3M™ Copper and Fibre Cabling System

Installation Guide

March 2017
80-6116-2067-7
2 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Warnings
Protective Eyewear

 CAUTION
Safety glasses should be worn when handling chemicals and checking the optical fibre.

Chemical Precautions

 WARNING
Storage, use and disposal of isopropyl alcohol should be per your company’s health, safety, and
environmental instructions. Refer to the Safety Data Sheet for health hazards, safe handling, and
proper use and control measures.

Bare Fibre Handling

 CAUTION
Cleaved glass fibers are sharp and can pierce the skin. Use tweezers when handling shards and
dispose of them properly per your company’s health and safety instructions.

Fibre/Cable Handling

 CAUTION
Optical fibre can be damaged by excessive tensile, compressive and bending forces. Consult the
manufactures’ specifications for proper handling instructions.

Laser Safety

 CAUTION
Take the proper precautions when working with optical fiber because invisible laser light may be
present. The principal laser hazard when working with fiber optics is injury to the eye. Never look
directly into the fiber or connector using the naked eye, eye loupe or manual view scope.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 3

Foreward
This manual provides a comprehensive guide to the installation of the 3M™ Copper and Fibre Cabling
System. It is intended to be used as a general reference document to supplement the training supplied
through one of the 3M approved cabling training courses.

The manual is divided into different parts as described below:

Part I Overview of Generic Structured Cabling Systems

Section 1: General Introduction
General introduction of the structured cabling systems and the IEC/ISO, EN and ANSI/TIA structured
cabling standards.

Section 2: Standards, Codes and Regulations

Standards compliant table with references on the IEEE applications.

Part II 3M Copper and Fibre Products Installation

Information on installing a 3M cabling system is provided. Although some guidelines on safety are included,
no attempt has been made to cover all the regulatory and safety issues associated with the system
installation. It is the responsibility of the user of this manual to establish the appropriate health and safety
practices and to ensure that all local relevant regulatory requirements are met.

Section 1: Copper Cabling Installation

Information on how to install all of the 3M copper cabling products, such as 3M Copper Cables, 3M RJ45
Jacks, 3M Copper Patch Panels & Management Panels and consolidation point (CPs).

Section 2: Fibre Cabling Installation

Describes the installation of 3M fibre cabling products such as 3M™ Fibre Cable, 3M™ Field –Installable
Connectors, 3M™ Fibre Outlets, 3M Fibre Patch Panels and Management Panels and 3M™ Cabling System
with MTP Connectors.

Part III Testing and Systems Warranty Process

Outlines the requirements for system testing and describes how to apply for the 25-year system
performance warranty.

Part IV Annex – Glossary and Terminologies

Includes a brief description of all the system components and specifications. The glossary gives definitions
of commonly used terms and abbreviations.
4 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Part I:
Overview of
Generic Structured
Cabling Systems
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 5

1.0 General Introduction

As the need to link IP network components - such as computers, switches and servers -
together has evolved, so has the physical infrastructure of the cabling. Originally cables
were provided as required and networks developed in a random ways. Today cables
are installed in an organized fashion such that the building or floor is fully equipped
with cables and outlets. The result of this is that wherever the user may need to install a
computer or associated peripheral equipment; there will be a connection point close by.
Several standards have emerged for these systems. The three standards on structured
cabling most frequently referred to are:

• ISO/IEC 11801 Information technology - Cabling for customer premises

• EN 50173 Information technology - Generic cabling
• ANSI/TIA-568 - Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard

The 3M products will meet the requirements of the standards that are applicable to
that 3M product. The following paragraphs give an overview of the different types and
structures of cabling systems.

1.1 Overview
As defined in ISO/IEC 11801 and ANSI/TIA 568, generic cabling comprises three
cabling subsystems: campus backbone, building backbone and horizontal cabling. The
3M Premises Cabling System covers all three subsystems. The figure below shows
the structure of generic cabling, whilst Table 1.1 indicates the terminology differences
between ANS/TIA/-568 and ISO/IEC 11801.

terminal
CP TO equipment
(optional)

CD BD FD

campus building horizontal cabling work area

backbone backbone cabling

Generic cabling system

Where: CD Campus Distributor

BD Building Distributor
FD Floor Distributor
CP Consolidation Point (optional)
TO Telecommunications Outlet
6 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Terminology differences
ISO/IEC 11801 ANS/TIA-568

Campus Distributor (CD) Main Cross Connect (MC)

Building Distributor (BD) Intermediate Cross Connect (IC)

Floor Distributor (FD) Horizontal Cross Connect

Consolidation Point (CP) Consolidation Point or Transition Point (CP / TP)

Telecommunications Outlet (TO) Telecommunications Outlet (TO)

Table 1.1 Terminology differences

1.2 Structure of Generic Cabling

The generic form of structured cabling takes the form of a hierarchical star, an example of
which is shown below:

CD Campus backbone

BD BD BD Building backbone

FD FD FD FD FD
Horizontal

TO TO TO TP TP

TO TO TO TO TO TO
optional cables Collapsed backbone
(Centralized cabling)
optional transition point or Consolidation Point

