Technical Specifications for the Installation of CATV Cabling

Version 1.0, April 1996

1. Introduction

Information Systems and Services (ISS) currently specifies the installation of cable and electronics to support CATV services on the GW campus. Programming services are managed by GW Television (202) 994-8233. This document describes installation methods, approved hardware, approved electronics, and transmission engineering design parameters in use at GW.

The standard coaxial trunk and distribution cabling specified for use on the GW campus shall be of a specific type and must be installed according to the following standards. The standards for CATV service are more restrictive than those normally encountered for twisted-pair copper voice communications. In general the requirements include :

- A specified cable type

- Restricted cable topology

- Meeting FCC emissions standards

- Specified transmission engineering design

- Specific alignment instructions

- Specific outlet types and placements

- Compliance testing of installed cabling

2. General

RG-6 coaxial drop cables shall be installed in unbroken segments from central utility closets to individual workstation locations. In the utility closets, drop cables shall be terminated on multi-port taps through attenuators as necessary to meet transmission engineering standards. The multi-port taps are connected to line powered amplifiers that are attached to the CATV riser trunk.

At each workstation or CATV outlet drop cables shall be connected to self- terminating F-type connectors mounted in an approved TIA/EIA 568 compliant communications outlet from specified manufacturers. All installed cabling runs shall be tested for compliance with specified parameters, documentation provided, and both ends of each cable run shall be labeled . Continental Cablevision has a good overview of How a Cable System Works. The Anixter Company has a short overview on basics for video cabling.

3. Cable Type

3.1 Workstation Drop Cable

All new workstation drop cable shall be 75 ohm nominal impedance NEC CATV CM rated RG-6 which meets or exceeds TIA/EIA standards for UL listed CATV cable (Belden part number 9116, or equivalent). Cable specification sheets for all cable must be provided to the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005, prior to installation.

3.2 Riser Cable

All new riser cable shall be 75 ohm nominal impedance NEC CMP, CMR, CATVR, or CATVP rated 0.500 inch hard coaxial cable which meets or exceeds TIA/EIA standards for UL listed CATV trunk cable, (Comm/Scope P3-75-500CA, Type 2311, or equivalent). Cable specification sheets for all cable must be provided to the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005, prior to installation.

Plenum rated cable (CATVP or CMP) shall be used in all plenum spaces and elsewhere as specified by the Director of Technology-ISS (202) 994-6005. The campus Fire Marshall shall have the final decision about the plenum requirement for any given space. Riser rated cable (CATVR or CMR) is an acceptable superior substitute for plenum rated material (Belden 9116R or equivalent).

4. Physical Installation

4.1 General Topology

Cabling between utility closets and workstation locations shall be made as individual home runs. No intermediate splices or couplings may be installed or utilized between the utility closet and the communications outlet at the workstation location. It is imperative that only the specified cable be used in all cabling . Individual CATV drop cables are connected to multi-port taps which are connected to line powered floor amplifiers in each utility closet. Floor amplifiers are connected to the building CATV riser cable. The building CATV riser cable is powered and connected to the GW cable system through a multi-port tap at the building telecommunications entrance facility.

4.2 Concealed Cabling

All cabling shall be installed inside walls or ceiling spaces wherever possible. Any exposed cable run of more than three feet must be enclosed in appropriate raceway, as described below.

4.2.1 Raceways

Cable that can not be run inside a protected space must be enclosed in protective raceway such as Wiremold 400, 800, 2300 or Panduit type L. Protective raceways must be permanently attached to underlying wall surfaces with appropriate wall anchors.

4.2.2 Wall Penetrations

Cable penetrations of walls or floors designed as fire barriers are to be sleeved with metallic conduit and packed with fire blocking material in compliance with national, campus, and District of Columbia fire codes.

4.3 Maximum Length

The maximum length of any workstation cable run (including CATV) shall not exceed 90 meters (295 feet).

4.4 Securing Cables

All cables shall be dressed neatly and physically secured to prevent accidental dislocation or damage. It is not permissible to secure cabling to the outside of conduit or to gas, plumbing, steam, or any other functional pipes. Cables shall not be secured to any utility structures in any fashion that might prevent maintenance of or access to those facilities.

Since CATV cabling is part of an engineered system, it is necessary to avoid stretching or placing stress on the cable. Tight 90-degree bends are not permissible, and any tie-wraps or other securing straps must not be cinched tight. Care should be taken to avoid routing cables within 18 inches of heat generating devices such as electrical transformers or steam pipes. Care should be taken to avoid routing cables within 18 inches of electrical noise generating devices such as transformers, electric motors, and lighting ballasts

5 Cable Termination

5.1 CATV Riser Cable

New CATV riser cables shall be terminated on .500 Aluminum connectors with integral sleeves such as P3 series Comm/Scope, T3 series Times Fiber, Gilbert, or Cabelcon connectors.

