Equipment Outlet (EO) is the designation for the outermost connector in a generic structured cabling deployment.  The EO provides a point of connection, administration, and testing to a telephone, computer, building automation system (BAS) device, wireless access point (WAP), camera, or any other networkable device.  The EO is different from the Telecommunications Outlet (TO), which is the assembly consisting of one or more connectors mounted on a faceplate, housing, or supporting bracket used exclusively in the work area in a commercial building application.

While it is well-known that Standards require a minimum of two permanent links be brought to each TO in the work area, practices related to EO usage when supporting BAS device and WAP connections can be confusing.  Here is some useful guidance excerpted from Standards that address structured cabling for BAS devices and informative bulletins that provide supplemental guidance on how to use a grid-based structured cabling approach for wireless access point connections.

BAS device (including camera, security, fire alarm, access control, energy management, HVAC, lighting/power control, audio/video paging, digital signage, service/equipment alarm, and other non-voice/data communications) connections:

•  A Horizontal Connection Point (HCP) supports flexibility in a zone cabling topology for fast and easy reconfiguration of BAS device coverage areas and may be configured as an interconnect (i.e. one patch panel or connecting block) or a cross-connect (i.e. two patch panels or connecting blocks)
• When the HCP is configured as a cross-connect, an EO shall not be installed to ensure that the cabling system serving the BAS device contains no more than four connection points
• When the HCP is configured as an interconnect, the use of an EO is optional (i.e. direct connections from the BAS device to the HCP are allowed)
• If an HCP is not present, then an EO must be used
• Only one permanent link connection is required to each BAS device
• Refer to ANSI/TIA-862-A and ISO 16484 for additional information

WAP connections:

• EOs are shown in all example deployment figures provided in applicable TIA and ISO/IEC guidelines addressing cabling to WAPs – there are no provisions for making the EO an optional connection point in these technical bulletins
• A minimum of two permanent link connections to each IEEE 802.11ac wireless access point is recommended to support link aggregation
• Refer to TIA TSB-162-A and ISO/IEC TR 24704 for additional information

Siemon recommends a grid-based zone cabling topology using an interconnect at the HCP and an EO at each BAS device or WAP connection as shown in the figure below. This design supports ease of coverage area reconfiguration, administration, and cable management, as well as the ability to overlap coverage areas and allocate spare HCP ports to support new equipment or telecommunications outlet connections.

Recommended Grid-Based Zone Cabling Topology