We at Paige recently had the honor of recognizing an esteemed client, Johnson Controls (JCI), with the 2019 Game Changing Integrator of the Year Award.
The award was presented to Hank Monaco, Director of Marketing and Tony Mucci, Director of Product Management. It recognizes Johnson Controls for having demonstrated, through their use of GameChanger Cable, how making smart technical choices can result in significant cost savings and help them achieve their goal of providing the best solution for their customers.
As Hank Monaco stated in his post on LinkedIn – “Powering our customers’ mission and making their lives that much easier is a shared goal of Johnson Controls and Paige DataCom Solutions. We were thrilled to be recognized as their Game Changing Integrator of the Year for 2019, and can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!”
JCI was an early adopter of GameChanger achieving impressive results in smaller installations as early as 2018, in 2019 JCI began to leverage GameChanger in major projects. One example is an application where JCI deployed over a quarter million feet of GameChanger for a large logistics company.
Since 1885 and with a global team of 105,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls transforms environments where people live, work, learn and play, from optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing.
On October 22, 2019, Paige Datacom’s patent-pending GameChanger Cable™ is pending no more. This innovative cable, which won recognition as a Cabling Installation and Maintenance (CI&M) platinum award-winning product, secured its validated patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This patent ends the three-year quest to become the first four-pair datacom cable to perform beyond the 100-meter channel distance for Ethernet data and power (PoE).
This patent covers all three constructions of the GameChanger cable – riser, plenum and outside plant (OSP) and is available in shielded or unshielded. U.S. Patent No. 10,453,589 protects Paige Electric Company, and it’s DataCom Division, as the sole manufacturer to produce and market a twisted-pair cable that supports both data and PoE applications to extended distances, depending on the application, source and voltage levels.
The Ethernet standard, IEEE 802.3, which originally defined the copper cabling channel distance to 100 meters from the switch to the work station outlet, was specifically applied to computer and telephone applications. As IP networks have evolved to deliver data and PoE to security cameras, wireless access points and access control systems, infrastructure design has been challenged to stay within the distance limitations and rigors of the device locations.
Currently there are two different application specifications covered in this patent: 1) 10/100BASE-T (10/100 Mb/s) out to 260 meters (850 feet); and, 2) 1000BASE-T (1 Gb/s) out to 200 meters (656 feet). Before the GameChanger cable was developed, alternative methods to reaching extended distances included adding intermediate telecom rooms (or IDFs) and/or telecom enclosures. Other methods incorporate repeaters along the copper cabling system or installing a hybrid copper/optical fiber cable, which could send the data over the fiber and the power over the copper strands, but requires active media converters on the device end. Significant cost savings are being realized with the GameChanger by reducing intermediate cross connections and IDFs. Also, active components such as repeaters, transceivers or converters can be eliminated, which add to the system cost and complexity of the cable run with an additional point of failure.
The GameChanger cable supports all four types of PoE – from Type 1 which provides 15W from the powered source equipment (PSE) over two pairs all the way up to Type 4, which provides 90W from PSE through all four pairs. “By optimizing gauge size, twisting designs and material choices we’ve been able to make big strides in how far we can deliver data and power over Ethernet,” states David Coleman, Vice President of Business Development for Paige. “In the past, cabling has been developed first with Ethernet systems designed around the cabling. Paige has taken the reverse approach and developed a cabling system with Ethernet specifically in mind to maximize transmission distances,” adds Andy Pluister, Vice President of Engineering.
All major test equipment manufacturers have updated the software in their handheld testers to accept GameChanger’s distance and applications. With all these attributes coupled with global recognition through the this new patent, GameChanger cable lives up to its name in the ICT industry as a true infrastructure game changer.
This blog post was written by Carol Oliver, RCDD, DCDC, ESS, BICSI President-Elect (2020-2021)
For more about Carol Everett Oliver, visit: www.ceocomm.com
Parking structures are equipped with surveillance in most cases, but in some, the cameras are not always present or sufficient to provide full coverage over all areas. While cameras do provide visibility to the various areas of the structure, they can be enhanced with two-way voice, additional emergency phones, panic buttons, and other complementary systems.