FD
80-6116-2067-7
2.0 Standards,
Codes and
Regulations
Standards are the minimum
level of quality that all cabling
systems must meet. Codes
are legal and cover the things
that would affect safety such
as fire, electrical and OH&S
(Occupational Health & Safety).
Regulation is normally issued by
a government and is mandatory
to follow and comply.
The following standards are
frequently used in cabling
standards, and 3M products
will meet the requirements of
the applicable standards for the
referenced 3M product.
March 2017 7
ISO/IEC 11801 Information technology – Generic cabling for
customer premises
ISO/IEC/TR3 8802-1 Information technology – Telecommunications
and information exchange between systems
– local and metropolitan area networks –
Specific requirements – Part 1 Overview of
Local Area Network Standards
ISO/IEC/8802-3 Information technology – Telecommunications
and information exchange between systems
– local and metropolitan area networks –
Specific requirements – Part 3 Carrier sense
multiple access with collision detection access
method and physical layer specifications
ISO/IEC 61935-1 Generic specification for the testing of generic
cabling in accordance with ISO/IEC 11801 –
Part 1: Installed cabling
IEC 60364-1 Electrical installation of buildings - Part 1:
Scope, object and fundamental principles
IEC 60950 Safety of information technology equipment,
including electrical business equipment
EN50173 Information technology - Generic cabling for
customer premises
EN50174-1 Information technology – Cabling Installation.
Specification and quality assurance.
EN50174-2 Information technology – Cabling Installation.
Installation planning practices inside buildings
ANSI/EIA-568 Commercial Building Telecommunications
Cabling Standard
ANSI/EIA-569 Commercial Building Standard for
Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces
ANSI/TIA/TSB 72 Centralized Optical Fibre Cabling Guidelines
ANSI/TIA//TSB 75 Additional Horizontal Cabling Practices for
Open Offices
IEEE 802.3 Local Area Networks: Carrier Sense Multiple
Access with Collision Detection CSMA/CD –
Ethernet
8 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

2.1 Copper Cabling in Categories or Classes

Copper Cabling System performance is always classified by Classes whereas the components are
defined by the categories. The Ethernet speed or bandwidth has a loose correlation with the categories as
referenced in the below table 2.1.

Category Performance Bandwidth Application

Cat. 5e Class D 100MHz up to 1Gb/s Ethernet

Cat. 6 Class E 250MHz up to 1Gb/s Ethernet

Cat. 6a Class Ea 500MHz up to 10Gb/s Ethernet

Cat. 7 Class F 600MHz up to 10Gb/s Ethernet

Cat. 7a Class Fa 1000MHz up to 10Gb/s Ethernet

Cat. 8 2000MHz up to 40Gb/s Ethernet

Table 2.1 Categories and/or Class correlation with Ethernet

2.2 Performance Level in Copper Cabling Systems

There are 3 levels of performance compliance in the systems and they are:

2.2.1 Channel Compliance

The complete data transmission link that includes the horizontal cables,
the RJ45 jacks in both ends and the RJ45 patch cords to connect the equipment.
2.2.2 Permanent Link
The fixed installation in horizontal cabling that includes only cables and the RJ45 jacks in both
end without the RJ45 patch cords
2.2.3 Hardware compliant
The component itself meets the standard

Here is the diagram to illustrate the 2 scenarios: Channel and Permanent Link.

Channel
PD

CP TO Work area cord

15m mini - 55m maxi 5m mini 2m mini - 5m maxi

100m maxi

Channel
Permanent Link
CP TO

15m mini - 55m maxi 5m mini

50m maxi

Permanent Link
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 9

2.3 Distance in Copper Cabling with Different Categories

or Classes
There is a distance limitation in copper cabling systems which is correlated with
difference categories (or classes) and IEEE bandwidth applications. The below table 2.3 is
showing the maximum distance can reach in difference categories.

Standard ISO - EN Standard TIA 100 Mbps 1 Gbps 10 Gbps

Cat. 5e (components) Cat. 5e (components)

100 m 100 m No
Class D (system) Cat 5e (system)

Cat. 6 (components) Cat 6 (components) 55 m (UTP)

100 m 100 m
Class E (system) Cat 6 (system) 100 m (UTP)
Cat. 6a (components) Cat 6A (components)
100 m 100 m 100 m
Class EA (system) Cat 6A (system)
Cat. 7 (components)
100 m 100 m 100 m
Class F (system)
Cat. 7a (components)
100 m 100 m 100 m
Class FA (system)
Cat. 8 (components)
100 m 100 m 30 m (STP)
Class 8 (system)
Table 2.3 Max Distance per IEEE application

2.4 Distance in Fibre Cabling with Singlemode and

Multimode Fibre Optic Network
Same as Copper Cabling, there is a distance limitation in fibre cabling systems as well
as the link budget for the transmission bandwidth. Table 2.4 below shows the maximum
distance that can be reached for different transmission bandwidths with the link budget.

Cable Plant
Date Rate Fibre Max length
Application Designation Standard Loss Budget
Mb/s Type (m)
(dB)

Ethernet 10BASE-FL/FB 10 IEEE 802.3 OM2 6.8 1942

Fast Ethernet 100BASE-FX 100 IEEE 802.3 OM2 6 2000
1 Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-SX 1,000 IEEE 802.3z OM2 3.56 550
OM3 2.59 300
10 Gigabit Ethernet 10GBASE-SR 10,000 IEEE 802.3ae
OM2 1.8 82
OM3 1.9 100
40 Gigabit Ethernet 40 GBASE-SR4 40,000 IEE 802.3ba
OM4 1.5 150
OM3 1.9 100
100 Gigabit Ethernet 100 GBASE-SR10 100,000 IEE 802.3ba
OM4 1.5 150
Table 2.4 Distance for different bandwidths with link budget with multimode fibre cable
10 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Cable Plant
Date Rate Fibre Max length
Application Designation Standard Loss Budget
Mb/s Type (m)
(dB)

