> 30.5 Mb/s. The introduction of a<br />

single 802.11b client cuts th<strong>is</strong> almost in half. In a pervasive<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> deployment, th<strong>is</strong> effect may represent a serious<br />

trade-off between capacity and support <strong>for</strong> a full<br />

range of device types.<br />

Voice and data contention degrades Quality of<br />

Service (QoS). Voice users require real-time communications<br />

that cannot withstand buffering and retries.<br />

Consequently, when voice and data users compete <strong>for</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> bandwidth of <strong>the</strong> same channel, mechan<strong>is</strong>ms are<br />

needed to grant voice traffic a higher priority than data.<br />

802.11e, a recently ratified standard, <strong>is</strong> available to provide<br />

such a method in Wi-Fi systems. The most common<br />

implementation of 802.11e provides a voice user with a<br />

probabil<strong>is</strong>tic method of obtaining a channel over a data<br />

user. Th<strong>is</strong> approach gives a stat<strong>is</strong>tical advantage to <strong>the</strong><br />

traffic type that has been defined as having a higher priority.<br />

It does th<strong>is</strong> by defining a shorter “back-off” window<br />

<strong>for</strong> voice than <strong>for</strong> data.<br />

The problem with a stat<strong>is</strong>tical solution <strong>is</strong> that it works<br />

well when <strong>the</strong> system <strong>is</strong> not loaded. But when <strong>the</strong> system<br />

<strong>is</strong> heavily loaded, more and more data clients will win<br />

over voice clients, <strong>the</strong>reby denying <strong>the</strong> hoped-<strong>for</strong> QoS.<br />

Also, th<strong>is</strong> system <strong>is</strong> extremely inefficient, since data has to<br />

wait longer, even if no voice calls are actually active.<br />

Finally, th<strong>is</strong> standard requires changes to <strong>the</strong> client,<br />

which have generally not yet become widely available.<br />

One overarching conclusion can be drawn from <strong>the</strong><br />

above d<strong>is</strong>cussion. These 802.11 traits are inconsequential<br />

in small, tactical deployments. But <strong>the</strong>y will have major<br />

implications <strong>for</strong> mid- to large-scale implementations.<br />

The question now <strong>is</strong> how do W<strong>LAN</strong> architectures handle<br />

<strong>the</strong> above constraints to enable a high-per<strong>for</strong>ming,<br />

easy-to-maintain pervasive wireless network?<br />

Traditional<br />

Architectures—Cell<br />

Planning Topology<br />

Every traditional<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> system starts with<br />

<strong>the</strong> prem<strong>is</strong>e of cell planning.<br />

In a cell planning<br />

topology, <strong>the</strong> available<br />

radio channels are d<strong>is</strong>tributed<br />

among <strong>the</strong> APs<br />

as shown in Figure 4.<br />

The diagram shows <strong>the</strong><br />

802.11b/g case, in which<br />

<strong>the</strong>re are only three nonoverlapping<br />

channels<br />

available. Each AP (represented<br />

by a hexagon) <strong>is</strong><br />

assigned a specific radio


channel, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> APs are d<strong>is</strong>tributed to <strong>for</strong>m a cellular<br />

coverage pattern. To do so, <strong>the</strong> designer must take<br />

care to provide sufficient physical separation between<br />

any two APs that use <strong>the</strong> same channel to minimize <strong>the</strong><br />

interference between <strong>the</strong>m. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> traditional topology<br />

that underpins data-centric W<strong>LAN</strong> systems.<br />

What does it take to implement th<strong>is</strong> type of solution?<br />

Table 2 summarizes <strong>the</strong> steps and tasks that must<br />

be completed. In <strong>the</strong> design phase, a multi-variable prob-<br />

Design<br />

Deploy<br />

Validate<br />

Adjust<br />

Table 2 – Compar<strong>is</strong>on of Cell Planning and Channel Blanket Lifecycle<br />

Cell Planning Approach<br />

Model and account <strong>for</strong>:<br />

• Number and location of APs<br />

• AP channelization<br />

• Co-channel interference<br />

• Location and extent of cell overlap<br />

• Transmit power<br />

• AP antenna type<br />

• Configure each AP<br />

• Configure each switch<br />

• Create an IP map in order to assign an IP<br />

address to each AP<br />

• For each AP, measure downlink data rate<br />

• Find overlap zones that can impact handoff<br />

• Identify location of co-channel interference<br />

and coll<strong>is</strong>ion domain sharing<br />

• Re-channelize and re-model<br />

• Add and/or move AP(s)<br />

lem needs to be solved, to balance <strong>the</strong> competing interest<br />

of coverage and capacity. Why competing? Because<br />

while more and smaller cells may increase capacity<br />

(remember—<strong>the</strong> closer a client <strong>is</strong> to any given AP, <strong>the</strong><br />

higher <strong>the</strong> data rate), <strong>the</strong> closer spacing will also trigger<br />

an increase in co-channel interference and cell-to-cell<br />

overlap, both of which actually decrease capacity. In<br />

addition, <strong>the</strong> more cells <strong>the</strong>re are, <strong>the</strong> more frequent <strong>the</strong><br />

handoff events with which <strong>the</strong> client will have to contend,<br />

impacting <strong>the</strong> efficiency and reliability of mobility.<br />

Once deployed, validating <strong>the</strong> actual per<strong>for</strong>mance of<br />

such a network requires an AP-by-AP verification. Th<strong>is</strong> can<br />

be very time consuming and require soph<strong>is</strong>ticated measurement<br />

equipment to help automate part of <strong>the</strong> ef<strong>for</strong>t.<br />

Finally, <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>is</strong>sue of what to do when a change<br />

needs to be made to <strong>the</strong> layout. Whe<strong>the</strong>r it <strong>is</strong> a dead<br />

16 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

spot that <strong>is</strong> initially identified post-install, or a modification<br />

that <strong>is</strong> required over time as <strong>the</strong> environment<br />

changes, <strong>the</strong> design and validation process, at least in<br />

part, needs to be redone.<br />

Different vendors have developed tools of varying levels<br />

of soph<strong>is</strong>ticated and automation to aid in balancing<br />

<strong>the</strong> many variables involved in a cell-based solution. The<br />

very ex<strong>is</strong>tence of <strong>the</strong>se tools <strong>is</strong> a testament to <strong>the</strong> inherent<br />

complexity of th<strong>is</strong> type of topology; a complexity<br />

that <strong>is</strong> precipitated by <strong>the</strong> Wi-Fi<br />

Channel Blanket Approach with Fully<br />

Centralized Switch Intelligence<br />

Model and account <strong>for</strong>:<br />

• Number and location of APs<br />

• Configure <strong>the</strong> switch only<br />

• Assign one IP address <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> switch<br />

• Measure <strong>the</strong> downlink data rate <strong>for</strong> each<br />

channel (one pass validation)<br />

• Add and/or move AP(s) without requiring<br />

redesign<br />

standard itself and <strong>the</strong> traits<br />

d<strong>is</strong>cussed earlier.<br />

Ultimately, because of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

802.11 character<strong>is</strong>tics, <strong>the</strong> cellplanning<br />

topology has a fundamental<br />

inability to cope with:<br />

The severe scarcity of channels,<br />

which makes co-channel<br />

interference inescapable<br />

and reduces overall system<br />

capacity.<br />

Unpredictable throughput<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance per user and<br />

per cell, due to edge users<br />

and user bunching effects.<br />

Latency-plagued mobility, as<br />

a result of frequent handoffs<br />

between APs on different<br />

channels.<br />

Sub-optimal support of multiple<br />

services. In <strong>the</strong> cell planning<br />

topology, all users and all<br />

traffic types share (i.e. contend<br />

<strong>for</strong>) each channel. Th<strong>is</strong> presents<br />

QoS challenges that<br />

802.11e cannot surmount.<br />

There <strong>is</strong> one o<strong>the</strong>r element in th<strong>is</strong> topology that<br />

can be problematic—link stability. As d<strong>is</strong>cussed, if<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> <strong>is</strong> to be adopted universally, <strong>the</strong> stability of<br />

<strong>the</strong> wireless communications link needs to increase.<br />

In a cell-based topology, each client <strong>is</strong> associated with<br />

a specific AP at any given time. Should <strong>the</strong> connection<br />

to that AP ever be interrupted, whe<strong>the</strong>r because of an<br />

interfering signal or <strong>the</strong> natural ebb and flow of RF signals,<br />

<strong>the</strong>re will be some period of time during which<br />

<strong>the</strong> client will attempt to reconnect ei<strong>the</strong>r to <strong>the</strong> original<br />

AP or to ano<strong>the</strong>r that it deems to be of better quality.<br />

These drops and reconnections are un<strong>for</strong>tunately<br />

well known to users, whe<strong>the</strong>r mobile or stationary.<br />

While each of <strong>the</strong>se cycles can be frustrating to users,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y also cause transm<strong>is</strong>sion retries and greater congestion<br />

on <strong>the</strong> channel.


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An Alternative Architecture—<br />

Architecture—Channel<br />

Channel Blanket Topology<br />

Blanket Topology<br />

Traditional architectures are AP-centric. But what if <strong>the</strong><br />

model were to shift to a channel-centric architecture? Th<strong>is</strong><br />

approach <strong>is</strong> characterized by <strong>the</strong> following philosophy:<br />

Radio channels are scarce, use <strong>the</strong>m w<strong>is</strong>ely.<br />

Use channels <strong>for</strong> capacity, ra<strong>the</strong>r than coverage.<br />

Introduce true seamless mobility, not just portability,<br />

to W<strong>LAN</strong>.<br />

Create a wireless link with wire-like stability behavior.<br />

Adhere to <strong>the</strong> 802.11 specification, without requiring<br />

customization in <strong>the</strong> clients.<br />

With th<strong>is</strong> thinking, <strong>the</strong> system picture changes significantly,<br />

as shown in Figure 5. The bandwidth of each of<br />

<strong>the</strong> three available 2.4GHz channels <strong>is</strong> made available<br />

everywhere throughout <strong>the</strong> service area. A centralized<br />

switch intelligence <strong>is</strong> used to control a constellation of<br />

APs, each of which operate on <strong>the</strong> same channel.<br />

Although th<strong>is</strong> may appear to be a recipe <strong>for</strong> d<strong>is</strong>aster, <strong>the</strong><br />

switch in fact fully controls <strong>the</strong> RF, ensuring that co-channel<br />

interference never occurs. With interference eliminated,<br />

and no RF cell planning required, th<strong>is</strong> architecture<br />

inherently solves <strong>the</strong> 802.11 hurdles described earlier.<br />

Each frequency <strong>is</strong> used everywhere, without cell planning,<br />

and completely avoiding co-channel interference.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> permits APs to be placed wherever needed,<br />

akin to placing RF jacks everywhere.<br />

APs can be deployed in any density, so that all clients<br />

no matter where <strong>the</strong>y are, can receive <strong>the</strong> maximum<br />

desired data rate. Edge users are, <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e, a thing of<br />

