Types of Connectivity for Commercial Customers
Types of Connectivity - Low Voltage for Commercial Customers
Low Voltage Cabling, also known as “structured wiring” refers to the wiring and cabling infrastructure within your business that supports various technologies, such as your alarm, camera and access control systems. Cabling can sound complicated with multiple types, such as copper and fiber optic cabling, available. There are many options that your low voltage contractor will consider when deciding which materials to use for your low voltage installation. scDataCom’s Low Voltage Experts have decades of industry experience and make sure our clients reap the benefits of our superior knowledge and installation process.
For smaller systems, cables often run from the device (camera, access point, etc) all the way to the head-end – where the cables terminate and the recording server is located. This is ideal for security installations for small business, retail, restaurant or hospitality.
For larger, more complex systems, such as warehouses or large hospitals, distance limitations and/or physical infrastructure will not permit cable runs back to the MDF.
COAXIAL CABLE
While coaxial cable is typically associated with analog cameras, an IP camera can be used with the addition of media converters, which allow the cable to deliver power and data over coaxial cable.
TWISTED PAIR
Unshielded Twisted Pair or UTP is typically used for indoor installations. It contains four pairs of twisted wire inside a jacket.
Shielded Twisted Pair, or STP, is recommended for outdoor installations. It’s made more durable by adding a foil wrap for EMI (electromagnetic interference) protection and a drain wire to carry surges. Shielding cabling requires a shielded tip to connect the drain wire.
FIBER
For customers with long-distance connectivity requirements, fiber will be used. Fiber uses pulses of light traveling inside the thin glass or plastic tubes to transmit data, making it nearly insusceptible to EMI and power surges. The low attenuation of light traveling through fiber allows data transmission over further distances than twisted pair and the higher frequency of light waves permits greater bandwidth than copper.
Single Mode Fiber (SMF) has a narrow core and permits data to be transmitted over long distances. The narrower core provides less reflections, permitting data to be transmitted over long distances.
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF) has a wider core and is used for shorter distances.
WIRELESS
Wireless cameras can provide a solution over very short distances when a cabling installation may not be possible, like for rental offices or retail stores.
When wireless solutions are desired for larger installations, dedicated radios can provide connectivity between locations.
· PTMP (Point-to-multipoint) extends a network from one source to multiple locations by using an omnidirectional antenna to transmit over wide areas.
· PTP (Point-to-Point) radios extend a network from one location to another using directional antennas.