Installation Manual
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a rack-mounted DIN rail panel. Often this can eliminate the need for separate enclosures while
closely linking DIN rail mounted devices to the network.
Network Cabling – Media Selection
Industrial Ethernet media can be fiber optic and/or copper cabling. To properly select the cable
media for the application, several design criteria must be considered.
Distances between the MDC and the zone enclosure or manufacturing equipment
Type of information transmitted, and acceptable latency
Equipment connectivity
Environmental conditions, e.g. electrical noise, vibration, temperature moisture, etc.
Ease of installation and maintenance frequency.
Table 1 shows some key parameters associated with different media choices found in the
ANSI/TIA 568-C series.1
Table 1. Key Parameters for Cabling System Media
Parameter Copper Cable Multi-mode Fiber Single-mode Fiber
Reach (max) 100m (330ft) 2000m (1.2 miles) 40km (24 miles)
Noise Mitigation Foil shielding Noise immune* Noise immune*
Bandwidth
1 Gb/s (Cat 5e, Cat 6)
10Gb/s
1 Gb/s
10 Gb/s
1 Bb/s
10 Gb/s
Cable Bundles Large Medium Small
POE Capable
Yes Yes, with media
conversion
Yes, with media
conversion
*Optical transceivers can be susceptible to electrical noise.
Multiple varieties of copper cabling media are available base on data speed and volume
requirements. Typically, Category 6 copper cabling is used for enterprise and manufacturing
network connections. Due to the potential for electrical noise, Panduit has specified shielded Cat
6A cabling for connections within the MDC, and provided Single-mode Fiber for connections
external to the cabinet.
The patch panel and jacks, both copper and fiber, provide for essential testing and diagnostic
points between equipment and field connections. This speeds network troubleshooting and
accommodates future expansion as network speeds increase or equipment connectivity ports
change.
Power and Grounding
Power
It is essential that robust and clean power be supplied to the MDC. The incoming power feed
typically includes Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPSs) and Power Distribution Units (PDUs) to
distribute where needed. PDU voltages range from 100v to 220v, or 220v to 250v depending on
the world region, with currents ranging from 15 to 30 amps. Configurations include NEMA L6-30
and IEC 60309 3W plugs with C13 and C19 outlets.
1
ZCTB01—WW-ENG, Rev. 0, 07/2014, Technology Brief, Structured and Point to Point Network Cabling for Industrial Automation.