Network Infrastructure Blog

While the term video over Internet Protocol (IP) has existed for quite some time, it essentially has been used to refer to any type of IP-based video transmission. However, regardless of the cabling medium, most of these systems to date have been supported by traditional audio visual (AV) architectures where signals are sent and received via AV transmitters, receivers and video matrix switches rather than using true Ethernet LAN switches. This has prohibited AV transmission from truly converging onto existing network cabling infrastructures, and they have instead remained on their own standalone network. But all that is changing with AV over IP that uses standard network equipment to transmit and control AV signals.

A Step in the Right Direction

Over the past decade, balanced twisted-pair copper cabling (i.e., Category 6 and Category 6A) has become an AV-supporting medium using baluns that enable composite and analog video to operate over the twisted-pair cabling. The use of AV over twisted-pair cabling really came to fruition in 2010 with the introduction of the HDBaseT standard.

Since it was introduced by the HDBaseT Alliance, HDBaseT has evolved to support what has been dubbed “5Play”—the transmission of ultra-high definition 4K video and audio along with 100 Mb/s Ethernet (100Base-T), USB, bidirectional control signals and 100W of power (power over HDBaseT [POH]) over a single twisted-pair cable for distances up to 100 meters using standard 8P8C (RJ45) connectivity.

While HDBaseT can run over Category 5e (to limited distances) and Category 6 cabling, the HDBaseT Alliance and HDBaseT equipment vendors all recommend the use of Category 6A twisted-pair unshielded cabling at a minimum to support the bandwidth required for 4K signals and reach the full 100-meter distance. Many AV vendors recommend stepping that up to Category 6A or Category 7A shielded twisted-pair cable to ensure a truly robust performance—especially for installations with unmanaged environmental factors. Shielded Category 6A or Category 7A offers better resistance to alien crosstalk, which has a significant impact on HDBaseT signals wherever multiple cable are bundled together. Further, with POH running at a higher remote powering level of 100W, shielded cabling offers far superior heat dissipation and thermal stability.

While HDBaseT remains the most popular AV protocol over twisted-pair cabling and was a step towards using a common cabling medium, it is not true IP as it used a different packetization protocol (T-packets). Further, an HDBaseT system must use HDBaseT equipment, so it essentially must remain as a standalone system and therefore does not meet the true definition of IP convergence.

Embracing Full AV Convergence

Today, there are newer AV protocols that truly can be considered an IP system because they transmit AV signals over standard off-the-shelf Ethernet LAN switches. Introduced in 2017, Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE) supporting uncompressed 4K video, audio, control and 1 Gb/s Ethernet (1000BASE-T) is one such platform that aims to offer greater saving, flexibility and scalability compared to HDBaseT since it addresses the full 7-layer OSI model and leverages what we in the IT industry already use for transmitting data—standards-based network cabling, Ethernet, TCP/IP and low-latency switching. It also eliminates the use of AV video matrix switches, which typically cost about 90% more per port than a standard Ethernet switch since Ethernet ports are bidirectional and can therefore be used as both an AV input and output port. Ethernet switches also typically take up about a quarter of the rack unit space compared to a video matrix switch, and they support power over Ethernet (PoE) capable of delivering up to 90W of power.

While a few other AV over IP protocols have been introduced, such as the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 2110 standard that defines the uncompressed transmission of HD video over IP, JPEG-2000 lightly compressed video over IP, and high-efficiency H.264 and H.265 video compression for video over IP, most industry professionals see SDVoE as the most disruptive technology and the one that will ultimately pave the way for fully converged AV over IP. In response, the HDBaseT Alliance introduced HDBaseT over IP shortly after the introduction of SDVoE to also leverage standards-based network infrastructures and 10 Gb/s Ethernet switches for cross-campus transmission, but it requires HDBaseT-to-HDBaseT-IP bridges and HDBaseT-IP switches.

When it comes to network cabling media for SDVoE, Category 6A cabling is not just recommended—it’s required. SDVoE requires a 10 Gb/s Ethernet network (10GBASE-T), which can only be supported by a minimum of Category 6A cable. And for the same reasons as HDBaseT, shielded cabling is recommended—eliminating crosstalk and providing superior heat dissipation and thermal stability for remote powering (PoE in the case of SDVoE).

We’ve Got Your AV Cabling System

Regardless of whether your AV system is HDBaseT or a true IP solution like SDVoE, Siemon has the cabling systems you need to support it all—and with superior performance to fully combat video disrupting alien crosstalk for a clearer picture. And because Siemon Category 6A and 7A shielded cables offer a higher operating temperature of 75°C for better heat dissipation (exhibiting half the heat buildup of UTP) they offer superior support for the higher power levels of POH and PoE (100 and 90 Watts) needed to power video displays.

These cables can also both be terminated to our industry-leading Category 6A shielded connectivity, including our robust high-performance Z-PLUG field-terminated plug that allows for custom-length direct connections to video displays, eliminating the need for traditional outlets and patch cords for a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing look and material cost savings. Click HERE to learn more about our shielded cabling systems and Z-PLUG to support your AV over twisted-pair application.

When it comes to choosing optical fiber cabling for your data center, it’s important to understand the hidden costs of making the wrong choice. Just because optical fiber assemblies from certain sources cost less upfront, does not mean these solutions are the most cost effective choice in the long run.

Testing overwhelmingly shows that generic optical fiber assemblies from unknown sources frequently fail end face geometry, performance and mechanical reliability testing. One needs to therefore ask themselves if the upfront savings from buying substandard optical fiber assemblies are worth putting network performance at risk. Considering the extreme cost of downtime, it is ultimately more cost effective to choose optical fiber assemblies from reputable manufacturers that place a high emphasis on all facets of fiber optic assembly performance, including the use of rigorous process control over end face geometry, cleanliness and mechanical reliability to ensure superior optical performance.