5.2 CATV Drop Cable

New CATV drop cable shall be terminated using blue colored Cabelcon EPA-FM06-R environmental protection F-type connectors (or equivalent connector that complies with SCTE-drop-line cable standards for RG-6 cable). Similar connectors will be used at the utility closet and in the communications outlets at the workstation location.

5.2 Communications Outlets (CO's)

Each CATV drop cable shall be terminated at the workstation location on a specified self-terminating F-type connector (Augat LRC TF81 or equivalent) on an adapter insert in the communications outlet.

5.2.1 Specifications

The specified communications outlets have spaces for multiple adapter inserts. Normally, one voice adapter will be placed in the topmost position and one data adapter will be placed below the voice adapter. The third space is for CATV. A blank insert shall be installed in unused spaces.

ISS has standardized on the use of the Ortronics communications outlet for most campus installations. Products from Lucent (AT&T) and Siemon are offered as substitutes. Clearance must be obtained from the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005, prior to the installation of outlets other than the Ortronics Product. Communications outlets for installation at GW shall consist of the following components.

5.2.1.1 Flush Mount

For flush mounting in recessed wall boxes use:

5.2.1.1.1 Ortronics

Ortronics OR-40300158 Face Plate

5.2.1.1.2 AT&T (Lucent)

AT&T M-Series information outlet (adapter capacity 1 to 8)

5.2.1.1.3 Siemon

Siemon CT4-FP-02 Single Gang Face Plate or

Siemon CT8-FP-02 Double Gang Face Plate

5.2.1.2 Surface Mount

For surface mounting use either:

5.2.1.2.1 Ortronics

Ortronics OR-40400028 Surface mount interface box

5.2.1.2.2 AT&T (Lucent)

AT&T M102SMB-262 Modular duplex surface mount box

AT&T M104SMB-262 Modular quadplex surface mount box

5.2.1.2.3 Siemon

Siemon CT4-FP-02 Single Gang Face Plate or

Siemon CT8-FP-02 Double Gang Face Plate

5.2.2 Location

Where possible, the communications outlet shall be located so that its centerline is 18 inches above floor level or 12 inches above permanent bench surfaces. In no case shall it be installed lower than 12 inches above floor level without prior written approval from the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005. Surface mounted outlets are acceptable if well secured. Recessed outlets require metal mounting boxes in any wall designated as a fire barrier.

Outlets shall not be mounted on temporary, movable, or removable surfaces, doors, or access hatches.

5.2.3 Adapter Inserts

A variety of inserts are available to make the specified communications outlets usable for different wiring applications. For all installations, unless specified otherwise, the default installed insert shall be the one designated for F-type adapter. It is critical that the specified self-terminating adapter (Augat LRC TF81) be used to replace the plain F-type adapter provided in the adapter inserts specified below.

5.2.3.1 Ortronics

Ortronics OR-60900017 Single F-type connector

Ortronics OR-60900020 Double F-type connector

Ortronics OR-40300164 Blank module

5.2.3.2 AT&T (Lucent)

AT&T M20AB-262 Blank (drill out blank to accept F-type adapter)

5.2.3.3 Siemon

Siemon CT-A-FA-02 Single Angled F-type adapter

Siemon CT-FA-FA-02 Double F-type adapter

Siemon CT-BLNK-02 Blank

5.3 Utility Closet Station Cable Termination

In the utility closet all CATV drop cables shall be terminated on 8-way multi-port taps. Where necessary, a new 3/4" plywood panel shall be firmly anchored to the wall to accommodate mounting of CATV electronics. Amplifiers and multi-port taps shall be located away from adjacent existing data wiring patch panels. If no existing multi-port taps are present, a new location shall be chosen away from telephone blocks, cross-connects, and equipment. The proposed locations of any CATV electronics must be approved by the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-5006 before installation begins.

Each cable shall be left with a service loop (slack) of approximately twelve inches at the multi-port tap to facilitate future changes.

5.3.1 Video Passive Taps

Drop cables will be terminated in the utility closets on 600 MHz passive 8-way multi-taps (Taikan DT66N-814, Regal RTM68-12.5, or equivalent). Attenuators will be placed between the mult-tap and drop cable to achieve a +10-12 dBmV level at the communications outlet.

