The Anixter Standards

REFERENCE GUIDE

A reference guide to:

ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A
ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A

ANSI/TIA/EIA-606

ANSI/TIA/EIA-607

Now Including:
Current Telecommunications Systems Bulletins:
TSB-67, TSB-72, TSB-75 & TSB-95

Current Addendum
TIA/EIA-568-A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5(e) and B.3

Anixter Levels
 Anixter: The Cabling Systems Experts

As a value-added provider of communications cabling

solutions, Anixter can reliably support your network
infrastructure requirements. We do this by combining
technical expertise and market specialization with pre- and
post-sale services and products from the world’s leading
vendors. Then, we accurately and promptly deliver those
products through our global distribution network.
In an effort to continually support you, our customers,
we have pulled together some valuable information from
ANSI/TIA/EIA. The information contained within this
reference guide covers the key aspects of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-
568-A, 569, 606 and 607 standards, in addition to
information on the value of the Anixter Levels Program.
We hope you find its contents informative and useful.
Scope of this Handbook
This document is meant as a reference source that
highlights the key points of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A,
569, 606 and 607 standards. It is not intended as a
substitute for the original documents. For further discussion
of any topic in the guide, refer to the actual standard. See the
section called “Reference Documents” for instructions on how
to order a copy of the standard itself.

Abbreviation References:
ANSI American National Standards Institute
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
CSA Canadian Standards Association
EIA Electronic Industries Alliance
IEEE Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers
NEC National Electric Code
NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
TIA Telecommunications Industry Association
UL Underwriters’ Laboratories
 Table of Contents

I. ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A, Commercial Building

Telecommunications Cabling Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
II. ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A, Pathways and Spaces . . . . . . . . . 30
III. ANSI/TIA/EIA-606, Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
IV. ANSI/TIA/EIA-607, Grounding and Bonding . . . . . . . . 56
V. The Anixter Levels Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
VI. Reference Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

i
Purpose of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A Standard

The Purpose:
• Establish a generic telecommunications cabling
standard that will support a multivendor environment
• Enable the planning and installation of a structured
cabling system for commercial buildings
• Establish performance and technical criteria for
various cabling system configurations

The standard specifies:

• Minimum requirements for telecommunications
cabling within an office environment
• Recommended topology and distances
• Media parameters which determine performance
• Connector and pin assignments to ensure
interconnectability
• The useful life of telecommunications cabling systems
as being in excess of ten years

ii
 Table of Contents

ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A
Commercial Building Telecommunications
Cabling Standard
Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Six Subsystems of a Structured Cabling System . . . . . . . . 1
Building Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Equipment Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Backbone Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Design Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Telecommunications Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Horizontal Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Specified Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Maximum Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Telecommunications Outlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
8-Position Modular Jack Pair Assignments . . . . . . . . . 6
Work Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Work Area Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Media and Connecting Hardware
Performance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
100 Ohm Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cabling Systems . . . 7
Horizontal Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Backbone Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
UTP Connecting Hardware and Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
150 Ohm Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP-A)
Cabling Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Horizontal and Backbone STP-A Cable . . . . . . . . . . . 12
150 Ohm STP-A Data Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
150 Ohm STP-A Patch Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Optical Fiber Cabling Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Optical Fiber Cabling Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Optical Fiber Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Optical Fiber Telecommunications Outlet . . . . . . . . . . 15

iii
TSB-67 Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
TSB-72 Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
TSB-75 Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
TSB-95 Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Addenda to TIA/EIA-568-A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
568-A-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
568-A-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
568-A-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
568-A-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
568-A-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
TIA/EIA-568-B.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

iv
Design Considerations

The Six Subsystems of a Structured

Cabling System
1. Building Entrance
Building entrance facilities provide the point at which
outdoor cabling interfaces with the intrabuilding backbone
cabling. The physical requirements of the network interface
are defined in the TIA/EIA-569-A standard.

2. Equipment Room
The design aspects of the equipment room are specified in
the TIA/EIA-569-A standard. Equipment rooms usually house
equipment of higher complexity than telecommunications
closets. Any or all of the functions of a telecommunications
closet may be provided by an equipment room.

1
3. Backbone Cabling
The backbone cabling provides interconnection between
telecommunication closets, equipment rooms and entrance
facilities. It consists of the backbone cables, intermediate and
main cross-connects, mechanical terminations and patch
cords or jumpers used for backbone-to-backbone cross-
connection. This includes:
• Vertical connection between floors (risers)
• Cables between an equipment room and building
cable entrance facilities
• Cables between buildings (interbuilding)

Cabling Types Maximum Backbone

Recognized Distances
100 ohm UTP (24 or 22 AWG) 800 meters (2625 ft) Voice*
150 ohm STP 90 meters (295 ft) Data*
Multimode 62.5/125 µm optical fiber 2,000 meters (6560 ft)
Single-mode 8.3/125 µm optical fiber 3,000 meters (9840 ft)

*Note: Backbone distances are application-dependent. The

maximum distances specified above are based on voice
transmission for UTP and data transmission for STP and fiber.
The 90-meter distance for STP applies to applications with a
spectral bandwidth of 20 MHz to 300 MHz. A 90-meter distance
also applies to UTP at spectral bandwidths of 5–16 MHz for CAT 3,
10 MHz for CAT 4, and 20–100 MHz for CAT 5.
Lower-speed data systems such as IBM 3270, IBM
System 36, 38, AS 400 and asynchronous (RS232, 422, 423,
etc.) can operate over UTP (or STP) for considerably longer
distances—typically from several hundred feet to more than
1,000 feet. The actual distances depend on the type of
system, data speed and the manufacturer’s specifications for
the system electronics and the associated components used
(e.g., baluns, adapters, line drivers, etc.). Current state-of-
the-art distribution facilities usually include a combination of
both copper and fiber optic cables in the backbone.

2
Other Design Requirements
• Star topology
• No more than two hierarchical levels of cross-connects
• Bridge taps are not allowed
• Main and intermediate cross-connect jumper or
patch cord lengths should not exceed 20 meters
(66 feet)
• Avoid installing in areas where sources of high levels
of EMI/RFI may exist
• Grounding should meet the requirements as defined
in TIA/EIA-607

Note: It is recommended that the user consult with equipment

manufacturers, application standards and system providers
for additional information when planning shared-sheath
applications on UTP backbone cables.

Specified Backbone Cabling Topology: Star

Equipment Room
Main
Cross-connect

Equipment Room
Intermediate
Cross-connect

BACKBONE MEDIA OPTIONS

UTP—800 meters*
STP—Application dependent
Multimode Fiber—2000 meters
Single-mode Fiber—3000 meters

Telecommunications Closets

3
4. Telecommunications Closet
A telecommunications closet is the area within a
building that houses the telecommunications cabling system
equipment. This includes the mechanical terminations and/or
cross-connect for the horizontal and backbone cabling
system. Please refer to TIA/EIA-569-A for the design
specifications of the telecommunications closet.

5. Horizontal Cabling—(Specified Horizontal Cabling

Topology: Star)
The horizontal cabling system extends from the work
area telecommunications (information) outlet to the
telecommunications closet and consists of the following:
• Horizontal Cabling
• Telecommunications Outlet
• Cable Terminations
• Cross-connections
Three media types are recognized as options for
horizontal cabling, each extending a maximum distance of
90 meters:
• 4-pair, 100-ohm UTP cable (24 AWG solid conductors)
• 2-pair, 150-ohm STP cables
• 2-fiber, 62.5/125-µm optical cable
Note: At this time, 50-ohm coaxial cable is a recognized media
type. It is not, however, recommended for new cabling
installations and is expected to be removed from the next
revision of this standard.

4
 Maximum Distances for Horizontal Cabling

In addition to the 90 meters of horizontal cable, a total

of 10 meters is allowed for work area and telecommunications
closet patch and jumper cables.

Telecommunications Outlet

100 ohm UTP 4-pair for Voice

1 T568-A or T568-B wiring

100 ohm UTP 4-pair,

2 150 ohm STP 2-pair or
62.5/125µm fiber for data

Each work area shall have a minimum of TWO

information outlet ports, one for voice and one for data.
The cabling choices are indicated in the diagram above.