Beyond security, parking aids that light up empty spots can keep cars flowing and provide a better customer experience. According to a study from MSB Consulting, this pricing analysis shows the significant savings to be had using GameChanger. Over a 106 camera rollout, the cost of simply the physical media to get the signal from the powered switch to the camera with GameChanger was $22,305 and the next closest cost option using category 6 Cable with repeaters weighing in at $104,525 and using hybrid fiber/copper with repeaters cam in at $126,170.
With the increase in IP systems and IoT devices, the customer experience is getting better and better not only inside the buildings but also outside in supporting structures like parking lots. New technologies available include the ability to pay by space or license plate at your car. Software coupled with smart meters and sensors provide smart platforms for payment features and can also accommodate validation, discounts, monthly cardholders, lot full signs, call for assistance along with the lot cameras.
According to Capterra, some of the feature rich systems include: Glideparcs payment systems allow people to enter parking structures without gates or as they call it a “frictionless manner.” Parkers pay and validate by license plate via a cloud-based application that also allows for prepaid reservations. Payments are accepted by mobile app, text to pay, kiosks or within the facility by phone. It also provides an immediate feedback option for users.
MessageByPlate allows owners to text message violators by their license plate. This platform supports a QR based parking option. Parkalot is a web application that allows users to manage their parking spaces online. ParkAdmin also provides for texting to pay for parking with an integrated license plate solution. There are many more options on the market for public, private, HOA/Apartment parking management. These sensors and cameras onsite, provide the lot owner with intelligence and help spot violators, some even offer towing service alerts.
While many of these options are convenient, they also provide a deterrent as license plates are recorded. Coupled with emergency phones provide a far more enjoyable parker experience. The important thing to note is that these technologies do not necessarily mean you have to deploy AC power to all of the sensors, nor do you need to add IDFs or secure locations for switches to many locations that can be reached by the 200m reach of the GameChanger cable which also delivers the PoE power for a secure, easy to test, easy to troubleshoot, single run solution.
As we have discussed in our Lengthonomics blogs, there are many times that 100m of cabling is not enough to reach where the end device needs to reside. GameChanger was designed to extend the distance supported by a single length of cable for longer distance Ethernet and Power of Ethernet applications. This solution eliminates IDFs, additional devices (repeaters, extenders and transceivers) for lengths up to 850’ requiring 10Mb/s and PoE+ and lengths up to 656’ (200m) for 100Mb/s and Gigabit Ethernet and PoE+ applications supporting cameras, WAPs, additional switches, and other Ethernet IoT edge devices.
In the past, the addition of repeaters, extenders, and transceivers have made not only verification of the overall link, but troubleshooting of failed communications difficult at best. When additional devices are in line, they require various levels of expertise to troubleshoot. In the case of an inline repeater that is powered, an electrician, low voltage engineer, and network engineer may all be needed to troubleshoot the problem. Where multiple devices are inline, this could take hours. If one assumes that the hourly cost for the electrician is $100, low voltage contractor is $85, and a network technician is $125, the hourly cost for one hour of troubleshooting is $310.00. With inline powered devices, the electrician would only be needed if the end power is at fault. So the low voltage contractor and network engineer would be used for a combined total of $210 per hour.
One problem with inline repeaters/extenders is that they are not always clearly documented as to location and may get buried with subsequent layers of cable making them difficult to find. Often these trades work with a 3-hour minimum on-site fee, making a single failure’s price nearly $1,000 per hour when all three trades are used. To further complicate things, if multiple repeaters are inline, the number of reasons that a problem exist will be compounded by the number of components. Other things to consider will be time in lifts, up and down ladders, and should the cable be too short between components or if the repeaters can’t be found, the cost to replace the channel after troubleshooting efforts fail. With powered fiber cable, should either the copper side or fiber side fail, both would need to be replaced as it is a hybrid cable. And, of course, to be considered is the cost of downtime. With security cameras, downtime could be critical due to the lack of visibility to a monitored area.