<strong>the</strong> past.<br />

Depending on <strong>the</strong> degree of switching intelligence,<br />

<strong>the</strong> clients will experience little or no handoff as <strong>the</strong>y<br />

move throughout <strong>the</strong> aggregate coverage of <strong>the</strong> AP<br />

constellation. Client bunching and handoff delays<br />

are significantly decreased and, in some vendor architectures,<br />

fully eliminated.<br />

Assuming multi-radio APs and a switch capable of<br />

supporting multiple channel blankets, a multi-layer<br />

W<strong>LAN</strong> network <strong>is</strong> establ<strong>is</strong>hed, with each layer operating<br />

on a separate physical channel. Th<strong>is</strong> provides<br />

new flexibility in organizing competing traffic and<br />

device types. For example, one channel could be<br />

reserved <strong>for</strong> voice only, while ano<strong>the</strong>r <strong>is</strong> reserved <strong>for</strong><br />

data only. In ano<strong>the</strong>r combination, one channel<br />

could be <strong>for</strong> 802.11b devices only, while <strong>the</strong> faster<br />

802.11g devices operate on ano<strong>the</strong>r. While traffic and<br />

device types can still be mixed, it <strong>is</strong> good to have <strong>the</strong><br />

option to not just mitigate <strong>the</strong>ir contention, but to<br />

outright eliminate it through physical segregation.<br />

As <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> question of link stability, consider <strong>the</strong> following.<br />

A channel blanket topology with fully centralized<br />

switching intelligence will mean that <strong>the</strong> client <strong>is</strong><br />

18 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

Figure 5–From Cell to Channel Blanket<br />

associated with <strong>the</strong> switch, ra<strong>the</strong>r than any individual AP.<br />

In th<strong>is</strong> case, multiple APs will simultaneously hear <strong>the</strong><br />

client, <strong>the</strong>reby creating uplink path diversity <strong>for</strong> that<br />

client. With such real-time redundancy in <strong>the</strong> uplink, <strong>the</strong><br />

client-to-network link cannot be severed, and wireless<br />

finally begins to behave with wired-link dependability.<br />

Finally, <strong>the</strong> lifecycle management of a channel blanket<br />

topology <strong>is</strong> significantly different than what we saw<br />

earlier, and th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> summarized in Table 2.<br />

Summary<br />

The shift from tactical to strategic use of W<strong>LAN</strong> <strong>is</strong><br />

ind<strong>is</strong>putably under way in <strong>the</strong> enterpr<strong>is</strong>e. There <strong>is</strong>,<br />

<strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e, a desire to grant <strong>the</strong> next level of infrastructural<br />

legitimacy to th<strong>is</strong> technology. Once given, however,<br />

holding on to such legitimacy will depend upon<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r W<strong>LAN</strong> solutions are able to meet <strong>the</strong> higher<br />

standards of per<strong>for</strong>mance, flexibility and economic<br />

return demanded by pervasive, large-scale implementations.<br />

If not, W<strong>LAN</strong> runs <strong>the</strong> r<strong>is</strong>k of d<strong>is</strong>appointing many<br />

of <strong>the</strong> faithful, causing a retrenchment and delay in<br />

adoption of wireless within <strong>the</strong> daily operations of <strong>the</strong><br />

enterpr<strong>is</strong>e.<br />

Numerous architectural options are available to <strong>the</strong><br />

enterpr<strong>is</strong>e. They must evaluate each <strong>for</strong> best fit in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

own context, and conduct such an evaluation with a<br />

clear understanding of <strong>the</strong> inherent traits of <strong>the</strong> 802.11<br />

standard. .<br />

David Confalonieri<br />

David Confalonieri <strong>is</strong> vice president, corporate<br />

marketing, <strong>for</strong> Extricom, a designer and<br />

manufacturer of W<strong>LAN</strong> infrastructure solutions.<br />

For more in<strong>for</strong>mation, send a message to<br />

info@extricom.com or v<strong>is</strong>it www.extricom.com.


Data Center Myth Busters<br />

Myth<br />

To achieve 20 kW of cooling you must use liquid or<br />

active cooling systems in or near your cabinet.<br />

Does cooling your data center<br />

seem like a mystery?<br />

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- Achieves 2-20+ kW of cooling per cabinet<br />

• Tier IV Capability<br />

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• Minimize Total Cost of Ownership<br />

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Feature<br />

<strong>Using</strong> <strong>Baluns</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Audio</strong> Video Applications<br />

<strong>Baluns</strong> help reduce <strong>the</strong> cost and complexity of deploying<br />

AV systems. BY TONY KAYNE<br />

Because much has been said<br />

about <strong>the</strong> cost savings of using<br />

baluns, many installers have<br />

<strong>the</strong> impression that using<br />

baluns <strong>is</strong> a second-rate solution. The<br />

truth <strong>is</strong> that with baluns, per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

can often be greatly improved<br />

both in signal quality and transm<strong>is</strong>sion<br />

d<strong>is</strong>tance while eliminating<br />

annoying hum and interference in<br />

audio and video applications.<br />

So, what <strong>is</strong> a balun?<br />

The word balun, pronounced<br />

BAL-UN, <strong>is</strong> a conjunction of <strong>the</strong><br />

words balanced and unbalanced.<br />

Often <strong>the</strong> word <strong>is</strong> wrongly pronounced<br />

as “balloon” or “bay-lun.”<br />

A balun <strong>is</strong> most commonly known<br />

as a small, passive trans<strong>for</strong>mer that<br />

changes <strong>the</strong> impedance (ohms) on<br />

one cable to match <strong>the</strong> impedance on<br />

a second cable. It can also connect a<br />

balanced line to an unbalanced line,<br />

as <strong>the</strong> name suggests. Passive means<br />

no external power needs to be added,<br />

<strong>the</strong>reby simplifying <strong>the</strong> installation.<br />

Most baluns are small in size ranging<br />

from approximately 1 in x 2 in x 0.5<br />

in (2.5 x 5 x 1.5 mm) to 3 in x 3 in x<br />

1 in (6.5 x 6.5 x 2.5 mm).<br />

Category 5, 5e and 6 cables are<br />

balanced line UTP. Signals from certain<br />

audio, baseband video, RGB,<br />

VGA, component HDTV, or broadband/CATV<br />

are all unbalanced signals<br />

on coaxial cable. A device <strong>is</strong> required<br />

to match <strong>the</strong> balanced UTP to <strong>the</strong><br />

unbalanced audio or video. Thus, a<br />

balun <strong>is</strong> required.<br />

In analog audio, professionals<br />

already use balanced lines, so UTP<br />

can easily carry those signals without<br />

20 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

Figure 1-Connecting a CCTV camera to a monitor using 75 ohm coaxial cable.<br />

Figure 2-Connecting a CCTV camera to a monitor using UTP and baluns.


aluns. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> not always true <strong>for</strong> consumer analog<br />

audio, where RCA connectors are common, <strong>the</strong> signals<br />

are unbalanced and a balun <strong>is</strong> required to match <strong>the</strong> signal<br />

to <strong>the</strong> balanced-line UTP cable.<br />

For consumer digital audio, <strong>the</strong> Sony-Phillips Digital<br />

Interface (S/PDIF) <strong>is</strong> also an unbalanced signal on a RCA<br />

connector. However, <strong>the</strong> digital audio signal <strong>is</strong> very different<br />

from <strong>the</strong> analog audio signal, requiring a very different<br />

balun than required to support an analog application.<br />

On <strong>the</strong> outside, <strong>the</strong> baluns look <strong>the</strong><br />

same, RCA to RJ-45. Yet it <strong>is</strong> critical to<br />

use <strong>the</strong> correct one.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> video world, RCA connectors<br />

are also used <strong>for</strong> consumer equipment.<br />

Professionals use BNC connectors. Both<br />

signal types are unbalanced and require<br />

a balun to work with UTP. It goes without<br />

saying that <strong>the</strong> requirements of<br />

professional video are much more stringent<br />

than home/consumer applications,<br />

although high-end consumer<br />

video, such as home <strong>the</strong>ater applications,<br />

can sometimes require <strong>the</strong> same<br />

high quality balun as professionals.<br />

Knowledgeable installers might ask<br />

why we even d<strong>is</strong>cuss category 5 cable<br />

<strong>for</strong> AV projects; after all, <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> hardly<br />

any category 5 cable manufactured<br />

anymore. It also <strong>is</strong> no longer part of<br />

<strong>the</strong> ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2 standard.<br />

The reason category 5 <strong>is</strong> important <strong>is</strong><br />

really simple—<strong>the</strong>re are millions of<br />

feet of category 5 cable already<br />

installed. As a contractor, if you are<br />

trying to be cost effective and save<br />

your customer money, one way to do<br />

it <strong>is</strong> to use already installed cable.<br />

With category 5 cable already<br />

installed, <strong>the</strong> only thing you will have<br />

to buy <strong>for</strong> AV projects <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> baluns to<br />

make <strong>the</strong> ex<strong>is</strong>ting cable work.<br />

For example, normally a CCTV<br />

camera system <strong>is</strong> connected to a monitor<br />

with a length of 75 ohm unbalanced<br />

coaxial cable. (see Figure 1).<br />

If you replace most of <strong>the</strong> coaxial<br />

with easy-to-find, inexpensive, balanced<br />

category 5 UTP, you can show<br />

a significant savings. Because <strong>the</strong> UTP<br />

cable <strong>is</strong> <strong>10</strong>0 ohm, a pair of baluns <strong>is</strong><br />

required to match <strong>the</strong> UTP to <strong>the</strong><br />

devices at each end that are expecting<br />

a coaxial connector.<br />

Since tw<strong>is</strong>ted pairs are run as balanced lines, <strong>the</strong>y can<br />

reject no<strong>is</strong>e and interference, something coaxial cable<br />

cannot do. A pair of baluns <strong>for</strong> th<strong>is</strong> simple application<br />

cost under $<strong>10</strong>0 at l<strong>is</strong>t price. The use of baluns can give<br />

<strong>the</strong> installer a strong price advantage with <strong>the</strong> savings<br />

realized from using UTP instead of coaxial cable (see<br />

Figure 2).<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r often overlooked and unseen cost savings<br />

comes from ease of connecting an RJ-45 to UTP cable.<br />

You wouldn’t buy th<strong>is</strong>.<br />

So why buy anything but<br />

high per<strong>for</strong>mance fiber?<br />

<strong>When</strong> you specify LaserWave TM fiber from OFS, you get outstanding<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance even in <strong>the</strong> critical center region. That means DMD<br />

specified in <strong>the</strong> 0-5 micron range and double <strong>the</strong> bandwidth <strong>for</strong><br />

lasers that launch power in <strong>the</strong> fiber’s center. Enjoy fast, reliable<br />

transm<strong>is</strong>sion and easier connectivity. To learn more, ask your cabler<br />

about OFS or v<strong>is</strong>it www.ofsoptics.com/ofs-fiber.<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 21


