Get Labels for your Cables

Introduction to the TIA/EIA 606-A Standard

Olive Wu
Singapore
2007-12-5
Why you or your customers need ID?
 Why label your telecom Network?

What if labels would fall off?

“It would be an absolute nightmare if labels would fall off. It would be
very time consuming to reapply the labels” – End user

“If manual records are not maintained: Many, many man hours
spending time on things you didn't need and don’t want to do.” – End
user

“Hard to express in monetary value but labour cost and monetary
value would be quite devastating. It easily takes 2 weeks work for 2
teams of 2 man per site” Distributor
 Seminar Objectives

Gain an understanding of the 606-A standard

and the benefits of compliance

Learn more about 606-A compliant

identification solutions

Review a set of integrated products that can

automate labeling, documentation and testing
Overview of 606-A Administration Standard
New ANSI/TIA/EIA 606-A Administration Standard

Developed by the industry, approved and already

being used

A uniform administration for generic

telecommunications systems that will support multi-
product, multi-vendor environments

A user-friendly guideline for owners, end users,

manufacturers, consultants, contractors, designers
and installers
 Purpose and Goals of TIA/EIA 606-A Standard

To provide an administrative system that is:

Useful enough to gain wide acceptance in the
industry

Simple enough to be administered

Equally accommodating to all infrastructure sizes

Scalable

Intuitive to installers and technicians
 Such a System Will

Reduce the labor cost of maintaining the

system

Improve the reliability of the cabling and
extend its useful life

Increase the value of the infrastructure to the
owner and users
 Overview of the TIA/EIA 606-A Standard

Specifies administration classes based upon size and

complexity of an infrastructure system (# of buildings,
elements)

Provides a uniform approach to support multi-

product/multi-vendor cabling systems

Delivers specific guidelines for documentation and

labeling
 Changes From the Previous Standard

Classes of Administration

Defines the different needs for small, medium and large
cabling infrastructures

Modular and Scalable

Allows for expansion to higher classes without requiring
changes to existing identifiers or labels

Common Identifier Formats

Allows exchange of information between design drawings,
testers, cable management software and labeling tools.
(Identifiers link the elements of the infrastructure with their
records.)

Specifies Label Formats
 Classes of Administration

Single Building

Class 1: fewer than 100 users, single telecommunications
space (TS)

Class 2: hundreds of users, multiple TSs

Multiple Buildings

Class 3: over 1000 users in a campus, multiple buildings at a
single site

Class 4: thousands of users in a wide-area infrastructure
with multiple buildings/sites
 Elements within Classes of Administration

Horizontal and Backbone Pathways and Cabling

Telecommunications Spaces – Entrance facility (EF),

Telecommunications room (TR), Equipment room
(ER)

Firestopping and Grounding

 606-A Specifications for Each Class

Required identifiers for each element within a class

such as telecommunications spaces, horizontal links,
firestops, etc. (Serve as the key to find the recorded
information within the system)

Required records for each of the four classes of
administration. Can be managed by:

Paper-based system

General purpose spreadsheet software

Special purpose cable management software
606-A Identifiers by Class
 Specific Function of the TIA/EIA 606-A Standard

Assigns identifiers to infrastructure elements

Specifies naming requirements for each identifier or

label

Specifies the type of information to be included in

each record associated with an identifier

Specifies relationships between records

 Example of a Required Record

Telecommunications Space (TS)

TS identifier name

Type of TS

Building room number

Key or access card identification

Contact person

Hours of access
 Example of a Required Record

Horizontal Link

Horizontal Link identifier name

Cable type (ie: 4 pair, UTP, Cat 5e)

Location of outlet/connector (office)

Outlet connector type

Cable length

Location of TS

Cross-connect hardware type

Service record of link
 Color Coding

Color coding of termination fields

Can simplify infrastructure administration and maintenance

Makes structure of cabling more intuitive

Color coding of horizontal cabling

Identifies services connected by patch cords

Identifies work area connectivity
 606-A Color Codes

Termination Type Color Typical Application

Demarcation Point Orange Central office connection

Network Connection Green User side of central office connection

Common Equipment Purple Connections to PBX, mainframe computer, LAN, multiplexer

Key System Red Connections to key telephone systems

Terminations of intrabuilding backbone cable connecting MC to
First Level Backbone White
IC’s
Termination of intrabuilding backbone cable connecting IC’s to
Second Level Backbone Gray
HC’s

Interbuilding Backbone Brown Termination of backbone cable between buildings

Horizontal Blue Terminations of horizontal cable in TSs

Other Yellow Alarms, security, or energy management

 606-A Label Requirements

Labels/Labeling should:

