Tactical CONTENTS

02. Is Your Network Backbone Future Ready

Brief
03. Network Design Fundamentals for the Connected World

Network Performance
Cabling Infrastructure

07. Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure

13. Manufacturing Trends and the MES Connection
15. Cat5E Beats Cat6 for Industrial Applications

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Is Your Network Backbone Future Ready

By Ryan Lepp

We dont get to choose the body were born with, but we do get
to choose how we take care of it. And its been well-established that
preventative care can help ward off chronic diseases that account for
86 percent of the nations health spending.
This isnt a public service message, but rather a point about how
making smart decisions today can help avoid problems down the road.
Much like investing in a new roof on your home today can help prevent
costly leaks and major structural damage in the years to come, or regular
oil changes can avert engine damage and keep cars running longer.
The same goes for the physical network fabric, but with an
important advantage. Unlike the bodies were born with, we
sometimes get to choose the network fabric used in our facilities.
This is especially pertinent if youre like many other manufacturers
today and in the process of planning to deploy a new industrial
Ethernet infrastructure that seeks to harness the power of deeper
insights and greater connectivity available from innovations such as
The Internet of Things. Deploying a robust network infrastructure
without an eye for the future will catch up with you and cost you
in due time.
Consider the bandwidth of your network fabric. You may have
capacity to meet todays requirements, but will it be sufficient in
three to five years as new bandwidth demands arise, such as with
the expanding use of video capabilities?
Also, remember that network equipment can turn over as much as

TACTICAL BRIEF

four to five times compared to the physical infrastructure itself. Switches

may be replaced every four years, while cabling is only replaced about
every 20 years. With this in mind, it often makes more sense to put
in higher-bandwidth cabling that allows the network to scale up as
demands require. Today, that would require using at least 1 GB cabling.
Similar thinking should be applied to the number of ports used
when designing your system. As ODVA recommends in its Media
Planning and Installation Manual, designing a system with 20
percent or more excess ports for future expansion is a good rule of
thumb. It also recommends marking those excess ports as control
ports for future expansion to keep maintenance personnel informed
of the ports purpose.
Beyond meeting future expansion needs, thoughtful considerations
made during the planning and design stages can also be just as
relevant for your network fabrics day-to-day operations. For
example, understanding the range of environmental conditions
your physical infrastructure will be operating in will help you select
the right materials or appropriate design approaches to help avoid
equipment failures and subsequent downtime events.
Much like your car, your home and even your body, good decisions
today translate to a better-performing and more reliable network
fabric for the long haul. Additionally, reducing day-to-day uncertainty
about your networks performance can even mean less stress for you
which they say is good for your long-term health.

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Network Design Fundamentals

for the Connected World
By Dan McGrath, P.E

he benefits of converging industrial and information networks

with a validated secure architecture based on standard Internet
Protocol (IP) technologies are well established. The benefits include
greater connectivity and integration across plants, easier data sharing
across the enterprise, and better visibility into real-time operations.
Bringing together information technology (IT) and operations
technology (OT) networks is complex because of the gray area
between IT and OT roles and responsibilities within the company. IT
and OT professionals must have a common understanding of a host
of techniques and technologies to overcome this complexity and
establish a converged infrastructure that is secure and manageable
by all critical stakeholders.
The techniques and technologies used in network design can be
simplified by leveraging the ISA/IEC-62443 Zones and Conduits Model
developed by the ISA99 committee. The three design areas are:
cell or area zone
production site operations
enterprise zone integration

Designing for the cell or area zone

Several considerations must be made to ensure the network
infrastructure addresses your data, security, and availability
requirements at the cell or area network level. Machines and
TACTICAL BRIEF

process skids are seeing high growth in number and criticality

of IP connections. One of those considerations should be logical
segmentation, which is the process of dividing end points
into subnets and virtual local area networks (VLANs). A key
recommendation for industrial networks is to create smaller layer 2
networks to improve performance with the maximum of 200 devices
within a zone or VLAN.