5
 8-Position Modular Jack Pair Assignments for UTP

T568-A T568-B

6. Work Area
The work area components extend from the
telecommunications (information) outlet to the station
equipment. Work area wiring is designed to be relatively
simple to interconnect so that moves, adds and changes
are easily managed.
Work Area Components
• Station Equipment—computers, data terminals,
telephones, etc.
• Patch Cables—modular cords, PC adapter cables,
fiber jumpers, etc.
• Adapters(baluns, etc.)—must be external to
telecommunications outlet

6
Media and Connecting Hardware
Performance Specifications
100 ohm Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP)
Cabling Systems
Horizontal Cable
As transmission rates have increased, higher performance
UTP cabling has become a necessity. In addition, some means
of classifying horizontal UTP cables and connecting hardware by
performance capability had to be established. These capabilities
have been broken down to a series of categories as follows:
Category 3
Cables/connecting hardware with transmission
parameters characterized up to 16 MHz
Category 4
Cables/connecting hardware with transmission
parameters characterized up to 20 MHz
Category 5
Cables/connecting hardware with transmission
parameters characterized up to 100 MHz

7
 Horizontal UTP Cable

Attenuation/Crosstalk Loss (Attn/NEXT)

Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
0.064 0.9 / - 0.8 / - 0.8 /
0.150 - / 53 - / 68 - / 74
0.256 1.3 / - 1.1 / - 1.1 / -
0.512 1.8 / - 1.5 / - 1.5 / -
0.772 2.2 / 43 1.9 / 58 1.8 / 64
1.0 2.6 / 41 2.2 / 56 2.0 / 62
4.0 5.6 / 32 4.3 / 47 4.1 / 53
8.0 8.5 / 27 6.2 / 42 5.8 / 48
10.0 9.7 / 26 6.9 / 41 6.5 / 47
16.0 13.1 / 23 8.9 / 38 8.2 / 44
20.0 -/- 10.0 / 36 9.3 / 42
25.0 -/- -/- 10.4 / 41
31.25 -/- -/- 11.7 / 39
62.5 -/- -/- 17.0 / 35
100.0 -/- -/- 22.0 /32

Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 20 degrees C

NEXT: greater than or equal to 100 meters (328 feet)
Characteristic impedance of horizontal cabling=100
ohms ± 15 percent from 1 MHz to the highest referenced
frequency (16, 20 or 100 MHz) of a particular category.

8
 Backbone UTP Cable

Attenuation/Power Sum NEXT Loss

Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT Attn/NEXT
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
0.064 0.9 / - 0.8 / - 0.8 / -
0.150 - / 53 - / 68 - / 74
0.256 1.3 / - 1.1 / - 1.1 / -
0.512 1.8 / - 1.5 / - 1.5 / -
0.772 2.2 / 43 1.9 / 58 1.8 / 64
1.0 2.6 / 41 2.2 / 56 2.0 / 62
4.0 5.6 / 32 4.3 / 47 4.1 / 53
8.0 8.5 / 27 6.2 / 42 5.8 / 48
10.0 9.7 / 26 6.9 / 41 6.5 / 47
16.0 13.1 / 23 8.9 / 38 8.2 / 44
20.0 -/- 10.0 / 36 9.3 / 42
25.0 -/- -/- 10.4 / 41
31.25 -/- -/- 11.7 / 39
62.5 -/- -/- 17.0 / 35
100.0 -/- -/- 22.0 / 32

Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 20 degrees C

NEXT: greater than or equal to 100 meters (328 feet)
Characteristic impedance of backbone cabling=100
ohms ± 15 percent from 1 MHz to the highest referenced
frequency (16, 20 or 100 MHz) of a particular category.

9
UTP Connecting Hardware and Cords
To ensure that installed connecting hardware
(telecommunications outlets, patch cords and panels,
connectors, cross-connect blocks, etc.) will have minimal effect
on overall cabling system performance, the characteristics and
performance parameters presented in this section shall be met.

UTP Connecting Hardware

Attenuation/NEXT Loss
Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1.0 0.4 / 58 0.1 / 65 0.1 /65
4.0 0.4 / 46 0.1 / 58 0.1 / 65
8.0 0.4 / 40 0.1 / 52 0.1 / 62
10.0 0.4 / 38 0.1 / 50 0.1 / 60
16.0 0.4 / 34 0.2 / 46 0.2 / 56
20.0 -/- 0.2 / 44 0.2 / 54
25.0 -/- -/- 0.2 / 52
31.25 -/- -/- 0.2 / 50
62.5 -/- -/- 0.3 / 44
100.0 -/- -/- 0.4 / 40

The preferred termination method for all UTP

connecting hardware utilizes the insulation displacement
contact (IDC).
The following requirements apply only to wire and cable
used for patch cords and cross-connect jumpers:
Jumper/patch cord maximum length limitations:
• 20 meters (66 feet) in main cross-connect
• 20 meters (66 feet) in intermediate cross-connect
• 6 meters (20 feet) in telecommunications closet
• 3 meters (10 feet) in the work area
Patch cord cable construction:
• stranded conductors for extended flex-life

10
 Maximum Attenuation of Cable Used in Patch Cords
Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1.0 3.1 2.6 2.4
4.0 6.7 5.2 4.9
8.0 10.2 7.4 6.9
10.0 11.7 8.3 7.8
16.0 15.7 10.7 9.9
20.0 - 12.0 11.1
25.0 - - 12.5
31.25 - - 14.1
62.5 - - 20.4
100.0 - - 26.4

Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 20 degrees C

= Horizontal UTP cable attenuation + 20 percent (due to
stranded conductors)
To ensure overall system integrity, horizontal cables
need to be terminated with connecting hardware of the same
category or higher. Also, cables used for patch cords and
cross-connect jumpers need to be of the same performance
category or higher as the horizontal cables they connect.
Lastly, UTP cabling systems are not Category 3-, 4-, or
5-compliant unless all components of the system satisfy
their respective category requirements.

11
150 Ohm Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP-A)
Cabling Systems
The recognized twisted-pair (STP) cables are IBM-type
1A for backbone and horizontal distribution and IBM-type 6A
for patch cables.

Horizontal and Backbone STP-A Cable

2-pair, 22 AWG solid

Balanced Mode Attenuation/NEXT Loss (worst pair)

Frequency Attn/NEXT
(MHz) (dB)
4 2.2 / 58.0
8 3.1 / 54.9
10 3.6 / 53.5
16 4.4 / 50.4
20 4.9 / 49.0
25 6.2 / 47.5
31.25 6.9 / 46.1
62.50 9.8 / 41.5
100 12.3 / 38.5
300 21.4 / 31.3

Attenuation: per 100 meters (328 feet) @ 25 degrees C

Characteristic Impedance = 150 ohms ± 10 percent
(3 MHz-300 MHz).

12
 STP-A Data Connector

Attenuation/NEXT
Frequency Attn/NEXT
(MHz) (dB)
4.0 .05/ 65
8.0 .10/ 65
10 .10/ 65
16 .15/ 62.4
20 .15/ 60.5
25 .15/ 58.5
31.25 .15/ 56.6
62.50 .20/ 50.6
100 .25/ 46.5
300 .45/ 36.9

150 Ohm STP-A Patch Cable 2-pair, 26

AWG stranded
Characteristic Impedance = 150 ohms ± 10% (3 MHz–300 MHz)
Balanced Mode Attenuation of 150 ohm STP-A Patch
cable is about 1.5× that of horizontal or backbone STP-A
cable (4 MHz–300 MHz).
NEXT performance of 150 ohm STP-A Patch Cable
measures approximately 6 dB less than horizontal or
backbone STP-A cable (5 MHz–300 MHz).

13
Optical Fiber Cabling Systems
Optical Fiber Cabling Media
• Horizontal—62.5/125 µm multimode optical fiber
(minimum of two fibers)
• Backbone—62.5/125 µm multimode and 8.3/125 µm
single-mode optical fiber
Cable Transmission Performance Parameters
Multimode (Horizontal and Backbone)
Wavelength Maximum Attenuation Min. Bandwidth
(nm) (dB/km) (MHz-km)
850 3.75 160
1300 1.5 500

Cable Transmission Performance Parameters

Single-mode (Backbone)
Wavelength Maximum Attenuation
(nm) (dB/km)
1310 0.5
1550 0.5

14
Optical Fiber Connector
Specified Connector: 568SC
Color Identification
• beige—62.5/125 µm multimode connector/coupling
• blue—8.3/125 µm single-mode connector/coupling
Note 1: Applications with an installed base of ST-type fiber
connectors are “grandfathered” for continued use in both
current and future updates of existing optical fiber networks.

Note 2: A key reason the standard now specifies the 568SC-type

fiber connector is to harmonize with the IEC-specified interface
currently in use in Europe.

