“IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus Operating Efficiency: How to Keep a Hot Application Running Cool ” was developed to help network professionals select cabling capable of supporting PoE Plus with minimized risk of degraded performance due to elevated temperature.
Siemon has published a new technical whitepaper by noted cabling expert Valerie Maguire (Rybinski) entitled “IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus Operating Efficiency: How to Keep a Hot Application Running Cool”. This new whitepaper is available for download at: http://www.siemon.com/uk/white_papers/08-06-09-poe-and-operating-efficiency.asp
With the pending PoE Plus Standard nearing completion and attracting global interest, attention has been focused on temperature-related issues inherent to transmitting higher levels of power over twisted-pair cabling. This current-induced temperature elevation increases the risk of degraded physical and electrical performance, which can impact overall network performance and reliability.
Maguire’s comprehensive 8 page white paper provides an in-depth analysis on the nature and causes of cabling temperature increases in PoE Plus applications, dispels some commonly held heat dissipation myths and provides actionable guidance on selecting PoE Plus-capable cabling.
Advice is offered on the cabling best suited to support PoE Plus as this excerpt explains:
“Good heat dissipation performance exhibited by the cabling plant is especially critical since no methods exist today for monitoring temperature rise in an installation or mitigating a high-temperature environment. Historically, a comfortable level of performance margin is considered to be 50 per cent headroom to Standards-specified limits (this would be equivalent to 6 dB headroom for a transmission performance parameter). Following these guidelines, the solutions that offer the most desirable levels of heat dissipation headroom in support of the PoE Plus application are category 6A F/UTP and category 7A S/FTP cabling systems.”
Conclusions drawn in the paper include the following points:
§ Although safe for humans, the 600mA currents associated with the PoE Plus application generate heat in the installed cabling plant.
§ Excessive temperature rise in the cabling plant cannot be tested or mitigated in the field.
§ Excessive temperature rise in the cabling plant can result in an increase in insertion loss and premature aging of jacketing materials.
§ Choosing media with improved heat dissipation performance can minimize the risks associated with excessive temperature rise.
§ Category 6A F/UTP cabling systems dissipate almost 50 per cent more heat than category 5e cabling.
§ Category 7A S/FTP cabling systems dissipate at least 60 per cent more heat than category 5e cabling.
To download an electronic copy of Siemon’s “IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus Operating Efficiency: How to Keep a Hot Application Running Cool”, including complete heat dissipation performance data for category 5e UTP, category 6 UTP, category 6A UTP, category 6A F/UTP, and category 7/7A S/FTP cabling, visit: http://www.siemon.com/uk/white_papers/08-06-09-poe-and-operating-efficiency.asp