VLAN spanning multiple switches

Segmentation allows for smaller layer 2 domains, which helps
constrain broadcast and multicast traffic. It also helps manage
the networks real-time communication properties and supports
the networks traffic-flow requirements. With segmentation,
manufacturers and industrial operators can meet their security
requirements by limiting remote expert or original equipment
manufacturer network access to only specified machines.
Organizations often accomplish physical segmentation within
the cell/area zone network by using separate cabling and switches.
This common approach in Ethernet networks can become a
hindrance to network performance if not properly planned. For
example, physically separating input/output (I/O) and humanmachine interface traffic without connecting the I/O traffic to an
interconnected layer 3 switch can limit overall connectivity and even

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Continued
Network Design Fundamentals for the Connected World
cause delays. Networks should, at a minimum,
be connected to a layer 2 or layer 3 switch,
rather than a controller, to interconnect.
VLANs are a very effective way to execute
segmentation: specifically, for segmenting
different traffic typesindustrial and
nonindustrialas well as creating smaller layer
2 networks. Establish VLANs in a one-to-one
relationship with subnets to make routing
easier and more straightforward. Devices on a
single VLAN are typically assigned IP addresses
from the same subnet, and they do not require
a layer 3 switch or router to communicate
among each other within the VLAN. Using
a layer 3 switch or managed switches with
layer 2/3 functionality allows communication
between VLANs. A management VLAN should
be established for management across multiple
cell/area zones.
Additionally, using structured cabling for
interswitch links and more critical runs in your
cell/area zone is a best practice network design
approach. Point-to-point cabling is the norm for
connecting end-point devices in close proximity.
TACTICAL BRIEF

However, more critical connections can benefit

from using industry standards designed to ensure
a testable, scalable infrastructure. A structured
cabling approach has better organization and
testability with patching fields, permanent links,
and patch cords that are validated as a highperformance system for rising data rates and high
availability. Structured cabling built on TIA-1005
or ENXXX standards have the bandwidth and
noise immunity for challenging cell or area zone
deployments to ensure uptime.

Designing for production site operations

The Internet of Things (IoT) has created an
explosion of smart IPenabled devices that were
not traditionally connected to the network.
This has created an opportunity to deploy a
more flexible architecture with mobile access
to data and connectivity within the production
environment. Wireless network technology is
one of the key enablers for realizing the value of
IoT. Wireless technology offers new capabilities,
such as bring your own device and wireless
security cameras, to protect assets and lower
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time up to 75%.

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Continued
Network Design Fundamentals for the Connected World
installation and operational costs.
Wireless local area networks are significantly different from wired
LANs, and they should be designed for your security, reliability,
bandwidth, and throughput requirements. For example, Wi-Fi
Protected Access 2 with Advanced Encryption Standard encryption
is the only mechanism recommended for control and automation
wireless applications, and it should be used in combination with
other security methods, such as preshared key authentication.
Wireless channel packet rates should be limited to 2,200 packets
per second to help avoid packet delays, and they should be reduced
in areas that experience interference and radio-frequency issues.
Also, avoid the more heavily used 2.4-GHz band for industrial
control applications because you may encounter interference. The
5-GHz band provides dedicated bandwidth and less interference.
Conducting a site survey will also help you identify and curtail other
potential interference within a production environment.
Virtualization is another key network technology in the connected
industrial enterprise. Virtualization breaks the previously unbreakable
link between hardware and software, so you can keep industrial
applications running beyond the life cycle of their hardware.
Virtualization also abandons the traditional one-to-one approach,
meaning multiple applications and operating systems can run from a
single server.

TACTICAL BRIEF

Important considerations when designing a virtual environment

include your applications RAM, CPU, and disk I/O requirements, as well
as how many applications will be deployed in the virtual environment
and the kind of network switching. Take into account your current
needs, but also design for growth in the next five to 10 years.
You can engineer and build a virtualized system from scratch,
but this approach can be costly and time consuming. You will need
to purchase equipment from multiple vendors and spend weeks
assembling, installing, and testing the system. An alternative
approach is to purchase a bundled virtualization system with
preassembled, tested, and validated hardware. Bundled systems also
often come with support services, including on-site configuration and
integration, which can shave days or even weeks off the deployment
process compared to the build-from-scratch approach.
Keep in mind, however, that bundled virtualization systems are
produced for a range of industries. It is important to select a system
that is custom built for the demands of the industrial environment.

