A couple shielded cable questions 3

[zalaska]

Hello.. I have a few questions about terminating shielded cable.
Making shielded cat5 patch cords do you....
1. Strip the jacket off the cable.
2. Pull back the shield and the drain wire.
3. Slide on he shielded cat 5 connector making sure to cover the shield and drain wire, then crimp??
or...
1. Strip the jacket and shield off the cable.
2. Pull back the drain wire.
3. Slide on the shielded cat 5 connector making sure to cover the drain wire, then crimp??

Or does it matter? Thanks..

 

[wires]

You install the connectors the way the manufacturer specifies.

If you can't find a specification then get parts that have complete specifications including termination procedures.

 

[SYQUEST]

Whatever prodedure the manufacturer requires or recommends, you must connect the shield drain wire to the plug shield on both ends. Otherwise the shield DOES NOTHING!

This may be obvious to a lot of people, but you would be surprised how many would cut them off!!

....JIM....

 

[buitenhek]

You notice both recommendations are directed, unfortunately back at you... to check the specific requirement of the shielded cable and the associated environment that justifies a shielded cable system. It wouldn't be smart to recommend a fabrication procedure without first knowing:
1. The mfg recommended grounding technique (at both ends). You could be making an antenna... the exact opposite of the desire to shield the cable from EMI
2. also proper grounding of your frame and patch panel (usually the panel manufacturer will provide a drawing depicting installation procedures)
3. testing of the grounding system to ascertain correct installation worthiness. Ground loops??
You are in the correct forum with your question. However, I am skeptical an easy answer is quickly forthcoming. I would like to know the proper install technique that you finally use, if I haven't made you swear at my politically correct non-answer.


Regards
Peter Buitenhek
ProfitDeveloper.com

 

[aarenot]

I would recommend the proper solution is to hire a professional who knows what he is doing, and had training, experience, and possibly relevant certifications to do what it is you are trying to do. As a rule, if you do not know how to terminate the cable, then you do not know what cable is the proper cable to be using for the application, also, if you do not know how to terminate the cable, then you are probably an IT guy.

Oh, by the way, I hope you used plenum cable, or you could be in line for a serious law suit down the road, as well as possibly having peoples deaths on your hands. If you do not know what plenum is, this is also the right forum for the question, "what is plenum cable, and when do you need to use it?"

As a note about the earlier comment on making an antenna, shielded cable makes awesome antenna as it really picks up great RF signal.

 

[edfair]

Unless there are recent changes in the electrical code that I haven't seen, plenem cable isn't a requirement for patch cables.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[aarenot]

edfair,
You are right about that, but I would still guess these patch cables run into the wall directly, and are just being crimped onto. If not even an IT guy would just buy patch cords pre-made rather than buy the tools, and go looking on a forum to learn how to terminate them.

 

[ISDNman]

Sorry, but you aarenot making much sense.

You are making assumptions, not unreasonable ones, but assumptions none the less.

There is not much STP/ScTP out thre, so there are plenty of people that might ask such questions that are otherwise knowledgable.

Zalaska, best of luck. I do think consulting the manufacturer's web site is a good idea.

 

[zalaska]

The building that the "installation" is going in has a copper radial ground plane. The shielded Cat 5 that was installed is Plenum rated (low smoke and fume). The shielded cable is run into a conduit system which runs back to the equipment racks. The conduit is grounded to the ground plane. The equipment racks are grounded to the ground plane, the shielded patch panel is grounded to the equipment rack, the shielded Cat 5 cable will be grounded to the patch panel. So when terminating the wall jack side, I have to terminate the drain wire to the conduit box (which is grounded to the copper ground plane). Does that seem correct? Thanks..

 

[aarenot]

I do have to admit I did not see/notice that he was talking about patch cords to begin with. zalaska, sorry if I was a little hard on you, I apologize.

 

[buitenhek]

The shielded (plenum) cable is run into a conduit system"

Not directed at anyone, but why does a plenum cable go into a conduit?

Isn't that defeating the requirement for plenum in the first place? If you have EMT conduit in a plenum ceiling and run the cable through it from MDF to end user rooms...you don't need plenum cable.

However, I do like the effort of grounding the wall side jack, conduit, frame etc.

Now my question, can you have a potential ground loop in the conduit (grounding wall plate in one place and grounding the conduit, drain, frame etc in another)? If yes...could it affect the data wire?

Regards
Peter Buitenhek
ProfitDeveloper.com

 

[edfair]

Can be overkill, but maybe not, depending on what else is there and how picky the fire marshall wants to get. The letter of the NEC specifies the wire in the plenum.

Shielded in the conduit will prevent crosstalk between the data cables.

Not an EE, but whatever issues evolve from the infrastructure grounding will not be reflected in the data cables. They are independent.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[wires]

So when terminating the wall jack side, I have to terminate the drain wire to the conduit box (which is grounded to the copper ground plane). Does that seem correct?"

Not really.

Once again I encourage you to contact the manufacturer of your components (patch panel, jacks, wallplates and wire) and get their recommendations.

Personally I would ground the drain wires only at the patch panel so the shielded cable only has one ground point. If you attach the shield to other grounded metal anywhere other than at the patch panel you could create ground loops. Grounding systems should be a star type configuration all leading back to a central point.