5.3.2 Floor Video Distribution Amplifiers

Trunk powered multi-port amplifiers are placed in every communications utility closet. The amplifier outputs will be connected to 8-way passive multi-taps. Amplifier output will be adjusted to meet the design parameter of +10-12dBmV at all CATV outlets. The specified amplifier is Jerrold MB-7500-H amp with MBD-SPLT and MBD-DC signal splitters, EQ equalizers, SX10FA fuzes, JXP pads, and MB-ANC automatic control boards. A Jerrold SSP PK power inserter and 10 amp power supply will be placed in the telecommunications entrance facility where the riser cable originates. Equivalent amplifiers and components may be allowed.

6. Labeling

Each individual cable and communications outlet shall be labeled. Cable labels shall be made with permanent black ink on laminated white labels between 6 and 9 inches from the cable ends. The label information shall consist of the room number of the workspace end, with a dashed suffix distinguishing multiple outlets in the same room. Thus, the first connection in room 245 would be labeled "245-1", the next as "245-2", and so on. The numbering suffix within a room should be initiated with xxxx-1 at the first communications outlet to the left of the entrance door and serialized in a clock-wise manner within the room. Installers should check with ISS staff for the next available suffix in room where existing cables are located. If there is only a single connection in a given room, it is to be labeled "xxxx-1", in anticipation of future expansion.

In the wiring closets, each Multi-port tap connection is to be labeled on the designation strips and on the CATV drop cable jacket with an appropriate, permanently attached, label using the same scheme as above.

7. Compliance Testing

7.1 General

CATV systems are engineered to achieve and maintain specified transmission parameters. ISS requires that all F.C.C. regulations be observed. CATV drop cables, riser cables, and associated electronics will be tested for full compliance with F.C.C. regulations. Contractors are required to certify compliance with current F.C.C. regulations and provide written documentation of test results for all CATV cables and equipment they installed. Documentation of test results must include all parameters listed below and be recorded on standard ISS CATV Test Sheets or provided on a ISS provided diskette in Microsoft Excel or Borland Paradox. Contact the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005, for appropriate Cable Test Sheets and/or diskette.

7.2 Amplifier Alignment Procedure

A 600MHz signal at +15 dBmV shall be applied to the CATV riser at the signal injection point.

Each floor amplifier output will be adjusted deliver a +25 DbmV signal at the attached multi-port tap. If two or more multi-port taps are connected in series from an amplifier output, the furthest downstream multi-port tap from the amplifier will be the alignment point. When all amplifier outputs are set at 600MHz slope will be adjusted.

A 74 MHz signal at +15 dBmV shall be applied to the CATV riser at the signal injection point.

Each floor amplifier output will be adjusted using equalizers, pads, and/or slope adjustments to deliver a +25 DbmV signal at the attached multi-port tap. If two or more multi-port taps are connected in series from an amplifier output, the furthest downstream multi-port tap from the amplifier will be the alignment point.

When all amplifier outputs are equalized, the signal level at 600 MHz shall be verified to be +25 DbmV.

7.3 CATV Drop Testing Strategy

After installation, all CATV drop cables shall be tested for GW design parameters and F.C.C. compliance. Tests shall be run from the communications outlet at the workspace end of the CATV drop cable.

7.3.1 Testing Parameters

CATV outlets shall meet or exceed the following specifications at 600 MHz. Any cable not meeting or exceeding the following shall be inspected for anomalies, and replaced if necessary to ensure compliance. Reference: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) -10CFR47, Part 76.605. Signal Quality for CATV.

* All CATV outlets shall have a video signal level of +10-12 dBmV.

* Signal to Noise Ratio - greater than or equal to 43dB.

* Signal to Composite Triple Beat - greater than or equal to 51 dB.

* Signal to Hum Modulation - greater than or equal to 40 dB.

* System response - plus or minus 1.5 dB within any channel.

* Signal to Beat Interference - greater than or equal to 60 dB.

*Radiation (within FCC specifications) - Less than 20 uv/m low band and 50uv/m high band on a tuned dipole at 10 feet.

8. Exceptions

Any exceptions to the above specifications must be approved in writing by the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-5006 before work begins.

CATV cabling specifications and usage are dynamic in nature. ISS reserves the right to change specifications and practices as changes in technology warrant. It is incumbent upon cable installers to check with ISS prior to planning and installation to ensure that current specifications and practices are understood and met.

Requests for clarification or exceptions to these specifications are to be directed to the Director of Technology - ISS, (202) 994-6005.


Version 1.0
Created 04/17/1996 by Donald L. Steward, Ed. D., R.C.D.D.

Send comments to: dsteward@iun.edu