LIB-4400/4424 Installation Guide
| MANUAL Page 53 of 65
Category 6a Copper Cable (Augmented Category 6)
Category 6a cable, or Augmented Category 6, is characterized to 500 MHz and has improved alien
crosstalk characteristics, allowing 10GBASE-T to be run for the same distance as previous protocols.
The latest standard from the TIA for enhanced performance standards for twisted pair cable systems was
defined in February 2008 in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10. Category 6a is defined at frequencies up to 500
MHz—twice that of Cat. 6.
Category 6a performs at improved specifications, in particular in the area of alien crosstalk, as compared
to Cat 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair), which exhibited high alien noise in high frequencies.
The global cabling standard ISO/IEC 11801 has been extended by the addition of amendment 2, which
defines new specifications for Cat 6A components and Class EA permanent links. These new global Cat
6A/Class EA specifications require a new generation of connecting hardware, which offer superior
performance compared to existing products based on the American TIA standard.
Note the performance difference between ISO/IEC and EIA/TIA component specifications for the NEXT
transmission parameter. At a frequency of 500 MHz, an ISO/IEC Cat 6A connector performs 3 dB better
than a Cat 6A connector that conforms to the EIA/TIA specification. The 3 dB represents a 100% increase
of near-end crosstalk noise reduction when measured in absolute magnitudes.
Maximum Length
When used for 10/100/1000BASE-T, the maximum allowed length of a Cat 6 cable is 100 meters or 328
feet. This consists of 90 meters (300 ft) of solid "horizontal" cabling between the patch panel and the wall
jack, plus 10 meters (33 ft) of stranded patch cable between each jack and the attached device. Since
stranded cable has higher attenuation than solid cable, exceeding 10 meters of patch cabling will reduce
the permissible length of horizontal cable.
When used for 10GBASE-T, Cat 6 cable's maximum length is 55 meters (180 ft) in a favourable alien
crosstalk environment, but only 37 meters (121 ft) in a hostile alien crosstalk environment, such as when
many cables are bundled together. However, because the effects of alien crosstalk environments on
cables are difficult to determine prior to installation, it is highly recommended that all Cat 6 cables being
used for 10GBASE-T are electrically tested once installed. With its improved specifications, Cat6 A does
not have this limitation and can run 10GBASE-T at 100 meters (330 ft) without electronic testing.
Installation Notes
Category 6 and 6a cable must be properly installed and terminated to meet specifications. The cable
must not be kinked or bent too tightly (the bend radius should be at least four times the outer diameter of
the cable). The wire pairs must not be untwisted and the outer jacket must not be stripped back more
than 1/2 inch (1.27 cm).
All shielded cables must be grounded for safety and effectiveness and a continuous shield connection
maintained from end to end. Ground loops develop when there is more than one ground connection and
the difference in common mode voltage potential at these ground connections introduces noise into the
cabling.
Note that 23 or 24 AWG wire is allowed if the ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-1 performance specifications are met.
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