Optical Fiber Telecommunications Outlet

Required Features
• Capability to terminate minimum of two fibers into
568SC couplings
• Means of securing fiber and maintaining minimum
bend radius of 30 mm
• Ability to store a minimum of 1 meter of 2-fiber cable
• Surface-mount box that attaches directly over
standard 4" × 4" electrical box

15
TIA/EIA TSB-67
Transmission Performance Specification for
Field Testing of Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cabling
Systems (10/95)
For the purposes of testing UTP cabling systems, the
horizontal link is assumed to contain a telecommunications
outlet/connector, a transition point, 90 meters of UTP Category
3, 4 or 5 cable, a cross-connect consisting of two blocks or
panels and a total of 10 meters of patch cords. The figure
below shows the relationship of these components.

90 Meters UTP Cable

Cross-Connect
Transition
Point Outlet

Patch Cord
Patch
Cord

Basic Link

Channel Link

Two link configurations are defined for testing purposes.

The basic link includes the horizontal distribution cable,
telecommunications outlet/connector or transition point and
one horizontal cross-connect component. This is assumed to
be the permanent part of a link. The channel link is comprised
of the basic link plus cross-connect equipment, user and
cross-connect jumper cable.
TSB-67 defines the allowable worst-case attenuation and
NEXT for an installed link. The following tables show the
limitations for attenuation and NEXT, respectively, for both
the basic and channel links.
Tests shall also measure physical length of each link,
and employ Wire Map to verify pin terminations at each end
and identify simple electrical faults. Level I and the higher
Level II field test equipment accuracy is defined.

16
Basic/Channel Link Attenuation
Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 3.2/4.2 2.2/2.6 2.1/2.5
4 6.1/7.3 4.3/4.8 4/4.5
8 8.8/10.2 6/6.7 5.7/6.3
10 10/11.5 6.8/7.5 6.3/7
16 13.2/14.9 8.8/9.9 8.2/9.2
20 - 9.9/11 9.2/10.3
25 - - 10.3/11.4
31.25 - - 11.5/12.8
62.5 - - 16.7/18.5
100 - - 21.6/24

Basic/Channel Link NEXT Loss (Pair-to-Pair)

Frequency Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 40.1/39.1 54.7/53.3 60/60
4 30.7/29.3 45.1/43.3 51.8/50.6
8 25.9/24.3 40.2/38.2 47.1/45.6
10 24.3/22.7 38.6/36.6 45/44
16 21/19.3 35.3/33.1 42.3/40.6
20 - 33.7/31.4 40.7/39
25 - - 39.1/37.4
31.25 - - 37.6/35.7
62.5 - - 32.7/30.6
100 - - 29.3/27.1

17
TIA/EIA TSB-72
Centralized Optical Fiber Cabling Guidelines (10/95)
The ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A standard provides maximum
flexibility for distributed electronics for multi-tenant
buildings. TSB-72 offers guidelines for single-tenant users
who prefer centralized electronics (i.e. server farms)
connected by a fiber horizontal and fiber backbone.

Centralized Cabling Scheme

Workstation
Telecommunications
Closet
Patch Cable
Building
Distribution
Cable
(Backbone)
Information
Outlet
Horizontal Cable—
Patch Cable 300 m including riser

Termination Shelf

Interbuilding
Trunk Cable
MDC

To connect fiber from the Work Area to the Equipment

Room, within a single building, the user may use a splice or
interconnect in the Telecom Closet. The combined distance
limitation is 300 meters (984 ft) for Horizontal, Intrabuilding
Backbone and patch cords. Alternatively, the user may simply
pull cables through the closet. In this last case the fiber
Horizontal and Backbone consist of one continuous fiber
pair, and the pull-through distance limitation is 90 meters
(295 ft). Cabling is 62.5/125 µm multimode as described in
TIA/EIA 568-A. Sufficient space shall be allowed for slack,
addition and removal of cables, spares, and conversion to a
full cross-connect system. Labeling shall be in accordance
with TIA/EIA-606, with additional labeling to identify A-B
pairs with specific Work Areas.

18
TIA/EIA TSB-75
Additional Horizontal Cabling Practices for Open
Offices (8/96)
This document specifies optional practices for open
office environments, for any Horizontal telecommunications
cabling recognized in TIA/EIA 568-A.
Multi-User
Telecommunications Telecommunications
Closet Outlet Assembly
Patch
Equipment cords Work area cables
cable

Horizontal Horizontal Telecommunication

cross-connect cables outlet/connectors

Work Area
Backbone
cable

A Multi-User Telecommunications Outlet (MUTO)

facilitates the termination of multiple Horizontal cables in a
common location within a furniture cluster. Work Area
cables may then be routed through furniture pathways and
directly connected to Work Area equipment. Each furniture
cluster should have one MUTO which serves a maximum of
twelve Work Areas.

19
 Maximum Work Area Cable length is
determined by the following table:
Length of Maximum Maximum combined length
horizontal length of work of work area cables, patch
cable area cable cords and equipment cable
m (ft) m (ft) m (ft)
90 (295) 3 (10) 10 (33)
85 (279) 7 (23) 14 (46)
80 (262) 11 (36) 18 (59)
75 (246) 15 (49) 22 (72)
70 (230) 20 (66) 27 (89)

Note: No Work Area cable length may exceed 20 meters (66 feet).
For Optical Fiber, any combination of Horizontal,
Work Area cables, patch cords and equipment cords may
not exceed 100 meters (328 ft).
Work area telecommunication
outlet/connector or multi-user
Telecommunications telecommunications outlet assembly
Closet Horizontal Cabling

Horizontal Consolidation
Cross-Connect Point

Work area
Connecting cables
hardware

Backbone
cable
Work Area

Only one Consolidation Point (an interconnection point

in the Horizontal cabling) is allowed, at a distance of at least
15 meters (49 ft) from the Telecom Closet and a Transition
point (transition from round to flat under carpet cable) is
not allowed. A Consolidation Point is installed in
unobstructed building columns and permanent walls.
The Multi-User Telecommunications Outlet, and
Consolidation Point methods are intended to be mutually
exclusive. Labeling and allowance for spares is required.
Moves, adds and changes should be administered in the
Telecom Closet.

20
TIA/EIA TSB 95
Additional Transmission Performance Guidelines for
4-Pair 100 MHz Category 5 Cabling (10/99)
This Systems Bulletin describes Return Loss and Equal
Level Far End Crosstalk (ELFEXT) recommendations and
additional test methods for Cat 5 cable. It also describes
Power Sum ELFEXT, because newer applications (1000BASE-
T) will use simultaneous bi-directional transmission (full
duplex) over all four pairs.
While the important topics of TSB-95 are covered
briefly here, appropriate test equipment is required, and
contemporary test equipment contains software to simplify,
compare and report the results (only up to 100 MHz).
The Return Loss will be less than 15 dB for both the
basic link and channel for any frequency less than 20 MHz,
and decrease exponentially for frequencies from 20–100 MHz.
Frequency Return Loss
(MHz) (dB)
1 15
4 15
8 15
10 15
16 15
20 15
25 14.03
31.25 13.06
62.5 10.05
100 8.01

21
 ELFEXT and PSELFEXT upper limitations of the worst
pair of the channel are shown below.
ELFEXT, Channel or PSELFEXT, Channel
Frequency Basic Link, Worst Pair or Basic Link
(MHz) (dB) (dB)
1.0 57.0 54.4
4.0 45.0 42.4
8.0 38.9 36.3
10.0 37.0 34.4
16.0 32.9 30.3
20.0 31.0 28.4
25.0 29.0 26.4
31.25 27.1 24.5
62.5 21.1 18.5
100.0 17.0 14.4

22
Addenda to TIA/EIA-568-A
TIA/EIA-568-A-1 (Addendum 1) (9/97)

Propagation Delay and Delay Skew Specifications for 100-Ohm

4-pair Cable
Propagation delay is the time needed for the
transmission of signal over a single pair. Delay skew is
the difference between the propagation delay between any
two pairs within the same cable sheath. Delay skew is caused
primarily because twisted pairs are designed to have different
twists per foot (lay lengths). Delay skew could cause data
transmitted over one channel to arrive out of sync with data
over another channel. This one-page addendum (plus a
one- and two-page Informative Annex), specifies delay skew
and provides formulas for the benefit of cable and test
equipment manufacturers.
TIA/EIA-568-A-2 (Addendum 2) (8/98)

Corrections and Additions to TIA/EIA-568-A

Addendum 2 refers the Centralized Optical Fiber user
to TSB-72 in regards to star topology and cross connections.
It specifies that transposed UTP pairs (tip/ring reversal) be
accomplished only with adapters or patch cords. A slight
reduction in strength of optical patch cord connectors is
allowed. Laboratory and quality control measurements and
methods are detailed for contact resistance, test baluns and
common mode terminations (Five pages, no Annex).