Long ago, someone coined the acronym K.I.S.S. "Keep it simple" is true today. With GameChanger, it is simply a matter of running the channel. In the past, validation was determined by turning on a cable and making sure the end device had communication. Today, there are ways to test this long link. We are proud to announce that there are multiple ways to test the full channel, the latest of which is the Fluke DSX CableAnalyzer Series of testers and via upgrade to existing DSX users. The test takes 11 seconds and will certify that the cable will support the applications as intended. As a leading tester for the cabling industry, it was important to have our parameters in the Fluke tester. The simple run once, test and done makes the GameChanger tested with Fluke a simple turnover from the installer to the customer with printed validation that the link will work. Unlike other methods that don’t allow for end to end testing with all components in place, but rather testing channel components hoping the sum of all parts perform as intended. GameChanger and Fluke, it really is that simple. For a full list of supported testers contact Paige sales, visit our GameChanger landing page here.
Paige DataCom’s patent pending GameChanger Cable is part of Paige's commitment to innovation in the marketplace, we listened to several partners that wanted a way to support high definition video and PoE+ applications outside of the standards-based 100m offered with existing category solutions. The problem lies with customers either replacing coax systems or having to place security cameras outside of 100m full channel length, for instance in the perimeter of buildings. It’s not often cost effective or even possible to provide IDFs within those channel limitations. Paige designed the GameChanger cable to be optimized for long-length video transmissions.
The most notable difference is the gauge size - GameChanger is a 22 AWG twisted pair cable. The increased gauge size improves attenuation values - allowing video and Power over Ethernet to go farther. Paige also optimized the lay length of the twisted pairs specifically for video - to make sure your video is crystal clear.
The need to replace analog cameras is growing in importance as companies seek not only physical security, but also the means to accurately identify individuals which is often difficult with analog images. Perimeters, parking lots, and other large open areas do not lend themselves well to establishing an area suitable for active electronics every 100m. Those IDF areas would need to be cooled and can also create additional expenses just to support a single camera. PoE repeaters can provide some distance extension, but as we were told by our partners, “If you could find a solution, this would be a game changer.” And that is exactly what we developed.
The tested distance of the GameChanger cable will vary some depending on the video camera and switch, but with distances of around 850’ without repeaters, this provides nearly 2.5x the distance of traditional category cable, yet the GameChanger cable terminates like a category cable removing any learning curve for installers. With PoE extenders, the cable has tested with some equipment to go out to 4000'. One customer reported a savings of $30,000 on one installation. Not only is there an equipment savings, there is also a labor savings over having to set up intermediate points estimated to be 60 days additional to project timelines.
The Cabling Installation and Maintenance (CI&M) awards were developed to recognize the most-innovative cabling and communications technology products and systems within the structured cabling industry as determined by a panel of senior third-party expert judges. We had a total of five judges, each of whom has many years of professional experience working with structured cabling and communications systems.
Award classification was based on criteria such as innovation, value, sustainability, collaboration, and impact. Our Platinum award recognizes a superb innovation, characterized by a groundbreaking approach to meeting a need, and/or a new level of performance, efficiency, ease-of-use or other beneficial quality.
Paige is proud to be a GameChanger in the industry. For more information, please go to http://www.paigedatacom.com/gamechanger#gothedistance.
Years ago, In the aftermath of Katrina, I wrote a series of articles for SearchDataCenter that discussed the rebuilding following a hurricane and some hidden things to consider. In light of the recent hurricanes, I think it wise to discuss what happens after flood waters recede with respect to critical infrastructure and services within buildings and data centers. The questions seem to flow in the scurry to clean up after these storms: Is the cable plant safe and ok to reuse? How do I know when or if I will have problems? If it works day one, will it work day two? Does it all need to be replaced?
To start, it is important to note what is in the flood waters. In a hurricane, seawater is thrown around mixed with rain, and every imaginable substance within reach of the wake and path of the storm. This includes things like chemicals from autos, pesticides, saline (from the sea water), mercury from thermostats, mercury vapor from fluorescent bulbs, and a whole litany of things that are not healthy for consumption by themselves, much less in shaken and stirred cocktail form.