Be of a size, color and contrast to be readily visible

Be resistant to the environment conditions at the point of installation
(moisture/heat/UV/Scratch)

Have a useful life equal to or greater than component being labeled

Be printed by a mechanical device and shall not be written by hand

•Acrylic-based
•Rubber-based
•Silicone-based

Label construction
Material specifications

Aluminum

120
Adhesion Strength (oz/in)

100
White TZS
80
Clear TZS
B-423
60
B-430
B-499
40
B-439
20

0
20 minutes 24 hours
Dwell Time
 Key Identification Applications
Backbone Cabling
-Inter- and intra-building cabling

Horizontal Links
-Termination hardware in Grounding and Fire-stopping
telecommunications spaces and -Telecom main grounding bus bar
workstation outlets/faceplates
-Fire stopping locations
-Horizontal cabling
 Horizontal Link Identification

Identifier labels on patch panels and/or wiring blocks

in the TS

Identifier labels at each end of the horizontal cabling

(within 12” from the end)

Identifier labels on individual connectors

(faceplates/outlets) in work stations
 Example of Horizontal Link

For Terminations and Cabling

1A-A001

1A = telecommunications room A, located on the
first floor of building

A = Specific patch panel in telecommunications
room

001 = Specific port on patch panel
 Backbone Cabling Identification

Cables that run between telecommunications spaces

(TSs) in a single building or cables that connect TSs
between buildings

Cable identifiers should be marked on each end of

the backbone cable within 12” of the end of the cable
jacket
 Backbone Identifiers

Intrabuilding Backbone Cable Identifier - 2A/3A-1

2A = 2nd Floor, Telecommunications Space A

3A = 3rd Floor, Telecommunications Space A

-1 = Backbone cable 1

Interbuilding Backbone Cable Identifier –
(ADM-3A)/(ENG-2A)-4

3A = Administration Bldg, Telecom Space 3A

2A = English Bldg, Telecom Space 2A

- 4 = Backbone cable 4
 Grounding Identification

Telecommunications main grounding busbar is tied

directly to the grounding source and is used to
ground all telecommunications equipment

The busbar should be labeled TMGB

TMGB = Telecommunications Main Grounding Busbar
 Firestopping Location Identification

A firestopping location identifier shall identify each

installation of firestopping material

All firestopping identifiers in a single infra- structure

should have the same format where possible

Label where firestopping is installed, on each side of

the penetrated barrier, within 12” of the firestopping
material
 Firestopping Identifier

Example of a firestopping identifier name:

3-FSL02(3)

3 = 3rd Floor

FSL = Firestopping Location Identifier

02 = Firestopping location 2

(3) = Hour rating of the firestopping system
606-A Compliant
Identification Solutions
 606-A Compliant ID Solution Components

Requirement: Labels must be printed by a

mechanical device/not be written by hand

Solution:

Printing systems (printers/software) for automated labeling

Requirement: Readable, durable, environment
resistant labels

Solution:

High performance labels, offered in a variety of sizes and
materials, to fit multi-vendor equipment offerings and meet
installation conditions
 Printing Systems

Portable Printers

Popular option due to flexibility, ease-of-use, cost
Effective for lower volume use

Field on demand label printing

Desktop and Bench-top Printers

Effective for larger installations due to print speed/ higher
volume output

Suitable for creating and printing labels in advance

Offer computer connectivity for label creation and storage

Automated integrated solution=printer + applicator

Printer + applicator

Large volume application

Productivity + Quality + Simplification
 Example-Brady ID Pal Labeling Tool

Field on demand printing

Perfect field labeling tool

Handy, rugged, easy to use

Entry-level value priced
labeling tool

Prints continuous tape, with
a choice of six 606-A
compliant tape colors

Prints Brady quality
materials, for labels that
stick
 Example-TLS2200/TLS PC Link Thermal Labeling
Systems

Most versatile and powerful

portable labeling system
available

Hand held and desktop
versions

Prints self-laminating and die
cut labels, continuous tape

PC compatible

Ability to print bar codes

Recommended for medium
volume label printing
 Example-Brady Bench/Desktop Printers

High resolution, high output

thermal transfer printing

Versatile to accommodate all
kinds of consumables

Suitable for centralized print
requirements

PC connectivity for use with
any Windows based programs
 Example-Wraptor: Printer + Applicator

Improves Productivity

Enhance Product Quality

Simplify Operation
 Label Design Software

Labeling Software Features

Ability to format any style of data communications
labels including those for cable, faceplate, and
closet hardware applications