23
TIA/EIA-568-A-3 (Addendum 3) (12/98)

Addendum No. 3 to TIA/EIA-568-A

This one-page document allows bundled, wrapped or
hybrid cables for use in Horizontal cabling, provided that
each individual cable type meets TIA/EIA-568-A
specifications, and that power sum NEXT loss created by
adjacent jacketed cables be 3 dB better than the normally
allowed pair-to-pair NEXT for the cable type being tested.
Color codes must follow individual cable standards to
distinguish them from multipair UTP backbone cabling.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A-4 (Addendum 4) (12/99)

A Production Modular Cord NEXT Loss Test Method and

Requirements for Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cabling
This addendum provides a non-destructive
methodology for NEXT loss testing of modular plug cords
(patch and equipment cords) suitable only for a QC
laboratory environment.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A-5 (Addendum 5) (2/00)

Transmission Performance Specifications for 4-Pair 100 Ohm

Category 5e Cabling
This addendum specifies minimum Return Loss,
Propagation Delay, Delay Skew. NEXT loss, PSNEXT loss, FEXT
loss, ELFEXT and PSELFEXT @ 100 meters.
ELFEXT (Equal-Level Far-End Crosstalk): A measure of the
unwanted signal coupling from a transmitter at the near-end
into a neighboring pair measured at the far-end, relative to
the received signal level measured on that same pair.
(ELFEXT is FEXT adjusted to discount attenuation.)

24
FEXT (Far-End Crosstalk): A measure of the unwanted
signal coupling from a transmitter at the near-end into a
neighboring pair measured at the far-end.
PSELFEXT (Power Sum Equal-Level Far-End Crosstalk):
A computation of the unwanted signal coupling from multiple
transmitters at the near-end into a pair measured at the far-
end, relative to the received signal level on that same pair.
PSNEXT (Power Sum Near-End Crosstalk): A computation of
the unwanted signal coupling from multiple transmitters at
the near-end into a (non-energized) pair measured at the
near-end.

UTP Cable
Frequency NEXT PSNEXT ELFEXT PSELFEXT Return Loss
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 65.3 62.3 63.8 60.8 20.0
4 56.3 53.3 51.7 48.7 23.0
8 51.8 48.8 45.7 42.7 24.5
10 50.3 47.3 43.8 40.8 25.0
16 47.3 44.3 39.7 36.7 25.0
20 45.8 42.8 37.7 34.7 25.0
25 44.3 41.3 35.8 32.8 24.3
31.25 42.9 39.9 33.9 30.9 23.6
62.5 38.4 35.4 27.8 24.8 21.5
100 35.3 32.3 23.8 20.8 20.1

25
UTP Connecting Hardware
Frequency NEXT FEXT Return Loss
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 65.0 65.0 35.0
4 65.0 63.1 35.0
8 64.9 57.0 35.0
10 63.0 55.1 35.0
16 58.9 51.0 35.0
20 57.0 49.1 34.0
25 55.0 47.1 32.0
31.25 53.1 45.2 30.1
62.5 47.1 39.2 24.1
100 43.0 35.1 20.0

UTP Basic Link

Frequency NEXT PSNEXT ELFEXT PSELFEXT Return Loss
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 60.0 57.0 58.0 55.0 17.0
4 54.8 52.0 48.0 45.0 17.0
8 50.0 47.1 41.9 38.9 17.0
10 48.5 45.6 40.0 37.0 17.0
16 45.2 42.2 35.9 32.9 17.0
20 43.7 40.7 34.0 31.0 17.0
25 42.1 39.1 32.0 29.0 16.3
31.25 40.6 37.5 30.1 27.1 15.6
62.5 35.7 32.6 24.1 21.1 13.5
100 32.3 29.3 20.0 17.0 12.1

26
UTP Channel
Frequency NEXT PSNEXT ELFEXT PSELFEXT Return Loss
(MHz) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB)
1 60.0 57.0 57.4 54.4 17.0
4 53.6 50.9 45.3 42.4 17.0
8 48.6 45.7 39.3 36.3 17.0
10 47.0 44.1 37.4 34.4 17.0
16 43.6 40.6 33.3 30.3 17.0
20 42.0 39.0 31.4 28.4 17.0
25 40.4 37.3 29.4 26.4 16.0
31.25 38.7 35.7 27.5 24.5 15.1
62.5 33.6 30.6 21.5 18.5 12.1
100 30.1 27.1 17.4 14.4 10.0

Modular Patch Cord

Frequency Return Loss
(MHz) (dB)
1-20 25.0
25 24.0
31.25 23.1
62.5 20.1
100 18.0

27
TIA/EIA-568-B.3

Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard

The TIA/EIA-568-A standard will eventually be
superceded by: TIA/EIA-568-B.1 “Commercial Building
Telecommunications Cabling System,” TIA/EIA-568-B.2
“Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling Standard,” and TIA/EIA-568-
B.3 “Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard.”
In March of 2000, the Optical Fiber section was
completed and became available to the public in May. This
standard supercedes and replaces Section 12 of the previous
document. The remaining B documents should be completed
by mid-2001.
Optical Fiber Cabling Systems
Optical Fiber Cabling Media
• Horizontal—62.5/125 or 50/125 µm multimode optical fiber
(minimum of two fibers)
• Backbone—62.5/125 or 50/125 µm multimode and single-mode
optical fiber
Cable Transmission Performance Parameters Multimode
(Horizontal & Backbone)
50 µm 62.5 µm
Maximum Minimum Minimum
Wavelength Attenuation Bandwidth Bandwith
(nm) (dB/km) (MHz/km) (MHz/km)
850 3.5 500 160
1300 1.5 500 500

Cable Transmission Performance Parameters Single-mode

(Backbone)
Inside Plant Outside Plant
Wavelength Maximum Attenuation Maximum Attenuation
(nm) (dB/km) (dB/km)
1310 1.0 0.5
1550 1.0 0.5

28
Optical Fiber Connector
No Specified Connector: 568SC and other duplex designs
may be used.
Color Identification
• beige—multimode connector/coupling
• blue—single-mode connector/coupling

Note 1: Applications with installed base of ST-type fiber

connectors are “grandfathered” for continued use in both
current and future updates of existing optical fiber networks.
Note 2: The ISO/IEC standard now specifies the
568SC-type fiber connector in the work area.
Optical Fiber Telecommunications Outlet
Required Features:
• Capability to terminate minimum of two fibers into
568SC couplings or other duplex connection
• Means of securing fiber and maintaining minimum
bend radius of 25 mm(1")
Optical Fiber Splices; Fusion or Mechanical
• Maximum Attenuation 0.3 dB
Optical Fiber Connector (mated pair)
• Maximum Insertion loss 0.75 dB

29
Purpose of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A Standard

As the complexity of voice and data telecommunications

has increased, standards have been established to ensure the
operability, flexibility, manageability and longevity of these
critical commercial support systems. Telecommunications
now encompasses voice, data and video transmission of
business information, fire/security, audio, environmental and
other intelligent building controls over media that includes
fiber optics, specialized copper data cabling, microwave and
radiowave. This booklet concisely describes the architectural
design elements of cabling pathways and dedicated rooms for
telecommunications equipment.
A multi-tenant commercial building has a life
expectancy of at least 50 years. Software, hardware and
communications gear have far shorter lifespans of one to five
years. Moreover, in a multi-tenant environment, continuous
moves, adds and changes are inevitable. It is the purpose of
standards to guide design and ease future changes—by
planning for the future now. These standards are intended to
provide for a generic structured cabling plant, capable of
running any voice or data application foreseeable in the next
10 to 15 years.
Abbreviations:
AWG American Wire Gauge
V volts
A amps
kVA kilovolt ampere
V/m volts per meter

30
 Table of Contents

ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A
Commercial Building Standard for
Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces
Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Service Entrance Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Entrance Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Equipment Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Intrabuilding Backbone Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Telecommunications Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Horizontal Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Underfloor Duct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Flushduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Multichannel Raceway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Cellular Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Trenchduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Access Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Plenum/Ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Conduit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cable Trays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Perimeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Consolidation Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Electromagnetic Interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Firestops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

31
 Pathways and Spaces

 

 

1. Electric Entrance
2. Telco Entrance
3. Telecom Equipment Room
4. Data
5. Voice
6. Telecom Closet
7. Grounding & Bonding
8. Underfloor System

32
TIA/EIA-569-A Design Considerations
Service Entrance Pathways
For underground facilities, use a minimum 4-inch
conduit or duct constructed of PVC type B, C or D; multiple
plastic duct; galvanized steel; fiber glass; with appropriate
encasement. No more than two 90° manufactured bends
are allowed (10 times the diameter). Drain slope should
not be less than 12 inches per 100 feet. Recommended
conduit fill varies but should not exceed 40 percent for
more than two cables.
Maintenance holes (typically 3,500 lb./sq. in., concrete)
must be equipped with sump, corrosion-protected pulling
iron, cable racks, grounded ladder, and only such
power/light conductors as required for telecommunications
support per NEC requirements.

