sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring My New Data Center part 2

The computer room will have 2 rows of 6 cabinets (for servers)and be parallel to each other. I was preparing to order the ladder rack to carry the voice cable between the racks. I span above each row of racks and a span between them. If you were looking from above it would look like an H.
All that to say: The electricians have to run all their stuff up there too. What to do? Pretty sure I don't want them next to each other. Do I need duplicate ladder systems, one for data, one for electrical, in order ot seperate them?

Not knowing how many cables you have going onto the ladder, this is a shot in the dark, but would it be possible to maintain a "physical seperation" of the low-voltage vs. ac? I'm thinking that MC or conduit for the electrical may fill the bill, or perhaps some physical barrier? Thinking of the channel setup in Hubbell wall trak. Check the NEC provisions for cable tray and you may get some other ideas.
Bill

About 96 Cat 6 cables will come out of one cabinet and be distributed to the some of the other cabinets. How many inches of separation will I need between the bundle of data cables and the electrical whips? The electrical contractor has a product made by Cope that is aluminum channel in various sizes, that is, various depths and widths. Will an aluminum "wall" between the two cables provide any protection against interference?

Richard,

That is kind of a loaded question. You should always separate telecommunications pathways from power sources (machinery, motors, printers, copiers, flourescent lighting, and power cable).

If I were you, I would certainly install a separate pathway for the electrical (or let the electrician worry about it). Keep in mind that the power and communications cabling will be running parallel to each other. This is never a good situation. I would want to stay at least a full 12" away from the power in this case.

Make sure your pathway is fully bonded and grounded. Also, I would recommend cable tray (like Cablofil) over standard ladder rack. It has greater capacity and acts to reduce noise when properly grounded.

Another option is to use F/UTP CAT-6 cable and connectivity to provide greater immunity to EMI.

Thanks Rover.
Hans,
I figured I needed a few inches of separation, especially with the two types of cables running parallel.

I looked at the Cablofil. It looks like CPIs (Chatsworth) FastTrac. I don't think capacity is really an issue. If I read you right, you are saying a wire tray provides better protection against FRI than a ladder rack? As the Beaver would say... Howcome?

My hesitation about a F/UTP install is I don't trust anyone to take care of it when I'm not here. Kinda sad really but I know how it has been in the past. All you have to do is look at the way things had been done till I got here. When and if I ever leave the company I suspect it would fall back into the same back cable install practices. How bout where the Cat 5 cable terminates to the patch panel the insulation of the cables was removed back to about 8 inches, and then all bundled together. I've been slowly replacing it as I can.

CPI has recently gotten on the cable tray bandwagon. I haven't seen the product except for in the catalog and it looks like the others. I'm sure it is a quality product as is everything else that CPI puts out.

The reason I mentioned the grounding aspect of the cable tray is because I've read a few reports on how effective it is at that due to it's basket design. Ladder rack doesn't have the same mesh design so the electrical fundamentals could be different. I say "could" because I am not sure... I'm not an electrical engineer. This article explains it:

https://www.cablofil.dz/content.aspx?page=118&section=11

As far as your concerns about F/UTP installation and maintenance... at some point people are going to have to learn how to deal with shielded cable. It is the direction the industry is going to take in the near future, IMO.

From my experience.

Option#1

A double cable rack system One close to the racks 6" or so for the UTP and about 18" above that have a rack system for the electrical. All racking is grounded with #6 ground wire to electrical ground. This can be satisfied by a ground bar installed by your electrician.

Option #2

Mounted managable power units in the rack. One at the top 1 at the bottom or in the middle. Run the electrical in conduit into the rac. The conduit should be grounded and should protect from the EMI.

As for Tieing the cabinets together. I know in the cat 5 world there was a 25pr cat 5 with each 4 pair in a sperate shieth. I do not know if there is some CAT6 that way but you might check into it. This would help your management of the cable between cabinets much easier.

As a follow up note... I just had lunch with our CPI rep and found out that the FastTrac Cable Tray (basket-style tray) isn't ready to go yet. The prognosis is for it to be available a little later this year.

Richard, has it been decided what type and name brand of cable you are using yet?
Just curious. You seemed intrigued in another thread about Supperior Essex.

ADC
Cat 5e to the desktop. At this point I'm leaning toward 6 or 6A inside the computer room.

My question about Superior Essex was simply one of curiosity. I've used it in the past and seemed fine. How does one know which cable is the best? Are there independent studies available that compare/evaluate them? I try to use a name brand, the "you get what you pay for" method, and just the feel factor. That is, is it easy to get out of the box? Do the colors on the individual pairs easy to distinguish? Softer, more pliable the better.