You’ve heard of the Bro Code and seen all the different Bro Tips, right? Well, OCC is abiding by the Pro Code and we’d like to start sharing some of our Protips™ that everyone in the structured cabling business should know about!
Meeting Demands Of Your Network
As network infrastructures grow to encompass increased building automation, IP devices, and wireless access points, the need for communications components that meet these demands also grows. OCC’s Cat 6A Shielded Solution can provide 10-Gig performance and mitigate the EMI issues that come with running large amounts of cables for higher bandwidth applications. Our high performance cabling and connectivity products ensure the data within the cable will be protected from EMI, resulting in higher speeds and better data transmission.
Features & Benefits:
- OCC Cat 6A shielded jacks, patch panels, UFTP cable, and shielded cable assemblies provide a tuned system that guarantees ISO and TIA Category 6A compliance
- OCC’s new shielded modular jack with tool-less design is easy to terminate and provides reliable field terminations
- OCC shielded Cat 6A patch panels are an all-steel construction that ensures panel rigidity and offer high density configurations
- OCC UFTP Cat 6A cable offers individual shielding for all four twisted pairs ensuring EMI and RF mitigation with guaranteed 10GBASE-T performance
- OCC K6AS jacks and patch panels combined with OCC Cat6A U/FTP copper cabling and Cat 6A shielded patch cords form an end-to-end Cat 6A channel backed by OCC’s 25-year MDIS system performance warranty.
Protip™ #361 – Having a lot of options isn’t always better than having one, if the one you have is the best.
You’ve heard of the Bro Code and seen all the different Bro Tips, right? Well, OCC is abiding by the Pro Code and we’d like to start sharing some of our Protips™ that everyone in the structured cabling business should know about! Learn more about all of our Protips on our Facebook page.
Direct Attach Links for IP Devices
This week’s blog comes from Jamey Calloway, Product Management Specialist
The growth of wireless access points and other IP-enable devices, such as surveillance cameras and building automation devices has created a need to change the way typical horizontal links and channels are configured for these applications. Devices such as wireless access points mounted in non-traditional locations (in the ceiling or high up on the wall) are not attached to the network using standard faceplate/jack and patch cord. The traditional method is being replaced with direct attachment where the horizontal cable is terminated with a field installable plug and then plugged directly into the equipment (See Figure 1).
Another market driving the direct attach method is IP surveillance and building automation systems. Total building automation and controls system is expected to be a $50 billion market by 2018. Cameras and other security devices are also connecting to the network without the standard faceplate/jack connection point. The security market is experiencing significant growth as more security devices are migrating from analog to digital (Ethernet based). These security devices are even being added to the network via the direct attach method in existing commercial space where the computer network is not growing.
Currently, installers in the field are utilizing modular plugs that are intended for patch cord construction to terminate Cat5e and Cat6 cabling. This practice is difficult, time consuming, yields unpredictable performance results and is not recommended by the TIA-568 standards. Also, these plugs do not accommodate the larger conductors utilized in Cat6A cabling. The increasing data rates of wireless access points and other devices now require a Cat6A cabling link to support 10G Ethernet. The latest IEEE 802.11ac wireless standard under development supports a theoretical data throughput of 6.9Gbps.
Clearly, the best method is to utilize Field Terminable Plugs designed specifically for field installation and to support Cat5e, 6, and 6A cabling infrastructure. These plugs feature a robust design for field installation, require no specialized tooling and the termination procedures are very similar to many tool-less modular jacks in the market. Due to growing demand and emergence of field installable plugs, industry standards such as TIA-862-A, Building Automation Systems Cabling Standard and BICSI-005D, Electronic Safety and Security (ESS) System Design now recognize the direct attach method of termination.
As the global PC market continues to decline (3.5% global market decline in 2012) and wireless-only devices, such as tablets (expected to grow 70% in 2013) and smart phones continue to grow, the demand for direct attached connectivity will also expand in order to support the wireless infrastructure for these devices. It is undeniable that the future enterprise networks will be a combination of wired and wireless connectivity. It is imperative that industry standards and practices keep pace with a changing market.
To keep pace, OCC plans to release a Field Terminable Plug this coming fall 2013. While these products are still in development, it is important to recognize the growing demand for field terminable hardware and the applications where our pending product line will fit.
Protip™ #256 – You get what you pay for – make sure it’s worth it
You’ve heard of the Bro Code and seen all the different Bro Tips, right? Well, OCC is abiding by the Pro Code and we’d like to start sharing some of our Protips™ that everyone in the structured cabling business should know about! Learn more about all of our Protips on our Facebook page.
New Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry
Energy predictions at the turn of the century were dire. The world was looking at a future of limited fossil fuels and an economy where gas would be $10.00 a gallon or higher in the United States. By now, cars and trucks were supposed to be running on fuel made from plant material, restaurant waste or hydrogen batteries that never need recharging. Electricity was supposed to be generated from solar panels, or wind generated turbines or neighborhood hydrogen power packs. Fossil fuels were to be extinct, a thing of the past. However, oil and gas companies have used technology to find oil and natural gas reserves so large that worries about running out have all but disappeared. The result of this technology is an abundance of fossil fuels yet to be tapped. Reports estimate that the United States is on track to become one of the world’s largest producer of oil and gas in a few years. Yet, these reserves aren’t limited to Texas, North Dakota and the deep waters (30,000 to 35,000 feet) of the Gulf of Mexico. Overseas, enormous reserves have been found in the deep waters of the North Sea, East and West Africa, Australia, South America and the Mediterranean.
