ETHERNET CABLE: COLOR-CODE STANDARDS

The information listed here is to assist Network Administrators in the color coding of Ethernet cables. Please be aware that modifying Ethernet cables improperly may cause loss of network connectivity. Use this information at your own risk, and insure all connectors and cables are modified in accordance with standards. The nternet !entre and its affiliates .cannot be held liable for the use of this information in whole or in part

T-568A Straight-Through Ethernet Cable

The T A"E A #$%&A standard which was ratified in '((#, was replaced by the T A"E A #$%&) standard in *++* and has been updated since. )oth standards define the T&#$%A and T&#$%) pin&outs for using Unshielded Twisted Pair cable and ,-&.# connectors for Ethernet connectivity. The standards and pin&out specification appear to be related and .interchangeable, but are not the same and should not be used interchangeably

T-568B Straight-Through Ethernet Cable

)oth the T&#$%A and the T&#$%) standard /traight&Through cables are used most often as patch cords for your Ethernet connections. f you re0uire a cable to connect two Ethernet devices directly together without a hub or when you connect two hubs together, you will need .to use a !rossover cable instead

RJ-45 Crossover Ethernet Cable

A good way of remembering how to wire a !rossover Ethernet cable is to wire one end using the T&#$%A standard and the other end using the T&#$%) standard. Another way of remembering the color coding is to simply switch the 1reen set of wires in place with the 2range set of wires. /pecifically, switch the solid 1reen 314 with the solid 2range, and switch .the green"white with the orange"white :Ethernet Cable Instructions Pull the cable off the reel to the desired length and cut. f you are pulling cables .' through holes, its easier to attach the ,-&.# plugs after the cable is pulled. The total length of wire segments between a P! and a hub or between two P!5s cannot e6ceed '++ 7eters 38*% .feet4 for '++)A/E&T9 and 8++ 7eters for '+)A/E&T /tart on one end and strip the cable :acket off 3about ';4 using a stripper or a knife. .* .)e e6tra careful not to nick the wires, otherwise you will need to start over /pread, untwist the pairs, and arrange the wires in the order of the desired cable end. .8 <latten the end between your thumb and forefinger. Trim the ends of the wires so they are even with one another, leaving only '"*; in wire length. f it is longer than '"*; it will be out&of& .spec and susceptible to crosstalk. <latten and insure there are no spaces between wires =old the ,-&.# plug with the clip facing down or away from you. Push the wires firmly .. into the plug. nspect each wire is flat even at the front of the plug. !heck the order of the wires. >ouble check again. !heck that the :acket is fitted right against the stop of the plug. .!arefully hold the wire and firmly crimp the ,-&.# with the crimper !heck the color orientation, check that the crimped connection is not about to come .# apart, and check to see if the wires are flat against the front of the plug. f even one of these .are incorrect, you will have to start over. Test the Ethernet cable ?Ethernet Cable Ti s .A straight-thru cable has identical ends .A crossover cable has different ends .A straight-thru is used as a patch cord in Ethernet connections A crossover is used to connect two Ethernet devices without a hub or for connecting .two hubs .A crossover has one end with the Orange set of wires switched with the Green set Odd numbered pins are always striped, even numbered pins are always .solid colored Looking at the !-"# with the clip facing away from you, $rown is always on the right, .and pin % is on the left

&o more than %'() of the Ethernet cable should be untwisted otherwise it will be .susceptible to crosstalk *o not deform, do not bend, do not stretch, do not staple, do not run parallel with .power cables, and do not run Ethernet cables near noise inducing components :Basic Theor!