Figure 3-Examples of quad baluns.<br />

Fitting BNCs or RCAs can be time consuming when compared<br />

to crimping RJ45s onto UTP. A single category 5<br />

cable, which has four pair of wires, can be used to send<br />

multiple video plus audio, four channels of audio, or four<br />

channels of video, such as baseband CCTV signals.<br />

<strong>Baluns</strong> are available to support <strong>the</strong>se and many o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

complex applications (see Figure 3).<br />

One of <strong>the</strong> great cost saving advantages of using<br />

baluns <strong>is</strong> that <strong>the</strong> installer can often find a balun that<br />

allows <strong>the</strong> use of pre-ex<strong>is</strong>ting data cable. These can be<br />

used <strong>for</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r applications not originally intended <strong>for</strong><br />

th<strong>is</strong> type of cable. There are baluns <strong>for</strong> audio, video, and<br />

a combination of audio and video. The video baluns<br />

encompass baseband, broadband/CATV, RGB, VGA, S-<br />

Video, and component HDTV.<br />

<strong>Audio</strong> baluns are available in analog or digital, mono<br />

or stereo. These baluns can carry up to four channels of<br />

analog audio, and eight channels of digital audio, where<br />

digital audio can run two channels down each pair.<br />

For those audio engineers who are unsure about using<br />

category 5 UTP <strong>for</strong> multiple channels of audio, <strong>the</strong>re has<br />

been extensive testing and thousands of installations that<br />

attest to <strong>the</strong> high per<strong>for</strong>mance of <strong>the</strong>se cables. Even <strong>the</strong><br />

worst category 5 cables can easily provide greater than 90<br />

dB of pair-to-pair <strong>is</strong>olation at analog audio frequencies—<br />

shielding <strong>the</strong> signal from interference imposed by o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

cables, external sources of no<strong>is</strong>e, or even from <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

pairs inside a single cable.<br />

However, <strong>the</strong> pairs in UTP will reject no<strong>is</strong>e and interference<br />

only as well as <strong>the</strong>y are balanced. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

good reason to buy a balun of high quality because <strong>the</strong><br />

balance provided by <strong>the</strong> balun can be as good, or even<br />

better, than <strong>the</strong> cable attached. Buying high-quality<br />

baluns will provide you <strong>the</strong> maximum no<strong>is</strong>e rejection, or<br />

crosstalk protection, in your cable.<br />

Category 5, 5e, and 6 UTP are extremely versatile cable.<br />

They can run <strong>10</strong>BASE-T, <strong>10</strong>0BASE-T or <strong>10</strong>00BASE-T data;<br />

analog or digital audio, baseband, broadband, or component<br />

video; a telephone, a modem, or a fax machine.<br />

22 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

<strong>Baluns</strong> are available <strong>for</strong> Telco, E<strong>the</strong>rnet, Serial Data, Twinax,<br />

ICS, even to piggyback data over ex<strong>is</strong>ting phone wiring.<br />

There are even baluns <strong>for</strong> converting tw<strong>is</strong>ted-pair data back<br />

to coaxial, where computer data originally began.<br />

One advantage of UTP that AV engineers appreciate <strong>is</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> elimination of ground loops. <strong>When</strong> two pieces of<br />

equipment are connected through a shielded cable, <strong>the</strong><br />

two devices are often at different ground potential. Th<strong>is</strong><br />

creates a ground loop where a significant voltage runs<br />

down <strong>the</strong> ground from one device to ano<strong>the</strong>r. Th<strong>is</strong> voltage<br />

will carry interference with it. Shielding becomes an<br />

excellent antenna <strong>for</strong> picking up no<strong>is</strong>e and feeding it<br />

directly into your cable.<br />

Most installers solve th<strong>is</strong> problem by installing cable<br />

with a telescopic ground, where <strong>the</strong> shield and drain wire<br />

are connected only at <strong>the</strong> source end. Of course, th<strong>is</strong> only<br />

gives you half of <strong>the</strong> shield effectiveness that <strong>the</strong> cable<br />

offers, and a poorly made pair under that shield will be<br />

less able to reject no<strong>is</strong>e and interference.<br />

With UTP, <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> no shield, no ground, and no drain<br />

wire, so <strong>the</strong>re cannot be any ground loops. UTP pairs are<br />

run as balanced lines and <strong>the</strong>y reject no<strong>is</strong>e and interference.<br />

One might say that instead of a shield, <strong>the</strong> UTP<br />

cable manufacturers fixed <strong>the</strong> pairs so <strong>the</strong>y would be as<br />

close to perfection as possible. In fact, some of <strong>the</strong> best<br />

pairs in UTP are bonded, where <strong>the</strong> two wires of <strong>the</strong> pair<br />

are tw<strong>is</strong>ted and joined toge<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> manufacturing<br />

process. Bonded pairs can give superior no<strong>is</strong>e and interference<br />

rejection, especially after installation.<br />

To recap, <strong>the</strong>re are many compelling reasons to<br />

use baluns:<br />

Take advantage of high quality, low cost category 5,<br />

5e and 6 cables.<br />

Reduce installation costs.<br />

Send four analog audio signals over one cable.<br />

Send eight digital S/PDIF signals over one cable.<br />

Send four video signals over one cable.<br />

Send audio and video over one cable.<br />

Send RGB, VGA and many o<strong>the</strong>r signal types<br />

over UTP.<br />

Eliminate ground loops that cause hum and<br />

interference.<br />

Replace coaxial cable degraded by <strong>the</strong> elements.<br />

Utilize ex<strong>is</strong>ting UTP wiring. .<br />

Tony Kayne<br />

Tony Kayne <strong>is</strong> vice president of marketing and<br />

sales <strong>for</strong> Energy Trans<strong>for</strong>mation Systems, Inc.<br />

For more in<strong>for</strong>mation, contact ETS at<br />

800.752.8208 or www.etslan.com.


2007 BICSI<br />

Winter Conference<br />

January 22-25, Orlando, Florida<br />

Educate. Motivate. Lead. Succeed.<br />

Expect great things from <strong>the</strong> 2007 BICSI ® Winter Conference.<br />

Surround yourself with new ideas and new experiences<br />

shared by respected ITS professionals—and motivate yourself<br />

to succeed in <strong>the</strong> highly competitive and ever-changing<br />

ITS industry. The combination of critical knowledge, leading<br />

vendor exhibits and career-advancing networking found at a<br />

BICSI conference <strong>is</strong> first-rate. Plan now to attend <strong>the</strong> 2007<br />

BICSI Winter Conference—and prepare to educate, motivate<br />

lead and challenge yourself to succeed in your ITS career.<br />

Reg<strong>is</strong>ter today.<br />

www.bicsi.org, +1 813.979.1991<br />

or 800.242.7405<br />

(USA and Canada toll-free)<br />

2007 BICSI Winter Conference, January 22-25, Orlando, Florida 1


Feature<br />

Is Broadband Over Power Line <strong>for</strong> Real?<br />

BPL <strong>is</strong> an emerging alternative <strong>for</strong> broadband access and inbuilding<br />

communications networks. BY BRETT KILBOURNE<br />

Broadband over power line (BPL) <strong>is</strong> a new communications<br />

technology that <strong>is</strong> being commercially<br />

deployed in both suburban and rural areas <strong>for</strong> residential<br />

and commercial applications. Once a building<br />

or neighborhood <strong>is</strong> BPL-enabled, broadband <strong>is</strong> available<br />

wherever <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> an ac power outlet.<br />

The inherent advantage of BPL <strong>is</strong> that it uses <strong>the</strong> ex<strong>is</strong>ting<br />

electrical infrastructure, avoiding <strong>the</strong> costs, delays and r<strong>is</strong>ks<br />

associated with deploying o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>for</strong>ms of wireline infrastructure.<br />

The equipment required <strong>is</strong> relatively simple to deploy<br />

and can be easily moved in response to changes in customer<br />

demand, mitigating <strong>the</strong> r<strong>is</strong>k of stranded investment that <strong>is</strong><br />

associated with customer churn. BPL offers features such as<br />

“Helping <strong>the</strong><br />

Electrical and<br />

Cabling Industries<br />

Take Off”<br />

...since 1989<br />

Take Control of Your<br />

Projects with IntelliBid<br />

Estimating Software<br />

Voice • Data • Copper • Fiber<br />

Surveillance • CCTV • Card Access<br />

Fire Alarm • <strong>Audio</strong> • Video<br />

Nurse Call • Public Access<br />

Building Automation<br />

ConEst ®<br />

Software Systems<br />

800. 662.7687<br />

www.conest.com<br />

24 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

instant home networking, synchronous upload and<br />

download speeds, and plug-and-play ease of use.<br />

The technology can be integrated with o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

broadband technologies so that customers can<br />

unplug and obtain <strong>the</strong> BPL signal, <strong>for</strong> example,<br />

through Wi-Fi. Not only will th<strong>is</strong> provide options, it<br />

extends <strong>the</strong> reach of Wi-Fi by using <strong>the</strong> electrical<br />

lines in <strong>the</strong> customer prem<strong>is</strong>es as a backbone to carry<br />

<strong>the</strong> signal to areas that a Wi-Fi signal might not o<strong>the</strong>rw<strong>is</strong>e<br />

reach. As such, BPL <strong>is</strong> an enabling technology<br />

that helps overcome technical and business challenges<br />

in today’s telecommunications marketplace.<br />

How Access BPL Works<br />

Conceptually, BPL <strong>is</strong> not that different from DSL.<br />

It amplifies a data signal above <strong>the</strong> electric no<strong>is</strong>e on<br />

<strong>the</strong> power lines, <strong>the</strong> same way that DSL amplifies a<br />

data signal above <strong>the</strong> voice signal on telephone<br />

lines. DSL has range limitations, whereas BPL can<br />

repeat <strong>the</strong> signal any number of times to reach <strong>the</strong><br />

customer. There <strong>is</strong> a practical limit to <strong>the</strong> number of<br />

times that BPL operators will repeat <strong>the</strong> signal to<br />

avoid latency and to maintain capacity, so typically<br />

a BPL feeder will extend approximately five miles or<br />

less by design. If a BPL operator wants to reach a<br />

customer far<strong>the</strong>r away, <strong>the</strong> backhaul point <strong>is</strong> moved<br />

closer to <strong>the</strong> customer.<br />

The backhaul point <strong>is</strong> where <strong>the</strong> BPL network<br />

ends and <strong>the</strong> backbone connection to <strong>the</strong> point-ofpresence<br />

(Internet) begins. At that point <strong>the</strong> signal <strong>is</strong><br />

injected onto and extracted off electrical power lines<br />

and handed back and <strong>for</strong>th from <strong>the</strong> customers to<br />

<strong>the</strong> Internet. Along <strong>the</strong> way, <strong>the</strong> BPL signal travels<br />

around electrical trans<strong>for</strong>mers, which effectively<br />

block <strong>the</strong> BPL signal. In <strong>the</strong> U.S., <strong>the</strong>re are fewer customers<br />

per trans<strong>for</strong>mer than in Europe, which makes<br />

it more expensive typically to deploy BPL in <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />

because <strong>the</strong> costs of bypassing trans<strong>for</strong>mers cannot<br />

be aggregated between as many potential subscribers.


