When Wireless LAN is the LAN SS 10 Using Baluns for Audio ... - Bicsi
When Wireless LAN is the LAN SS 10 Using Baluns for Audio ... - Bicsi
When Wireless LAN is the LAN SS 10 Using Baluns for Audio ... - Bicsi
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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 />
As equipment power densities continue to increase in <strong>the</strong> data<br />
center, <strong>the</strong>rmal management has become a major operational and<br />
facilities management challenge. Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI)<br />
Passive Cooling SM<br />
Solutions offer an innovative technique that<br />
allows you to control <strong>the</strong> flow of air throughout your cabinet.<br />
CPI Passive Cooling SM Solutions offer:<br />
• Flexibility<br />
- Uncomplicated moves, adds and changes<br />
- Configurable to meet specific needs<br />
• Scalability<br />
- Adaptable <strong>for</strong> increasing power density requirements<br />
- Achieves 2-20+ kW of cooling per cabinet<br />
• Tier IV Capability<br />
- Advanced <strong>the</strong>rmal control with zero point of failure<br />
- Vertical Exhaust Duct directs hot air out of <strong>the</strong> cabinet and<br />
away from equipment<br />
• Minimize Total Cost of Ownership<br />
- Maximizes CRAC effectiveness<br />
- Decreases ongoing maintenance costs<br />
- Reduces r<strong>is</strong>ks and costs associated with supplemental<br />
liquid and active cooling systems<br />
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Fact<br />
You can achieve 2-20+ kW of cooling without<br />
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by simply reclaiming control of <strong>the</strong> cold air<br />
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Ask<br />
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Typical server cabinet without<br />
CPI Passive Cooling. Hot exhaust<br />
air <strong>is</strong> shown recycling over <strong>the</strong> top of<br />
<strong>the</strong> cabinet and <strong>is</strong> pulled back into<br />
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Typical server cabinet with<br />
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CPI Passive Cooling Solutions.<br />
Hot exhaust air <strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>olated from<br />
<strong>the</strong> room, <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e intake temperatures<br />
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and equipment <strong>is</strong> protected.
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 />
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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.