By looking at a T-568A UTP Ethernet straight-thru cable and an Ethernet crossover cable with a T-568B end, we see that the T !trans"itter# $ins are connected to the corres$onding % !receiver# $ins, $lus to $lus and "inus to "inus& 'ou can also see that both the blue and brown wire $airs on $ins (, 5, ), and 8 are not used in either standard& *hat you "ay not reali+e is that, these sa"e $ins (, 5, ), and 8 are not used or re,uired in -..BA/E-T as well& /o why bother using these wires, well 0or one thing its si"$ly easier to "ake a connection with all the wires grou$ed together& 1therwise you2ll be s$ending ti"e trying to 0it those tiny little wires into each o0 the &corres$onding holes in the %3-(5 connector

Cat 6- Categor! - 6, 3AN/ "T A"E A&#$%&).*&'4 is a cable standard for 1igabit Ethernet and other network protocols that is backward compatible with the !ategory #"#e and !ategory 8 cable standards. !at&$ features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise. The cable standard provides performance of up to *#+ 7=@ and is suitable for '+)A/E&T " '++)A/E&T9 and '+++)A/E&T 31igabit Ethernet4. t is e6pected to suit the '+1)A/E&T 3'+1igabit Ethernet4 standard, although with limitations on length if unshielded !at $ cable is used. The cable contains four twisted copper wire pairs, :ust like earlier copper cable standards. Although !at&$ is sometimes made with *8 gauge wire, this is not a re0uirementA the AN/ "T A&#$%&).*&' specification states the cable may be made with ** to *. AB1 gauge wire, so long as the cable meets the specified testing standards. Bhen used as a patch cable, !at&$ is normally terminated in %P%! often referred to as ;,-&.#; electrical connectors. /ome !at&$ cables are too large and may be difficult to attach to %P%! connectors without a special modular piece and are technically not standard compliant. f components of the various cable standards are intermi6ed, the performance of the signal path will be limited to that of the lowest category. As with all cables defined by T A"E A&#$%&), the ma6imum allowed length of

a !at&$ hori@ontal cable is (+ meters 3*(# feet4. A complete channel 3hori@ontal cable plus cords on either end4 is allowed to be up to '++ meters in length, depending upon the ratio of cord length?hori@ontal cable length. The cable is terminated in either the T#$%A scheme or the T#$%) scheme. t doesn5t make any difference which is used, as they are both straight through 3pin ' to ', pin * to *, etc4. 7i6ing T#$%A&terminated patch cords with T#$%)&terminated hori@ontal cables 3or the reverse4 does not produce pinout problems in a facility. Although it may very slightly degrade signal 0uality, this effect is marginal and certainly no greater than that produced by mi6ing cable brands in&channel. To connect two Ethernet units of the same type and function in a peer&to&peer connection 3Personal !omputer to Personal !omputer, or hub to hub, for e6ample4 a cross over cable should be used, though some modern hardware can utili@e either type of cable automatically. The T#$%) /cheme is by far the most widely used patch cable 3straight through4 method of terminating the cables. <or crossover cables, one end should be wired using the T#$%A scheme and the other end should be wired using the T#$%) scheme. This will ensure that the Transmit 3T94 pins on both ends are wired through to the ,eceive 3,94 pins on the other end. !rossover is used for hub to hub, computer to computer, wherever two&way communication is necessary. 3not needed for client&server communication4

8P8C Wiring (TIA/EIA-568-A T568A) Pin 6 4 ( 5 6 ) 8 4 4 6 6 ( ( Pair 6 6 6 6 Wire Co or white5green green white5orange blue white5blue orange white5brown brown

8P8C Wiring (TIA/EIA-568-B T568B) Pin 6 4 ( 5 6 ) 8 6 6 4 4 ( ( Pair 6 6 6 6 Wire Co or white5orange orange white5green blue white5blue green white5brown brown

[edit] Augmented Category 6 (Category 6a)

The T A is working to complete a new specification that will define enhanced performance standards for unshielded twisted pair cable systems. >raft specification AN/ "T A"E A&#$%& ).*&'+ specifies cable systems, called ;Augmented !ategory $; or more fre0uently as ;!ategory $a;, that operate at fre0uencies up to #++ 7=@ and will provide up to '+ 1bit"s bandwidth. The new specification has limits on alien crosstalk in cabling systems. Augmented !ategory $ specifies cable operating at minimum fre0uency of #++ 7=@, for both shielded and unshielded. t can support future '+ 1bit"s applications up to the ma6imum distance of '++ meters on a .&connector channel.