In <strong>the</strong> U.S., <strong>the</strong>re are a variety of trans<strong>for</strong>mer bypass<br />

technology solutions available. The signal can be sent to<br />

<strong>the</strong> customer by wireless from <strong>the</strong> BPL devices on <strong>the</strong><br />

medium-voltage (MV) access lines (><strong>10</strong>00 volts). O<strong>the</strong>r<br />

BPL operators use <strong>the</strong> low voltage (LV) lines (1<strong>10</strong>/220<br />

volts) to carry <strong>the</strong> signal into <strong>the</strong> home or business. Ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

way, <strong>the</strong> technology requires couplers, routers, and<br />

chipsets. Most BPL technology providers have proprietary<br />

equipment or license chipsets from o<strong>the</strong>r manufacturers.<br />

Although <strong>the</strong> technology <strong>is</strong> not standardized yet, <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are various standards ef<strong>for</strong>ts under way in <strong>the</strong> IEEE and in<br />

various industry consortia. In <strong>the</strong> meantime, utilities and<br />

technology providers are working toge<strong>the</strong>r to ensure that<br />

equipment con<strong>for</strong>ms to <strong>the</strong> National Electrical Code ®<br />

(NEC ® ), <strong>the</strong> National Electrical Safety Code ® (NESC ® ), as well<br />

as UL and Common User Language (CUL) requirements.<br />

There have been no reported electrical faults in any of <strong>the</strong><br />

BPL deployments so far, which indicates <strong>the</strong> caution that<br />

<strong>is</strong> being taken to ensure worker and public safety.<br />

Different technology providers offer different service<br />

capabilities at varying costs, but, generally speaking, BPL<br />

provides multi-megabit speeds at costs that are competitive<br />

with cable and DSL. Those speeds are expected to<br />

increase fourfold as next generation chipsets become<br />

available in 2006. The costs are also likely to drop as<br />

equipment production increases and greater economies<br />

of scale are achieved.<br />

In-Building BPL <strong>is</strong> Easy to Install<br />

At <strong>the</strong> outset, different BPL technology solutions<br />

require more or less equipment than o<strong>the</strong>rs. Also, some<br />

technology solutions use couplers that must be installed<br />

by an electrical engineer, while o<strong>the</strong>rs do not and can be<br />

plugged straight into wall outlets. Of course, some BPL<br />

solutions offer more bandwidth than o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />

In simple multi-dwelling unit, in-building BPL applications,<br />

<strong>the</strong> broadband signal <strong>is</strong> injected onto electrical lines<br />

at <strong>the</strong> electrical cabinet in <strong>the</strong> basement. The signal <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong>n<br />

sent up <strong>the</strong> r<strong>is</strong>er conduit over <strong>the</strong> power lines to <strong>the</strong> units<br />

within <strong>the</strong> building. Each has a BPL modem that receives<br />

<strong>the</strong> signal from a concentrator or gateway device.<br />

Although a signal can reach most of <strong>the</strong> building from <strong>the</strong><br />

basement, some network architectures use repeaters/concentrators<br />

on each floor to ensure <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> enough bandwidth<br />

to serve <strong>the</strong> requirements on each floor. The<br />

repeater/concentrator also boosts <strong>the</strong> signal so that it<br />

reaches everywhere in <strong>the</strong> building.<br />

You’re Hired! BPL as an In-Building Solution<br />

You may not know it, but Donald Trump <strong>is</strong><br />

deploying BPL in all of h<strong>is</strong> Manhattan properties.<br />

Like Trump, o<strong>the</strong>r property managers are recognizing<br />

that BPL can be deployed effectively in<br />

buildings to provide broadband Internet and<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r services wherever <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> power. In Trump’s<br />

buildings, <strong>the</strong>re was already category 5 cabling<br />

extended to every apartment. BPL gives tenants<br />

<strong>the</strong> added flexibility of plugging-in <strong>for</strong> broadband<br />

anywhere <strong>the</strong>y want, instead of just at <strong>the</strong><br />

E<strong>the</strong>rnet jack in <strong>the</strong> wall.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r property managers are using in-building<br />

BPL to run broadband into elevators or to manage<br />

HVAC networks within buildings. The advantage<br />

of BPL <strong>is</strong> its simplicity—no new wires are needed.<br />

A gateway device <strong>is</strong> installed at <strong>the</strong> breaker box<br />

and modems are installed at each end-point;<br />

repeaters may be required depending upon how<br />

far you are sending <strong>the</strong> signal. Of course, a backhaul<br />

connection <strong>is</strong> required from <strong>the</strong> building to<br />

<strong>the</strong> Internet.<br />

ConEd<strong>is</strong>on has deployed BPL into an apartment<br />

building in downtown New York to demonstrate<br />

<strong>the</strong> capabilities <strong>for</strong> energy management applications,<br />

as well as consumer broadband services.<br />

Their deployment showcases a digital apartment,<br />

where practically everything <strong>is</strong> BPL enabled,<br />

including <strong>the</strong> TV, <strong>the</strong> stereo and even <strong>the</strong> air conditioners—all<br />

of which can be controlled remotely<br />

<strong>for</strong> better energy efficiency. Reducing <strong>the</strong><br />

demand by controlling AC units could help avoid<br />

brownouts or blackouts in <strong>the</strong> future.<br />

The BPL equipment deployed by ConEd<strong>is</strong>on <strong>is</strong><br />

unobtrusive and fits within <strong>the</strong> meter cabinet on<br />

every few floors in <strong>the</strong> building. The signal <strong>is</strong><br />

piped up from <strong>the</strong> basement from a broadband<br />

connection, which <strong>is</strong> dramatically easier than<br />

drilling through <strong>the</strong> entire building to install<br />

fiber/coaxial/conduit from basement to rooftop.<br />

Factor in <strong>the</strong> cost of asbestos abatement, and BPL<br />

<strong>is</strong> even more attractive. Typical installation can be<br />

accompl<strong>is</strong>hed in a day or less.<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 25


In-Building BPL Case Study<br />

An engineering firm in Houston recently turned to BPL<br />

when faced with a cr<strong>is</strong><strong>is</strong>. The firm was helping set up a medical<br />

private practice at a newly constructed office in Houston<br />

when it became apparent that <strong>the</strong> building was not going to<br />

be completed on time. As an interim solution, <strong>the</strong> engineering<br />

firm set up <strong>the</strong> medical practice temporarily in a nearby<br />

building in <strong>the</strong> same complex. There was, however, limited<br />

space <strong>for</strong> telecommunications equipment and modifications<br />

to <strong>the</strong> property were not permitted.<br />

As a solution to th<strong>is</strong> problem, <strong>the</strong> engineering firm<br />

installed a BPL system in <strong>the</strong> temporary space, which<br />

enabled voice and data to every outlet in <strong>the</strong> office, enabling<br />

<strong>the</strong> office to open on time in <strong>the</strong> temporary space. <strong>When</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> new offices were ready later that month, <strong>the</strong> engineering<br />

firm removed <strong>the</strong> access point from <strong>the</strong> old office and backhauled<br />

it wirelessly to <strong>the</strong> new office, using BPL within <strong>the</strong><br />

new office as a corporate <strong>LAN</strong>. Ultimately, <strong>the</strong> engineering<br />

firm installed BPL across all phases of <strong>the</strong> project.<br />

In terms of lessons learned, <strong>the</strong> engineering firm learned<br />

that BPL <strong>is</strong> a very adaptive technology and that it <strong>is</strong> viable<br />

<strong>for</strong> business applications. The engineering firm <strong>is</strong> now devel-<br />

H.H. Robertson Cellular Floor<br />

The answer to <strong>the</strong> plenum cable fire threat!<br />

Advantages:<br />

• O.K. <strong>for</strong> non-plenum cable<br />

• No cable fire threat<br />

• RF/EMI shielding<br />

• Best grounded system<br />

• Best wire management<br />

• 2’ x 2’ activation flexibility<br />

• Provides <strong>the</strong> structural deck<br />

• Lowest cost system<br />

• Over 1 billion ft 2 installed since 1931<br />

H.H. Robertson Floor Systems<br />

412-299-8070<br />

www.hhrobertson.com<br />

26 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

oping a business model that includes BPL <strong>for</strong> delivery<br />

of broadband to high-end condominiums and <strong>is</strong><br />

partnering with a university to test and fur<strong>the</strong>r evaluate<br />

<strong>the</strong> technology.<br />

More BPL Deployments are Under Way<br />

There are several commercial deployments of<br />

access BPL around <strong>the</strong> country, but most deployments<br />

are non-commercial pilots. Meanwhile, inbuilding<br />

BPL <strong>is</strong> being deployed wherever <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong><br />

broadband access because <strong>the</strong> solution to do it <strong>is</strong><br />

available today. Technically, it <strong>is</strong> easier to deploy inbuilding<br />

BPL <strong>for</strong> renovations because <strong>the</strong> electrical<br />

network <strong>is</strong> already in place. Not surpr<strong>is</strong>ingly, <strong>the</strong> inbuilding<br />

BPL market <strong>is</strong> po<strong>is</strong>ed <strong>for</strong> significant growth.<br />

The largest commercial deployment of access BPL<br />

will be in <strong>the</strong> north Dallas area to more than two<br />

million homes and businesses. The deployment <strong>is</strong><br />

scheduled to begin th<strong>is</strong> year and <strong>is</strong> part of <strong>10</strong>-year,<br />