1 Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-LX 1,000 IEEE 802.3z OS1 4.56 2000

OS2 4.56 10000
10 Gigabit Ethernet 10GBASE-LR/LW 10,000 IEEE 802.3ae OS1 6.2 2000
OS2 6.2 10000
OS1 10.9 2000
10 Gigabit Ethernet 10GBASE-ER/EW 10,000 IEEE 802.3ae
OS2 10.9 20000
OS1 6.3 2000
40 Gigabit Ethernet 40GBASE-LR4 40,000 IEEE 802.3ba
OS2 6.3 2000
OS1 6.3 2000
100 Gigabit Ethernet 100GBASE-LR4 100,000 IEEE 802.3ba
OS2 6.3 2000
Table 2.4 Distance for diff bandwidth with link budget with singlemode fibre cable
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 11

Part II:
3M Copper and Fibre
™

Products Installation
12 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

1.0 3M™ Copper Cabling System Installation

Copper cabling in the horizontal consists of copper cable, copper patch panels and
management panels, terminal outlets, faceplates and copper RJ45 patch cords as
shown below:

3M™ Patch cords

3M™ Faceplate

+ Horizontal copper cable

3M™ Copper Patch Panel

3M™ RJ 45 Copper Jack

Safety is important to everyone, including the people working inside the project site,
cabling team installers and other contractors in the field. The cabling installers must
participate in their company safety programs and follow the local codes for the safety
precaution in the construction site.

There are some tools that can help minimize the risk of injury:

• Helmet to protect the head during installation of the cable

• Eye protection glasses
• Protective footwear
• Avoid loose clothing that can be caught on tools and machinery.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 13

1.1 Copper Cable Installation

Good cable installation is essential. Keep in mind that the maximum permanent link of
the horizontal cabling shall not exceed 90 m and the channel link shall not exceed 100 m
for the Cat. 5e, Cat. 6 and Cat. 6a performance. The data communication cable and the
power cables need to be separated, which can refer to the EN 50174 requirement. Figure
1.1.1 below shows the separation distance with different kinds of cables.

Distance A

Without divider
Aluminum Steel
Type of Installation or non metallic
divider divider
divider A
power
Unscreened power cable
300mm 100mm 50mm cable IT cable
and unscreened IT cable
Unscreened power cable
50mm 20mm 5mm
and screened IT cable
Screened power cable and
30mm 10mm 2mm
unscreened IT cable
Screened power cable and
0mm 0mm 0mm
screened IT cable

Consideration of the Separation:

• 300 mm on cable racks and trays
• 20 mm in trunking if less than 2.5 meters
• 40 mm in trunking if more than 2.5 meters
• Cable crossing high currents to be made a right angles
• Keep more than 300 mm away from fluorescent tubes

There are several types of horizontal pathways including metal trunking, cable trays and
conduit. The cables filling those media will be in different considerations. Table 1.1.2 and
1.1.3 provide recommended capacity of the cable filling in the conduit & metal trunking
respectively.

Max Number of Cables Allowed

Conduit Size (mm) Cat. 5e Cat6 Cat6a
21 7 5 2
27 11 8 4
35 19 13 6
41 26 18 8
50 43 30 14
63 61 42 20
78 94 65 31
91 125 87 41
100 161 112 53
Table 1.1.2a Conduit sizing for horizontal cable, straight run
Source: BiCSI TDMM 13th Edition
Max Number of Cables Allowed
14 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Conduit Size (mm) Cat. 5e Cat. 6 Cat. 6a

21 6 4 2
27 9 7 3
35 16 11 5
41 22 15 7
50 37 25 12
63 52 36 17
78 80 55 26
91 106 74 35
100 137 95 45
Table 1.1.2b Conduit sizing for horizontal cable, 90º bend in conduit
Source: BiCSI TDMM 13th Edition

3M™ Cable Tray fill ratio according to TIA-569-B

Cable Type Cat. 6 U/UTP Cat. 6a F/UTP Cat. 7 S/FTP
Cable diameter (mm) 6.0 7.1 7.5
Area of one cable (mm²) 28.3 39.6 44.2

Trunking Usable capacity 50% fill (mm²) Cat. 6 U/UTP Cat. 6a F/UTP Cat. 7 S/FTP
50x50 1250 44 each 31 each 28 each
40x50 1000 35 each 25 each 22 each
35x40 700 24 each 17 each 15 each

Trunking Usable capacity 40% fill (mm²) Cat. 6 U/UTP Cat. 6a F/UTP Cat. 7 S/FTP
50x50 1000 35 each 25 each 22 each
40x50 800 28 each 20 each 18 each
35x40 560 19 each 14 each 12 each

Trunking Usable capacity 25% fill (mm²) Cat. 6 U/UTP Cat 6a F/UTP Cat. 7 S/FTP
50x50 625 22 each 15 each 14 each
40x50 500 17 each 12 each 11 each
35x40 350 12 each 8 each 7 each
Table 1.1.3 3M Cable fill ratio in trunking
™

As a guide, up to 12 horizontal 3M™ Copper Cables can be pulled at a time. If the route is
short (<30 m) and straight with easy access to the cable path, the cable may be pulled off the
reel and laid into place directly without accessing the strength members.
 80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 15

The maximum pulling load of 3M™ Horizontal Copper Cables is ≤ 100 N.