[edit] External links

7at 6 8A9 :e-;ysti0ying 7abling /$eci0ications 8ro" 5e to )A

An 1verview o0 -.<BA/E-T or 2*hy we need 7at6a as well as 7at62

!n"#ie $e$ % S#ie $e$ T&i"'e$ Pair Ca( ing S'an$ar$"
v=d=e

Ca' )> 7urrently unrecogni+ed by T?A5E?A& Previously used 0or P1T/ tele$hone co""unications, ?/:@ and doorbell wiring& Ca' *> 7urrently unrecogni+ed by T?A5E?A& Previously was 0re,uently used on ( ;bit5s token ring networks& Ca' +> 7urrently de0ined in T?A5E?A-568-B, used 0or data networks using 0re,uencies u$ to -6 ;A+& Aistorically $o$ular 0or -. ;bit5s Ethernet networks& Ca' ,> 7urrently unrecogni+ed by T?A5E?A& Provided $er0or"ance o0 u$ to 6. ;A+, and was 0re,uently used on -6 ;bit5s token ring networks& Ca' 5> 7urrently unrecogni+ed by T?A5E?A& Provided $er0or"ance o0 u$ to -.. ;A+, and was 0re,uently used on -.. ;bit5s ethernet networks& ;ay be unsuitable 0or -...BA/E-T gigabit ethernet& Ca' 5e> 7urrently de0ined in T?A5E?A-568-B& Provides $er0or"ance o0 u$ to -.. ;A+, and is 0re,uently used 0or both -.. ;bit5s and gigabit ethernet networks& Ca' 6> 7urrently de0ined in T?A5E?A-568-B& ?t $rovides $er0or"ance o0 u$ to 65. ;A+, "ore than double category 5 and 5e& Ca' 6a> 8uture s$eci0ication 0or -. <bit5s a$$lications& Ca' -> An in0or"al na"e a$$lied to ?/15?E7 --8.- 7lass 8 cabling& This standard s$eci0ies 0our individually-shielded $airs !/TP# inside an overall shield& :esigned 0or trans"ission at 0re,uencies u$ to 6.. ;A+&

/ee also> TIA/EIA-568-B = Ethernet = 8P8C = Ethernet crossover cable = Twisted pair

Guidelines for Proper Wiring of an RS-485 (TIA/EIA-485-A) Ne !or"

Abstract: The proper method of wiring an RS-485 network is described, with recommendations for twisted-pair cabling and correctly locating termination resistors Recei!ed wa!eforms are shown for e"amples of proper and improper cable termination #onfig$rations are shown for a simple, singletransmitter%m$ltiple recei!er network thro$gh m$ltiple transcei!er to m$ltibranched circ$its This application note provides basic guidelines for wiring an RS-485 network. The RS-485 specification (officially called T !"# !-485-!$ does not specifically e%plain out how an RS-485 network should be wired. The specification does& nonetheless& give so'e guidelines. These guidelines and sound engineering practices are the basis of this note. The suggestions here& however& are by no 'eans inclusive of all the different ways that a network can be designed. RS-485 trans'its digital infor'ation between 'ultiple locations. (ata rates can be up to& and so'eti'es greater than& )*+bps. RS-485 is designed to trans'it this infor'ation over significant lengths& and )*** 'eters are well within its capability. The distance and the data rate with which RS485 can be successfully used depend a great deal on the wiring of the syste'.

Wire
RS-485 is designed to be a balanced syste'. Si'ply put& this 'eans there are two wires& other than ground& that are used to trans'it the signal.

&ig$re ' A balanced system $ses two wires, other than gro$nd, to transmit data The syste' is called balanced& because the signal on one wire is ideally the e%act opposite of the signal on the second wire. n other words& if one wire is trans'itting a high& the other wire will be trans'itting a low& and vice versa. See #igure $.

&ig$re ( The signals on the two wires of a balanced system are ideally opposite !lthough RS-485 can be successfully trans'itted using 'ultiple types of 'edia& it should be used with wiring co''only called ,twisted pair.,

What Is Twisted Pair and Why Is It !sed"

!s its na'e i'plies& a twisted pair is si'ply a pair of wires of e-ual length and twisted together. .sing an RS-485-co'pliant trans'itter with twisted-pair wire reduces two 'a/or sources of proble's for designers of high-speed long-distance networks0 radiated #+ and received #+ .