Carefully weighing the options and considering your future growth and application assurance for the future should also not be overlooked. If what you spend your IT budget on today adds no value tomorrow, or ends up costing you more because you are not able to effectively support your future needs, was it really the most cost-effective choice? Data center managers would be wise to not only examine their source vendors, but also rely on the expertise of designers and consultants who have a pulse on the available optical fiber options, applications and future standards developments and can help you choose solutions today that will ultimately cost less tomorrow.

Data has become the most valuable corporate asset. How to effectively transmit, store, access, protect and manage critical data is a challenge Siemon has conquered. For more than 112 years, we’ve remained focused on quality, service, innovation and value; providing our customers a connection they can count on.

Ranging from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps, Siemon has the copper and fiber solutions to support all of today’s standard-based application speeds. Our broad range of cable jacket types and construction support installation in a wide variety of environments, including high flex cycling of robotics to noisy EMI of high voltage motors.

Before implementing, it is important to understand the most common cable construction types and their applications. Siemon’s preferred cable terminology is outlined below and is based on IEC 61156-5: Multicore and symmetrical pair/quad cables for digital communications.

The standard abbreviations are as follows:

U = Unshielded

F = Foil shielded

S = Braided shield

TP = Twisted pair

U/UTP: Often referred to as simply UTP cable, this is the most common unshielded balanced twisted-pair cable. UTP cable constructions feature unshielded twisted-pairs enclosed within an overall thermoplastic jacket.

F/UTP: F/UTP cable constructions feature unshielded balanced twisted-pairs surrounded by an overall conductive mylar-backed aluminum foil shield and enclosed within an overall thermoplastic jacket. The foil shield protects the cable from external EMI and alien crosstalk. The category 6A/Class E variety of this cable type is commonly used in 10GBASE-T applications requiring additional headroom.

U/FTP: Category 6A/Class EA versions of this cable are commonly used in 10GBASE-T applications. This cable is constructed with no overall shielding or braiding, but each twisted-pair is foil screened.

S/FTP: This cabling type used primariy for category 7A/Class FA features individually foil-shielded twisted-pairs surrounded by an overall braid and enclosed within an overall thermoplastic jacket. Commonly used throughout much of Europe, this type of cable construction is the highest performing cable that significantly limits the amount of crosstalk between pairs and offers the greatest protection against EMI and external noise sources. Due to the pair-to-pair isolation of this cable, it lends itself well to cable sharing which is a practice of sharing one 4-pair cable to support multiple lower speed 1 and 2-pair applications.

In a recent article from The UK register, new estimates are out that show IT now consumes 10% of the world’s electricity.  The increases can be tracked to many things including BYOD initiatives, data center growth, and the increase in internet sites to name a few.  With increasing pressure to lower power consumption whether it be from a green standpoint or just lowering the bottom line costs, IT professionals are tasked with finding more energy efficient ways to compute and support business needs in parallel.

SDN and newer fabric based technologies can help.  These technologies can be delivered with centralized switches nearly eliminating unused ports.  Likewise with SDN, assets can be placed on the data center floor where they make the most sense for power and cooling and assigned to the network needed without having to physically move them.

Stranded power (power allocated and not used) becomes much easier to manage in a more stagnant data center.  Decommissioning of unused equipmetn is critical in maintaining the balance.

Where do you think power will be in 10 years?  Hopefully we continue to learn to compute smarter.  Active electronics manufacturers continue to improve their products.  Design and layout matter more now than ever.  But most importantly, and like we have been saying all along, it’s time to view the data center as an ecosystem.  Every department that uses a data center has a responsibility to that ecosystem.  It’s time for decisions to stop being made in department silos, but rather by the ecosystem support team.

Siemon is pleased to announce a new webinar that explains how low loss versions of Siemon fiber connectivity can help data center managers contend with today’s shrinking optical loss budgets while supporting multiple mated pairs for flexible high-speed fiber channels. This latest webinar titled, The Need for Low Loss Multifiber Connectivity in Today’s Data Center, will be presented by Carrie Higbie, Siemon’s Global Director of Data Center Solutions and Services, and will take place on May 15, 2014 at 1 p.m. EDT.

The Need for Low Loss Fiber in the Data Center

Optical insertion loss budgets have become one of the top concerns among data center managers, especially in today’s large virtualized server environments with new switch fabric architectures and higher speeds that result in longer-distance fiber backbone channels using MPO connectivity for networking and storage area network (SAN) applications. With these more stringent insertion loss requirements, standard loss MPO connectors significantly limit the number of mated connections that can be deployed in a fiber channel. This has created the need for low loss fiber connectivity that can support multiple mated connections for flexibility and manageability over a wide range of distances and configurations while providing data center managers with sufficient loss headroom for deploying the latest high-speed fiber applications.

“There are many trends happening in the data center environment such as higher speeds, new non-blocking designs and software defined networking that benefit from the use of cross connects,” says Higbie. “With cross connects requiring more passive connection points within a channel, low loss fiber connectivity is the key to staying within loss budgets-especially in higher speed Ethernet and Fibre Channel applications that have more stringent loss requirements than ever before.”

In addition to providing guidance on the number and type of low loss connections allowed for a variety of applications and configurations, this webinar will also provide a Q&A portion for participants to interact with the presenter. To register for the free May 15th webinar, The Need for Low Loss Multifiber Connectivity in the Data Center, visit: Siemon Webinars. Anyone who registers for the event will gain first access to the Siemon white paper of the same name. All Siemon webinars are also archived for participants to select and review previously recorded sessions at any time.