It is essential that 3M™ Copper Cable is never subjected to a bend tighter than the
minimum bend radius specification and that the maximum pulling load is never exceeded.
The minimum bend radius varies according to whether the cable is under load (during the
pulling operation should be less than 8 time of diameter of cable) or unloaded (after the
pulling operation should be less than 4 time of the diameter of cable).

Pulling cables through a conduit requires some attention. It is better to avoid the
following happening on the cable:

• Twisting the jacket

• Over bending
• Having a kink
• Jacket is being torn

Care should be taken to ensure that the cable is not damaged or kinked as this could
impair the transmission performance of the cable.

Standards requirement
in termination space
Avoid
>90º
Bend radius 8 times
<90º
the cable diameter
<90º

Bend radius 8 times

the cable diameter Acceptable practices (limited)

Standards requirement Around 22mm

in termination space bend radius
Around 22mm Avoid
bend radius
Acceptable practices (limited) >90º

(cable may kink)

Around 22mm
bend radius
(cable
Bendmay kink)
radius 8 times
the cable diameter
 16 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

1.2 3M™ RJ45 Copper Jacks

Good termination of a 3M RJ45 copper jack is required. So, it is important to follow the
pre-termination steps (the methods, tools and practices) for terminating the horizontal
cable with a 3M RJ45 jack.

There are 2 wiring methods to terminate the cable in a 3M RJ45 jack (T568A and
T568B).

There is also a “cross cable” termination with one side of the cable terminated in T568A
method and the other side terminated with T568B method.

However, it is recommended for straight wiring to use either the T568A or T568B
method in both sides of the cable termination.

The below figure shows the difference between the T568A method and T568B method
pair arrangement.

Pair 2 Pair 2 Pair 3 Pair 3

air 3 Pair
Pair 3
1 Pair
Pair 41 Pair 4 Pair 2 Pair 21 Pair
Pair 41 Pair 4

BL = Blue
2 3 41 5
2 6 3 7
4 8 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 41 52 6 3 7
4 8 5 6 BR 7 =8 Brown
G G W-O W-G
BL W-BL
G W-O BL W-BL
O W-BR BR O W-BR BR W-O O W-G W-O
BL W-BL
O W-GG W-BR
BL W-BL
BR G W-BRG = Green
BR
O = Orange
M™ RJ45 Jack3M
T568A
™
RJ45
Wire
Jack
Positions
T568A Wire Positions 3M RJ45 Jack3M
™
T568B
™
RJ45
Wire
Jack
Positions W = White
T568B Wire Positions

There are 2 different kinds of “one-click” 3M RJ45 jacks. One has two entry points and
the other is a three-entry jack.

The two-entry jack is for Cat. 5e performance. The three-entry jacks are available for
Cat. 6 and Cat. 6a performance. Termination of each jack is different. 3M RJ45 jacks
are usually used at both ends of the link. Follow the installation instructions supplied
with jack carefully.

It is important when installing the jack to use the

correct wiring code and to maintain the twist in
each pair of conductors as close to the contacts
in the jack as possible.

To meet the conditions of the warranty, the jack

must be installed in a 3M approved patch panel,
faceplates or telecommunications outlet that is
included in the Warranted 3M Product List.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 17

Step 1 Step 2
Insert wires Fold and
trim wires

Step 3 Step 4
Place in Close
connector connector

“Click”

1.3 3M™ Copper Patch Panels Installation

It is recommended that at least one floor distributor is provided for every 1000 m² of floor
space, according to (ISO/IEC 11801) and/or ANSI//TIA 569A. The floor distributor can be
a free standing, wall mount type 19" cabinet or open rack.

3M RJ45 Jacks will be installed in the The cable will be installed at the back
19" Patch Panels with either 16, 24, 32 or of the panel as shown.
48 ports. The jacks will be secured in the
patch panel as shown.
18 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Before putting the installed cables inside the cabinet, the cables must be in a neat and
orderly manner. Pay attention to maintain the minimum bend radius of all cables within a
bundle, particularly the cables on the inside or outside arc of the bend. Also, allowing the
cables to lie naturally inside the cable tray and don’t put any forces on them.

It is also recommended to use proper cable managers and normally, those managers are
designed to properly support the in-place cables and relieve tension, as well as to provide
further support for the future cables adding.

The guideline for the minimum bend radius of the unshielded-4 pair patch cords is a 6 mm
inside bend radius, according to BiCSI TDMM 13th Edition.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 19

1.4 Consolidation Point

The Consolidation Point is used for the flexibility of relocating the terminal outlet in the work
area. Only one consolidation point is permitted between the floor distribution (FD) and the
terminal outlet (TO). The CP shall only contain passive connecting hardware and shall not
be used for cross connection function. In addition, the CP shall be located in the accessible
locations and for balanced cabling, the CP must be at least 15 m from the floor distributor
(FD). It shall be in the administration system.

A single MUTOA (Multi User Telecommunication Outlet Assembly) shall be limited to

serve a maximum of 12 work area and not recommended to use 24 AWG patch cords with
lengths that exceed 22 m according to ANSI/TIA 568 standard. The below figure shows the
application of the MUTOA.