Enterprise integration
A truly converged IT and OT network architecture achieves
seamless integration both horizontally, across multiple sites, and
vertically, from the shop floor to the top floor. Doing this requires an
understanding of the key techniques that bridge the gap between

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Continued
Network Design Fundamentals for the Connected World
historically separate networks.
Using fully standard IP networks throughout the architecture,
such as EtherNet/IP for automation communication, eases future
application design. Only an IP-centric network infrastructure can help
you better use the Internet of Thingswhich is the proliferation of
connected industrial and commercial devicesbecause it is a unified
digital communications fabric on which these IP-enabled devices
can talk to each other. A fully standard IP network means your
network design is more future proof and can deploy new services or
applications without specialized gateways or communication stacks
that create integration challenges.
Cloud computing also helps integrate the enterprise. Moving data
centers to the cloud simplifies implementation and maintenance,
reduces costs, and improves an organizations agility. However,
the cloud still requires a robust physical infrastructure. Factoring
in important design considerationssuch as deciding what kind
of cloud you will use and identifying your bandwidth and cabling
requirementswill help you make the most of your cloud investment.
Enterprise integration also cannot occur without considering
security. Given the expansion of the network fabric, increased access
to sensitive data, and the breadth of cybersecurity threats, designing

TACTICAL BRIEF

in multiple layers of protection should be considered a security

best practice. This defense-in-depth approach builds a system of
safeguards for both digital and physical security, putting multiple
security measures in place to counter each individual threat.
Digital security measures include device authentication according
to the 802.1X standard, policies that ensure the most recent antivirus
updates and security patches are installed, monitoring key network
statistics and log files for signs of intrusion, configuring network
switches to manage traffic and access, and tightly controlling
software used for remote access.
Physical security includes pass codes and access cards to limit
personnel access to rooms and connected machines. USB block outs
help prevent unauthorized network access, the removal of sensitive
information, and the threat of spreading a virus. Lock-in/block-out
devices can prevent unwanted plugging and unplugging for copper
and fiber connections.
Lastly, an industrial demilitarized zone can be a crucial barrier of
protection between the enterprise and industrial zones. It serves as a
choke point for all traffic between zones and can help better manage
access, such as with authentication enforcement or by monitoring
traffic for known threats.

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Down to the Wire

Building a Resilient Network Infrastructure
By Andy Banathy, Solution Architect, Panduit

he Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses everyday devices (e.g.,

smartphones, tablets, video cameras) embedded with technology
that enables these devices to interact in new ways. The IoT also
broadens outside the production space to connect Operations
Technology (OT) with Information Technology (IT), thereby opening
the door to an array of new applications and enhancing existing ones.
These new capabilities are further bolstered by a standard Ethernet
network, which manufacturers are now adopting on the plant floor
as they migrate from proprietary networks.
The IoT revolution is expected to create tremendous business
opportunities by 2022, especially in the industrial automation
market. This translates into a value of $3.88 trillion linked to
manufacturing, according to Industrial-IP.org1 and invites speculation
on whether the physical cabling network infrastructure will be able
to withstand the IoT flood of data flow.
The right design and cable installation are critical to overall
network reliability. According to Gartner2, the average cost of
network downtime is estimated to be $5,600 per minute, which is
well over $300,000 per hour.
Manufacturers are acutely aware of the repercussions of downtime.
In addition to the direct costs associated with down machines tied
to the network, challenges exist even when machines are running.

TACTICAL BRIEF

Although a plant may be able to produce manufactured goods, the

company may not be able to ship or sell because it lacks qualitycontrolled electronic documentation, product serialization to track
and trace, inventory management, and regulatory compliance data.
Enterprise applications, plant floor software, asset management
and quality control applications, predictive analytics, and virus
protection systems need a reliable network to work effectively.
More importantly, the necessary network is comprised of more than
communication protocols. The actual physical infrastructure (i.e., the
cables, connectors, wires, cabinets, and panels) is often overlooked.
This existing hardware most of which has been in place for
decadeswill soon be overtaxed by an influx of networked devices
resulting from the IoT movement.
As manufacturers standardize on Ethernet across the organization,
they create synchronicity and visibility between the plant floor
and the enterprise to achieve gains in efficiency and output. Still,
plant managers worry that their existing reliable, proprietary
configurations could be degraded in an Ethernet network
upgrade. Therefore, it is critical for every CIO, plant manager, and
systems integrator to assess each element of the network, from
communication protocols to cables, and proactively focus on future
needs as they expand or upgrade their network infrastructure.

