Network Infrastructure Blog

Low-voltage light-emitting diode (LED) lighting started to gain ground in the early 2000’s for niche applications, and by 2015, it had become the primary lighting technology in commercial construction due to significantly reduced energy consumption, environmentally-friendly fixtures and control capabilities. When higher levels of power over Ethernet (PoE) came on the scene with Cisco’s Universal Power Over Ethernet (UPOE), followed shortly thereafter by IEEE 802.3bt four-pair PoE, it became possible to deliver enough power over network structured cabling to support LED lights. That’s when connecting and powering lights over IP-based networks really started to take off, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.

Lighting as a Technology Platform

The benefits of PoE lighting now go far beyond the energy savings, environmental advantages and control capabilities of LEDs. As IP-based devices that reside on the network, PoE light fixtures can be controlled and managed via software from anywhere and integrated with other network applications. Because lighting is ubiquitous throughout every commercial facility, it also has established the ideal network-based platform for pervasive advanced sensor technology that enables embedding intelligence into every fixture to collect and share actionable data with other connected systems. And the possibilities are endless!

It’s no longer just occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, and color and illumination adjustment for the task at hand. Modern-day PoE lighting systems can be outfitted with a wide range of sensors for everything from temperature, humidity and pressure, to gases, movement and even gun shots. Through integration with other building systems like HVAC and security, PoE lights can share the data they collect via sensors for everything from automatically adjusting air quality and comfort, to detecting health and security threats, controlling crowds and optimizing operations.

As PoE lighting systems continue to gain momentum in the marketplace, there are also a greater number of lighting vendors and broader selection of fixtures-from common 2X2 troffers for drop-ceiling office environments, to task oriented and ornate architectural lights. In fact, the PoE lighting market is one of the fastest growing markets at an annual growth rate of more than 35%, expected to reach nearly $2 billion by 2024 in the U.S. alone. But with this epic popularity and multiple vendors also comes multiple types of PoE lighting systems that are not necessarily all configured the same.

System Design Considerations

In a PoE lighting system, lighting fixtures can be connected directly to the network or via nodes that connect to the network and branch power and data off to one or more fixtures. The systems can also be centralized with fixtures or nodes connecting back to network PoE switches in telecommunications rooms, or they can be decentralized and connected to smaller switches placed close to groups of fixtures or nodes, typically in the ceiling space.

While selecting a PoE lighting vendor has a lot to do with the fixture product line, and some projects may even warrant selecting multiple vendors, it’s important to also consider the configuration based on your needs and the following considerations:

Node-Centric systems can provide some flexibility in that they can potentially be used to connect to devices other than lighting (i.e., automatic shades), and they may support daisy-chaining of lower-power sensors, dimmers, controllers or other lighting components, offering the benefit of fewer cabling runs from the switch.

Fixture-Centric systems are less likely to support extensive daisy-chaining, but some systems do enable controller and sensor daisy-training. While these systems do result in more cabling runs, and therefore require more switch ports and pathway space, they offer a more centralized management approach and can deliver higher levels of remote powering to devices. This is a consideration for high-lumen lights deployed in high-bay areas (i.e., gymnasiums, warehouses, etc.) and future technologies that may require more power that supported by a node.

Fixture-centric systems also better facilitating mixing and matching vendors rather than ending up with a node that may only support that vendor’s fixtures. Furthermore, as technology evolves, upgrading a single network switch in the TR to deliver more power or support faster transmission speeds is likely easier than upgrading multiple nodes in the ceiling space.

Choosing between a centralized and decentralized system comes with additional considerations, including space availability, staffing resources, maintenance procedures and backup power. And there are even considerations surrounding remote power delivery-not all networked LED lighting systems have to be powered via PoE. You also need to deploy a well-designed, high-performance and reliable cabling infrastructure backed by experienced industry PoE lighting experts-because without it, you might find yourself in the dark.

For additional considerations, and to learn more about designing and deploying a PoE lighting systems, download our free Application Guide today!

You can also read how one leading company deployed facility-wide PoE lighting for their new 88,000 ft² headquarters.