$150 million project with TXU Energy to offer a full<br />

suite of telecommunications services and provide<br />

enhanced utility applications. O<strong>the</strong>r commercial<br />

deployments of access BPL are with Cinergy in<br />

Cincinnati, OH, and with <strong>the</strong> City of Manassas, VA.<br />

These are relatively smaller commercial deployments,<br />

on <strong>the</strong> order of tens of thousands of customers.<br />

There are also several o<strong>the</strong>r commercial<br />

deployments with rural electrical cooperatives and<br />

municipal utilities. If <strong>the</strong> deployment in Dallas <strong>is</strong><br />

successful, o<strong>the</strong>r utilities are likely to deploy BPL<br />

commercially.<br />

Meanwhile, <strong>the</strong>re have been several prominent inbuilding<br />

commercial deployments announced th<strong>is</strong><br />

year. In addition to Trump Manhattan properties, it<br />

was recently announced that Trendwest Resorts, a<br />

large vacation ownership program in <strong>the</strong> U.S., will<br />

deploy BPL in areas such as Seattle, WA; Las Vegas,<br />

NV; and Windsor, CA; representing hundreds of condominium<br />

units. It was announced that BPL <strong>is</strong> provided<br />

throughout <strong>the</strong> RMS Queen Mary, which <strong>is</strong> permanently<br />

docked in Long Beach, CA.<br />

Drivers <strong>for</strong> BPL Deployment<br />

Compared to traditional technologies, BPL <strong>is</strong> a<br />

technology that can avoid costs and offer advantages.<br />

Not surpr<strong>is</strong>ingly, telecommunications service<br />

providers are looking at BPL as a cost-effective solution<br />

<strong>for</strong> upgrading and expanding <strong>the</strong>ir networks.<br />

BPL modems are sufficiently robust to support most<br />

applications, capable today of supporting from 11


Mb/s to 45 Mb/s. Next generation modems are <strong>for</strong>ecast<br />

to have chipsets capable of supporting 50 Mb/s<br />

to 200 Mb/s. Some of <strong>the</strong> world’s largest companies<br />

are looking into BPL <strong>for</strong> enabling streaming video<br />

and smart-home applications to consumer electronics<br />

and appliances.<br />

Aside from <strong>the</strong> technology, regulatory policy has<br />

been a key driver <strong>for</strong> BPL. ISPs and CLECs are looking<br />

at BPL as an alternative to more incumbent plat<strong>for</strong>ms<br />

that are being deregulated by <strong>the</strong> FCC. For<br />

example, Earthlink has deployed BPL with<br />

ConEd<strong>is</strong>on and Duke Power. Moreover, electrical<br />

utilities are under increasing demand from consumers<br />

and policy makers to provide smart metering<br />

and d<strong>is</strong>tribution automation services that will enable<br />

real-time pricing and more reliable electrical service.<br />

These so-called utility applications are <strong>the</strong> key driver<br />

<strong>for</strong> wooing utilities to BPL after <strong>the</strong>y wrote off<br />

investments in <strong>the</strong> hundreds of millions of dollars<br />

during <strong>the</strong> telecommunications downturn. The economics<br />

are simple—BPL could save utilities tens of<br />

millions of dollars annually.<br />

Conclusion<br />

For designers and installers of in<strong>for</strong>mation transport<br />

systems (ITS), BPL represents an emerging alternative<br />

to <strong>the</strong> challenges associated with traditional<br />

technologies. It offers enough capacity <strong>for</strong> most<br />

applications, certainly comparable to <strong>the</strong> capabilities<br />

of cable modem and DSL services, and BPL<br />

chipsets are becoming faster. BPL <strong>is</strong> plug-and-play<br />

and can be used anywhere <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> power, not just<br />

where you find an E<strong>the</strong>rnet or telephone jack. It <strong>is</strong><br />

relatively secure compared to wireless technologies,<br />

which <strong>is</strong> one of <strong>the</strong> reasons it has appealed to hotel<br />

chains. It <strong>is</strong> also a stable and reliable plat<strong>for</strong>m, and<br />

can be deployed in environments where o<strong>the</strong>r technologies<br />

cannot. Finally, BPL can be combined with<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r technologies to complement its capabilities<br />

and provide a layer of redundancy. .<br />

Brett Kilbourne<br />

Brett Kilbourne <strong>is</strong> director of regulatory<br />

services and associate general counsel<br />

<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> United Telecom Council and <strong>the</strong><br />

United Power Line Council. For more<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation about BPL, v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong> United<br />

Power Line Council at www.uplc.org.<br />

Earn CEC’s while you network<br />

at your local region meeting.<br />

www.bicsi.org<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 27


Feature<br />

Formulating User Expectations<br />

Into Design Documents<br />

Meaningful interaction with <strong>the</strong> end user results in a more<br />

successful design. BY WALTER P. HERRING<br />

The in<strong>for</strong>mation transport systems (ITS) industry<br />

<strong>is</strong> a fast paced environment with new technologies<br />

developing every day. As consultants, when<br />

we are af<strong>for</strong>ded <strong>the</strong> opportunity to design and<br />

document a technology-based project <strong>for</strong> an end user, it<br />

<strong>is</strong> our professional responsibility to represent <strong>the</strong> end<br />

user’s requirements and expectations through our documents<br />

as thoroughly as possible. Whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> project <strong>is</strong><br />

a Tier IV data center, call center, or a standard open<br />

office fit out, <strong>the</strong> relationship between consultant and<br />

end user <strong>is</strong> paramount.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> article explains common practices and in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>ring tools that can ass<strong>is</strong>t consultants in<br />

streamlining in<strong>for</strong>mation ga<strong>the</strong>ring and documentation<br />

of an end user’s requirements. Th<strong>is</strong> process ultimately<br />

produces qualified level bids that encompass <strong>the</strong> complete<br />

project and yields a scalable, robust, and advanced<br />

technology system <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> end user.<br />

Organization <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> first step to a successful technology<br />

design. It begins with <strong>the</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation ga<strong>the</strong>red from<br />

<strong>the</strong> end user’s request <strong>for</strong> engineering or consulting<br />

services. Th<strong>is</strong> request <strong>for</strong> services typically explains what<br />

<strong>the</strong> end user’s technology requirements are at a <strong>10</strong>,000<br />

foot level and quantifies <strong>the</strong> breadth of technology<br />

components required and eventually translated into<br />

<strong>the</strong> design documents. With that in<strong>for</strong>mation, it <strong>is</strong> now<br />

possible to begin developing design concepts and determine<br />

how you will present <strong>the</strong>se concepts to <strong>the</strong> end<br />

user and technology team.<br />

The typical design processes are defined by master<br />

specification and are as follows: conceptual design,<br />

schematic design (SD), and contract documents (CD).<br />

A phase not often associated with <strong>the</strong> design aspect of a<br />

project, but equally as important, <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> contract admin<strong>is</strong>tration<br />

(CA) phase. In <strong>the</strong> CA phase, <strong>the</strong> consultant<br />

has <strong>the</strong> opportunity to observe <strong>the</strong> installation of <strong>the</strong><br />

systems and compare those practices to <strong>the</strong> details given<br />

in <strong>the</strong> actual design documents, confirming that <strong>the</strong><br />

systems are being installed as <strong>the</strong> end user intended and<br />

28 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

in accordance with BICSI best practices and industry codes<br />

and standards.<br />

Each phase of <strong>the</strong> design process brings ano<strong>the</strong>r critical<br />

layer of in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> project and, more importantly,<br />

<strong>is</strong> a progress benchmark. The end user and technology<br />

team can see <strong>the</strong> development of <strong>the</strong> project and offer<br />

design changes and constructive engagement, and challenge<br />

<strong>the</strong> design parameters as <strong>the</strong>y relate to <strong>the</strong> completion<br />

of <strong>the</strong> design documents. Each phase provides an<br />

opportunity to l<strong>is</strong>ten and understand <strong>the</strong> end user’s project<br />

goals fur<strong>the</strong>r and, in turn, communicate <strong>the</strong> design plans.


The conceptual design phase offers broad design<br />

concepts on <strong>the</strong> macro level to identify <strong>the</strong> per<strong>for</strong>mance,<br />

breadth and scope of <strong>the</strong> project. Typically,<br />

conceptual designs are technical documents intended<br />

to quantify what <strong>the</strong> consultant understands as <strong>the</strong><br />

end user’s direction and project goals. In<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> most critical step in th<strong>is</strong> phase.<br />

During <strong>the</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation ga<strong>the</strong>ring process it <strong>is</strong><br />

important to organize all paperwork and design documents<br />

associated with <strong>the</strong> design process. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong><br />

most easily accompl<strong>is</strong>hed with a project manual. In<br />

<strong>the</strong> project manual, sections <strong>for</strong> common design<br />

parameters include: scope, schedules, meetings with<br />

associated meeting minutes, communications<br />

(including project team d<strong>is</strong>tribution l<strong>is</strong>ts, project emails,<br />

teleconference minutes, faxes and person-toperson<br />

communications), design criteria, equipment,<br />

equipment requirements, construction specifications,<br />

construction estimates, and codes and standards.<br />

Each one of <strong>the</strong> sections will have subparts as <strong>the</strong><br />

project and design progress. Th<strong>is</strong> project manual<br />

becomes a living h<strong>is</strong>torical record of <strong>the</strong> design<br />

process and <strong>is</strong> an easy reference <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

about <strong>the</strong> project intent, design dec<strong>is</strong>ions, or general<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation.<br />

Schematic design <strong>is</strong> far more in depth than conceptual<br />

design and <strong>is</strong> typically offered in two <strong>for</strong>mats—a<br />

written technical document similar to <strong>the</strong><br />

conceptual design, but including diagrammatical<br />

sketches, and a start at defining <strong>the</strong> systems and<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir requirements, according to <strong>the</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>red from <strong>the</strong> end user. One critical point of<br />

<strong>the</strong> schematic design phase, <strong>the</strong> Bas<strong>is</strong> of Design, <strong>is</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> last step in th<strong>is</strong> phase. Formulating a Bas<strong>is</strong> of<br />

Design can be accompl<strong>is</strong>hed several ways. Th<strong>is</strong> article<br />

d<strong>is</strong>cusses <strong>the</strong> way I have found to be <strong>the</strong> most<br />

effective in ga<strong>the</strong>ring in<strong>for</strong>mation and providing<br />

<strong>the</strong> most meaningful interaction between <strong>the</strong> consultant<br />

and <strong>the</strong> end user.<br />

Bas<strong>is</strong> of Design documents in <strong>the</strong> schematic<br />

design phase are essentially <strong>the</strong> technology road<br />

map <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> project. The in<strong>for</strong>mation contained<br />

within <strong>the</strong>se documents <strong>is</strong> not solely produced by<br />

<strong>the</strong> consultant’s knowledge of <strong>the</strong> ITS industry or<br />

