Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Avaya Technology LLC

American Telephone and Telegraph Company, At&t Technologies, Inc.

American Telephone & Telegraph At&t Technologies, Inc.

Stephen Taylor Zerbs

David R Hawkins

Larry L Bleich

Harold Wayne Friesen

Daryle Pat Donner

Wendell G Nutt

Joni A Roberts

Richard D Beggs

Philip Nelson Gardner

Warren F Moore

Robert Henry Jackson, Jr

Paul G Koehler

Douglas R Brake

Dean J Schwery

Trent M Hayes

Bruce B Boehlke

A cabling media which is suitable for high performance data transmission includes a plurality of insulated metallic conductor-pairs, each pair including two plastic insulated metallic conductors which are twisted together. More specifically, the introduction of a periodic rotation along the length of each insulated conductor essentially acts to cancel out a large number of the adverse effects which may result due to a lack of conductor concentricity and/or dielectric eccentricity.

Local area network cabling arrangement having improved capacitance unbalance and structural return loss

A local area network cable capable of high speed signal transmission has a plurality of twisted pairs of conductors enclosed within a jacket. Each of the twisted pairs has a different twist frequency than any of the other pairs, and at least one of the pairs has a direction of twist that is different from the other twisted pairs, that is, it may have a right hand twist where the other pairs have a left hand twist. In a four pair cable, two of the pairs, of different twist frequency, have imparted thereto a right hand twist, and two of the pairs have a left hand twist.

High speed transmission local area network cable

A coaxial cable &lsqb;,&rsqb; includes an inner conductor &lsqb;,&rsqb; that is separated from an outer conductor &lsqb;,&rsqb; by a layer of insulating material &lsqb;,&rsqb;. The outer conductor includes a thin sheet of metallic foil that envelops the insulating material and has a seam &lsqb;,&rsqb; that extends in the longitudinal direction of the cable. In a first embodiment, the insulated conductor is axially rotated (twisted) with respect to its own longitudinal axis. In a second embodiment, the outer conductor is wrapped around the layer of insulating material. In both embodiments, there is relative rotation between the insulated conductor and the outer conductor. This practice is referred to as relative insulated conductor rotation, and it significantly improves the structural return loss characteristics of a coaxial cable when the outer conductor includes an asymmetry, such as a seam, that extends in the longitudinal direction of the cable. A braided-wire shield &lsqb;,&rsqb; is positioned between the outer conductor and a plastic jacket &lsqb;,&rsqb;, which provides environmental protection for the cable.

Coaxial cable having effective insulated conductor rotation

A cabling media which is suitable for high performance data transmission includes a plurality of metallic conductors-pairs, each pair including two plastic insulated metallic conductors which are twisted together. The present invention describes how the selection and incorporation of metallic conductors having different diameters within a single communication cable can significantly enhance the operational performance of the cable. More specifically, given a first conductor-pair having a certain conductor diameter and twist length, and at least one other conductor-pair with a different twist length, the present invention purposely selects metallic conductors for this other conductor-pair with a different diameter than that of the first conductor-pair so as to ensure that the insertion loss exhibited by the additional conductor-pair is essentially equal to the insertion loss exhibited by the first conductor-pair. The differing conductor diameters allows compensation for the variance in insertion loss from one conductor-pair to the next due to changes in the twist length employed for the plurality of conductor-pairs. Additionally, it is described herein that the insulation thickness of the conductors may be altered from conductor-pair to conductor-pair to ensure that the characteristic impedance measured for the additional conductor-pair is essentially equal to the characteristic impedance measured for the first conductor-pair. As a result of the particular selection of conductors with differing diameters and/or insulation thicknesses for at least two of the conductor pairs, the operational performance of the resulting cable is improved.

Local area network cabling arrangement

An electrical cable is disclosed in which at least two pairs of insulated conductors are bound by a substantially circular jacket. The conductors in one of the pairs are twisted or rotated about one another in a spiral pattern at a frequency corresponding to a first twist lay or length. The conductors in a second pair are also twisted about one another at a frequency corresponding to a second twist lay. Finally, the two pairs of conductors are stranded about one another at a frequency corresponding to a strand lay. The substantially circular jacket resists the tendency to jam cable processing machines (e.g., a connectorization machine) when being dispensed from a pay-off reel, which is a common problem in prior art patch cord designs. As a result, the cable reduces manufacturing costs. In addition, the cable provides improved electrical performance, as measured by several performance standards, over prior art cable designs.