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Continued
Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure
The New Manufacturing Model
Today, organizations are challenged to
transform due to disruptive technologies. From
the proliferation of IoT to the globalization of
manufacturing, the pressure is on to achieve
lower costs, and deliver to new markets.
Manufacturers in the best-in-class
category put a greater emphasis on network
management, network reliability, and resilience.
They build redundancy into network paths as a
backup and map out a wiring strategy to ensure
that data speed is maximized across the plant
floor network. In other words, the best-in-class
network blueprint plots every aspect of the
infrastructuredown to the wire.
It pays to be forward-thinking with your
physical infrastructure, said Andy Banathy,
Solution Architect, Panduit. Deploying the right
media will help avoid performance issues and
keep costly upgrades to a minimum. Late in the
game, when the network is already deployed, it
is very expensive to fix issues, Banathy said. In
my experience, something that costs $10 in the
planning stage may cost $10,000 to fix in the field.
TACTICAL BRIEF

To turn the reliable, resilient network vision

into a reality, companies are defining physical
designs and establishing global standards. But
before they can proceed, they must conduct an
environment evaluation, otherwise known as
an assessment.

Pre-Configured Industrial Distribution Frame (IDF)

Assessment Steps
Manufacturers should complete the steps
outlined below to understand their bandwidth
and cable requirements.
1. Number of Ethernet Devices
Start the assessment by tallying all the
Ethernet devices that require connectivity not
only for today, but for the next 10 to 20 years.
This may include machines, sensors, cameras,
controllers, drives, and switches.
2. Environmental Risks
Next, consider the environmental risks to
the infrastructure. For example, caustic, wet
conditions could affect cable jacket material,
and areas with high electrical noise may
compromise copper cable. The assessment is
also the time to identify obstructions to cable
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The Pre-Configured IDF is specifically engineered to deploy and protect rack mount Ethernet switches in
industrial applications. Extra-depth
allows room for cable management,
power management, and switch
stack cables and accommodates up
to 5 switches. The innovative design
provides consistent equipment deployment with faster installation
and can significantly lower the risk of
downtime due to switch overheating.

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Continued
Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure
routing and to optimize cable run lengths. Refer to TIA-1005-A for
more information.
3. Bandwidth Consumers
After assessing environmental risks, consider the kind of traffic flow
to determine bandwidth needs. Examine all the packet-producing
devices and estimate data, control, video, and VoIP output needs.
4. Downtime
To properly architect the network, it is important to determine the
cost of downtime to help establish network investment needs. High
downtime costs require design considerations for greater resiliency,
cable protection, and pathways.
5. Security
The industrial network is not an island. As part of the assessment,
manufacturers should determine how to connect with the enterprise
network, which has greater security needs due to the number of
security attacks on the IT network.
The convergence of enterprise IT and the industrial network means
a hacker could wreak havoc in a companys ability to manufacture.
Therefore, it is important to adhere to best practices to build a
bullet-proof security scheme when converging IT and plant floor
networks. This in-depth defense scheme should cover everything
from protocols to port physical security.

TACTICAL BRIEF

The Connected Plant

Historically, the plant floor and the enterprise have remained
separate domains. However, with changing market dynamics that
demand just-in-time manufacturing, scalability, and operational
visibility, companies are now connecting these disparate networks.
Rockwell Automation and Cisco have developed an architectural
model that safely merges the two standards-compliant Ethernet
networks. The model, called the Converged Plant-wide Ethernet
(CPwE) architecture, is a set of best practices referring to a logical
network architecture that extends to the physical layer.
This architecture uses VLANs to efficiently segment traffic across
the Layer 2 and Layer 3 network infrastructure; however, all plant
control traffic stays below the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) layer, while
any information needed in the enterprise zone is accessed through
a server in the DMZ rather than allowing direct traffic between the
enterprise and manufacturing compute systems. This setup allows
the IT network and the operations network to share data, but they
remain virtually isolated, so if the enterprise is breached or a virus is
introduced, it cannot reach the production environment.
In addition to security, CPwE also considers planned and unplanned
future growth of the network. As Ethernet expands into the
manufacturing environment and as a unified architecture is put in
place to manage all networking and to control traffic, facilities that