In a previous blog, we covered how Siemon’s fully-shielded TERA cabling system with its cable sharing capabilities, noise immunity and transmission headroom is ready to support single-pair Ethernet (SPE) deployments for low-speed building control, industrial and other network connections, with guaranteed support of IEEE 802.3cg 10BASE-T1L up to 400 meters.

But did you know that existing 4-pair TERA permanent links can also be easily retrofitted to create 375-meter SPE-ready links? Yup, that’s right. If you already have existing 90-meter 4-pair TERA links, you can add additional connectors, as well as extend your existing infrastructure another 310 meters (285 meters of solid cable and 25 meters of 26 AWG stranded single-pair cordage) to support SPE devices.

Let’s take a closer look at how to do that.

An Easy Extension

To accomplish this, one or more TERA EOs and/or SCP outlets can be added after the existing EO or SCP outlet, up to 285 meters away. From the final EO, use single-pair TERA patch cords to connect up to four SPE devices. Device connections can be achieved using cords fitted with 1-pair TERA plugs on one-end and traditional screw terminal interface connections or single-pair pluggable equipment connections on the other. Just make sure your patch cords at both ends don’t exceed 25 meters, for a total channel length of 400 meters.

The following example depicts a retrofit for an access control network with SPE keypad, exit button, wall reader and electronic door strike. This would be an ideal scenario for a facility that was precabled with 90-meter 4-pair TERA permanent links (either to an EO or SCP outlet) when the network was installed but now needs to extend TERA SPE cabling to support low-speed access control devices out in a warehouse.

If your existing TERA links terminate to TERA SCP outlets in a zone enclosure, and you prefer the zone cabling benefits of simplified labelling and administration and shorter, easy-to-manage links, you can even deploy a second zone enclosure housing SCP outlets. From the TERA SCP outlets in the second zone enclosure, you can then deploy single-pair TERA cords to devices or extend 4-pair category 7A/class FA cable to a TERA EO, as long as the total permanent link does not exceed 375 meters and the channel doesn’t exceed 400 meters.

A Common IoT/IIoT Platform

As outlined in Siemon’s latest Tech Brief on TERA SPE deployments, TERA also supports Day 1 SPE infrastructure consisting of 375-meter permanent links from the patch panel in the TR to EOs or SCP outlets in a zone enclosure.

And don’t forget that TERA also supports 2- and 4-pair 90-meter links to support 10/100/1000 Mb/s and 10 Gb/s Ethernet applications, which is ideal for Wi-Fi 6/6E technology in IT environments and shows significant potential for IIoT devices in OT environments. In fact, a recent report from Guidehouse Insights entitled Wi-Fi 6 and the IIoT forecasts that industrial Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure will grow from $1.7 billion in 2021 to $6.9 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8%.

In short, innovative TERA components deliver a standards-based common networking platform with non-proprietary category-style cabling for all 1-, 2- and 4-pair IoT and IIoT devices in the enterprise space.

Access Siemon’s latest Tech Brief and learn more about supporting retrofit, future-proof and new SPE installations with TERA.

Video Demonstration:
Supporting Single-Pair Ethernet over 400 m of Category-Style Four-Pair Copper Cabling

Intelligent buildings are the future of sustainability, operational efficiency and enhanced occupant experience, made possible by the integration of low-voltage applications like Wi-Fi, AV, security, PoE lighting, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and building automation. There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has now put even more focus on the need to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of building occupants and achieve lower operating costs, and the intelligent building market is in a unique position to make that happen. All it takes is integration enabled by the right architecture.

Siloed Systems Won’t Cut It

The pandemic certainly shed light on the benefits of advanced building automation that allowed facility managers to manage systems remotely. It also opened the door for new technologies that make people safer, customers happier and spaces healthier in both public and private sector buildings. Even when a vaccine is widely available, the COVID-19 experience and ongoing concern for future pandemics means that these technologies are here to stay, and we may even see regulations requiring them.

