Commscope Drop Cable User Manual download pdf (Page 9)

UTP Indoor Cable

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables consist of two insulated conductors twisted together in a very precise fashion;

four of these pairs are then jacketed together into a cable. The angle and number of the twists acts like a shield

and helps the digital signal stay robust over longer distances. UTP is used inside buildings to distribute voice and

data signals over relatively short distances.

Through advances in construction and materials, UTP cables have a much higher bandwidth (information carrying

capacity) than their telephone wire cousins. Most UTP cables are defined by a ‘category’ or a performance des-

ignation. The categories are roughly determined by the bandwidth, or information-carrying capacity, of the cable.

Category 5 (a data cable rated at 100 mHz of bandwidth) is the most commonly used type in residences. For

higher data speeds and increased bandwidth, CommScope also offers Ultra II™ enhanced Category 5e (200

mHz) and UltraMedia™ Category 6 (400 mHz) cables.

Maintaining the twist is essential, especially during connectorization - the conductors must remain

twisted right up to where they meet the jack. The loss of just one twist can degrade the performance of the cable so

as to render it useless as a high-speed data cable.

UTP cables consist of three basic components:

The conductor is 23 or 24 AWG solid bare copper;

The insulation is usually a solid PE (foamed for UltraMedia)

with FEP used in plenum cables; and

The jacket is a riser-rated PVC or plenum-rated FEP or PVDF.

Because these cables are used indoors, pay special attention to

the NEC rating of the application.

24 or 23 AWG

solid copper conductors

polyethylene

insulation

4 twisted pair

components

PVC jacket

Cable Descriptions 2.3

UTP Cable Descriptions

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ... 65 66

No comments

Commscope Drop Cable User Manual Page 9