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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_distribution_frame
History
Before 1960, MDF jumpers were generally soldered. This was reliable but slow and expensive. Wire wrap was
introduced in the 1960s, and punch blocks in the 1970s.
Each jumper is a twisted pair. Middle 20th century jumper wires in the USA were 24 AWG single strand copper,
with a soft polyethylene inner jacket and a cotton wrapper, impregnated to make it slightly brittle and easy to
remove neatly. Late 20th century ones had a single, thicker coating of polyethylene cross-linked to provide a
suitable degree of brittleness.
Some urban telephone exchange MDFs are two stories high so they do not have to be more than a city block
long. A few are three stories. Access to the upper levels can be either by a traveling ladder attached to the MDF,
or by mezzanine walkways at a suitable height. By British custom the cables to the outside world are terminated
on the horizontal side, and the indoors equipment on the vertical side. American usage is the opposite.
Smaller MDFs, and some modern large ones, are single sided so one worker can install, remove or change a
jumper. COSMOS and other computerized Operations Support Systems help by assigning terminals close to one
another, so most jumpers need not be long and shelves on either type of MDF do not become congested. This
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_distribution_frame
database keeps track of all terminals and jumpers. In the early and middle 20th century these records were kept
as pencil entries in ledger books. The later database method saves much labor by permitting old jumpers to be
reused for new lines.[1]
The adoption of distributed switching in the late 20th century diminished the need for large, active, central
MDFs.
Sometimes the MDF is combined with other kinds of distribution frame in a CDF.
The MDF in a private branch exchange performs functions similar to those performed by the MDF in a central
office.
Automated Main Distribution Frame (AMDF) has been a subject of experiments.
See also
Intermediate distribution frame for more about vertical and horizontal main distribution frames.
Distribution frame
References
1. "MDF Jumpering".
This article incorporates public domain material from the General Services Administration document "Federal
Standard 1037C" (http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm) (in support of MIL-STD-188).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_distribution_frame&oldid=731811142"
Categories: Telephony equipment Telephone exchanges
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19/11/2016 10:43 AM