Easy editing functions/graphical imports

Ability to download information from spreadsheets
and cable management software

Easy template creation for frequently used label
formats and lists
LabelMark Software

Prints directly to any Brady

printer, as well as inkjet, dot
matrix and laser printers

Allows import of labels from
spreadsheets and cable
management software

Easy-to-use single screen editing

Easy template creation for label
lists/formats/serialization

Print graphic images/bar codes
 High Performance Labels

Label Specifications

Should meet the legibility, defacement, exposure
and adhesion requirements of UL 969

Adhesive labels should feature aggressive
adhesives that stick to curved and highly-textured
surfaces

Should be available in a large variety of die-cut
and continuous sizes to fit various applications
and vendors’ equipment (die cut labels can save
installation time)
 Why label your telecom Network?

What if labels would fall off?

“It would be an absolute nightmare if labels would fall off. It would be
very time consuming to reapply the labels” – End user

“If manual records are not maintained: Many, many man hours
spending time on things you didn't need and don’t want to do.” – End
user

“Hard to express in monetary value but labour cost and monetary
value would be quite devastating. It easily takes 2 weeks work for 2
teams of 2 man per site” Distributor
 Identification challenges

Super slim cable with rich ID text- fibre optic

Low surface energy jacket-easy to fall off-Brady proprietary
adhesive never looses grip

Tough environmental conditions: UV, dirt, oil, Chemicals

To identify equipments from different vendors

Hundreds of consumable SKUs to accommodate all the popular
hardware suppliers-Cross reference guide
PTL-42-
P&T shaped labels 422/439/430
-Mono mode fibre
optic

PTL-45-422

Back bone
Brady Labels for
Data Communications

Wide range of sizes (including
wider labels) that fit many
applications and need for more
identifier information on labels

Proprietary adhesives that stick
to curved and highly textured
surfaces

A variety of die cut labels
(rounded corners for better
adhesion) and continuous tapes
in white, clear and 606-A
compliant colors

Label formats available for highly
specialized applications
Cross Reference Guide
Automated Best Practices-Labeling,
Documentation and Testing
The Value of Automated Solutions

New documentation, labeling and

testing requirements in 606-A will
drive the need for automated
solutions that can:

Simplify installation/maintenance

Eliminate proprietary and conflicting
information

Save TIME and MONEY

Automated solution options

Integration of cable management
software with testing and labeling
software

Direct connectivity between printers
and testers
 Integrated Cable Management example

LabelMark V2.0.5 label design software/TLS 2200 or

TLS PC Link printer

FlukeNetwork’s DTX Cable Analyzer
and LinkWare software
 Field Testing and Labeling Solution Example

For testing and labeling

in the field

Interface: OMNIScanner2
and TLS PC Link printer

Features:

Imports Cable IDs into TLS
PC Link for printing in the
telecommunications space
and at workstations
 Integrated Cable Management example

Agilent
WireScope tester
 Benefits of 606-A
Compliant Solution

Simplifies installation/maintenance

Eliminates proprietary and conflicting information

Reduces errors and eliminates time to re-enter
information when changes/adds occur

Saves TIME and MONEY

Provides an impression of quality workmanship
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question:

What are the three areas of administration

covered under the new 606-A Administration
Standard?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:

Labeling

Documentation

Testing
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question:

What are the major changes from the old 606

Standard?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:

Defines classes of administration

System is modular and scalable

Common identifier formats are specified

Label formats are specified
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question

What are the labeling requirements called out

in the new 606-A standard?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:
Labels/Labeling should:

Be of a size, color and contrast to be readily visible

Be resistant to the environmental conditions at the point on
installation

Have a useful life equal to or greater than the component
being labeled

Be printed by a mechanical devise and should not be written
by hand
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question:

What are the key identification applications

called out in the new 606-A Standard?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:

Horizontal Links (telecommunications space,

cabling, termination hardware)

Backbone Cabling

Grounding and Firestopping
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question:

What is the 606-A labeling specification for

horizontal links cabling?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:

Cable identifiers,(example:1A-A001), should be

marked on each end of the horizontal cabling
within 12” from each end of the cable
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Question:

What are the benefits of a 606-A compliant

identification solutions?
 606-A Standard Quick Quiz

Answer:

Simplifies installation and maintenance

Eliminates proprietary and conflicting information

Reduces errors and eliminates time to re-enter
information when changes/adds occur

Saves TIME and MONEY

Provides an impression of quality worksmanship