Entrance Facilities
Entrance facilities include the pathways for outside carrier
services, interbuilding backbone, alternate entrance and
antennae entrance pathways. The entrance facilities consist
of a termination field interfacing any outside cabling to the
intrabuilding backbone cabling. The local telephone carrier is
typically required to terminate cabling within 50 feet of building
penetration, and to provide primary voltage protection.
In buildings larger than 20,000 usable square feet, a
locked, dedicated, enclosed room is recommended. Beyond
70,000-square feet, a locked, dedicated room is required,
with a plywood termination field provided on two walls. In
buildings up to 100,000 usable square footage, a wall-
mounted termination field may serve as the entrance facility,
using 3/4-inch plywood, 8-feet high. Beyond 100,000-square
feet, rack-mounted and free-standing frames may also be
required. Minimum space requirements are given as follows:

33
 Gross Building
Floor Space
(sq. ft.) Plywood Field Room Dimension
5,000 8’ high × 39” wide
10,000 8’ high × 39”
20,000 8’ high × 42” (A room recommended
40,000 8’ high × 68” beyond this level)
50,000 8’ high × 90”
60,000 8’ high × 96” (A dedicated room req’d.)
80,000 8’ high × 120” 12’ × 6.3’
100,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 6.3’
200,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 9’
400,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 13’
500,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 15.6’
600,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 18.3’
800,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 22.3’
1,000,000 8’ high × 2 walls 12’ × 27.7’
Rule of Thumb: Allow one square foot of plywood wallmount for
each 200 square-foot area of floor space.

Equipment Room
An equipment room is essentially a large
telecommunications closet that may house the main
distribution frame, PBXs, secondary voltage protection, etc.
The equipment room is often appended to the entrance
facilities or a computer room to allow shared air conditioning,
security, fire control, lighting and limited access.
Number of Equipment Room
Workstations Floor Space (sq. ft.)
1–100 150
101–400 400
401–800 800
801–1,200 1,200
Rule of Thumb: Provide 0.75 square feet of equipment room
floor space for every 100 square feet of user workstation area.

34
Location
Typically, rooms should be located away from sources of
electromagnetic interference (transformers, motors, x-ray,
induction heaters, arc welders, radio, radar) until interference
is less than 3 V/m across the frequency spectrum. Avoid
sources of flooding.
Perimeters
Typically, no false ceiling; all surfaces treated to reduce dust;
walls and ceiling painted white or pastel to improve visibility.
Limited Access
Typically, single or double 36" × 80" lockable doors.
Other
Typically, no piping, ductwork, mechanical equipment or
power cabling should be allowed to pass through the
equipment room. No unrelated storage.
HVAC
24 hours/day, 365 days/year, 64°-75°F, 30%-55%
humidity, positive pressure.
Lighting
Typically, 8.5 feet high, providing 50-foot candles @
3 feet above floor.
Electrical
Typically, a minimum of two dedicated 15A, 110VAC
duplex outlets on separate circuits is required. Convenience
duplex outlets shall be placed at 6-foot intervals around the
perimeter. Emergency power should be considered and
supplied, if available.
Dust
Less than 100 micrograms/cubic meter/24-hour period
Note: The term “typically” is applied here to indicate, where
applicable, that these requirements also apply to other elements
of the cabling system spaces. Lighting requirements, for instance,
are largely identical for entrance facilities, equipment rooms and
telecommunications closets.

35
Intrabuilding Backbone Pathways
Within a building, the intrabuilding backbone pathways
extend between the entrance facilities, equipment room and
telecommunications closets. Telecom closets should be
stacked vertically above each other on each floor, and
provided with a minimum of three 4-inch sleeves (a stub of
conduit through the floor) for less than 50,000 square feet
served. An equivalent 4" × 12" slot may be used in lieu of
three sleeves. Firestopping is required. If closets are not
vertically aligned, then 4-inch horizontal conduit runs are
required. Include no more than two 90° bends between pull
points. Pulling iron or eyes embedded in the concrete for
cable pulling is recommended. Fill should not exceed
40 percent for any run greater than two cables.

Backbone and Horizontal Pathways

8
7

4
5
6
3
2

10

1. Telco Conduit 6. Vertical Backbone

2. Telco Manhole 7. Telecom Closet
3. Entrance Conduit 8. Horizontal Cabling
4. Telco Entrance Facility 9. Interbuilding Backbone
5. Telcom Equipment Room 10. Electrical Entrance Facility

36
Telecommunications Closet
The telecommunications closet on each floor is the
junction between backbone and horizontal pathways. It
contains active voice and data telecommunications
equipment, termination fields and cross-connect wiring.
More than one telecom closet per floor is required if
distance to a work area exceeds 300 feet, or if floor area
served exceeds 10,000 square feet. Recommended closet
sizing is 10' × 11' for each 10,000 square-foot area served.
Power, lighting, air conditioning and limited access
are typical. See requirements for Equipment Room. There
are a minimum of three 4-inch firestopped backbone sleeves
in the floor at the left side of a plywood termination field,
which are ideally located near the door. A fire extinguisher
is recommended.

Typical Telecommunications Closet

Power Power
Equipment bar Instrument bar Equipment
power power power
Front

Front

Rear 39" aisle Rear

(Eqpt. repair & install) 3/4"
plywood
19" equipment 19" equipment
Ceiling backboard Distribution
rack rack
fluorescent facilities
w M fixture to offices
ith i
lo nim Ceiling
ck u Ceiling Ceiling
ex m 3 fluorescent fluorescent level
te 6 Closet
rn " fixture fixture ladder
all x 8 interconnecting
y 0 rack
op " conduit
en do 3/4"
ed or (fire stopped)
on Ceiling level plywood Three 4" sleeves
ly ladder rack backboard (minimum)

Distribution facilities to offices

Riser Sleeve

4"
Inside Diameter

1" minimum

37
Horizontal Pathways
Horizontal pathways extend between the
telecommunications closet and the work area. A variety of
generic pathway options are described. Choice of pathway(s)
is left to the discretion of the designer. The most commonly
employed pathway consists of cable bundles run from the
telecom closet along J-hooks suspended above a plenum
ceiling, fanning out once a work zone is reached, dropping
through interior walls or support columns or raceways, and
terminating at an information outlet (I/O). Other options are:
Underfloor Duct
Single- or dual-level rectangular ducts imbedded in
greater than 2.5-inch concrete flooring.
Flushduct
Single-level rectangular duct imbedded flush in greater
than 1-inch concrete flooring.
Multichannel Raceway
Cellular raceway ducts capable of routing telecom
and power cabling separately in greater than 3-inch
reinforced concrete.
Cellular Floor
Pre-formed hollows, or steel-lined cells, are provided in
concrete, with header ducts from the telecom closet
arranged at right angles to the cells.
Trenchduct
A wide, solid tray, sometimes containing compartments,
and fitted with a flat top(with gaskets) along its entire length.
It is embedded flush with the concrete finish.
Access Floor
Modular floor panels supported by pedestals, used in
computer rooms and equipment rooms.
Plenum/Ceiling
Bundled cables, suspended above a false ceiling, fan out
to drop through walls or along support columns to
baseboard level.

38
Conduit
To be considered only when outlet locations are
permanent, device density low and flexibility (future
changes) not required.
Cable Trays
Options include channel tray, ladder tray, solid bottom,
ventilated and wireway.
Perimeter Pathways
Options include surface raceway, recessed, molding and
multichannel (to carry separate power and lighting circuits).

Rule of Thumb: Typically, size horizontal pathways by providing

1 square inch of cross-section area for every 100 square feet of
workspace area being served.

Note: Typically, a pull box, splice box or pulling point is required

for any constrained pathway where there are more than two 90°
bends, a 180° reverse bend or length more than 100 feet.