Some of the technologies becoming increasingly popular in the wake of the pandemic include:

• Advanced security cameras with thermal imaging to measure body temperature
• Touchless access control systems to prevent the spread of germs
• Ultraviolet (UV-C) light technology to disinfect spaces and surfaces
• Advanced occupancy sensing to determine the number of people within a given space
• Smart HVAC and building energy management
• Greater remote management capabilities across all building systems
• Mobile-based tracking and crowd control

The traditional approach of deploying disparate low-voltage systems that are designed and managed in separate silos will not cut it when it comes to leveraging these technologies. Moving forward, facility operations and IT departments are going to need to work together to ensure robust, scalable low-voltage infrastructure that supports the design, installation and administration of integrated systems.

For example, thermal imaging cameras to detect elevated body temperature won’t have much impact unless they can communicate with the access control system to respond and prevent a sick individual from entering a space. Integration also means that when a space reaches a certain capacity, occupancy sensors can communicate with the HVAC system to increase airflow or communicate with the UV-C lighting system to ensure a space is void of people before activating potentially harmful virus-killing ultraviolet light. And the UV-C lighting system itself will need to communicate with the access control system to keep doors locked during disinfection.

It Takes the Right Approach

The digital evolution means that emerging COVID-19 era technologies hitting the market will be IP-based devices that connect to and are powered over low-voltage Ethernet-based network infrastructures, enabling communication across systems via common protocols. This capability will also be critical to enabling the collection and analyzing of data from sensors and devices throughout a facility, allowing facility managers to make strategic decisions for both occupant safety and operational efficiency.

At the same time, not every low-voltage system in an intelligent building is the same. Many building automation systems and devices operate at speeds lower than 1 Gb/s and require remote powering below 30 Watts, while others require 10 Gb/s speeds and remote powering levels that reach as high as 100 Watts. This can cause some confusion among building owners, facility managers and network managers when it comes to deploying the supporting architecture.

A building architecture designed to support all converged low-voltage applications – both today and tomorrow – can go a long way to eliminating this confusion. And when it’s backed by experts that can ensure the design and deployment of that architecture in a way that ensures maximum integration and performance, businesses can rest assured that they’ll achieve their vision as strategically and cost-effectively as possible to ensure a return on investment.

That’s where Siemon comes in. As the world shifts into a new norm and intelligent buildings become critical to implementing technologies designed to keep people and spaces healthy, Siemon’s ConvergeIT Intelligent Building Solutions are ready with Digital Building Architecture that supports the design, installation and administration of integrated systems. And it’s all backed by Digital Building Delivery that ensures a robust, scalable standards-compliant infrastructure, from construction planning through implementation and delivery.

To learn more, visit www.siemon.com\convergeit

Many of the more than 75 billion Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial IoT (IIoT) devices expected to be connected to networks in the next four years will be low-speed operational technology (OT) devices, such as meters, sensors, actuators and remote controllers, needed to support building control applications like HVAC, security/access and lighting.

Traditional 4-pair Ethernet connectivity commonly used for networking devices like wireless access points and surveillance cameras is cost-prohibitive for OT device connections. In 2016, the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group set out to develop standards for single-pair Ethernet (SPE), and in November of 2019, the IEEE P802.3cg 10 Mb/s Single-Pair Ethernet Task Force approved 10BASE-T1L that supports 10 Mb/s transmission over balanced single-pair cabling. While additional SPE application standards are still underway, and TIA and ISO/IEC SPE cabling standards are in development, there is one proven, standards-based solution ready to support 10BASE-T1L in the enterprise today.

Siemon’s fully-shielded TERA cabling system with connectors that feature an isolated quadrant contact design has long supported standards-based cable sharing, which has been in practice and recognized by industry standards since 1999. Cable sharing is the practice of running multiple lower-speed applications over different pairs of a 4-pair cable. The fully-shielded cable used in the TERA cabling system offers the noise isolation between pairs needed to support multiple applications. The TERA connector accepts either one 4-pair cord, four 1-pair cords or two 2-pair cords (or a combination of 1- and 2-pair cords) for connecting multiple devices. This capability lends itself well to SPE deployments, offering many advantages over traditional OT communication methods.