Ra$ia'e$ E.I
!s shown in #igure %& high-fre-uency co'ponents are present whenever fast edges are used in trans'itting infor'ation. These fast edges are necessary at the higher data rates at which RS-485 is capable of trans'itting.

&ig$re ) *a!eform of a '(5k+, s-$are wa!e and its &&T plot

The resultant high-fre-uency co'ponents of these fast edges coupled with long wires can radiate #+ . ! balanced syste' used with twisted-pair wire reduces this effect by 'aking the syste' an inefficient radiator. t works on a very si'ple principle0 as the signals on the wires are e-ual but opposite& the radiated signals fro' each wire will also tend to be e-ual but opposite. This has the effect of canceling each other& 'eaning that there is no net radiated #+ . 1owever& this result is based on the assu'ption that the wires are e%actly the sa'e length and in e%actly the sa'e location. 2ecause it is i'possible to have two wires in the sa'e location at the sa'e ti'e& the wires should be positioned as close to each other as possible. Twisting the wires so there is a finite distance between the two wires helps counteract any re'aining #+ .

Re/ei0e$ E.I
Received #+ is basically the sa'e proble' as radiated #+ but in reverse. The wiring used in an RS485 syste' will also act as an antenna that receives unwanted signals. These unwanted signals could distort the desired signals& which& if bad enough& can cause data errors. 3or the sa'e reason that twisted-pair wire helps prevent radiated #+ & it also helps reduce the effects of received #+ . 2ecause the two wires are close together and twisted& the noise received on one wire will tend to be the sa'e as that received on the second wire. This type of noise is referred to as ,co''on-'ode noise., !s RS485 receivers are designed to look for signals that are the opposite of each other& they can easily re/ect noise that is co''on to both.

Chara#teristi# Im$edan#e o% Twisted&Pair Wire

(epending on the geo'etry of the cable and the 'aterials used in the insulation& twisted-pair wire will have a ,characteristic i'pedance, associated with it that is usually specified by its 'anufacturer. The RS-485 specification reco''ends& but does not specifically dictate& that this characteristic i'pedance be )4*5. Reco''ending this i'pedance is necessary to calculate worst-case loading and co''on'ode voltage ranges given in the RS-485 specification. The specification probably does not dictate this i'pedance in the interest of fle%ibility. f for so'e reason )4*5 cable cannot be used& it is reco''ended that the worst-case loading (the nu'ber of trans'itters and receivers that can be used$ and worst-case co''on-'ode voltage ranges be recalculated to 'ake sure that the syste' under design will work. The industry-standard publication TS286& Application .$idelines for T/A-0/A485-A&7 has a section specifically devoted to those calculations.

'um(er o% Twisted Pairs $er Transmitter

8ow that the re-uired type of wire is understood& one can ask& how 'any twisted pairs can a trans'itter drive9 The short answer is0 e%actly one. !lthough it is possible for a trans'itter to drive 'ore than one twisted pair under certain circu'stances& this is not the intent of the specification.

Termination )esistors
2ecause of the high fre-uencies and the distances involved& proper attention 'ust be paid to trans'ission-line effects. ! thorough discussion of trans'ission-line effects and proper ter'ination techni-ues is& however& are well beyond the scope of this application note. :ith this in 'ind& ter'inations will be briefly discussed in their si'plest for' as they relate to RS-485. ! ter'inating resistor is si'ply a resistor placed at the e%tre'e end or ends of a cable ( #igure 4$. The value of the ter'inating resistor is ideally the sa'e value as the characteristic i'pedance of the cable.

&ig$re 4 Termination resistors sho$ld be the same !al$e of the characteristic impedance of the twisted pair and sho$ld be placed at the far ends of the cable :hen the ter'ination resistance is not the sa'e value as the characteristic i'pedance of the wiring& reflections will occur as the signal travels down the cable. This process is governed by the e-uation (Rt-;o$"(;o<Rt$& where ;o is the i'pedance of the cable and Rt is the value of the ter'inating resistor. !lthough so'e reflections are inevitable due to cable and resistor tolerances& large enough 'is'atches can cause reflections big enough to cause errors in the data. See #igure 5.