While most view oil and gas rigs as big dumb chunks of steel with “fly by the seat of their pants” rough necks and roustabouts running everything, the amount of computing and data acquisition power aboard as well as the education level of the staff can be shocking. New geological imaging technologies let drillers find oil and gas trapped miles underground and thousands of feet undersea. Land Based oil rigs “walk” from one drill site to the next. And engineers located in Houston, Texas use remote-controlled equipment to drill for oil and gas in locations around the world.
The result of these new technologies has increased the demand for high speed data and increased bandwidth in automation, control and safety systems within the oil and gas markets. During OTC 2013 in Houston, Texas, a technical session was dedicated to the use and demands of fiber optic cable to support these new oil and gas technologies. During this session, white papers were submitted and supported by personnel from Shell, Chevron, Exxon/Mobil, BP, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Halliburton and others. The applications for fiber optic cable and harsh environment connectivity were widespread and diverse including:
- Subsea fiber applications for ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicle) for well inspection
- High temperature and high pressure fiber optic cable and connectors for down hole monitoring and control ( up to 65,000 feet below sea level).
- Fiber optic cable and connectivity for Geological Imaging both land based and subsea.
- Security and monitoring systems including camera systems.
- Ethernet and industrial networks such as Modbus, Modbus Plus, Profibus and many others for rig automation and control.
The data demands of the oil and gas industry will continue to grow due to the increasing requirements to drill deeper wells in deeper water and longer horizontal drill runs while protecting personnel, the environment and equipment. OCC has products specifically designed for many of these types of 
demanding applications including:
- EZ-Mate connectors
- MHC II connectors
- ABS LSZH B-Series and D-Series Cables
- NEMA 4X enclosures
- MARS reels
The oil and gas industry has seen explosive growth in the technology they implore to find, drill, extract, and process these fossil fuels; which makes for a multitude of opportunities for OCC products. If you have questions about specific applications or products to meet the oil and gas industry, please contact us today for assistance!
Protip™ #143 – There are no traffic jams along the extra mile
You’ve heard of the Bro Code and seen all the different Bro Tips, right? Well, OCC is abiding by the Pro Code and we’d like to start sharing some of our Protips™ that everyone in the structured cabling business should know about!
Deployable Composite Cabling Solutions
OCC’s line of tactical fiber optic cables for deployable applications has always provided the most rugged and flexible method to deploy fiber over harsh terrain where a typical fixed cable installation is not possible. The polyurethane jacket on our deployable cables provides resistance to crush, impact, tear, and abrasion, and the cables provide excellent tensile strength. And because of their superior flexibility, deployable cables lie flat on the ground, retaining less reel memory when being deployed. Deployable composite copper/fiber cables provide an added level of versatility because they allow the user to supply low voltage power to devices that are connected by fiber.
OCC supplies composite deployable cables in standard configurations with up to 4 copper conductors, 18 to 12 gauge, which makes them ideal to pair with harsh environment connectivity solutions that offer copper and fiber connection. MHC-II connectors offer up to 8 copper and fiber connections while F-Link connectors can allow up to 33 copper and fiber connections. Customers in various markets are currently purchasing deployable composite cables and assemblies and using them in a number of applications. Some of these applications include:
- A construction company in New York uses F-Link deployable composite cable assemblies with six single mode fibers and F-Link connector two 12-gauge copper conductors to operate and power WiFi hotspots on its job sites. These cables allow the company to locate hotspots in areas where Power-over-Ethernet would be limited by distance. The cables are deployed temporarily on job sites and moved as the project progresses.
- Oil and gas drillers use composite cables and assemblies to monitor and control production of rigs in the field. Fiber handles the data communications, and the copper conductors power up low-voltage control equipment. Deployable cables are preferred because they are rugged and will withstand the extreme conditions present on a typical drilling rig.
- IP-based security camera systems use composite cables paired with MHC-II mini-hermaphroditic connectors to deliver a better solution than Power-over-Ethernet. Fiber handles the video signal, and copper conductors allow for control of pan/tilt/zoom motors and other low-voltage power requirements of the camera. The MHC-II connector paired with deployable composite cable provides a compact copper/fiber solution allowing for one connection to the enclosure at the camera site.
- OCC’s composite cable is deployed around a racetrack providing power and optical connectivity to cameras that are strategically placed around the track. The cameras provide video back to the control truck where the signal is conditioned and uplinked for worldwide broadcast. The entire broadcast system is usually deployed in less than 36 hours and retrieved in less than 24 hours where it is immediately transported to the next race venue.
OCC is ready to assist you in identifying the right deployable composite solution for your specific applications. Please contact your Sales Rep for assistance any time.
Connections you can count on.