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Continued
Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure
have well-planned and structured physical
networks will be best positioned to improve
overall operational efficiency, productivity, and
flexibility. Refer to the Panduit Industrial Ethernet
Physical Infrastructure Reference Architecture
Design Guide for more information.

The Industrial Network of the Future

Traditionally, industrial networks have been set
up in a point-to-point configuration, with a single
cable terminated to plugs (i.e., a long patch
cord). Structured cabling is emerging as a more
robust and sustainable infrastructure because
it better facilitates growth and troubleshooting,
factors that are important to manufacturing.
However, there are pros and cons to each
approach, depending on the implementation.
Point-to-point is ideal for short cable runs
in an enclosure or small ring applications.
However, plugs can be hard to terminate.
Another consideration is stranded vs. solid
cables. Stranded cables lead to reduced distance
because of higher attenuation, while a solid
conductor cable can break due to flexing. More
TACTICAL BRIEF

importantly, fixed length, point-to-point cables

cannot be readily extended or reconfigured as
a structured approach with patch panels. In
addition, some network test equipment excludes
connections to the tester, therefore the entire
channel is not tested.
Structured cabling is the preferred
implementation for longer and more critical
runs, such as connecting enclosures, machines,
test equipment, and cameras, as it provides
a means for troubleshooting and testability,
growth, and reliability. Utilizing patch cords,
jacks, and horizontal cabling creates an
optimized network channel. Also, the horizontal
cable is easier and faster to reliably terminate to
a jack versus a plug. By installing network cabling
to create spare network channels for growth,
technicians can connect to a different channel
when adding equipment or in the event of a
network cabling failure.
While there is a focus on channel resiliency,
the value of structured cabling is its systematic
approach to planning and deploying cabling
and cable management based on the
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The Impact of Copper Patch

Cords on Network Performance

As network infrastructures continue

to have a higher impact on productivity, it becomes increasingly important to select a reliable end-to-end
cabling system, allowing for future
network growth.
100% performance tested
Patented tangle-free latch
Keyed patch cords available for
improved security

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Continued
Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure
Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Industrial Premises
(TIA-1005-A).

Media Selection
Cable media is influenced by cable reach, harsh environments,
electrical noise, bandwidth, and switch convergence. For example,
proper copper channel cable transmits 100m while single-mode fiber
optic cable can reach distances of many kilometers, depending on
the transceiver selection.
Corrosive, wet, and oily environments all impact network cable
jackets, causing degradation. There are a variety of outer jacket
coverings such as polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), which have varying levels of cable
protection. The toughest jacket covering, polyurethane, is abrasionand tear-resistant, and resistant to oil, radiation, fungus, oxidation,
and ozone. Beneath the outer jacket, metallic foil or braid may be
used to suppress electrical noise. However, the ultimate in electrical
noise immunity is the deployment of fiber.
Another media consideration is bandwidth, especially for large
data consumers such as interswitch links and cameras. Bandwidth
requirements may necessitate higher category copper such as
Category 6 and perhaps multi-mode and single-mode fiber that can
transmit up to 10Gb/s.

TACTICAL BRIEF

Recovery time from a network interruption impacts manufacturing

downtime. This time can be minimized by deploying fiber cable for
interswitch links in rings or redundant star configurations. With fiber
the switches recognize loss of signal faster than copper interfaces,
and can recover communications much faster than copper. In less
complex, smaller networks, copper may be suitable, but the recovery
time for network faults needs to be weighed against downtime costs.