&ig$re 5 1sing the circ$it shown at the top, the wa!eform on the left was obtained with a 2A3)485 dri!ing a '(45 twisted-pair cable terminated with 545 The wa!eform on the right was obtained with the cable terminated properly with '(45 =nowing this about reflections& it is i'portant to 'atch the ter'inating resistance and the characteristic i'pedance as closely as possible. The position of the ter'inating resistors is also very i'portant. Ter'ination resistors should always be placed at the far ends of the cable. !s a general rule 'oreover& ter'ination resistors should be placed at both far ends of the cable. !lthough properly ter'inating both ends is absolutely critical for 'ost syste' designs& it can be argued that in one special case only one ter'ination resistor is needed. This case occurs in a syste' when there is a single trans'itter and that single trans'itter is located at the far end of the cable. n this case there is no need to place a ter'ination resistor at the end of the cable with the trans'itter& because the signal is intended to always travel away fro' this end of the cable.

*aximum 'um(er o% Transmitters and )e#ei+ers on a 'etwork

The si'plest RS-485 network is co'prised of a single trans'itter and a single receiver. !lthough useful in a nu'ber of applications& RS-485 allows for greater fle%ibility by per'itting 'ultiple receivers and trans'itters on a single twisted pair.> The 'a%i'u' nu'ber of transceivers and receivers allowed depends on how 'uch each device loads down the syste'. n an ideal world& all receivers and inactive trans'itters will have infinite i'pedance and will not overload the syste' in any way. n the real world& however& this is not the case. #very receiver attached to the network and all inactive trans'itters will add an incre'ental load. To help the designer of an RS-485 network deter'ine how 'any devices can be added to a network& a hypothetical unit called a ,unit load, was created. !ll devices connected to an RS-485 network should be characteri?ed in regard to 'ultiples or fractions of unit loads. Two e%a'ples are the +!@A485& which is specified at ) unit load& and the +!@48B& which is specified at )"4 of a unit load. The 'a%i'u' nu'ber of unit loads allowed one twisted pair& assu'ing a properly ter'inated cable with a characteristic i'pedance of )4*5 or 'ore& is A4. .sing the e%a'ples given above& this 'eans that up to A4 +!@A485s or up to )48 +!@48Bs can be placed on a single network.

,ailsa%e -ias )esistors

:hen inputs are between -4**'C and <4**'C& receiver output is ,undefined,. There are four co''on fault conditions that result in the undefined receiver output that can cause erroneous data0

!ll trans'itters in a syste' are in shutdown. The receiver is not connected to the cable.

The cable has an open. The cable has a short.

3ail-safe biasing is used to keep the receiverDs output in a defined state when one of these conditions occurs. The fail-safe biasing consists of a pull-up resistor on the noninverting line and a pull-down resistor on the inverting line. :ith proper biasing& the receiver will output a valid high when any one of the fault conditions occurs. These fail-safe bias resistors should be placed at the receiver end of the trans'ission line. +a%i'Ds +!@)A*8* and +!@A5A5 fa'ilies of transceivers do not re-uire fail-safe bias resistors because a true fail-safe feature is integrated into the devices. n true fail-safe& the receiver-threshold range is fro' -5*'C to -4**'C& thereby eli'inating the need for fail-safe bias resistors while co'plying fully with the RS-485 standard. These devices ensure that *C at the receiver input produces a logic ,high, output. 3urther& this design guarantees a known receiver-output state for the open- and shorted-line conditions.

Exam$les o% Pro$er 'etworks

Eiven the above infor'ation& we are ready to design so'e RS-485 networks. 1ere are a few e%a'ples.