First, Siemon’s TERA SPE solution with fully-shielded cable offers superior noise immunity, virtually zero emissions and so much transmission headroom that field testing is not required for guaranteed support of 10BASE-T1L cabling systems with reach up to 400 meters. With mechanical reliability in high temperature environments up to 75°C (167 °F) and all components rated for current capacity up to 2 amps, the solution also supports reliable delivery of dc power via IEEE 802.3 power over data line (PoDL) remote powering technology.

Just as it has supported cable sharing for decades, the standards-based TERA outlet easily facilitates plug-and-play connections to both 10BASE-T1L and 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet equipment using 4-pair, 2-pair and 1-pair TERA plugs. For 4-pair Ethernet applications, the cable can also be terminated to Siemon’s innovative field-terminated Z-PLUG™ that offers best-in-class termination speed, a shorter plug design for easily connecting to devices with limited space, and the ability to support custom length cords for optimum cable management.

When used with a zone cabling approach where TERA outlets are housed in one of Siemon’s zone enclosures, TERA cabling offers more efficient use of pathways and shorter, easy-to-manage links to devices or outlets serving multiple SPE and 4-pair Ethernet devices as shown in the graphic. Siemon’s TERA SPE cabling solution is compatible with traditional 1-pair screw terminal interface connections commonly found on OT equipment and devices today. Siemon’s application engineers can work with you to identify the best method for using 1-pair TERA cords to connect to other SPE equipment interfaces at both ends of the channel as new technology emerges.

Siemon’s standards-based TERA solution with non-proprietary category-style cabling and innovative TERA components is ready to support 10BASE-T1L for building control, industrial and other OT network connections up to 10 Mb/s, while also providing a common networking platform for all 1-, 2- and 4-pair IoT and IIoT Ethernet devices in the enterprise space.

To get the full details straight from the expert herself, download Valerie Maguires Tech-Brief: “Support of 10BASE-T1L with TERA® SPE Cabling – Siemon’s Single-Pair Ethernet Solution is More than the Sum of Its Parts“

Video Demonstration:
Supporting Single-Pair Ethernet over 400 m of Category-Style Four-Pair Copper Cabling

Maybe you’ve heard about the new wave of wireless known as Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), designed to boost Wi-Fi bandwidth even higher than Wi-Fi 5! This new wave of Wi-Fi has some far-reaching implications with respect to cabling infrastructure design and media selection.

• Wi-Fi 6 wireless access points (WAPs) need two class E_A/category 6A or higher connections. Wi-Fi 6 WAPs (across all price points) will need at least one class E_A/category 6A connection to support either 2.5 Gb/s or 5 Gb/s transmission speeds. And to take full advantage of Wi-Fi 6 technology as it matures to support greater than 5 Gb/s, two connections will be required to support link aggregation.
• Wi-Fi 6 requires a minimum of 25 Gb/s capable backbone. Installing a 25 Gb/s capable multimode optical fiber backbone will be required to support Wi-Fi 6 uplink capacity. In fact, this is already a key recommendation for Wi-Fi 5 implementations per industry cabling standards.
• Wi-Fi 6 WAPs will need more power and thermally stable shielded cabling systems. Because Wi-Fi 6 radio chips are doing significantly more complex signal processing, they are unable to work within the 13-watt budget of Type 1 power over Ethernet (PoE) and will require 30-watt Type 2 PoE. Since the higher power can cause heat build-up in cable bundles, Wi-Fi 6 WAPs are better supported by thermally stable shielded cabling systems and solid conductor cords such as Siemon’s Category 6A shielded cabling qualified for mechanical reliability up to 75°C (167°F).

Sometimes an evolution in technology forces consumers to stop and question legacy views about broadly deployed operating platforms or systems. Wi-Fi 6 is that technology – easily making the wait-and-see position that many have had regarding deploying 10 Gb/s-capable horizontal networks a thing of the past.

To learn more about the cabling implications of Wi-Fi 6 and to familiarize yourself with some key design and media selection strategies to ensure that your network cabling infrastructure is ready, click HERE to download our new white paper, “Preparing for Wi-Fi 6: Cabling Considerations for High Efficiency Wireless Access Point Connections.”