<strong>the</strong> preliminary in<strong>for</strong>mation ga<strong>the</strong>red from <strong>the</strong> end<br />

user, but ra<strong>the</strong>r by <strong>the</strong> in-depth interaction with <strong>the</strong><br />

end user and <strong>the</strong>ir complete technology team. To<br />

fully understand and open a clear channel of communication,<br />

a technology design charrette <strong>is</strong> scheduled.<br />

A design charrette <strong>is</strong> a brainstorming session<br />

between <strong>the</strong> consultant’s technology team and <strong>the</strong><br />

end user technology team. The design charrette<br />

requires a good amount of time to ask every ques-<br />

tion and explores every avenue of <strong>the</strong> technology project<br />

that you are tasked to complete.<br />

Once <strong>the</strong> technology design charrette <strong>is</strong> scheduled, <strong>the</strong><br />

consultant must now <strong>for</strong>mulate design documents and d<strong>is</strong>tribute<br />

<strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> entire project technology team. Each<br />

design document intended <strong>for</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tribution should cover<br />

one d<strong>is</strong>cipline. For example, in a full data center design<br />

project a consultant could <strong>for</strong>mulate multiple design criteria<br />

checkl<strong>is</strong>ts such as: CO-OSP service and redundancy<br />

requirements, inter- and intra-building redundancy requirements,<br />

technology spaces and pathways, data center d<strong>is</strong>tribution<br />

requirements, cable plant d<strong>is</strong>tribution, cable plant<br />

support and conveyance, racking, and cabinets. Each one<br />

of <strong>the</strong>se design criteria checkl<strong>is</strong>ts should be thoroughly<br />

developed and planned so that valuable time with <strong>the</strong> end<br />

user during <strong>the</strong> design charrette can be productive and<br />

meaningful. The design charrette also builds confidence<br />

with <strong>the</strong> end user, allowing <strong>the</strong> consultant <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />

to review all <strong>the</strong> design parameters, and ultimately <strong>is</strong>sue a<br />

strong Bas<strong>is</strong> of Design document to use, without hesitation,<br />

in <strong>the</strong> design phase.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> Bas<strong>is</strong> of Design <strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>sued and approved by <strong>the</strong><br />

end user and technology team, it <strong>is</strong> time to put <strong>the</strong> pen to<br />

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BICSINEWS September/October 2006 29


<strong>the</strong> paper <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> final and most critical design phase,<br />

contract documents.<br />

The contract documents phase takes all of <strong>the</strong> up front<br />

due diligence, in<strong>for</strong>mation ga<strong>the</strong>ring, and end user<br />

requirements and translates <strong>the</strong>m into bid level technical<br />

specifications and working construction drawings. Each<br />

design criteria checkl<strong>is</strong>t and associated document <strong>is</strong><br />

incorporated into <strong>the</strong> design documents so that each<br />

qualified contractor can submit a bid response that <strong>is</strong><br />

level and easy to d<strong>is</strong>cern and evaluate.<br />

During <strong>the</strong> contract documents phase it <strong>is</strong> critical that<br />

<strong>the</strong> end user and technology team remain connected to<br />

<strong>the</strong> design consultant to avoid any m<strong>is</strong>communications as<br />

<strong>the</strong> design takes shape. One effective way to remain connected<br />

<strong>is</strong> progress design reviews at <strong>the</strong> 50, 80 and 95 percent<br />

document stages. The 50 percent review with <strong>the</strong> end<br />

user <strong>is</strong> ra<strong>the</strong>r quick and conc<strong>is</strong>e, serving as <strong>the</strong> starting<br />

point <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> documents and shows <strong>the</strong> translation from<br />

<strong>the</strong> Bas<strong>is</strong> of Design to <strong>the</strong> design documents. Once <strong>the</strong><br />

end user has agreed that <strong>the</strong> design intent <strong>is</strong> correct, <strong>the</strong><br />

consultant must translate every known fact that was ga<strong>the</strong>red<br />

from <strong>the</strong> end user and technology team and move<br />

towards a complete design ready to be <strong>is</strong>sued <strong>for</strong> bid.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> design team progresses, <strong>the</strong> next milestone<br />

review <strong>is</strong> at 80 percent document completion. Th<strong>is</strong> design<br />

review <strong>is</strong> more in-depth and requires more time to<br />

explain to <strong>the</strong> end user and technology team about how<br />

<strong>the</strong> design fits <strong>the</strong>ir criteria and expectations. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> also<br />

a great opportunity <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> end user to spur new ideas or<br />

different options if <strong>the</strong> design <strong>is</strong> not in line with <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

intent. With continual end user feed back and design<br />

adjustments <strong>the</strong> final review should be at 95 percent, <strong>the</strong><br />

turn page review. In th<strong>is</strong> review, <strong>the</strong> consultant has <strong>the</strong><br />

opportunity to systematically and methodically go<br />

through each page of <strong>the</strong> technical specifications and<br />

working drawings and explain <strong>the</strong> parameters and intent<br />

of design as it relates to <strong>the</strong> project. Once all of <strong>the</strong><br />

adjustments of <strong>the</strong> turn page review are complete and <strong>the</strong><br />

documents have all of <strong>the</strong> correct in<strong>for</strong>mation, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y<br />

can be <strong>is</strong>sued <strong>for</strong> bid to <strong>the</strong> l<strong>is</strong>t of qualified trade contractors<br />

identified earlier in <strong>the</strong> project.<br />

The final phase of <strong>the</strong> project <strong>is</strong> contract admin<strong>is</strong>tration.<br />

During th<strong>is</strong> phase, it <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> consultant’s responsibili-<br />

!<br />

Charrette <strong>is</strong> an intense, collaborative ef<strong>for</strong>t to<br />

solve a design problem within a limited time.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> successful approach relies upon <strong>the</strong> participation<br />

of everyone involved in <strong>the</strong> project.<br />

The term originates from <strong>the</strong> late 1800s when<br />

architecture students in Par<strong>is</strong> rushed <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

drawings onto a cart called a charrette.<br />

30 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

ty to translate <strong>the</strong> expectations of <strong>the</strong> design documents<br />

as <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>is</strong>sued. The consultant should attend <strong>the</strong><br />

contractor pre-bid meetings to answer any questions,<br />

respond to pre-award requests <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation (RFI), ass<strong>is</strong>t<br />

in leveling bid responses, and identifying <strong>the</strong> most qualified<br />

contractors. In preparation <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> final contractor<br />

interviews, <strong>the</strong> consultant should <strong>for</strong>mulate a l<strong>is</strong>t of questions<br />

that <strong>the</strong> final short l<strong>is</strong>t of contractors will be asked<br />

in regard to <strong>the</strong>ir bid response. Once each of <strong>the</strong> short l<strong>is</strong>t<br />

contractors <strong>is</strong> interviewed, you have a balanced score card<br />

<strong>for</strong> each contractor, comparing <strong>the</strong>ir per<strong>for</strong>mance in<br />

preparation of bid, statement of work, overall qualifications<br />

and, finally, how <strong>the</strong>y presented <strong>the</strong>ir qualifications<br />

during <strong>the</strong> interview. These tools and techniques during<br />

<strong>the</strong> award portion of <strong>the</strong> project will help identify any<br />

contractor exclusions or gaps in work, and also give <strong>the</strong><br />

end user and technology team a feel of what to expect as<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir technology plant and systems are being installed.<br />

Once <strong>the</strong> contract has been awarded, <strong>the</strong> consultant<br />

assumes a proactive roll as <strong>the</strong> project <strong>is</strong> being installed,<br />

reviewing submittals, answering post award RFIs, and<br />

clarifying any design intent as needed. Expect to v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong><br />

site as often as possible and, with each v<strong>is</strong>it, prepare a<br />

field report that can be d<strong>is</strong>tributed to <strong>the</strong> end user and<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir technology team, as well as <strong>the</strong> construction manager<br />

or owners’ representatives. Th<strong>is</strong> will keep all parties<br />

aware of <strong>the</strong> project progress. If an onsite conflict occurs,<br />

be sure to include <strong>the</strong> end user and <strong>the</strong>ir technology<br />

team so all dec<strong>is</strong>ions are made exactly as <strong>the</strong>y were during<br />

<strong>the</strong> design process. Be careful not to assume you<br />

understand what <strong>the</strong> end user would do in a situation;<br />

involve <strong>the</strong>m so <strong>the</strong>y are aware and <strong>the</strong> absolute right<br />

dec<strong>is</strong>ion <strong>is</strong> accepted.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> project comes to completion, review <strong>the</strong> contractor<br />

re-submittals, test reports and final as-built drawings.<br />

After review and acceptance, schedule a project<br />

completion meeting with <strong>the</strong> end user and <strong>the</strong>ir technology<br />

team, present <strong>the</strong> project close out documentation to<br />

<strong>the</strong> end user and explain how <strong>the</strong> manuals are constructed<br />

and <strong>the</strong> test results are presented. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> also a great<br />

opportunity to get some constructive critic<strong>is</strong>m from <strong>the</strong><br />

end user and <strong>the</strong>ir team. Typically, <strong>the</strong>ir feedback offers<br />

design professionals an ongoing lessons learned model<br />

and helps <strong>the</strong> consultant represent both <strong>the</strong> ITS industry<br />

and each end user more effectively and efficiently on <strong>the</strong><br />

next project. .<br />

Walter P. Herring<br />

RCDD/NTS/OSP<br />

Walt Herring <strong>is</strong> senior systems special<strong>is</strong>t with<br />

Bala Consulting Engineers, Inc. and can be<br />

contacted at wph@bala.com.