Multi-User
Telecommunications Telecommunications
Room Outlet Assembly
Patch cords/
Equipment jumpers Work area cables
cable

Horizontal Horizontal Telecommunication

cross-connect cables
outlet/connectors
Backbone
cable
Work Area

There is a formula to calculate Where:

the work area copper cable C is the max combined length (m) of the work area
maximum length to MUTOA. cord, equipment cord and patch cord

C = (102-H)/(1+D) H is the length (m) of the horizontal cable

W=C-T (H + C ≤ 100m)
D is the insertion loss de-rating factor for the cord
type (0 for solid conductor cords, 0.2 for 24AWG
stranded cords and 0.5 for 26AWG stranded cords)
W is the max length (m) of the work area cord
T is the total length of patch and equipment cords in
the telecommunications room or enclosure
20 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Below is the table 1.4.1 illustrates the results of the above formulae assuming that there
is a total of 5m of 24AWG or 4m of 26AWG patch cords and equipment cord in the
telecommunication room.

24 AWG Patch Cords 26 AWG Patch Cords

Max combined Max combined

length of work area length of work area
Length of Max Length of Max Length of work
cord, patch cords cord, patch cords
horizontal cable work area cord area cord W (m)
and equipment cord and equipment cord
C (m) C (m)

90 5 10 4 8
85 9 14 7 11
80 13 18 11 15
75 17 22 14 18
70 22 27 17 21
Table 1.4.1 Max length of horizontal cables and work area cords according to ANSI/TIA 568 C -1

2.0 Fibre Cabling Installation

2.1 Typical Diagram of Fibre Backbone Cabling
The following figures show typical network diagrams with examples of components used.

Fibre Backbone Cable

Fibre Patch Cord

Copper Patch Cord Layer 2 switches

Copper Patch Panel Faceplate

Copper Horizontal Cable

RJ45
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 21

2.2 Installation of Fibre Optic Backbone Cable

The backbone runs between the comms room and the floor distributors or between buildings.

Cables supplied for the backbone should have PVC, LS0H or PE jacket. The capacity of
the cable will depend on the traffic expected, with a minimum of 4 fibres. Cables can be
supplied with 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 or 96 fibres.

There are 2 types of fibre optics cables, Indoor (tight buffer) and Outdoor (loose type) cables.
The structures of these 2 cables are as follow.

FRP Central Strength Member Optical Fibre

Optical Fibre Tube Jelly Filled
Aramid Yarns PBT Loose Tube
Buffer Coating FRP Strength Member
Sub-unit Sheath Cable Core Jelly

Polyester Tape Ripcord

Outer Sheath Polyester Tape
Ripcord Aramid Yarns
Black PE Sheath

Outdoor type Loose Type cable

Optical Fibre
Buffer Coating
Aramid Yarn
Outer Coating
Ripcord

Indoor Tight Buffer cable

Pay attention to the bending radius when we both pull and rest the fibre optic cables so that
the cable is not damaged (see below table from BiCSI TDMM 13th Edition).

Cable Minimum bending radii

Optical fiber (up to four strands at rest) 25mm (1in)

Optical fiber (up to four strands during pull)
Backbone optical fiber at rest
Intrabuilding optical fiber during installation
Interbuilding optical fiber during installation
in = inch, mm = millimeter
Source: BiCSI TDMM 13th Edition
50mm (2in)
10 times the cable outside diameter
15 times the cable outside diameter
20 times the cable outside diameter
22 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Also, when handling the fibre optic cables:

• Do not pull on the horizontal cable jacket. To draw fibre through
ducting, pull on the cable strength member.
• Replace cables with torn or damaged jackets
• Do not use splices to repair cables
• Do not fold cables or tie cable ties too tight; ensure the ties can slip
over the cable
• Do not place too many fibre cables in ducting or trunking
• Use cable dispenser on rollers to dispense fibre cable
• Ensure the correct type of fibre cable is being installed
• Power and fibre cables should not be in same bundle
• Do not lay cables directly on false ceiling; use cable trays
• Use a suitable attachment to pull on the aramid yarn or central
strength member.

2.3 Installation of 3M™ Fibre Optic Field-installable

Connectors
The 3M fibre optic field-installable connectors
have the following features:

• Field installation of SC or LC connectors

• One piece, pre-assembled design
• No power and no polish needed
• Field terminated in minutes
• Simple assembly tool

SC and LC field-installation connectors

Optical Fibre Type Nominal Core Diameter (µm) Connector Type

OM1 62.5 SC/LC

OM2 50 SC/LC
OM3 50 SC/LC
SM 9 SC/LC

The 3M fibre connectors can be used at both ends of the link. Follow the installation
instructions supplied with the connectors carefully.

It is important when terminating the connectors to use the correct tools and maintain
the required bending radius for the fibre cable being stored.

To meet the conditions of the warranty, the connectors must be installed in a

3M approved patch panel, wall-mount box and terminal outlet box that is included
in the Warranted 3M Product List.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 23

2.4 Installation of 3M™ Fibre Optic Patch Panels

3M fibre optic patch panels provide the connection point between fibre cable and the
equipment. It can be used as a testing point and in cross-connecting applications. There
are cassettes or trays inside for the fibre splices (if not using field mount connectors)
with pigtails. These panels also have the capability for different fibre count cables and
faceplates with different fibre couplers. It can also fit in the 19" standard cabinet and with
the sliding drawers to do the fibre installation and manage the fibre tube cables inside.
The most important thing is having adequate patch cord management features to ensure
minimum bend radius specifications are not exceeded.

The 3M™ Fibre Optic Patch Panel

Installation and cable management

Pay attention on the bending radius of the fibre cable installed inside the panel.
24 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

2.5 3M™ Cabling System with MTP Connectors

The MTP solution is normally used in high density deployment of fibre optic connectors
inside a 19" cabinet in places like a data centre, which would be connecting from one cabinet
to another cabinet.

