Breakthrough innovations earn platinum status

In the Cabling Innovators Awards program, Platinum awards go to products, projects, and programs that are deemed to be superb, offering groundbreaking approaches, or establishing new levels of performance.

Eleven entrants took home Platinum awards this year. Here are descriptions of each.

Belden’s Hirschmann Suzhou plant has been certified by Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE)’s Test Data Acceptance Program (TDAP), and the MachFlex Super 350 cables have been registered by VDE., “This certification helps Belden and our customers to explore the Industrial Internet of Things world, which is aiming for user-friendly, energy-efficient, instant communication,” Belden says. “Our products and services synergize these requirements. Certified by one of the world’s most stringent laboratories, the Belden Hirschmann Suzhou plant, along with the MachFlex Super 350 Cable family, are ready to serve and connect the world with safety.” The company further adds that it is the first in the world to successfully test automation control cables in compliance to EN 50525-2-11:2011 (Flexible cables with thermoplastic PVC insulation), EN 50525-2-51:2011 (Oil-resistant control cables with thermoplastic PVC insulation), and VDE-PB-0022:2018-07 (Flexible cables for the industry), and granted VDE registration for MachFlex Super 350 product family and TDAP for the R&D testing laboratory under the same standard scopes. “With this certification, Belden can now research and test the entire listed requirements within our own laboratory and submit the data for VDE review and approval,” Belden adds. “The certified test equipment as part of this program includes drag chain testers, torsion testers, bending testers, flame testing machine, tensile elongation tester, micrometers, oscilloscope, oil bath tester, DCR bridge and more.”

N+1 Housing 8 12 Port Cassette Half Open Clip (1)

Connectivity Solutions Direct’s (CSD) n+1 platform is a modular solution for multiple application spaces, capable of deploying 96 ports per 1RU. That’s a 33% increase in port density when compared to conventional high-density systems. CSD explains that it “provides customers with a unique collection of products that deliver port density, quality, versatility and simplicity in a cost-effective solution.” The n+1 platform supports a full range of network topologies including Base-8, Base-12, Base-16, and Base-24 MPO trunks. The platform maintains a port density of 96 per RU for simplex SC, duplex LC, and MPO ports. Available in 1RU, 2RU, and 4RU housings, the platform’s modular design enables easy migration to and from duplex to parallel connectivity, even allowing both within a common housing if desired. The n+1 housing is engineered with efficiency in mind, CSD adds. The cable-management system enables cassette trays to slide in and out for easy installation and access. Two interchangeable cassettes serve as the building blocks for the CSD n+1 platform. The modular design provides flexibility and functionality without sacrificing density. 8 and 12 port cassettes can be deployed within the same n+1 housing, and even on the same internal tray without any reduction in port density. These unique cassettes feature interchangeable adapters and internal components allowing cassettes to be configured for Conversion, Patching, Splicing, Taps, Splitters or Fanouts. CSD’s n+1 platform features standards-based cabling and n+1 internal cassette polarity. The same cassette is used at both ends of the link; cassette or patch cord flipping is not required.

The Corning CleanAdvantage solution, introduced in February 2020, is the culmination of the company convening a cross-functional team of engineers, technicians, and scientists, with input from major data center customers, to address the fact that endface contamination in a connector is the most common cause of network failures and packet corruption. CleanAdvantage uses proprietary cleaning technology for the entire connector ferrule, with an optimized cap design, to ensure a factory-clean connector ready for installation. The technology is included, at no extra cost, on all MTP and LC uniboot connectors within Corning’s EDGE and EDGE8 structured cabling solutions. “CleanAdvantage eliminates the need to clean and scope MTP and LC connectors prior to the first mating connection,” Corning explains. “As a result, installation time for customers can be reduced by up to 17% and the cost of cleaning consumables cut by up to 95%. In doing so, CleanAdvantage enables operators to reclaim time and money, placing them on a faster path to revenue generation. CleanAdvantage connectors also ensures that every first-time installation is free of contaminants, increasing network reliability.”