One Tran"1i''er2 One Re/ei0er

The si'plest network is one trans'itter and one receiver ( #igure &$. n this e%a'ple& a ter'ination resistor is shown at the trans'itter end of the cable. !lthough unnecessary here& it is probably a good habit to design-in both ter'ination resistors. This allows the trans'itter to be 'oved to locations other than the far end& and per'its additional trans'itters to be added to the network if that beco'es necessary.

&ig$re 6 A one-transmitter, one-recei!er RS-485 network

One Tran"1i''er2 .3 'i4 e Re/ei0er"

#igure ' shows a one-trans'itter 'ultiple-receivers network. 1ere& it is i'portant to keep the distances fro' the twisted pair to the receivers as short as possible.

&ig$re 7 A one-transmitter, m$ltiple-recei!ers RS-485 network

T&o Tran"/ei0er"
#igure 8 shows a two-transceivers network.

&ig$re 8 A two-transcei!ers RS-485 network

.3 'i4 e Tran"/ei0er"
#igure ( shows a 'ultiple-transceivers network. !s with the one-trans'itter and 'ultiple-receivers e%a'ple in 3igure B& it is i'portant to keep the distances fro' the twisted pair to the receivers as short as possible.

&ig$re 8 A m$ltiple-transcei!ers RS-485 network

Exam$les o% Im$ro$er 'etworks

The diagra's below are e%a'ples of i'properly configured syste's. #ach e%a'ple shows the wavefor' obtained fro' the i'properly designed network& and co'pares that wavefor' fro' a properly designed syste'. The wavefor' is 'easured differentially at points ! and 2 (!-2$.

!n'er1ina'e$ Ne'&or5
n this e%a'ple& the ends of the twisted pair are unter'inated. !s the signal propagates down the wire& it encounters the open circuit at the end of the cable. This constitutes an i'pedance 'is'atch& thus producing reflections. n the case of an open circuit (as shown below$& all the energy is reflected back to the source& causing the wavefor' to beco'e very distorted.

&ig$re '4 An $nterminated RS-485 network 9top: and its res$ltant wa!eform 9left:, compared with a wa!eform obtained from a correctly terminated network 9right:

Wrong Ter1ina'ion Lo/a'ion

#igure )) shows a ter'ination resistor& but it is located in a position other than the far end of the cable. !s the signal propagates down the cable& it encounters two i'pedance 'is'atches. The first occurs at the ter'ination resistor. #ven though the resistor is 'atched to the characteristic i'pedance of the cable& there is still cable after the resistor. This e%tra cable causes a 'is'atch and& therefore& reflections. The second 'is'atch is at the end of the unter'inated cable& leading to further reflections.

&ig$re '' An RS-485 network with the termination resistor placed at the wrong location 9top: and its res$ltant wa!eform 9left:, compared to a properly terminated network 9right:

.3 'i4 e Ca( e"

There are 'ultiple proble's with the layout in #igure )$. The RS-485 drivers are designed to drive only a single& properly ter'inated twisted pair. 1ere& the trans'itters are each driving four twisted pairs in parallel. This 'eans that the re-uired 'ini'u' logic levels cannot be guaranteed. n addition to the heavy loading& there is an i'pedance 'is'atch at the point where 'ultiple cables are connected. 'pedance 'is'atches again 'ean reflections and& therefore& signal distortions.

3igure )4. !n RS-485 network that uses 'ultiple twisted pairs incorrectly.

Long S'3("
n #igure )%& the cable is properly ter'inated and the trans'itter is driving only a single twisted pair. 1owever& the connection point (stub$ for the receiver is e%cessively long. ! long stub causes a significant i'pedance 'is'atch and thus reflections. !ll stubs should be kept as short as possible.

&ig$re ') An RS-485 network that has a '4-foot st$b 9top: and its res$ltant wa!eform 9left:, compared to a wa!eform obtained with a short st$b 9right: Referen*es ). 4. TS286& Application .$idelines for T/A%0/A-485-A& can be found by searching for the standard at www.global.his.co'. 3or 'ore infor'ation& see T !"# !-485-! 0lectrical #haracteristics of .enerators and Recei!ers for 1se in ;alanced <igital 2$ltipoint Systems & which can be found by searching for the standard at www.global.his.co'.

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