After a long time, I finally have the opportunity to post on this blog. Mainly due to work and academic commitments, I've been unable to publish anything. However, as the saying goes, "Every cloud has a silver lining," and thanks to an injury and medical leave, I've been able to dedicate some time to preparing this post.
Getting down to business, a few months ago I had the honor of participating in the BICSI Congress held in Lima, where I gave a short presentation. For this, I had to research the state of ICT globally and in Peru, and I came across some impressive data. For example, Chirag Dekate from Gartner estimates that by 2020 there will be 25 billion connected "things" in use. He also projects 44 zettabytes of digital data for that year. Furthermore, he indicates that "2018 will mark the beginning of the democratization of artificial intelligence.".
Likewise, according to Gartner, the impact of IoT will be five to ten times greater than that of the internet. An IDC study reveals that the global IoT market will grow to $17 billion in three years, and by 2020, Frost & Sullivan estimates that each person will have an average of five connected devices. Latin American companies with IoT strategies will see their revenues increase by 27.1% over three years, according to Forbes.
Can you imagine what it means for each person to have five devices connected to the network? Today, many people carry two cell phones, a tablet, a laptop, a smartwatch, etc.
In Peru, on the other hand, there is still a long way to go. According to ITU data, the percentage of households with a computer amounts to 33.471, and the percentage of households with internet access reaches only 26.371. Considering the speed available, according to the ITU, the International Internet bandwidth per Internet user is 33,314.69 (Bit/s) (Source: ITU: http://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/idi/2017/index.html#idi2017economycard-tab&PER).
Returning to the topic of the rapid growth of IoT globally, it is necessary to have an ideal infrastructure at the level of homes, buildings, …, cities; hence we hear about Smart Home, Smart Building, …, Smart City.
Regarding Smart Buildings, I'd like to share a valuable article I read in BICSI's digital magazine, ICT Today, titled "Evolution of Cabling and IoT Compatibility," authored by Gautier Humbert, RCDD. I'm presenting it here in a Spanish translation, hoping it will be useful. (You can access the original version at the following link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1043933-ict-today-nov-dec/0?)
Evolution of cabling and IoT compatibility
Where does it come from and where is it going?
Since the first standard was ratified in 1990, structured cabling systems have been based on a star topology composed of the backbone and the horizontal link. This design has ensured reliability, flexibility, ease of management, and a stable foundation for the development of multiple applications. Today, the American standard ANSI/TIA 5668, the European standard EN 50173, and the international standard ISO/IEC 11801 share the same basic two-layer backbone design with a maximum horizontal link length of 90 meters in a commercial environment.
From analog 10-megabit-per-second telephones, information and communications technology (ICT) has progressed to 40 Gbps horizontally, 400 Gbps on the backbone, and remote power has been added via Power over Ethernet (PoE). Structured cabling has integrated cellular, data, and video cameras, while building management has remained on its own infrastructure. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), LEDs that require less energy than previous lighting solutions, and USB, ZigBee, and Bluetooth creating multiple bridges between networks, it is time for structured cabling to provide not only an infrastructure for all building communication but also a significant portion of its power.
Standards
Standards are often viewed as fixed rules imposing requirements, but historically, standards have been very flexible. They evolve to adapt to new technologies, are sometimes subject to interpretation, but more importantly, standards provide the minimum requirements for ICT applications. Furthermore, it is possible to create methods that exceed the standards, as long as the minimum requirements are met. All structured cabling standards adhere to the star topology, while also allowing for topological variations.
The traditional star topology
When thinking about a star topology, one imagines the usual building distributor (BD) on the ground floor and then a floor distributor on each floor. This is the case in most installations and has proven to be efficient and reliable, but it also has the following drawbacks/flaws:
- The telecommunications room (TR): when designed, it's always perfect, with plenty of space and ideal cable management in the racks. But after installation, due to various time and space constraints, the result can be completely different from what was expected.
- The routes: by standard and in theory, they are designed for a maximum fill rate of 40%, but when changes are made, they fill up quickly.