The $54-billion improvement and expansion project for Seattle’s light-rail infrastructure, called the Northgate Extension, was primarily a tunnel section that will accommodate an estimated daily ridership of 41,000 to 49,000 by 2022. For the project, public safety and seamless communication with the rest of the systems were priorities. The project needed an innovative product that would work well in the confined spaces and tunnels, and would seamlessly connect with outside plant, using standard couplers, tools, and installation techniques. The Northgate Extension project used more than 22,500 feet of Dura-Line’s 1-inch Low Smoke Zero Halogen conduit, which was reformulated and launched in 2018. The product offering’s low coefficient of friction provides less stress on the fiber cable, allowing for greater air-jetting installation distances. The installation crews, which worked between the hours of 1:30 and 3:30am for several days in order to complete the conduit installation, pulled the conduit in vault to vault. The 1-inch LSZH conduit were inserted into a larger 4-inch duct, which was encased in concrete and ran the entire length of the Northgate Extension, over 22,500 feet. The crew was able to air-jet fiber cable for the entire length from the safety of their access points. Air-jetting allowed the fiber cable to be inserted at 200 feet per minute. Future upgrades and changes can be made just as easily, from the safe access points, and avoiding disrupting the light rail schedule.

The Ethernet Alliance’s Gen 2 PoE Certification Program enables power sourcing equipment (PSE) and powered device (PD) manufacturers to deliver the functionality end users expect, while helping to reduce the time needed to get interoperable PoE-related equipment to market—something that is in the best interest of both the Ethernet ecosystem and customers alike. “PoE has made great strides recently and its advantages are well-documented,” the Ethernet Alliance says. “As PoE proliferates, so have the range of PoE-capable devices using different brand names and terminology with no visible way to distinguish between standardized and non-standardized solutions. As a result, interoperability issues and market confusion have increased. The EA Gen 2 PoE Certification Program features an exhaustive test regimen built around IEEE 802.3bt PSE and PD equipment that pass these tests can be identified by the appropriate “EA Certified” logo that not only shows compliance but also indicates the power level sourced or required by the device. This allows customers to easily identify compliant PoE devices and their power capabilities/requirements.”

Modular Photonics’s OMPlex singlemode emulator family is based on a passive plug-and-play silica photonic chip that solves the modal dispersion problem and enables multimode fiber to perform like singlemode fiber. OMPlex delivers fast data rates over long distances, supporting 1-, 10-, 25-, 40-, and 100-Gbit/sec transmission over 2 kilometers of all multimode fiber types. Modular Photonics explains it developed its products “after extensive consultation and analysis of customer problems, constraints, and market pressures.” The OMPlex family offers the following characteristics: Minimum 100x improvement in maximum data speed over MMF; low insertion loss (<2.5dB back-to-back) to stay within transceiver power budget; low product cost (substantially less than recabling a fiber link); small footprint (compatible with SFP components); quick installation time; a passive solution that avoids cost of additional electronics; transparent to IT protocols (compatible with 1310- and 1550-nm bands as well as wavelength-division multiplexing formats); long-life operation and compliance to non-hazardous material requirements. “The OMPlex upgrade solution for a single duplex fiber link has a typical cost point of $2,000, comprising $1,500 for a pair of the OMPlex duplex devices, $400 for a pair of generic high-speed transceivers, and $100 labor,” explains Modular Photonics. “This cost point is independent of the link length or type of multimode fiber used.”

Panduit and General Cable have been the network-infrastructure providers at the UC Davis Medical Center for 14 years. The center serves a 65,000-square-mile area that includes 33 counties and 6 million residents across Northern and Central California. Today, General Cable’s GenSpeed 10 and Panduit connectivity is the standard for all network cabling projects. Over the past 14 years, PanGen has supported hundreds of projects, including more than 50 large projects ranging from new buildings to renovations, including a wireless access point upgrade project that included the installation of 680 APs. Another nine large projects are currently under construction or planned. The medical center is supported by four data centers (one on-premises and three colocation facilities), and more than 250 telecommunications rooms. The campus has more than 70,000 cable drops, which means more than 140,000 Panduit connectors, and more than 12 million feet (more than 2,300 miles) of cable from General Cable.

