Telecommunications Wiring

Preface

The third edition of Telecommunications Wiring has been expanded to include NEC Fire Code requirements for communication wiring, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology, and current wiring and network technology. The data communication field has changed rapidly since the publication of the first edition of Telecommunication Wiring. Great strides have been made in the data rates and distance capability of copper wire. Interconnectivity of different protocols has improved both nationally and internationally.

The expansion of the Internet and technologies that allow data, voice, and video on the same wire will, in many cases, require reexamination of communication planning. The competition demands that every resource, including wiring systems, need to be utilized to their maximum.

The need for special wiring systems and greater capacity cabling for data communication equipment has created a generation of new job categories in the workplace such as telecommunication manager, communication wire planner, information system manager, connectivity specialist, communication wiring specialist, and so on. In our occupation areas, it is obvious that there is a need for a text dedicated to the "nuts and bolts" of telecommunication systems and cabling.

Many books have been written on higher level subjects in telecommunication such as local area networking, designing LANs, telecommunication systems, and so on. However, the cabling and wiring sections of such books seldom offer any practical information for those involved in designing, installation, testing, or updating of wiring systems that are critical to the operation of any telecommunication system. The cabling should be treated as a "dynamic source" rather than a static one. These cabling systems, whether a single coax or a complete wiring plant, should be treated as a major support subsystem.

Management will find helpful the discussion on the importance of having a complete inventory of installed cable and wiring runs to determine "in place capacity" versus "in place used capacity." The chapter on task management will assist the manager in giving direction and leadership to the installation team, the maintenance team, and upper management in preparing the proposal and evaluation of the finished product.

Telecommunication cable installers, planners, managers, and audit teams should find useful the discussion on standardization in setting up methods for identifying and labeling. This topic will be particularly helpful if the system has gone through several installs without a set of universal standards. These suggested standards should be a help in the establishment of corporate labeling standards for cabling, patch panels, wiring closets, floor locations, and equipment.

The wiring specialist and telecommunication planners/designers should find the topic on cabling systems, supports and test hardware, proper installation techniques, and wire and fiber characteristics useful in the planning of a cabling and wiring system. The chapter on planning the wiring installation offers the wiring specialist guidelines for planning, installation, and testing the cabling system. Finally the chapter on premise wiring should aid the system planners in the develop of a wiring plan and aid the cabling and installation specialist in the selecting the hardware in the installation.

Our attempt is to establish a reference point from which logical decisions in the designing of a cabling system, selection of the media type, writing the job proposal, documenting the system, and establishing a maintenance facility can be completed. We fully understand that every company has unique telecommunication needs and that every wiring system will be different.

While the text inclusion has certain trade names and trademark items, this is not to be taken as an endorsement by the authors of any particular product. These illustrations are included to illustrate to the reader some of the more successful products and telecommunication wiring techniques and alternates on the market today. There are many manufacturers and vendors for most of the items mentioned, and it is the responsibility of the professional to keep abreast of the literature. To this end the authors have included names and addresses of many of the periodicals of the field along with some of the vendors mentioned in the text.

The authors attempted to make the revision of Telecommunications Wiring as "state of the art" as possible, fully realizing that technology in this field changes daily.

The authors wish to express their appreciation to all the companies and individuals who have supplied information for this text and its revision.

The authors will appreciate any suggestion from the readers for the improvement of this text. We would also appreciate suggestions for topics for which there is a need in this field.

—Clyde N. Herrick

 e-mail gherrick@cwNET.com 

CLYDE N. HERRICK is author of 36 technical books. He has been an instructor in electronics and computer technology for 34 years, and served as an instructor and consultant in IBM's technical training program.

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