- Changes: Large cables in ceilings, moves, additions, and changes (MACs) can lead to significant disruptions and costs. Consolidation Points (CPs) and Multi-User Telecommunications Terminals (MUTOAs) can mitigate this by managing local cabling.
- Fire risk: More cables mean more plastic and consequently more fuel in the event of a fire. Long cables often cross fire barriers, so firestops are necessary, which are risky to forget during MACs (Maintenance and Control of Cables).
- Energy efficiency: The maximum cable length of 90 meters is generally used to minimize the number of transformers (TRs) that would otherwise occupy all available space and increase costs. However, with PoE applications, longer lengths also mean higher resistance and lower energy efficiency. In the worst-case scenario, with maximum power and length, and a low cable category, this can result in up to 251 TP3T of wasted energy.
- Performance: Applications are generally designed for the 100-meter cable standard, but there are several gray areas where shorter links allow for higher throughput. The first standardized application for this was 10GBase-T. Although designed for Cat 6, it can operate over Cat 6 for limited distances depending on product quality and installation methods. More recently, 2.5GBase-T and 5GBase-T have similar testing methods to verify the compatibility of existing Cat 5e and Cat 6 cabling for limited distances. And the latest, Cat 8, despite being designed for data centers, can find a place in commercial environments with a potential throughput of 25 Gb/s up to 50 meters.
With the increase in cabling, PoE, and better implementation topologies, the traditional star topology is beginning to reach its limits.
The FTTZ solution
The fiber-to-the-zone (FTTZ) solution is not new. It used to be referred to as fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTE). The concept is simply to extend the fiber backbone further into the office space by removing the main rack or cabinet in the TR and replacing it with smaller cabinets in the zones around the users.
Clearly, this will increase the cost of the cabinets and sometimes the active materials due to the low port utilization, but it also offers several advantages including:
- Save space on real estate with smaller and lower FDs.
- Smaller work areas, ensuring easier cable management.
- Smaller and less dense routes. The biggest change is in the main route outside the TR, previously supporting hundreds of copper cables; now filled with a few fiber optic cables.
- MACs: Adding or changing the location of cables can be simpler with short lengths. This can make the difference between disrupting just one office and disrupting an entire floor.
- Fire risk: there is less flammable material in case of fire. More importantly, cables from the work area to the user exit do not cross fire barriers. The need for firewalls is eliminated, along with the risk of non-compliance.
- Improved efficiency: Compared to the average length of 50 meters with the traditional solution (between 15m and 90m), cables are now reduced to an average of 15m, lowering resistance and loss while transmitting power. PoE is more efficient over short distances.
- Performance: Shorter cables mean better performance, increasing the likelihood of compliance for higher data rate applications. It also enables Category 8 deployment in a commercial environment.
The FTTZ solution improves upon the traditional star topology in several ways while maintaining compliance with standards. One key advantage is its compatibility with all standard applications. Cabinets are available in a variety of options, including traditional wall mounting, shallow vertical wall mounting, and uniform ceiling and raised floor versions. Electrical and IT redundancy, if required, can be easily provided to the cabinet area.
Pushing FTTO
Since we can bring fiber closer to users and avoid placing equipment in the fiber optic cable (TR), why not go further into office spaces by going directly to the desktop? Although, if we think about it, fiber-to-the-desktop (FTTD) has been implemented several times. With the exception of specific applications, such as security or EMI protection, it has never really taken off because all devices came with copper ports, not fiber. The fiber-to-the-user outlet (FTTO) solution uses mini-switches at the user outlet, connected to the fiber. This ensures that the user doesn't have access to the fiber and all the equipment can be connected via copper.
In this solution, the mini-switch typically has a fiber connection on the side and four or five copper ports (sometimes with PoE) on the front. It combines most of the advantages of FTTZ with some additional ones:
- There are no copper cables
- There is less cable management.
- There is no Cabinet area to manage
- With a transceiver port standard, the solution can be based on a multimode or single-mode fiber depending on the transceiver chosen.
However, there are disadvantages:
- Dependence on the local power supply for the mini-switch.