Mapping Out Network Necessities

At this point, the network assessment is complete, the network
topology is settled, the location of the point-to-point and structured
cabling, and the cable construction/media have all been decided.
Now it is time to design and deploy the infrastructure, starting with
the plant drawing to overlay the logical network architecture on the
physical layer.
By having a visual diagram of the network in place prior to
the deployment, decisions can be made on routing and the
environmental impact on cabling infrastructure. The ISO/IEC 24702
standard has a methodology to assess the environment with four
factors - mechanical, ingress, climate, and electromagnetic (referred
to as M.I.C.E).
M.I.C.E disruptions can be mitigated with the proper cable jacket
covering and shielding to suppress electrical noise.

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Continued
Down to the WireBuilding a Resilient Network Infrastructure
Keep the following in mind when assessing,
designing, and deploying the physical
infrastructure:
Standards-compliant configurations (from
TIA cabling standards to EtherNet/IP)
Cabling methods, (i.e., structured vs.
point-to-point)
Network topology affecting media selection
Fiber optic and copper cabling applications
Appropriate jacket covering and shielding
for harsh environments

Infrastructure Matters
If approached in a systematic manner using
standards-compliant methodology, cabling
infrastructure can be a scalable solution that
marries the evolving aspects of the logical and

physical networks and can adapt to an everchanging dynamic industry. Data continuity
involves media, wire covering, and topology. In
addition, leveraging best practices and certified
techniques outlined by technology vendors allows
for an efficient and cost-effective installation.
The network must withstand the test of time.
Wire it right from the beginning.
(1) Source: Industrial-IP.org
(2) Source: Gartner blog, The Cost of
Downtime July 16, 2014
Referenced Resources
ANSI/TIA-1005-A Telecommunications
Infrastructure Standard for Industrial
Premises
ISO/IEC 24702 Information Technology
Generic Cabling Industrial Premises

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Manufacturing Trends and the MES Connection

Improve your decision making and efficiency by coordinating transformative technologies to work together,
rather than considering them unrelated to each other.
By Luigi De Bernardini

hen referencing big trends these daysthose trends

thatevolve rapidly and have a significant impact on changing
operations where they are appliedwe are often referring to one
of four key technologies: the Internet of Things, Big Data, Cloud
Computing or Analytics.
The Internet of Things is a concept wherein devices communicate
their status, needs and problems using intelligent sensors to
transmit this information over the Internet. Widely distributed
sensors and data sources are woven into an autonomous
communications network, generating complex and significant
aggregated data.
Big Data identifies the large volumes of data available at high
transfer speeds and is characterized by innovative and economic
systems that are needed to manage and extract information
useful in decision-making. The challenge is storing and processing
these data efficiently.
This combination of technologies within a production management
system has the potential to create a vision of the production
environment that goes beyond the boundaries of the plant to
pervade the entire supply chain from raw material to final customer.
Cloud Computing usually refers to a system whose processing
capabilities are provided through Internet technology and
TACTICAL BRIEF

is scalable, so that the user does not have to acquire and

maintain an IT infrastructure, but can simply use a service sized
dynamically to suit their needs. Information is available anywhere
and to anyone who needs it.
Analytics is a generic term to identify activities and business
intelligence applicationsrelating to a specific domain orspecific
content. Analytics involve the application of statistical models or
mathematical algorithms to the available data in order to predict
possible scenarios and support manual or automated decisionmaking processes. This facilitates the ability to treat data in a
complex way, automatically applying algorithms to generate
sophisticated information previously available only after extensive
manual processing bypeople with extensive experience.
Each of these technology elements have beengenerated within
IT, but they are not considered closely related or interdependent.
However, I believe that there is a different way to look at it.
These four trends, each one transformative in and of itself, are,
in fact, complementary parts of an overriding movement that is
revolutionizing the manufacturing industry.
The combination of all four key pieces outlines a scenario identifiable
as the evolution of a single manufacturing execution system (MES) to a
new level of pervasiveness and efficiency.

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Continued
Manufacturing Trends and the MES Connection
This combination of technologies within a
production management system has the potential
to create a vision of the production environment
that goes beyond the boundaries of the plantto
pervadethe entire supply chain from raw material
to final customer. With real time information
available on both the basic components and
the finished product, the data generated is of
unimaginable value. Production processes can
transform themselves constantly, adapting to the
market conditions to optimize production times,
reduce waste, maximize inventory turns, improve
efficiency and, ultimately, ensure the satisfaction
of the customer.