Perimeter Pathway

Power Modular Office Path

Telcom

39
A Variety of Horizontal Pathways

Trenchduct

Power Cellular Floor

Telecom

Access Floor

Ceiling Utility Pole

Suspended
ceiling

Utility
Column

40
Consolidation Points and MUTOs
Consolidation Points provide limited area connection
access. Typically a permanent flush wall, ceiling or support
column-mounted panel serves modular furniture work areas.
The panels must be unobstructed and fully accessible without
moving fixtures, equipment or heavy furniture.
A Multi-User Telecommunication Outlet (MUTO) is
another methodology to reduce cabling moves, adds and
changes in modular furniture settings. The user cord is
directly connected to the MUTO. A MUTO location must be
accessible and permanent, and may not be mounted in
ceiling spaces or under access flooring. Similarly, it cannot
be mounted in furniture unless that furniture is permanently
secured to the building structure.
For more descriptive information on distance limitations
and purposes of Consolidation Points and MUTOs, see
ANSI/TIA/EIA TSB-75.

Electromagnetic Interference
Voice and data telecommunications cabling should not
be run adjacent and parallel to power cabling—even along
short distances—unless one or both cable types are shielded
and grounded. For low-voltage communication cables, a
minimum 5-inch distance is required from any fluorescent
lighting fixture or power line over 2 kVA and up to 24 inches
from any power line over 5 kVA*. In general, telecommuni-
cations cabling is routed separately, or several feet away from
power cabling. Similarly, telecommunications cabling is
routed away from large motors, generators, induction
heaters, arc welders, x-ray equipment, and radio frequency,
microwave or radar sources.
*Note: Distance recommendations from (1990) TIA/EIA-569 are reproduced
here by popular request. For current recommendations, refer to NEC/NFPA 70,
Article 800-52.

41
Firestops
Annex A of the standard discusses various types of
packing used to re-establish the integrity of fire-rated
structures when these barriers have been penetrated by
cable. The section that briefly discusses passive mechanical
systems and non-mechanical systems such as putty, caulk,
cements, intumescent sheets and strips, silicone foams and
pre-manufactured pillows. The most common method is
stuffing the aperture with ceramic/mineral wool and caulking
both sides with fire-resistant putty. The information refers the
designer to check manufacturer specifications and UL ratings
against NFPA, ASTM and NEC codes.

Cutaway of Typical Firestop

Firestopping putty
or caulk

Metallic conduit
sleeve or cable

Ceramic fibre
or mineral wool

Wall assembly

42
Notes

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

43
Purpose of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-606 Standard

Modern buildings require an effective telecommunications

infrastructure to support the wide variety of services that rely on
the electronic transport of information. Administration
includes basic documentation and timely updating of drawings,
labels and records. Administration should be synergistic with
voice, data and video telecommunications, as well as with other
building signal systems, including security, audio, alarms and
energy management.
Administration can be accomplished with paper records,
but in today’s increasingly complex telecommunications
environment, effective administration is enhanced by the use
of computer-based systems.
A multi-tenant commercial building has a life
expectancy of at least 50 years. Moreover, in a multi-tenant
environment, continuous moves, adds and changes are
inevitable. Administrative record-keeping plays an
increasingly necessary role in the flexibility and management
of frequent moves, adds and changes. This booklet concisely
describes the administrative record-keeping elements of a
modern structured cabling system.

44
 Table of Contents

ANSI/TIA/EIA-606
Administration Standard for the
Telecommunications Infrastructure of
Commercial Buildings
Administration Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Telecommunication Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Optional Linkages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Work Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Identification Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Circuit Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Administrative Labeling Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Summary of Record Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Pathway & Space Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Wiring System Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Grounding and Bonding Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Label Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Label Color Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

45
TIA/EIA-606
Administrative Concepts
The typical administration system includes records,
reports, drawings and work orders.
Identifiers
Each space, pathway, cable termination point and
ground is assigned a unique identifier—a number that can
be simply encoded to provide supplemental information.
Telecommunication Records
Minimum required records for each cable, space,
pathway, ground, termination hardware and position are
maintained. These records are required to be linked (cross-
referenced) to all related records.
Optional linkages
Optional linkages may be made to other records. Such
records might include blueprints, PBX records, equipment
inventories (phones, PCs, software, LAN, furniture) and user
codes (extension, account billing number, passwords).
It is desirable that reports can be generated from one or
more sets of interlinked records in a variety of formats.
Drawings
Drawings, both conceptual and as-built, include floor
plans, cable schematics and rack layouts.
Work orders
Work orders may involve spaces, pathways, cables,
splices, terminations or grounding, individually or in
combination. The work order should list those responsible
for physical changes, as well as those updating the
documentation to ensure future accuracy.

46
Identification Formats
A unique alphanumeric identification code is created
for every location, pathway, cable and termination point.
Suggestions in the standard include:

Alphanumeric Identification Code

BCxxx bonding conductor
BCDxxx backbone conduit
Cxxx cable
CBxxx backbone cable
CDxxx conduit
CTxxx cable tray
ECxxx equipment (bonding)
conductor
EFxxx entrance facility
ERxxx equipment room
Fxxx fiber
GBxxx grounding busbar
GCxxx grounding conductor
HHxxx handhole
ICxxx intermediate cross-connect
Jxxx jack
MCxxx main cross-connect
MHxxx manhole or maintenance hole
PBxxx pull box
Sxxx splice
SExxx service entrance
SLxxx sleeve
TCxxx telecommunications closet
TGBxxx telecommunications grounding
busbar
TMGB telecommunications main
grounding busbar
WAxxx work area

47
 The actual format in the preceding chart is not mandated
by the standard. However, the chosen format must be
consistent and provide a unique identifier number for each
system element. This method lends itself to organization and
updating of multiple records by the use of powerful relational
databases (three-dimensional spreadsheet) programs.
Some Identifier Examples
J0001 Label for an information outlet jack
D306 Designation for a work area
3A-C17-005 Termination in closet 3A, column C,
row 17, block position 005
Examples like those above (taken from the TIA/EIA 606
text and Administrative Labeling Map) indicate the flexibility
of conventions that can be established for purposes of
naming. Logical naming conventions can also convey
considerable additional information about other linkages.
Circuit Example
As an alternate conceptual example, this string of
codes (resembling links on an Internet address) logically
describes a series of voice communication links. It can be
read as follows:
JONES / X2440 / LC99 / A001V1 / C001 / TC.A001V1 /
HC01 / Pr1.2. / MDF.C17005 / PBX.01A0203
Bob Jones,
at extension 2440,
is connected by line cord 99
to information outlet A001, voice jack 1.
Cable 001 extends from that voice jack
To telecom closet A, where it terminates on a block
labeled by adding TC in front of A001V1 (the I/O label).
The voice signals travel on house cable 01,
Carried on pairs 1, 2.
The pairs terminate at the main distribution frame in
column C, row 17, block position 005.
They are interconnected to PBX 01, row A, card 02, port 03.

48
Administrative Labeling Map
Here is a combination schematic/elevation view of a
structured telecommunications cabling system, detailing a
TIA/EIA-606-compliant labeling scheme. The example
records in this booklet follow the labeling shown below.
Telecommunications Pathway Work Area
Closet 3A CD34 D306

Term. Pos. Term. Pos.

