Berk-Tek Announces OASIS Warranty for Direct Attach

Posted by Brian Brown

Sep 22, 2010 12:23:00 PM

oasis warranty direct attachLas Vegas, NV – September 13, 2010 – Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company, a copper and fiber optic cable technology and solutions leader, announces the first system warranty for a modified permanent link utilizing a direct attach methodology. The configuration is now part of Berk-Tek’s OASIS (Open Architecture Systems Interconnection Solutions) warranty which covers Berk-Tek UTP cable and recognized partner termination/connectivity equipment and provides a 15-year product and installation warranty through the OASIS certified security installers (CSI) program.

The OASIS warranty requires installation practices that follow the latest industry standards, mainly TIA-568 and related documents which define cable media, termination, pathways, and testing procedures. The “direct attach” configuration is a modular plug-ended horizontal cable at the device end which is not recognized in standardized data and voice applications, but has been accepted by the building automation standard, TIA-862 and the proposed ANSI/BICSI-005 ESS draft documents. The direct attach requires standardized termination connectivity such as a patch panel in the TR, but at the device end allows the elimination of an equipment cord and workstation outlet where it is not feasible, such as in plenum spaces or where it is unsafe or not secure. Defined “direct attach” applications include security cameras, wireless access points and other building automation devices.

“We recognize that for devices such as analog CCTV cameras, security installers traditionally directly attach BNC-type connectors to coax cable and plug it directly into the camera. As the industry migrates to IP cameras and to structured cabling, installers are applying the same principles by directly attaching RJ-45 plugs on the end of the UTP horizontal cable,” states Carol Everett Oliver, RCDD/ESS, marketing analyst for Berk-Tek who leads their IP and security initiative. “As a cable manufacturer that promotes standardized structured cabling procedures for a warranty, we needed to address this direct attach scenario.”

“The hurdle in warranting a direct attach was formulating test procedures to meet certification requirements for these links,” notes Oliver. “The Nexans Data Communications Competence Center tested several standards-approved Category 5e and 6 plugs attached to Berk-Tek UTP cable and found that when attached properly, these plug-ended links actually perform as well as a TIA-568 recommended standard structured cabling channel. However, since it is not configured as a channel or a true permanent link, it is recognized as a ‘modified link’ and we are working with testing equipment manufacturers, such as Fluke Networks, to test and characterize this set-up,” Oliver further explains.

 

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Topics: Security, Structured Cabling