TACTICAL BRIEF

The ability to include information collected

directly from the finished product in real time
adds a whole new dimension to analysis. The
end useris the recipient of all the added value
of such a production process. Implementation
not only requires a reorganization of production
processes, with its technological investments,
but induces a cultural change related to the fact
that each link in the chain cannot independently
determine its own strategy. Each link needs
to align its strategy with those of the other
elementsand must behave asone component in
the fulltransformation of the entire system. The
alternative is that the chain may end up broken,
and your company pulled out of the market.

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Increase Your Network

Security

Prevent unauthorized access or accidental breaches by establishing a

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Micro Data Centers

14 /16

Cat5E Beats Cat6 for Industrial Applications

yth: Category 5E cable is better than Category 6 for industrial

applications because its lower bandwidth makes it less
susceptible to electromagnetic interference from VFD drives and
other noise sources.
False.
Cat6 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable systems offer better
noise mitigation than Cat5E because the improved electrical balance
of twisted pair cables and RJ45 connectors reduces risk of common
mode noise from being converted to differential mode noise that
corrupts communication. Cat6 cables superior electrical balance
arises from the fact that it has more twists per foot, and specs call for
better geometry to avoid differential noise coupling.
If the balance is perfect, the differential mode measurements will
be equal on both conductors of the twisted pair and thereby cancel
out imposed noise.
An analogy to common mode would be a bird sitting on a power
line. Both of its feet are exposed to the same high voltage, so no
current flows through the bird.
However, if a bird could grab two different power lines, one in each
foot, the high voltage difference would cause a large current to flow
through the bird. The result: a roasted bird.
Installation of copper Ethernet cabling near control-panel noise sources
increases the potential risk for common mode noise coupling that can
result in bit errors and delays. Common-mode noise is the voltage that
can develop on the entire LAN channel with respect to ground.

TACTICAL BRIEF

Cat6 can be a good choice for UTP installations where higher

bandwidth needs and noise concerns are both present. They can be
safely used in many automation systems if risks are understood and
installation best practices are observed.
Ethernet infrastructure design techniques for UTP that can
improve noise rejection include:
Maintaining proper bend radius and separation distance between
conductors.
Avoiding over-tightened cable ties.
Using good bonding practices for shielded motor cables.
Ensuring cable and connector balance using best-in-class vendor
connectivity solutions that exceed standards specifications.
The CMRR (Common-Mode Rejection Ratio) of a cabling system
is a ratio, articulated in dB, of common-mode noise rejected and
prevented from converting to a differential mode voltage. IEEE and
EIA/TIA defines the minimum requirements for CMRR in terms of
transverse conversion loss (TCL) and transverse conversion transfer loss
(TCTL), which are power ratio measurements characterizing unbalance
from transmit and receive ends. TIA-1005 advises the use of Cat6
connectors for providing improved balance to mitigate noise concerns.
Not all manufacturers design their connectors for optimized
balance, so reviewing this critical specification is essential when
choosing a connector, as well as patch cable.
Cat6 cables also can provide higher bandwidth potential than Cat5E
for demanding future applications (e.g. vision systems, motion control,

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Continued
Cat5E Beats Cat6 for Industrial Applications
etc.) while offering improved noise immunity.
If stronger noise mitigation is required due to
close proximity of high noise sources, Shielded
Twisted Pair (STP) cable is an option. However,
careful attention to bonding and ground loop
avoidance are critical for the shield to be
effective and not counter-productive. Older

facilities are especially prone to this problem if

they do not have low impedance equipotential
bonding, and have high power devices and EMI
noise sources. The use of robust fiber optic links
for long runs and high noise areas provide the
ultimate answer for noise avoidance as EMI
cannot couple to the light signal.

Industrial Myths Can you

distinguish the facts from the
fallacies?

Cat5E Beats Cat6 for Industrial Applications: Category 5E cable is

better than Category 6 for industrial
applications because its lower bandwidth makes it less susceptible to
electromagnetic interference from
VFD drives and other noise sources.
Visit Industrial IP Advantage to uncover some of the misconceptions
around industrial IP today. Test your
knowledge and expertise!

TACTICAL BRIEF

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