BICSI UPDATE<br />

Over 200 attendees participated at <strong>the</strong> joint U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast/U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast Region<br />

Meeting held July 27, 2007 in Ellicott City, Maryland.<br />

Successful Region Meeting Held in Maryland<br />

More than 200 attendees and 38 exhibitors participated in <strong>the</strong> joint U.S.<br />

Nor<strong>the</strong>ast/U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast Region Meeting on July 27, 2006 at <strong>the</strong> Turf Valley Resort<br />

and Conference Center in Ellicott City, Maryland. The meeting was successful due<br />

to a great turn-out of attendees and vendors and a compelling program.<br />

The first speaker was InfoComm International Executive Director Randy Lemke,<br />

who presented on <strong>the</strong> valuable relationship developing between BICSI and<br />

InfoComm. Subsequent presentations covered shared sheath, data center design,<br />

optical fiber cabling trends, firestopping systems, cable abatement, and <strong>10</strong> Gb/s.<br />

BICSI President-elect Ed Donelan, RCDD/NTS Special<strong>is</strong>t, updated attendees on<br />

BICSI’s strategic plan.<br />

Exceptional vendor participation enabled a give-away of many prizes: two $500<br />

BICSI training certificates, two 11th edition Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Methods<br />

Manuals (TDMMs), <strong>10</strong> 3rd edition BICSI In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems (ITS)<br />

Dictionaries, two sets of flashcards, and <strong>10</strong> CD-ROMs of all <strong>the</strong> manuals.<br />

For a current l<strong>is</strong>ting of upcoming Region Meetings, see page 35 or go to<br />

www.bicsi.org.<br />

2007 Winter Conference<br />

January 22-25<br />

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center<br />

Orlando, Florida<br />

2007 Canada Conference<br />

March 4-7<br />

The Westin Bayshore Vancouver<br />

Vancouver, Brit<strong>is</strong>h Columbia, Canada<br />

2007 Spring Conference<br />

April 16-19<br />

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center<br />

Dallas, Texas<br />

32 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

2007 Conference Schedule<br />

Each of <strong>the</strong>se conferences fulfills <strong>the</strong> RCDD conference attendance requirement.<br />

2007 BICSI European Conference<br />

June 18-20, 2007<br />

Citywest Hotel<br />

Dublin, Ireland<br />

2007 Fall Conference<br />

September <strong>10</strong>-13<br />

MGM Grand<br />

Las Vegas, Nevada<br />

Lemke<br />

Donelan


Don, John and Jason take part in one of <strong>the</strong> new BICSI Link tracks.<br />

BICSI Link Workshops Debuts New<br />

Educational Format<br />

Specialized educational tracks, positive<br />

feedback from members, and an intimate<br />

community feel of <strong>the</strong> event made <strong>the</strong> recent<br />

BICSI Link Workshops, held in Chicago on<br />

June 25-28, 2006, a success.<br />

Nearly 1,000 attendees and v<strong>is</strong>itors attended<br />

<strong>the</strong> four-day event that included an exhibition<br />

of more than 60 key vendors in <strong>the</strong><br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation transport systems (ITS) industry.<br />

Four educational tracks with a total of 32<br />

presentations in security, wireless, data centers,<br />

and diverse business management provided<br />

an enhanced educational experience<br />

because attendees built <strong>the</strong>ir own personalized<br />

session tracks. Th<strong>is</strong> model of offering<br />

educational sessions in a track <strong>for</strong>mat will be<br />

used in future BICSI conferences, including<br />

<strong>the</strong> upcoming 2006 BICSI Fall Conference in<br />

Las Vegas on September 18-21, 2006.<br />

Both vendors and attendees alike reported<br />

that <strong>the</strong> size of <strong>the</strong> exhibition was particularly<br />

helpful <strong>for</strong> networking and <strong>for</strong> spending<br />

<strong>the</strong> right amount of time solving problems.<br />

Many elements of th<strong>is</strong> event will be<br />

repeated next year at <strong>the</strong> 2007 BICSI Spring<br />

Conference, April 16-19, 2007, at <strong>the</strong><br />

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center<br />

in Dallas, Texas.<br />

Make your voice heard and participate in<br />

<strong>the</strong> election of BICSI’s volunteer leadership<br />

serving on <strong>the</strong> BICSI Board of Directors.<br />

The elections will commence on September 1, 2006 and<br />

terminate on October 15, 2006. All members in good<br />

standing as of July 1, 2006 will be allowed to vote.<br />

The offices which are up <strong>for</strong> election are:<br />

SECRETARY<br />

U.S. SOUTHEAST REGION<br />

U.S. SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION<br />

U.S. WESTERN REGION<br />

CANADIAN REGION<br />

Look <strong>for</strong> your ballot by mail or e-mail and exerc<strong>is</strong>e your<br />

right to choose.<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 33


BICSI UPDATE<br />

34 Advancing <strong>the</strong> In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Industry www.bicsi.org<br />

BICSI Adds New Staff Master Instructor<br />

Mark Kazes, RCDD, has joined BICSI as Master Instructor and<br />

Subject Matter Expert (SME). Based in BICSI’s Tampa, FL headquarters,<br />

Mark works with staff curriculum designers in developing<br />

content <strong>for</strong> training courses. In h<strong>is</strong> role as Master Instructor,<br />

Mark also teaches both design and installation courses in Tampa<br />

and around <strong>the</strong> country. With years of experience in standards<br />

compliance, structured cabling design and installation, Mark<br />

provides a broad range of knowledge and diversity in <strong>the</strong> ITS<br />

industry that will help shape future BICSI programs. Mark can<br />

be reached at mkazes@bicsi.org.


BICSI REGION MEETINGS<br />

OCTOBER 2006<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Central 6th Double Tree Hotel, Overland Park, Kansas<br />

U.S. South-Central/Western <strong>10</strong>th Marriott Pyramid North, Albuquerque, New Mexico<br />

U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast 19th Bonaventure Resort & Conference Center<br />

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida<br />

U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast 24th Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, Massachusetts<br />

Canada TBD Venue TBD, Toronto, Ontario, Canada<br />

MARCH 2007<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast 1st FiberOptic.com Corporate Complex<br />

Allentown, Pennsylvania<br />

U.S. South-Central/Western 13th Venue TBD, Phoenix, Arizona<br />

U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast 22nd OFS Factory, Atlanta, Georgia<br />

MAY 2007<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast/North-Central 16th Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia<br />

JUNE 2007<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast 21st Venue TBD, Charlotte, North Carolina<br />

JULY 2007<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast 27th Venue TBD, Harr<strong>is</strong>burg, Pennsylvania<br />

OCTOBER 2007<br />

Region Date Location<br />

U.S. Nor<strong>the</strong>ast 18th CXtec Facility, Syracuse, New York<br />

U.S. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast 18th Venue TBD, Jacksonville, Florida<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 35


BICSI World Headquarters<br />

86<strong>10</strong> Hidden River Pkwy.,<br />

Tampa, FL 33637-<strong>10</strong>00 USA<br />

+1 813-979-1991 or 800-242-7405<br />

(USA/Canada toll free); Fax: +1 813-971-4311;<br />

Web site: www.bicsi.org; E-mail: bicsi@bicsi.org<br />

BICSI Executive Staff<br />

Interim Executive Director<br />

David C. Cranmer, RCDD, dcranmer@bicsi.org<br />

Director of Admin<strong>is</strong>tration and Chief Financial Officer<br />

Betty M. Eckebrecht, CPA, beckebrecht@bicsi.org<br />

Professional Development and Credentialing Director<br />

Patricia Boyland, CAE, pboyland@bicsi.org<br />

Conferences and Meetings Director<br />

Georgette Palmer Smith, CMM, gsmith@bicsi.org<br />

Director of International Operations<br />

Jan Lew<strong>is</strong>, jlew<strong>is</strong>@bicsi.org<br />

BICSI News Staff<br />

Editor<br />

Michael McCahey, mmccahey@bicsi.org<br />

Publication Coordinator/Designer<br />

Wendy Hummel, whummel@bicsi.org<br />

Copy Editor<br />

Joan Hersh, jhersh@bicsi.org<br />

BICSI International Staff<br />

UK Office Superv<strong>is</strong>or: Caroline Pirouet<br />

+44 1206 579899; bicsi-europe@bicsi.org<br />

Japan D<strong>is</strong>trict Manager : Kazuo Kato<br />

+81 3 3595 1451; kkato@bicsi.org<br />

Mexico Office Representative: Gilberto Ferreira Ruiz, RCDD<br />

+52 55 5763 9518; gferriera@bicsi.org<br />

South Pacific Office Manager: James Armytage<br />

+ 61 3 9813 3355; bicsiaust@bigpond.com<br />

The BICSI News <strong>is</strong> publ<strong>is</strong>hed bimonthly <strong>for</strong> BICSI, Inc., and d<strong>is</strong>tributed to BICSI<br />

members and BICSI Reg<strong>is</strong>tered ITS Installer 1, ITS Installer 2, ITS Technicians; and<br />

Residential Installers. Articles of a generic nature are accepted <strong>for</strong> publication; however,<br />

BICSI reserves <strong>the</strong> right to edit <strong>the</strong>se <strong>for</strong> space or o<strong>the</strong>r considerations. Opinions<br />

expressed in articles in th<strong>is</strong> newsletter are those of <strong>the</strong> writers and not necessarily of<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir companies or BICSI. © Copyright BICSI, 2006. All rights reserved.<br />

BICSI and RCDD are reg<strong>is</strong>tered trademarks of BICSI, Inc. Printed in <strong>the</strong> USA.<br />

December 2006<br />

4–5 DD<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to Voice/Data Cabling Systems, Tampa, FL<br />

4–7 DD200 Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Design Review, Hart<strong>for</strong>d, CT<br />

4–8 IN<strong>10</strong>0 ITS Installer 1 Training, Hart<strong>for</strong>d, CT<br />

4–8 IN200 ITS Installer 2 Training, Tampa, FL<br />

4–6 OSP<strong>10</strong>1 Site Survey and Media Selection, Tampa, FL<br />

4–5 WD<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to <strong>Wireless</strong>, Hart<strong>for</strong>d, CT<br />

6–7 DA<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to Networks, Tampa, FL<br />

6–7 PM123 <strong>Wireless</strong> Project Management, Hart<strong>for</strong>d, CT<br />

<strong>10</strong>–15 DD<strong>10</strong>2 Designing Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Systems,<br />

San Diego, CA<br />

11–14 DD200 Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Design Review, San Diego, CA<br />

11–14 FO1<strong>10</strong> Fiber Optic Network Design, Tampa, FL<br />

11–15 IN<strong>10</strong>0 ITS Installer 1 Training, Tampa, FL<br />

11–15 IN200 ITS Installer 2 Training, San Diego, CA<br />

11–15 OSP1<strong>10</strong> CO-OSP Cable Plant Design, Tampa, FL<br />

18–20 OF<strong>10</strong>0 Optical Fiber Installation Theory and Technique, Tampa, FL<br />

18–19 OSP200 CO-OSP Design Specialty Review, Tampa, FL<br />

18–23 TE300 ITS Technician Training, San Diego, CA<br />

18–22 TE300 ITS Technician Training, Tampa, FL<br />

January 2007<br />

8–11 DD200 Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Design Review, Dallas TX<br />

8–12 IN<strong>10</strong>0 ITS Installer 1 Training, Tampa, FL<br />

12–17 DD<strong>10</strong>2 Designing Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Systems, Orlando, FL<br />

13–15 OSP<strong>10</strong>1 Site Survey and Media Selection, Orlando, FL<br />

14–18 DA1<strong>10</strong> Designing Networks, Orlando, FL<br />

14–18 WD1<strong>10</strong> Designing <strong>Wireless</strong> Networks, Orlando, FL<br />

15–19 IN200 ITS Installer 2 Training, Tampa, FL<br />

15–17 TT<strong>10</strong>0 Testing, Certifying and Troubleshooting Copper and Fiber,<br />

Tampa, FL<br />

16–19 FO1<strong>10</strong> Fiber Optic Network Design, Orlando, FL<br />

17–21 PM125 Project Management, Orlando, FL<br />

18–21 DD200 Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Design Review, Orlando, FL<br />