- Compliance with regulations: Generally, extending horizontal cabling to the backbone is prohibited. However, horizontal fiber optic cables are required to be spliced to backbone cables at the TR (Tele-Release Point). While this is not complicated, it can be overlooked and create fire hazards.
- MACs: To have the cables very close to the user, it is necessary to enable some extra fiber cores.
- Lack of choice: there are very few suppliers of these products; the format and options are limited.
- Compatibility with local formats: With American, English, French, Italian, Japanese, and multiple other faceplate formats existing around the world, it can be challenging to find the right product for the indicated region.
The FTTO solution has some advantages, but it also has serious disadvantages that limit the use of specific applications.
The PON
PON technology was introduced to support fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) applications. Returning to the service provider, multiple fibers are joined together with passive splitters, allowing up to 32 homes to be connected on a single fiber. Clearly, this is now cabling and provides a high data rate to the home compared to other solutions, such as ADSL or coaxial cable.
Recently, this technology has been introduced into the enterprise LAN environment as a Passive Optical LAN (POL) and as a replacement for the existing cabling infrastructure. It has been ratified in some standards as a recognized alternative. POL offers some interesting advantages:
- The elimination of the equipment in the FD, as in the FTTO solution.
- Minimal cabling, sometimes with only one fiber optic cable in the floor with a few passive splitters.
- An extreme reduction in cable handling.
- A possible flexibility for MACs, depending on the design.
- EMI immunity, like other fiber-based solutions.
However, this technology was not originally designed for a LAN environment, so it has its disadvantages:
- An expensive network material, designed to send signals over long distances.
- Lack of choice in network equipment, as well as few providers.
- The need for user-level “electronic boxes,” called Optical Network Terminals (ONTs). These must be on the desktop, subject to risks, although newer models can now be mounted on walls, ceilings, or furniture.
- Dependence on the local power supply, with difficulty in creating redundancy.
- Low throughput: A 10G fiber port from the core switch can be split into 32 strands per connection to four ONT ports, effectively providing approximately 78 Mbps per port. In comparison, a switch with 48 gigabit ports connected to a Cat 5e 10G backbone on OM3 provides over 200 Mbps on average.
PON technology provides a low-cost solution, EMI immunity, and saves space and equipment in the distribution frame (DFS). It also allows for longer distances compared to other operations. However, it also has disadvantages, limiting specific applications. In fact, PON technology is very similar to FTTO, with less fiber cabling and greater distances, but with lower performance and equipment specific to the wireless area network rather than the LAN environment.
Cabling for wireless access points
Until recently, cabling for wireless access points (WAPs) was done after a site inspection. With this method, the wireless infrastructure wasn't considered part of the existing cabling infrastructure, as it doesn't adhere to the same standards. All it took was adding metal furniture to the room to force the relocation of the wireless device, requiring the complete rewiring of the entire cable run.
Standards have taken this into account and now propose a specific cabling guide for wireless infrastructure. Both TIA TSB-162 and ISO/IEC TR 24702 propose installing user outlets in the ceiling at regular intervals. The American version is based on a square grid with 18.3m sides, while the international version is based on a honeycomb structure with 12m radius cells. Both define a wireless service (WS) with a minimum of two Cat 6A ports. Access points are connected to the nearest WS with a patch cable after a site inspection. In the future, they will be easily relocatable. While not expected to replace traditional cabling, this addition is similar to a consolidation point or MUTOA. ANSI/BICSI 009-2018, Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) Systems Design and Implementation Best Practices It covers locations and the location of access points in detail.
Smart building design for IoT
With the advent of IoT, ANSI/TIA-862-B and ISO 11801-6 offer solutions for structured cabling in building management systems as an alternative to proprietary network solutions. Guidelines and best practices for a comprehensive view of smart building design are covered in ANSI/BICSI 007-2017., Information Communication Technology Design and Implementation Practices for Intelligent Buildings and Premises.
