Structures Cabling System
Structured cabling is building or campus telecommunications cabling infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements (hence structured) called subsystems.
Structured cabling falls into six subsystems:
- Entrance Facilities are where the building interfaces with the outside world.
- Equipment Rooms host equipment which serves the users inside the building.
- Telecommunications Rooms house telecommunication equipment which connects the backbone and the horizontal cabling subsystems.
- Backbone Cabling connect between the entrance facilities, equipment rooms and telecommunications rooms.
- Horizontal Cabling connect telecommunications rooms to individual outlets on the floor.
- Work-Area Components connect end-user equipment to outlets of the horizontal cabling system.
Structured cabling design and installation is governed by a set of standards that specify wiring data centers, offices, and apartment buildings for data or voice communications, using category 5 (CAT 5E) or category 6 cable (CAT 6) and modular sockets. Each outlet can be patched into a data network switch (normally also rack mounted alongside), or patched into a telecoms patch panel which forms a bridge into a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system, thus making the connection a voice port