PATCHBOX' Setup.exe is a rack-component installation support that provides a competitive advantages, increased well-being, safer working environment, and equal opportunities in the information technology sector, PATCHBOX points out. “Using the physical stability of an equilateral triangle the Setup.exe is mounted effortlessly to any 19-inch network rack, forming a secure triangular support,” PATCHBOX further explains. “In seconds, the Setup.exe is secured facing either inside or out of a rack, creating a sturdy and robust support to carry the weight of both rack equipment and laptops, or diagnostic tools, for instance.” When mounted facing into a rack, the Setup.exe securely takes the weight of equipment up to 15 kilograms [30 pounds], for example, switches. During the task of component/hardware installation, the Setup.exe provides technicians the benefit of maintained control of the component, allowing the hands to remain free to complete the task with greater ease and comfort. When mounted facing out of a rack, the Setup.exe creates an ideal workspace for laptops and diagnostic tools, such as when terminating a patch panel. Setup.exe includes a rubberized surface and tool slots.

Radix Wire & Cable collaborated with Champion Fiberglass to develop the first-ever Two Hour Fire Rated 300V CIC (cable in conduit) system approved for installation in phenolic conduit. DuraLife II Two Hour Fire Rated CI/CIC Cable in Phenolic Conduit meets the need for a corrosion-resistant, zero-smoke/zero-halogen conduit option for mechanical protection of two-hour fire-rated 300V fire alarm systems used in emergency circuits for transit applications and other damp locations such as underground facilities. “The Radix engineering team led the way in this product’s development, with their extensive knowledge of high-temperature silicone compounds and previous experience with developing cables to meet the extreme environments of the UL2196 two-hour fire-rated test,” Radix explains. “Internal testing began at the company lab, in order to determine optimum cable fill ratios and narrow down the best conduit options. Preliminary testing results revealed a frontrunner, with Champion’s Flame Shield XW Phenolic, and the two companies proceeded to the full-scale fire rating testing at the UL facility in Northbrook, IL. The cable system, including all components, was subjected to the extreme rigors of the UL2196 test, which includes both horizontal and vertical orientation.” The product gives contractors an attractive option to protect critical circuits in transit and underground applications.

Product Swkconnector 01 Transparency 300

The SWK Connector from Swick Designs is a wholly reimagined fiber-optic connector that was created by a data center engineer who was frustrated and dissatisfied with the technology he had to work with when building data centers. Steve Cheng developed the patented SWK Connector because “incremental improvements to older technologies aren’t the answer, nor are ideas dreamed up in a lab by people who have never pulled cable,” Swick Designs asserts. “We need new, revolutionary innovations in connector technology that are practical and usable.” The SWK Connector is a self-cleaning, self-protecting connector that Swick Designs explains “makes supplemental cleaning and dust caps things of the past. The connector’s cylindrical shape allows for quick on-the-fly polarity and key flips, while its extended handle allows for connector operation away from the patch panel.” Key features of the SWK Connector include the ability to support between 24 and 192 fibers; self-cleaning capability to eliminate dust and debris; a self-protecting shield shroud; low insertion loss and return loss; high density; quick polarity flips and gender changes; easy reach and push-twist connect operation. The SWK product line includes patented patch panels and fanout cables to adapt the connector to LC, MPO, and QSFP. The connector is manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries.

Tripp Lite’s NRFP Robotic Fiber Panel System provides “simple, effective fiber network management through automation,” the company says. “To help data centers add, move and change fiber connections with agility, Tripp Lite offers new Robotic Fiber Panel Systems. These rack-mounted crossconnects make physical fiber connections using robotic latching and remote management. They offer IT professionals unprecedented opportunities to manage their Layer 1 connections on reliable and efficient schedules, with less of the time and expense of strictly hands-on management.” The Robotic Fiber Panel Systems are available in singlemode LC or multimode LC fiber configurations. Each version comes in 2 sizes: a 512-port option and a 204-port mini option. By interconnecting multiple units, users can scale up to a total of 500,000 ports. The units can be configured for all optical signals and all network protocols, Tripp Lite adds. “Using a specially designed mechanical latch, Robotic Fiber Panel Systems typically reconfigure a connection in 20 seconds, as opposed to the hours or days it might take for network engineering to arrive on-site,” Tripp Lite explains. “RFPSs include custom software that controls a 1U logical control unit, installed above the main chassis. They give IT professionals the flexibility to plan network management tasks based on business demands, rather than what fits on-site engineering schedules.”