Without a doubt cleaning up just the water and all it carried is a daunting task. But there are parts of your infrastructure that are not particularly cleanable. This includes interfaces and outlets for power and communications. Cabling jackets are rated based on fire codes, not disaster codes. After a major event like a hurricane, there is a drive to get things back up and running. Business continuity and disaster recovery plans are put to the test. Contractors and trades are spread very thin. Sometimes, corners are cut.
In a full rip out and replace of wall coverings, it is important not to ignore cable plants for both power and data. This includes copper and fiber. The light is contained in the glass of a fiber cable due to cladding and jacketing. Should fiber jackets degrade due to exposure, then the effects will be detrimental to reliable transmissions. Fibers encased in a sealed conduit may be all right, but it would be necessary to determine if the conduits flooded. As fiber tends to be the longest runs within a building and generally terminates to a collapsed point on a lower floor, it is prudent to thoroughly inspect the fiber pathways to find out how much of it has been doused or flooded. The exposed cables should be replaced to guard against degradation.
Similarly, multi-pair copper backbone cabling for voice will be susceptible to the same damage as the backbone fiber. Fortunately for the horizontal copper runs to work areas, the copper is generally serviced by distribution areas on that floor. If the upper floors of the building are intact and haven’t suffered flood damage, not all the building copper is likely to need replacing. Lower floors are a different story. Like fiber, cable jackets can degrade on the copper which will impact the dielectric properties of the cable, or worse, can degrade to the point of causing a short or corrosion. So what seems “fine” day one, may, in fact, not be fine at all on day two or twelve. Transmissions may intermittently be disrupted up and until the point of a total fault.
The hard part about troubleshooting problems like those listed above is that faults and retransmissions may be intermittent and tracing the errant cable is not easy when the cable is later covered with sheetrock and other cables. Warranties on the cable plant will be void if the cables have been covered with water of any kind. Connectors are easier to troubleshoot as they are visible.
It is generally a good idea to replace any cable that falls in the flooded area of a building or traverses from the flooded area to clean areas of the building. While there is a spend up front, it is far easier to replace it while the walls are open than one at a time here and there as circuits fail. New warranties would then apply. And, of course, insurance would not cover the cables later when the claims are settled.
It may be necessary to rig temporary security cameras and asset protection devices during reconstruction. Products exist to help with securing your facility, materials and building during reconstruction.
For those impacted by the storms, our hearts go out to you. We are available to answer any questions and vow our support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. We have a range of specifications you can use in RFP/RFQ documents and other tools to help. If you would like to read the full 5-part series on SearchDataCenter, it can be found here. Most of all, in your efforts, we wish you well. Be safe.
Paige DataCom Solutions is the newest division of the Paige Electric family of companies. Paige DataCom Solutions’ charter is to bring the best products to end users with value added services building on the years of expertise in standards, engineering, and innovation. Our customer driven philosophy continues through new solution sets for LAN/WAN Enterprise and Data Centers marketed to end users and system integrators in the intelligent building and data center spaces. High voltage, medium voltage, low voltage, system interconnects, copper, fiber, cabinets and security solutions build a significant part of our offering portfolio. We expect to directly impact our customer's businesses through innovative products enabling cloud, colocation and enterprise data centers, intelligent buildings and campus deployments.
The Paige suite of companies has a variety of products supporting not only the building, but the entire site covering video, signage, security, irrigation, high voltage and asset protection to name a few. Our solutions have been instrumental in solving some of today’s business challenges. One such solution, our Game Changer cable, allows for high definition 1080p video and PoE for proven distances up to 850’. This means that replacing coax CCTV systems may not require additional intermediate repeaters or IDF’s. We sell a full suite of copper and fiber infrastructure and signal cable including UV resistant plenum rated signal two wire cable ideal for stadiums and amusement parks.
We partner with leading companies like Fluidmesh whose wireless products are engineered to provide a data backbone for the most challenging applications. Our goal is to be the best business partner for your company’s needs, and we are proud to measure our relationships with some of the world's largest companies for decades! At Paige, our goal is to provide solutions and value-added services to support your business needs regardless of location, on time and on point. As a direct supplier, we are directly engaged one on one with our customers. We listen. We engineer. We provide. That’s Paige Electric. Let us be your solution provider.
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