Rack A Rack B
MPO/MTP Backplane Connections
(pre-terminated cable)

MPO/MTP Panel MPO/MTP Panel

to network to network
hardware hardware

Typical Data Centre Application

There are different types of polarities in MPO/MTP configuration.

Polarity A the MPO/MTP modules are the same at each end. One side of the patch cord
is flipped.
Polarity B the MPO/MTP modules are different at each end. One side is key down to key
down and the other side is key up to key up.

3M uses MTP Polarity B.

XX-XXXX-XXXX-X-X
80-6116-2067-7 November
March 2016
2017 25

Part III:
Testing and Systems
Warranty Process
26 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

1.0 Testing
Upon completion of the installation, the horizontal copper cabling system must be tested
in accordance with the procedure described below. The backbone fibre cabling system
shall be tested in accordance with the corresponding standards.

To test the “link” of the cabling, there is a field tester required and the requirement for the
field testers are defined by ISO/IEC 11801:2010:
• Level IIe, supports Class D (100MHz)
• Level III, supports Class E (250MHz)
• Level IIIe, supports Class EA (500MHz)
• Level IV, supports Class F (600MHz)
• Level V, supports Class FA (1000MHz)

The tester MUST go back to the manufacturers or their qualifying labs for calibration
each year.

1.1 Copper Test Equipment Requirement

It is important to note that the latest editions of ISO/IEC 11801 and EN 50173 and ANSI/
TIA 568 all now require the permanent link to be tested and not the basic link as in
previous editions. The difference is significant. The permanent link does not include
the patch cords at each end of the system. It is essential that the test equipment used
is capable of making a permanent link test in accordance with the requirements of the
latest edition of the standards.
CP (optional)

FD TO

Link interface adapter

Slave

Master
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 27

1.2 Link and Channel Definition

Both the International Standard ISO/IEC 11801 and the European Standard EN 50173
define a permanent link and a channel. The permanent link is the permanently installed
part of the cabling. The channel is the full end to end connection including the equipment
and work area cables (note however that the channel does not include the loss
attributable to the equipment connectors). The below figure shows how the definitions of
channel and permanent link apply to the backbone and horizontal cabling.

Channel
PD

CP TO Work area cord

15m mini - 55m maxi 5m mini 2m mini - 5m maxi

100m maxi

Channel
Permanent Link
CP TO

15m mini - 55m maxi 5m mini

50m maxi

Permanent Link
28 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

1.3 Testing Requirement

Testing shall be performed using an automatic tester or scanner. The following
parameters of the link shall be verified:
• Headroom report (The worst-case margin for a parameter determined by the selected
standard (this may be NEXT, ACR, PSNEXT or another measurement)
• Wire map
• Resistance
• Link length (needs to validate the NVP values in the tester before testing the length)
• Insertion loss
• Return loss
• Near end crosstalk (NEXT)
• Power sum near end crosstalk (PSNEXT)
• Equal level far end crosstalk (ELFEXT)
• Power sum equal level far end crosstalk (PSELFEXT)
• Attenuation to crosstalk ratio (ACR)
• Power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio (PS ACR)
• Delay skew
• Impedance
• DC loop resistance

1.3.1 Wire Map

A wire map test is intended to verify correct pin termination at each end of the link and
to check for connection errors in the installation. For each of the conductors in the cable,
and the screen(s), if any, the conductor map indicates:
• Continuity to the remote end
• Shorts between any two or more conductors/screen(s)
• Transposed pairs
• Reversed pairs
• Split pairs
• Any other connection errors
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 29

A reversed pair occurs when the polarity of one wire pair is reversed at one end of the
link. Note this is also sometimes referred to as a tip and ring reversal.

A transposed pair occurs when the two conductors

in a wire pair are connected to the position for
a different pair at the remote connection. Note
transposed pairs are sometimes referred to as
crossed pairs.

Split pairs occur when pin to pin continuity is

maintained but physical pairs are separated. Below
gives an illustration of all three conditions.

Reversed pair Tranposed pair Split pairs

1 1 1 1 1 1

3 3 3 3 3 3

5 5 5 5 5 5

7 7 7 7 7 7

9 9 9 9 9 9

1.3.2 Near End CrossTalk (NEXT)

When a current flows in a wire, an electromagnetic field is created which can interfere
with signals on adjacent wires. It is measured at the end of the cable nearest the
transmission point.

As frequency increases, this effect becomes stronger. Each pair is twisted as this allows
opposing fields in the wire pair to cancel each other. The tighter the twist, the more
effective the cancellation, and the higher the data rate supported by the cable.

Normally, excess NEXT may be coming from:

• Mixed categories of cabling components
• Proper twisting is not maintained when terminating the twisted cable
• Defective cable or test adaptors
• Consolidation Point is too close to the telecommunications room
• Too much compression by cable ties in the bundles
• Poor termination of the RJ45 jack
• High EMI in the environment
30 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

1.3.3 Insertion Loss

When the signal is transmitted along the cable, there may be a loss in power of the
transmitted signal. If this is too high, the signal will be affected. It can be caused by:
• High temperature
• Different category of the cable
• Cable is too long that excess the 100 m Channel link
• Damaged Cable
• Cable with kink and excess bending radius
• Poor termination of the RJ45 jack