19–21 DA200 Network Design Specialty Review, Orlando, FL<br />

19–21 WD200 <strong>Wireless</strong> Design Specialty Review, Orlando, FL<br />

20–21 OSP200 CO-OSP Design Specialty Review, Orlando, FL<br />

22–24 OF<strong>10</strong>0 Optical Fiber Installation Theory and Technique, Tampa, FL<br />

26–27 DA<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to Networks, Orlando, FL<br />

26–27 DD<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to Voice/Data Cabling Systems, Orlando, FL<br />

26–28 DD120 Grounding and Protection Fundamentals <strong>for</strong><br />

Telecommunications Systems, Orlando, FL<br />

26–27 OSP<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to Customer-Owned Outside Plant, Orlando, FL<br />

26–29 OSP1<strong>10</strong> CO-OSP Cable Plant Design, Orlando, FL<br />

26–27 PM<strong>10</strong>0 Project Leadership, Orlando, FL<br />

26–27 WD<strong>10</strong>0 Introduction to <strong>Wireless</strong>, Orlando, FL<br />

29–31 PM200 Advanced Project Management, Tampa, FL<br />

1/29–2/2 DD<strong>10</strong>2 Designing Telecommunications D<strong>is</strong>tribution Systems, Tampa, FL<br />

1/29–2/2 TE300 ITS Technician Training, Tampa, FL<br />

BICSINEWS September/October 2006 37


Standards Report<br />

Donna Ballast,<br />

RCDD<br />

dballast@bicsi.org<br />

In<strong>for</strong>mation In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport<br />

Transport<br />

Systems Design Standard<br />

<strong>for</strong> K-12 Educational<br />

Institutions<br />

<strong>for</strong> K-12 Educational<br />

Institutions<br />

For many years <strong>the</strong> BICSI<br />

Standards Committee (BSC) has<br />

monitored o<strong>the</strong>r standards-making<br />

bodies and in<strong>for</strong>med BICSI members<br />

of <strong>the</strong>ir standards activities.<br />

Committee members have been<br />

successful in influencing standards<br />

affecting telecommunications per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

and methodologies on<br />

behalf of <strong>the</strong> BICSI membership. More recently, <strong>the</strong> BSC has<br />

also begun to write and publ<strong>is</strong>h standards.<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> article highlights those ef<strong>for</strong>ts focused on methods<br />

of design and installation practices <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation transport<br />

systems (ITS) within K-12 facilities.<br />

Not “Old School” Anymore<br />

Design of ITS <strong>for</strong> schools in <strong>the</strong> United States has<br />

remained largely unchanged <strong>for</strong> many years, but times<br />

are changing.<br />

Let’s imagine <strong>for</strong> a moment a new high-tech office building<br />

with <strong>10</strong>00 or so mobile workers. These workers assemble<br />

into small teams of 25 or so <strong>for</strong> collaboration on work<br />

projects or into one large group <strong>for</strong> briefings. They <strong>the</strong>n<br />

reconfigure <strong>the</strong>ir collaboration teams with different members<br />

in different locations within <strong>the</strong> facility. Each collaboration<br />

space <strong>is</strong> technologically equipped similar to a Fortune<br />

500 boardroom, but only with different tables and seating.<br />

Now add a master clock and bell system and do th<strong>is</strong> reconfiguration<br />

every 60 minutes or so throughout <strong>the</strong> day and<br />

you’ve got yourself a high school. Make <strong>the</strong> tables and seating<br />

shorter and <strong>the</strong> reconfigurations less frequent and you<br />

have an elementary school. These are not George Jetson<br />

futur<strong>is</strong>tic scenarios, facilities like th<strong>is</strong> are being designed and<br />

built today. See http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/<br />

CA6342191.html <strong>for</strong> examples of <strong>the</strong>se “new” schools.<br />

Better, Faster, Cheaper<br />

Today’s clients are demanding higher per<strong>for</strong>mance systems<br />

with shorter lead times at lower costs—not just accepting<br />

<strong>the</strong> best two out of three. Doing things right <strong>the</strong> first<br />

time adds nothing to <strong>the</strong> cost of a project. Doing <strong>the</strong> wrong<br />

things or being late in <strong>the</strong> design phase drives up costs and<br />

leng<strong>the</strong>ns project completion time.<br />

Great schools don’t just happen. They are <strong>the</strong> product of<br />

intense and meticulous planning with a whole lot of creativity.<br />

Schools can be designed to meet <strong>the</strong> needs of<br />

today’s and tomorrow’s students without breaking <strong>the</strong> bank.<br />

The key to th<strong>is</strong> flexibility, however, <strong>is</strong> to not furn<strong>is</strong>h<br />

38 Advancing In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems www.bicsi.org<br />

build-in environments. The more a school builds-in its<br />

environment <strong>the</strong> tougher it <strong>is</strong> <strong>for</strong> teachers to reconfigure<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir spaces. In a facility where literally everything <strong>is</strong> on<br />

wheels, however, <strong>the</strong> ITS must be just as flexible.<br />

ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12<br />

Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> where BICSI’s In<strong>for</strong>mation Transport Systems Design<br />

Standard <strong>for</strong> K-12 Educational Institutions will help.<br />

Applications supported by ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12 include telephone,<br />

network, d<strong>is</strong>tance learning, CATV, audio and video,<br />

public address, intercom, master clock and bell system, and<br />

various security systems. These cons<strong>is</strong>t of access control,<br />

audio and video surveillance, and panic stations.<br />

Spaces addressed in ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12 include educational<br />

classrooms including those special classrooms intended <strong>for</strong><br />

kindergarten; skills development; science; healthcare; fine<br />

arts areas including those <strong>for</strong> music, band, choir, ensemble<br />

and orchestra; industrial arts areas including wood, metal<br />

and automotive shops; physical education areas including<br />

gymnasiums, field houses, pool, stadium and fields; admin<strong>is</strong>tration<br />

areas including offices <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> principal, attendance,<br />

guidance counselor and nurse; auditorium areas<br />

including auditoria, auditoria control rooms, dressing<br />

rooms, staging areas, stages, ticket booths, concessions and<br />

lobbies; and building services areas such as cafeterias, custodial<br />

areas, engineering offices, loading docks, mechanical<br />

rooms, security and building manager offices.<br />

ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12 addresses both horizontal and backbone<br />

cabling and wireless, including design guidance <strong>for</strong> use<br />

and placement of telecommunications outlets, multiuser<br />

telecommunications outlet assemblies, consolidation<br />

points, and telecommunications enclosures.<br />

In ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12, <strong>the</strong> minimum acceptable media types<br />

include category 3; category 5e or better <strong>for</strong> voice and data,<br />

including wireless; Series 6 quadshield coaxial or category 6<br />

<strong>for</strong> video; 50/125µm or 62.5/125µm optical fiber <strong>for</strong> data or<br />

video; SVGA cable with 15 pin connetors; S-Video cable <strong>for</strong><br />

projectors; and 14 to 16 gauge speaker wire.<br />

Also included are requirements <strong>for</strong> firestopping, grounding<br />

and bonding and labeling, as well as testing requirements<br />

<strong>for</strong> various media.<br />

Want to Help?<br />

ITS <strong>for</strong> K-12 <strong>is</strong> currently under pre-ballot review by <strong>the</strong><br />

BSC and will likely see first ballot in October 2006. If you<br />

would like to participate in <strong>the</strong> balloting and review<br />

process, contact John A. Kacperski via e-mail at<br />

john@kacperski.com. Currently, <strong>the</strong>re are o<strong>the</strong>r standards in<br />

<strong>the</strong> BSC pipeline covering data centers, bonding and<br />

grounding, and residential installations. We welcome your<br />

participation in those ef<strong>for</strong>ts. For more in<strong>for</strong>mation, contact<br />

BSC Chair TJ Roe at troe@garrettcom.com. .


<strong>When</strong> It Comes to True Innovation,<br />

There Is Only One F<strong>is</strong>h in <strong>the</strong> Pond<br />

Introducing <strong>the</strong><br />

Belden ® System<br />

<strong>10</strong>GX ® . Clearly <strong>the</strong><br />

most innovative UTP<br />

structured cabling<br />

solution in <strong>the</strong><br />

marketplace.<br />

Sometimes you have to take a big leap in your<br />

thinking to get to something that’s truly new —<br />

and truly great. That’s what we’ve done with<br />

our <strong>10</strong>GX Solution.<br />

Our <strong>10</strong>GX Solution <strong>is</strong>n’t an improved<br />

or boosted Category 6 system, but a<br />

revolutionary new system designed around<br />

a series of dynamic enabling technologies<br />

that deliver on <strong>the</strong> two most critical factors<br />

in <strong>10</strong> Gigabit service: reduction of Alien<br />

Crosstalk and controlled per<strong>for</strong>mance up<br />

to a minimum of 500 MHz.<br />

To accompl<strong>is</strong>h Beyond <strong>10</strong>G per<strong>for</strong>mance,<br />

we’ve developed four totally new enabling<br />

technologies — technologies that allow <strong>the</strong><br />

Belden System <strong>10</strong>GX to deliver guaranteed<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance up to 625 MHz.<br />

• SpiralFleX Cable technology that<br />

increases randomization and greatly<br />

improves Alien Crosstalk per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

• MatriX IDC Module technology which eliminates<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>is</strong>sue of Alien Crosstalk between<br />

modules, offering per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

30 times better than Cat 6<br />

• FleXPoint PCB Module technology that<br />

positions <strong>the</strong> compensation circuitry directly<br />

at <strong>the</strong> plug’s point of contact, offering<br />

unbeatable mated-connection per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

• X-Bar Module termination technology that<br />

assures accurate module/cable termination<br />

and reduces installation differences<br />

<strong>10</strong>GX <strong>is</strong> truly <strong>the</strong> most advanced <strong>10</strong>G<br />

system in <strong>the</strong> marketplace — in fact, every<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r system <strong>is</strong> just treading water.<br />

For more in<strong>for</strong>mation, call<br />

Belden at 1.800.BELDEN.1<br />

www.belden.com<br />

©2006, Belden Inc.


A Little Goes<br />

a Long Way<br />

Check out <strong>the</strong> little giant. Half <strong>the</strong> size and double<br />

<strong>the</strong> density. Simplex or duplex. Single-mode or<br />

multimode. Always high per<strong>for</strong>mance.<br />

Our LC connectors are durable. Versatile.<br />

And designed to save you space and money.<br />

You can do more with less—a big advantage<br />

no matter how you look at it.<br />

We help you make<br />

great connections. <br />

1-800-544-1948<br />

www.unipr<strong>is</strong>esolutions.com<br />

©2006 CommScope, Inc.<br />

All Rights Reserved.All trademarks identified<br />

by ® or TM are reg<strong>is</strong>tered trademarks or<br />

trademarks, respectively, of CommScope.

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