Term. Hdwr. Hardware
3A-C17-001 J0001
3A-A17 Cross-connects
Gnd'g
Busbar
TGB35 Term. Pos.
3A-A17-001 Term. Pos. Cable Cable
3A-C17-005 C0011 C0001
Term. Hdwr.
3A-B19 Term. Hdwr.
3A-C17 Term. Pos.
Term. Pos. J0011
3A-B19-05
Equipment User Code:
8021
Eq. Bond. Cond. Pathway
EC301 CT64
Ground Work Area
Pathway Backbone D307
CD02 Pathway
SL02-05

Bonding Backbone Cables Equipment Room/

Conductor F16 CB02 Entrance Facility
BC01 ER101 Entrance Entrance
Cable Pathway
F18 CD01 Manhole
MH01
Term. Pos.
Term. Hdwr. Hardware B101-02-A1
C4R6 Cross-connects

Term. Hdwr. MH
Term. Pos. B101-02 Splice
Eq. C4R6-001 S106
Bond.
Cond. Term. Pos. Term. Pos.
EC101 B101-01-A1 C3R6-001
HH
Term. Hdwr. Entrance Entrance
TMGB Term. Hdwr. Cable Pathway
EQUIPMENT C3R6 Handhole
B101-01 CB01 CD02 HH01

LEGEND
Grounding
Electrode Cross- Grounding Telecom. Outside
System Connect Busbar Outlet scope of
standard

49
Summary of Record Elements
This table outlines the minimum required information
and required linkages. Further information is optional. A
multi-dimensional database or spreadsheet is helpful.
Record Required Information Required Linkages To
Pathway Pathway Identification # Cable Records
Pathway Type Space Records
Pathways Pathway Fill Pathway Records
& Pathway Load Grounding Records
Spaces Space Space Identification # Pathway Records
Space Type Cable Records
Grounding Records
Cable Cable Identification # Termination Records
Cable Type Splice Records
Unterminated Pair #s Pathway Records
Damaged Pair #s Grounding Records
Available Pair #s
Termination Termination Hardware #s Term. Position Records
Wiring Hardware Term. Hardware Type Space Records
Damaged Position #s Grounding Records
Termination Termination Position # Cable Records
Position Term. Position Type Other Term. Records
User Code Term. Hardware Records
Cable Pair/Condition #s Space Records
Splice Splice Identification # Cable Records
Splice Type Space Records
TMGB TMGB Identification # Bonding Conductor
Busbar Type Records
Grounding Conductor #s Space Records
Resistance to Earth
Date of Measurement
Grounding Bonding Bonding Conductor ID# Grounding Busbar
Conductor Type Records
Conductor Busbar Identification # Pathway Records
TGB Busbar Identification # Bonding Conductor
Busbar Type Records
Space Records

50
Pathway & Space Administration
Here are examples of a conduit path and telecom closet
space record (see Administrative Labeling Map). The TIA/EIA
606 standard also includes examples of cable tray, work area
and manhole records.
Pathway Record Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Pathway Identification # CD43 conduit 43
Pathway Type 2” EMT size 2 metal conduit
Pathway Fill 20% present fill
Pathway Load N/A no conduit load spec.
Required Linkages
Cable Records C0001, C0002
Space Record (end 1) D306 office 306 floor 3,
Space Record (end 2) 3A closet A pull/splice
Space Record (access) D302 box above D302 other
Pathway Record pathway record
Grounding Record N/A

Optional information could include length, maximum fill, bends,

drawing number, etc.

51
Space Record Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Space Identification # 3A floor 3, closet A
Space Type TC telecom closet
Required Linkages
Pathway Records CD34, CT64 pathways terminating here
Cable Records C0001, C0002 cables terminating here
Grounding Record TGB35 grounding busbar

Optional information could include floor size, space served,

drawing, key number, etc.
The design of pathways and spaces is defined by the
TIA/EIA-569-A Commercial Building Standard for
Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces.

Wiring System Administration

Other examples in the TIA/EIA-606 standard include fiber
backbone and patch panel, horizontal UTP and others. The
concept is outlined below (see Administrative Labeling Map).
Cable Record Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Cable Identification # CB02 copper backbone cable 02
Cable Type 100-pair CMR-3 copper Cat 3 riser
Unterminated Pair #s 0-none list of unterminated pairs
Damaged Pair #s 15, 37, 95 list of damaged pairs
Available Pair #s 80-100 list of pairs not in use
Required Linkages End 1 End 2
Termination pair punchdown at
Record Pr 1 C4R6-01 3A-A17-001 each end
  (pairs 2–99 not shown)
Termination
Record Pr 100 C4R6-100 3A-A17-100 last pair punchdown
Splice Records N/A
Pathway Record SL02-05 sleeve 02-05
Grounding Record N/A
Optional information could include length, ownership, etc.

52
Termination Hardware Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Term. Hardware ID# 3A-C17 closet 3A, column C, row 17
Term. Hardware Type 110 110 punchdown block
Damaged Position #s 0 none damaged
Required Linkages
Term. Position Record 1 3A-C17-001 4-pair cable terminations
  (positions 2-9 not shown)
Term. Position Record 10 3A-C17-010 last termination
Space Record 3A floor 3, closet A
Grounding Record N/A
Optional information could include voltage protection positions
and type, etc.
Here is a termination position record for an information
outlet (see Administrative Labeling Map).
Termination Position Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Term. Position ID# J0011 information outlet jack 11
Term. Position Type IDC insul. displacement
connection
User Code x8021 telephone extension
Cable Pairs 1–4 4-pair modular
Required Linkages
Cable Record C0011 cable serving this
information outlet
Other Term. Pos. Record 1 3A-C17-005 term. at other end
Other Term. Pos. Record 2 3A-A17-001 cross-connect term.
Term. Hardware Record N/A N/A for work area
Space Record D307 office 307
Optional information c.ould include jack catalog number, signal
type (voice/data), category, etc.

53
 The TIA/EIA-606 standard provides numerous examples
of single and separately administered spliced cables.
Splice Record Sample Data Explanatory Notes
Required Information
Splice Identification # S106 splice 106
Splice Type Fusion splicing method
Required Linkages
Cable Record F18 fiber cable 18
Space Record MH01 manhole 01

Optional information could include splice equipment, date,

name, etc.
Structured cabling system standards are defined by the
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A Commercial Building Telecommunications
Cabling Standard.

Grounding/Bonding Administration
Telecommunications systems require a reliable electrical
ground reference potential, provided by a dedicated
grounding/bonding conductor network. Bonding conductor
cabling shall be colored green or labeled appropriately with
an alphanumeric identifier and warning label.

WARNING
IF THIS CLAMP OR CABLE
IS LOOSE OR MUST BE REMOVED,
PLEASE CALL THE BUILDING
TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Grounding records are similar to cable record format.

Grounding/Bonding Terms (with acronyms):
TMGB Telecom Main Grounding Busbar
TBB Telecom Bonding Backbone
TGB Telecom Grounding Busbar
TBBIBC Telecom Bonding Backbone
Interconnecting Bonding Conductor

54
Label Color Coding
Shown here are the color codes used for termination
field labels.

Termination Type Color Comments

Demarcation Point Orange CO terminations
Network Connections Green also aux. circuit terms.
Common Equipment Purple PBX, Host, LANs, Mux
First-level Backbone White MC-IC terminations
Second-level Backbone Gray IC-TC terminations
Station Blue Horizontal cable terms.
Interbuilding Backbone Brown Campus cable terms.
Miscellaneous Yellow Aux., maint., security
Key Telephone Systems Red

55
 The Purpose of ANSI/TIA/EIA-607

This standard specifies a uniform telecommunications

grounding and bonding infrastructure that shall be followed
within commercial buildings.
Following the AT&T divestiture of 1984, the end-user
became responsible for all premises cabling for voice and
data. Advancements in voice communications and the
convergence of voice and data communications led to
increasingly complex interactive systems owned and
maintained by the end-user. These systems require a reliable
electrical ground-reference potential. Grounding by
attachment to the nearest piece of iron pipe is no longer
satisfactory to provide ground-reference for sophisticated
active electronics systems.

56
 Table of Contents

ANSI/TIA/EIA-607
ANSI/TIA/EIA-607 Commercial Building
Grounding And Bonding Requirements For
Telecommunications
Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Schematic Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

57
Design Considerations
Solid copper grounding busbars are installed
with insulated standoffs in entrance facilities
(1/4" thick × 4" high × variable length) and the
equipment room, as well as each telecom closet
(2" high is sufficient here). Each busbar is drilled
with rows of holes according to NEMA standards,
for attachment of bolted compression fittings.
Telecommunications equipment, frames,
cabinets and voltage protectors are typically
grounded to these busbars. Busbars are connected
by a backbone of insulated, solid copper cable
between all closets and rooms (minimum 6 AWG,
3/0 AWG recommended). This backbone is
connected to a main grounding busbar in the
telecommunications entrance facility, to an earth
ground in the electrical entrance facility, and
to structural steel on each floor. Bonding
conductor cabling shall be colored green or
labeled appropriately.