1.3.4 Return Loss

Return loss is measuring all reflections that are caused by the mismatch impedance along
the link and is expressed in dB. I.e. the ratio of the outgoing signal power to the reflected
signal power. The return loss measurement varies significantly with different frequencies.
The failure in return loss is caused by:
• Cable with kink and excess bending radius
• Poor termination of the RJ45 jack
• Consolidation Point is too close to the telecommunications room
• Different category of components and cable

Incident Signal

Vin
Vrefl
Reflected Signal

1.3.5 Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio (ACR)

By subtracting the insertion loss (attenuation [dB]) from NEXT crosstalk (dB), you will
obtain the ratio value of ACR. The values for each of these parameters are recorded at a
specific point of frequency and recorded in decibels. For example, if the worst-cast NEXT
value at 50 MHz was 50 dB and the worst-case attenuation value at 50 MHz was 30 dB,
then, the ACR value at 50 MHz would be 20 dB. A positive ACR value is desirable.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 31

1.3.6 Delay Skew

Within the same cable sheath, the difference in propagation delay between any 2 pairs is
the delay skew. Applications that (e.g Gigabit Ethernet) utilize all 4 pairs to simultaneously
transmit signals will be impacted by the excessive delay skew. It is mostly caused by
the cable damage or manufacturing problems; however, it can be a mix of substandard
connection components or patch cords as well.

1.3.7 Impedance
Impedance is the effective resistance of an electric circuit or component to alternating
current, arising from the combined effects of ohmic resistance and reactance.
Incorrect Impedance mismatches are normally coming from:
• Poor installation techniques
• Incorrect or defective cable and/or components

1.3.8 Loop Resistance

To determine the Loop Resistance, it can be shorting both conductors of a balanced
twisted pair at one end of a cable and measuring the total resistance of both conductors
from the opposite end.

Excess resistance may be caused by:

• Excessive cable length – ensure the length of the cable is within specifications for the
application
• Poor connection at termination point – improperly done terminations on outlet or
patch panel
• Defective shorting plug, test cable, test adapter, equipment cable or patch cord

1.3.9 Capacitance
The ability of an electronic component to store electrical energy is called Capacitance.
For balanced twisted pair cables, capacitance is measured between the 2 wires of a pair.

Possible causes for an incorrect capacitance are:

• Broken conductor in a cable – check continuity
• Split pairs – investigate the pair termination and patch cables
• Wrong cable type for application – determine the cable type and replace if incorrect
• Shorted conductors – wire map, length, or scan tests should help locate this fault
• Cable stretched during installation. If the capacitance value appears erratic,
investigate for the intermittent connections
32 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

2.0 Fibre Link Test

The fibre link can be tested as follows:

Fibre cable link

2.1 Multimode
Field-test instruments for multimode fiber cabling shall meet the requirements
of ANSI/TIA-526-14.

2.2 Singlemode
Field test instruments for single-mode fiber cabling shall meet the requirements
of ANSI/TIA-526-7.

2.3 Link Reference Plane

Attenuation of passive links includes the attenuation of the constituent links and other
optical branching components such as bypass switches, couplers and splitters. Passive
link attenuation does not include equipment cords or active devices such as repeaters,
switches, amplifiers, OLTs and ONTs.

Passive Link Reference Plane

(connections, splices and passive devices)

Equipment Equipment

Patch Cord Patch Cord

Source: TIA

2.4 Cabling system

The cabling system shall be tested in one direction at one wavelength, either 850 nm or
1300 nm for multimode, and either 1310 nm or 1550 nm for single-mode.
-.75 dB -.75 dB
-0.5 dB
Equipment Equipment
Mechanical
Splice
Backbone
.25km
(.87 dB)
Budget: -2.87 dB
 80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 33

2.5 Use of test cords

Both ANSI/TIA-526-7 and ANSI/TIA-526-14 recommend the use of reference-grade
terminations on test cords to reduce uncertainty and improve the reproducibility
of measurements. Reference-grade terminations result in lower loss than
standard-grade terminations.

Mated termination combination Multimode (dB/connection) Single-mode (dB/connection)

Reference-grade to standard-grade 0.31 0.52

Standard-grade to standard-grade 0.75 0.75

Note 1 - This value is taken from ANSI/TIA-526-14, Table F.1.

Note 2 - This value is taken from ANSI/TIA-526-7, Table G.1.
Passive Link Reference Plane
(connections, splices and passive devices)
According to ANSI/TIA-568 C, there are limits for each components as follows:
• 0.75
Equipment dB maximum loss for each mated pair of connectors Equipment

• 0.5 dB maximum loss for each mechanical splice

• 0.1 dB maximum loss for each fusion splice
•Patch Cord loss for multimode fiber at 850 nm
3.5 dB/km Patch Cord
• 1.5 dB/km loss for multimode fiber at 1300 nm
• 1.0 dB/km loss for singlemode fiber in indoor cable (both wavelengths)
• 0.5 dB/km loss for singlemode fiber in outdoor cable (both wavelengths)

Each link testing is only in one single direction.

Example:

-.75 dB -.75 dB
-0.5 dB
Equipment Equipment
Mechanical
Splice
Backbone
.25km
(.87 dB)
Budget: -2.87 dB

Allowed Loss Per TIA-568-C.0

Actual Loss (3M Typical)
and C.3 Standard

Mated Pair .75 .20

Mated Pair .75 .20

Mechanical Splice .50 .10

Multimode Fiber .87 .10

2.87 dB .60 dB

2.87 dB - .60 dB = 2.27 dB

34 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

3.0 Test Report of Both Copper

and Fibre Cabling
Test results for all links need to be stored and upon completion of the testing a fully
documented test report must be produced. The contents of the test report shall include
at least the following information:
• System location
• Testing date
• Name of person(s) performing test
• Performance details of each link tested.