These standards allow similar output services connected to a device called a horizontal connection point (HCP) according to TIA, and a service connection point (SCP) according to ISO/IEC. At first glance, the HCP is similar to a CP. However, it has two distinctive features:
- It allows a direct connection to devices without the need for an outlet; this part of the cabling is considered unstructured.
- It allows for the installation of an active component inside, something prohibited in a CP. In this way, it resembles the cabinet in the FTTZ design.
The HCP and SO positions are arranged in a grid similar to the wiring for WAPs. This type of infrastructure is designed to replace all other cabling in the ceiling, allowing building management to implement a sound system, a real-time location system, surveillance cameras, HVAC, LED lighting, and many other operational technology (OT) functions.
It's important to consider the amount of cabling involved to understand that the active equipment within the HCP is vital. Without it, there would be an increase in all the failures inherent in the traditional star topology, the most critical being heat in the cable. Long cables can cause distribution inefficiencies, as lost energy is transformed into heat, which can lead to poor power performance. All calculations for the cable run lengths are based on a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. If the cable temperature increases, the cable length must be reduced.
The calculation formulas can be found in ANSI/TIA 568.2-D and ISO/IEC 11801-2. In the worst-case scenario, it indicates that the performance of a 90m permanent link can be reduced to 2 at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. Above 60°C, the system does not conform to standards and is unable to provide any performance guarantee, along with the possibility of component degradation. In North America, the NEC may require a specific cable rating for power delivery and high temperatures. In the rest of the world, ISO/IEC requires PoE installation control to maintain the temperature below 60°C.
Choosing the optimal design for flexibility
For ICT cabling infrastructure, there are many options, and any of them can be considered the best solution depending on the client's needs. For building management infrastructure, and especially IoT, only a design compliant with ANSI/BICSI 007 (taking into account ANSI/TIA-862-B and ISO 11801-6) will provide the necessary flexibility. Due to PoE efficiency being linked to cable length, the use of High Power Conversion (HPC) (SPC) with active equipment is unavoidable as power density increases.
There's nothing wrong with separating networks; one for IT and the other for building management. Sometimes, choosing to separate responsibilities can be a strategic move. In this case, a bridge between the two networks can be created in the TRs (Terminals of Repositories). To achieve maximum flexibility, it makes sense to combine all infrastructures under a single network. However, in this case, some architectures won't meet the requirements for optimal flexibility and efficiency.
- The traditional star configuration, even with CP or MUTOA, generally has horizontal cables that are not as long for optimal efficiency.
- FTTO, with only a fiber infrastructure, is incompatible. In fact, it's also incompatible with cabling for WAPs, which would need to be on a separate infrastructure.
- PON, for the same reasons, is also incompatible. It's also more complicated to integrate it with a separate copper network, since the active equipment is completely unique.
Having analyzed the various topologies, FTTZ emerges as the best option. The basic FTTZ design is not extremely similar to HCP (SCP), nor to wireless OS. It only lacks a few copper connections for a dedicated cabinet in the TR or electrical room where the building management equipment can be located. For an optimal design, combining ICT and building management for IoT, the most flexible solution is to modify FTTZ with an additional copper link to another dedicated cabinet.
What will come next?
Just as the telephone network was absorbed by the ICT network, it's now time for building management to be integrated. However, there are some radical changes, not only with IoT devices but also with LED lights, which can now be powered by a single cabling structure. There's significant doubt in the industry about the adaptability of 4-pair cable, as it's designed for high data rates. LEDs, for their part, require power, along with low data rates for control, making 4-pair cable overkill.
Standards are evolving with a new project called SPE (Single Pair Ethernet). The ICT industry will soon see new single-pair cables with new single-pair connectors designed to provide the necessary power with low data rates over long distances.
IEEE 802.3cg, IEEE 802.3bw, and IEEE 802.3bp should be considered for data applications, and IEEE 802.3bu for power aspects. For cabling, TIA and ISO/IEC are working to propose the correct specifications. Advances in SPE switches are also expected, which would make integrating SPE into an existing network extremely easy in a modified FTTZ design. However, integration could be more difficult and complex when working with a traditional star topology, FTTO, or PON.