Terms
• Telecommunications Main Grounding
Busbar (TMGB)
• Telecom Bonding Backbone (TBB)
• Telecom Grounding Busbar (TGB)
• Telecom Bonding Backbone Interconnecting Bonding
Conductor (TBBIBC)

58
 Schematic of Grounding/Bonding Network

To Upper Floors
TGB Detail
Variable
Telco Closet
Telcom
1/4" Equipment
2"
Panel

TBB
6 AWG Minimum
TGB
Structural Steel

Electrical Entrance Telecommunications Entrance Equipment Room

Grounding Telcom Telcom

Electrode Equipment Equipment
System

Panel Panel

TMGB TGB

59
 The History of Anixter Levels Program

Over a decade ago, Anixter established the Anixter Levels

Program as a means to distinguish among the hundreds of 4-pair
copper cables available on the market. In 1992, the industry
adopted the Levels specs as the standard.
Since then, Anixter has continued to lead the industry
with its purchasing specification program, known as the
Anixter Levels Program. As mentioned, the Levels Program
began as a component specification for UTP cable and
connecting hardware. It evolved into an end-to-end channel
specification, with three distinct levels of channel
performance, ALC (Anixter Levels Channel) 5, 6 and 7. And
today the Levels Program includes the revolutionary active
(Mbps-based) testing, called Levels XP.

Anixter Levels Labs now UL Certified

As the premier standards-based testing
organization in the world, UL® continues to
provide guidance and confidence to the data
communications industry. Under its Certificate
Services, UL conducts an independent, third-party
engineering and management systems audit to verify the
compliance of Anixter’s Levels Lab® with the testing
processes, personnel training and data recording procedures
associated with the Levels Program. Anixter submits its Levels
Lab to these audits each year to check that Anixter Levels’
results are independently repeatable and verifiable.

60
 Table Of Contents

The Anixter Levels Program

Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Levels Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Levels XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Levels and the Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Comparison Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

61
The Anixter Levels® Program
The Levels Program is a set of purchasing specifications.
These specifications are designed to ensure the products we
sell perform to your expectations. Our cabling solutions are
divided into three distinct performance levels so you can
select the solution that best meets your application needs:
Levels Application
5 Ethernet
6 Fast Ethernet
7 Gigabit Ethernet

The Levels Program is also a quality assurance program.

In the Anixter Levels Lab®, products are continually tested
for compliance with the various Levels specifications
(see p. 64–65 for specification detail).
Levels-rated products:
• Meet all national and international standards.
• Are tested individually for compliance to Levels-
component specifications.
• Combined channel solutions are tested for
compliance to ALC-specifications.
• High-end combined channel solutions are tested for
Levels XP-compliance.
• Channels include individually-tested patch cords.

62
Levels XP
Levels XP—expanded performance—introduces
active (Mbps-based) testing. Active testing transcends the
passive (MHz-based) testing used in the Anixter Levels
Channel (ALC) and Levels component specifications and
those in industry standards.
Levels XP specifications require testing that examines
and characterizes everything from the PC to the server—
NICs, hub/switch ports, environmental factors, short cable
lengths and much more. This active channel testing allows
Anixter to verify network efficiency. It also indicates how well
active and passive devices work together in the real world.
Testing an XP solution includes three essential steps:
1. Passive testing of all Levels-rated components
2. Passive and basic efficiency (SmartBits) testing
of all end-to-end Anixter Level Channels (ALC)
3. Testing of active networking components over
cabling systems in many environments and a variety
of configurations.
To achieve Anixter Levels XP certification, each channel
must be able to transmit a series of worst-case Ethernet
waveforms that represent typical network glitches. This
testing is accomplished by running Fast Ethernet and Gigabit
Ethernet over cabling systems and determining the efficiency
of that cabling channel.

Bottom line: Levels XP ensures your data cabling solution

minimizes bit errors, reducing slowtimeSM and making your
network more efficient.

Note: Levels XP 6 and XP 7 solutions exceed all existing standard.

There is no standard that requires active Mbps-based testing.

63
 Active Testing @ 100 Mbps

Only Anixter Levels XP Solutions are Required to Pass Active Tests.

The Anixter Levels XP specification requires actively testing network cabling
solutions. We do this by running Ethernet signals over the cabling system in
real-world, worst-case scenarios. We run controlled data signals through our XP
solutions and random Category 5- and Category 5e-compliant systems. The
chart on the right shows the kind of results you can expect from your cabling.
As you can see, regardless of the quality of NICs or receivers, Levels XP
solutions minimize errors and maximize network efficiency. Moreover, the Levels
XP specifications on passive tests (shown right) are the toughest in the world.
TIA CAT 5 TIA CAT 5e TIA CAT 6
TIA-568-A TIA-568-A5 Draft 6
Oct-95 Feb-00 May-00
Max. Test Frequency 100 MHz 100 MHz 250 MHz
ATTN* (dB) (dB) (dB)
Cable 22.0 22.0 19.8
Connector 0.4 0.4 0.2
Channel 24.0 24.0 21.3
Passive Testing @ 100 MHz

PSNEXT**
Cable not specified 32.3 42.3
Connector not specified not specified not specified
Channel not specified 27.1 37.1
PSACR**
Cable not specified not specified 22.5
Channel not specified not specified 15.8
PSELFEXT**
Cable not specified 20.8 24.8
Connector not specified not specified not specified
Channel not specified 14.4 20.3
Return Loss**
Cable 15.0 20.1 20.1
Connector 14.0 20.0 24.0
Channel not specified 10.0 12.0
*(The LOWER the number, the better the solution) **(The HIGHER the number, the better the solution)
64
How Anixter Levels Exceed the Standards

Typical Errors per Port Test

Levels XP solutions
minimize errors—
regardless of NIC or
ERROR RATES

Cat 5

Cat 5e receiver quality.

XP 6

XP 7

Source: Anixter
Levels Lab

ALC 5 ALC 6 ALC 7 XP 6 XP 7

R98 R15.24L R15.24L 15.24XP 15.24XP
May-00 May-00 May-00 May-00 May-00

200 MHz 350 MHz 400 MHz 350 MHz 400 MHz

(dB) (dB) (dB) (dB) (dB)

22.0 22.0 19.9 21.3 19.7
0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.2
24.0 24.0 20.9 23.1 20.7

32.3 34.3 43.3 34.3 43.3

40.0 41.0 50.0 41.0 50.0
27.1 28.6 37.6 28.6 37.6

10.3 12.3 23.4 13.0 23.6

3.1 4.6 16.7 5.5 17.0

20.8 23.8 25.8 23.8 25.8

n/a 34.0 40.1 34.0 40.1
14.4 16.8 20.8 16.8 20.8

20.1 20.1 20.1 21.5 22.5

20.0 21.0 24.0 21.0 24.0
10.0 10.0 12.0 12.0 14.0

This chart is accurate as of 07/15/00. For an updated version, please visit

www.anixter.com/standards

65
Reference Documents for Further
Information on Cabling Standards
TIA/EIA-568-A (1995)
Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard
TIA/EIA-569-A (1998)
Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications
Pathways and Spaces
TIA/EIA-570-A (1999)
Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunication
Wiring Standard
TIA/EIA-606 (1993)
Administration Standard for the Telecommunications
Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings
TIA/EIA-607 (1994)
Commercial Building Grounding/Bonding Requirements
for Telecommunications.
TIA/EIA-758 (1999)
Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications
Cabling Standard
IS0/IEC 11801 (1995)
Generic Cabling for Customer Premises
IEEE 802.3-1998 (1998)
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical layer Specification
(also known as ANSI/IEEE Std 802.3-1998 or ISO 8802-3:
1990 (E))
IEEE 802.5-1998 (1998)
Token Ring Access Method and Physical Layer
Specifications (also known as ANSI/IEEE Std 802.5-1998)

66
Obtaining TIA and EIA Documents
TIA and EIA documents may be purchased through
Global Engineering Documents at 1-800-854-7179 or
www.global.ihs.com. IEEE documents may be purchased
through IEEE, P.O. Box 1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855 or
www.ieee.org. CSA documents may be purchased through
the Canadian Standards Association at www.csa.ca or call
(416) 747-4000.

67
Notes

_________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

68
 For further assistance or more information contact your
local Anixter sales office, or 1-800-ANIXTER.

Worldwide Headquarters:
Anixter Inc.
4711 Golf Rd.
Skokie, IL 60076-1278
847/677-2600
http://www.anixter.com

Some material in this publication is reproduced from

standards publications which are copyrighted by the
Telecommunications Industry Association. Where such
material is used, it is included by written permission of the
copyright holder.
This handbook was prepared by Anixter Inc., which is
not affiliated with the Telecommunications Industry
Association or the Electronic Industries Alliance. Neither EIA
nor TIA are responsible for the content of this publication.
For direct assistance in interpreting telecommunications
standards, consider Registered Communications Distribution
Designers (RCDD) certified by the Building Industry
Consulting Service International (BICSI) at (800) 242-7405
or www.bicsi.org. Hundreds of Anixter technical
professionals are registered with BICSI.

69
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