Detailed records of the original installation shall be kept and all subsequent changes
documented as and when they are carried out. A computer-based scheme is highly
recommended.
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 35

4.0 Warranty
Communication Markets Division
25-year Cabling System Warranty, Training and
Qualification Process
Warranty Summary
3M warrants that the passive products that comprise the registered cabling system will,
under normal and proper use, conform to 3M’s advertised and published specifications
at the date of purchase and transport data in accordance with the appropriate link
specifications for industry standards in effect at the time of installation for a period of
twenty-five (25) years as follows:
• Copper systems are warranted to meet the Class D/Category 5E, Class E/Category 6,
Class EA/Category 6A performance requirements as defined by EIA/TIA, ISO/IEC or
CENELEC.
• Fibre cabling systems are warranted to meet the link specifications in industry
standards at the time of installation, depending on the type of fibre cable installed
(OM2, OM3, OM4, OS1, OS2) as defined by EIA/TIA, ISO/IEC or CENELEC.

The system warranty is extended by 3M to the end user when 3M Products are
properly installed, tested and registered by a Qualified Integration Professional (QIP) or
Qualified Installer (QI). Note, a Certified Installer Agreement may be needed in cases
where the end user requires an installer other than an authorized QIP. The QIP or QI has
responsibility for proper installation of the system to the guidelines in the 3M’s approved
“Design, Planning and Installation Manual(s)” and/or “Product Installation Instructions.”

Contact your 3M Qualified Integrator or local 3M sales representative for more

information.
36 March 2017 80-6116-2067-7

Part IV:
Annex – Glossary
and Terminologies
80-6116-2067-7 March 2017 37

Acronyms and Abbreviations

ACR attenuation to crosstalk ratio PBX private branch exchange
ANSI American National Standards Institute PC physical contact
APC angled physical contact PS NEXT power sum NEXT
ASTM American Society for Testing and PS ACR power sum ACR
Materials PS ELFEXT power sum ELFEXT
ATM asynchronous transfer mode PS FEXT power sum FEXT
BD building distributor PVC polyvinyl chloride
BER bit error rate RF radio frequency
BICSI Building Industry Consulting Service ScTP screened twisted pair
International SFF small form factor connector
B-ISDN broadband ISDN SFTP shielded foiled twisted pair
CD campus distributor SSTP shielded shielded twisted pair
CISPR International Special Committee on STP shielded twisted pair
Radio Interference TIA Telecommunications Industry
CP consolidation point Association
CPE customer premises equipment TO telecommunications outlet
CSMA/CD carrier sense multiple access with TP transition point
collision detection TSB Telecommunications System Bulletin
DUT device under test UL Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
EIA Electronic Industries Association UPS uninterruptible power supply
ELFEXT equal level far end cross talk UTP unshielded twisted pair
EMC electromagnetic compatibility A ampere
EMI electromagnetic interference mA milliampere
FD floor distributor C degrees Celsius
FDDI fibre distributed data interface dB decibel
FEXT far end crosstalk g acceleration due to gravity
FOTP fibre optic test procedure gm gram
FTP foiled twisted pair kg kilogram
IDC insulation displacement connection Hz hertz
IDF intermediate distribution frame kHz kilohertz
IEC International Electrotechnical kPa kilopascal
Commission m metre
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and km kilometre
Electronics Engineers mm millimetre
IL insertion loss μm micrometre
ISDN integrated services digital network nm nanometre
ISO International Organization for MHz megahertz
Standardization N Newton
ITU-R International Telecommunication kN kilonewton
Union - Radio sector s second
ITU-T International Telecommunication ms millisecond
Union - Telecommunication sector μs microsecond
LAN local area network ns nanosecond
LED light emitting diode V Volt
MAU media attachment unit mV millivolt
Mbps megabits per second μV microvolt
MDF main distribution frame Ω ohm
MUTO multi user telecommunications outlet mΩ milliohm
NEXT near end crosstalk
NIST National Institute for Standards and
Technologies
3M is a trademark of 3M Company. All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

Note: Product specifications and descriptions in this document are subject to change.

Important Notice
All statements, technical information, and recommendations related to 3M’s products are based on information believed to be reliable, but
the accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. This information is intended for use by persons with the knowledge and technical skills to
analyze, handle and use such information. Before using this product, you must evaluate it and determine if it is suitable for your intended
application. You assume all risks and liability associated with such use. Any statements related to the product which are not contained
in 3M’s current publications, or any contrary statements contained on your purchase order shall have no force or effect unless expressly
agreed upon, in writing, by an authorized officer of 3M.

Warranty; Limited Remedy; Limited Liability.

Unless the system qualified for the 25-year warranty period, this product will be free from defects in material and manufacture for a period
of 12 months from the time of purchase. 3M MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. If this product is defective within the warranty period
stated above, your exclusive remedy shall be, at 3M’s option, to replace or repair the 3M product or refund the purchase price of the 3M
product. Except where prohibited by law, 3M will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from this 3M product, whether direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential regardless of the legal theory asserted.

Communication Markets Division

6801 River Place Blvd.
Austin, TX 78726-9000 USA

Phone 1-800-426-8688 Please recycle. Printed in USA

Fax 1-800-626-0329 © 3M 2017. All rights reserved.
Web 3M.com/Telecom 80-6116-2067-7