High speed transmission patch cord cable

A cabling media which is suitable for data transmission with relatively low crosstalk includes a plurality of metallic conductors-pairs, each pair including two plastic insulated metallic conductors which are twisted together. The characterization of the twisting is important and relates to parameters such as twist length as well as core strand length/lay. More specifically, particular combinations of twist lengths and core strand length/lay are purposely selected for each insulated pair of the cable in order to achieve performance capabilities that significantly surpass those required under TIA/EIA-568A. In one particular embodiment of this invention, a cable comprises as its transmission media, four twisted pair of individually insulated conductors with each of the insulated conductors including a metallic conductor and an insulation cover which encloses the metallic conductor. The twisting together of the conductors of each pair is characterized as specifically set out herein and the plurality of transmission media are enclosed in a sheath system which in a most simplistic embodiment may be a single jacket made of a plastic material. As a result of the particular twist scheme employed for the conductor pairs, operational performance of the resulting cable is improved. Also, the cable of this invention is relatively easy to connect and is relatively easy to manufacture and install.

The preferred embodiment of the cable disclosed includes seven groups of twisted-pairs, outlined in dashed lines in FIG. 1. Groups 12, 14, 17 and 19 have four pairs each, and groups 13, 16 and 18 have three pairs each. Six of the groups, namely 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18 are referred to herein as the outer groups since they are collectively twisted and wound helically about the seventh group 19 which is centrally located throughout the length of the cable. Each of the groups of twisted pairs may be held together by a cable binder such as nylon yarn 22. The core thus formed is enclosed within a jacket 23, and the entire assembly is referred to in the art as a 'honeycomb' structure. In accordance with the present invention, the twisted pairs of each of the six outer groups are insulated with a fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer (FEP) material such as, for example, Teflon.RTM., while the twisted pairs of the central group are insulated with a high density polyethylene (HDPE) material. Both the FEP material and the HDPE material have the low dissipation factor and low dielectric constant mentioned heretofore, which insures optimum electrical performance, especially at high frequencies. In addition, both materials present a smooth surface of substantially uniform thickness, approximately six (6) to ten (10) mils, thereby insuring a low structural return loss (SRL).

Fire resistant cable for use in local area network

A fire retardant cable for use primarily as a riser cable in buildings has a plurality of groups of twisted pairs of conductors arranged in a 'honeycomb' structure. Each conductor comprises a metallic conducting member encased in a single layer of a non-flame retardant polyolefin material such as high density polyethylene. The groups of conductors are surrounded by a jacket of flame retardant poly(vinyl chloride) material.

Methods and apparatus are provided for providing an electrically matched pair (20) of insulated metallic conductors (21, 21). Insulation is applied to successive portions of a length of wire-like metallic conductor (22) after which a colorant material (37) is applied to the surface of a plastic insulation material of a first portion of the length of the metallic conductor which is being moved along a path of travel. Facilities are provided for shielding a supply of the colorant material from the moving insulated metallic conductor and for then exposing a second portion of the length of the insulated metallic conductor to a different colorant material. The insulation and the colorant materials and their disposition with respect to the insulation are such that the dielectric constant of one insulated metallic conductor of the pair is substantially equal to that of the other. The first and second portions of the length of the insulated metallic conductor are separated from each other and are twisted together to provide an electrically matched pair.

Method of making twisted pairs of insulated metallic conductors for

Methods and apparatus are provided for providing an electrically matched pair (20) of insulated metallic conductors (21,21). Insulation is applied to successive portions of a length of wire-like metallic conductor (22) after which a colorant material (37) is applied to the surface of a plastic insulation material of a first portion of the length of the metallic conductor which is being moved along a path of travel. Facilities are provided for shielding a supply of the colorant material from the moving insulated metalic conductor and for then exposing a second portion of the length of the insulated metallic conductor to a different colorant material. The insulation and the colorant materials and their disposition with respect to the insulation are such that the dielectric constant of one insulated metallic conductor of the pair is substantially equal to that of the other. The first and second portions of the length of the insulated metallic conductor are separated from each other and are twisted together to provide an electrically matched pair.

Twisted pairs of insulated metallic conductors for transmitting high

Methods and apparatus are provided for applying a colorant material to the surface of a plastic insulation material which has been applied to an elongated material such as a metallic conductor (22) or an optical fiber which is being moved at any of a wide range of speeds along a path of travel. The coolant material is applied by nozzles which are staggered along the path of travel and which direct the colorant into engagement with the plastic insulation material at different radial directions. A first plurality of nozzles (46--46) each cause the colorant to be in a spray pattern (45) which is in the area of a plane. Advantageously, those nozzles cooperate to stabilize the conductor and prevent undulations thereof as the conductor is moved along its path of travel. A second plurality of nozzles (50--50) cause the colorant to be in a solid conical pattern (53). The first and the second pluralities of nozzles are effective to cause substantially all the surface area of the plastic insulation on successive increments of length of the conductor to be covered with the colorant material.

Methods of and apparatus for making an insulated transmission medium

Methods and apparatus are provided for applying a colorant material to the surface of a plastic insulation material which has been applied to an elongated material such as a metallic conductor (22) or an optical fiber which is being moved at any of a wide range of speeds along a path of travel. The colorant material is applied by nozzles which are staggered along the path of travel and which direct the colorant into engagement with the plastic insulation material at different radial directions. A first plurality of nozzles (46--46) each cause the colorant to be in a spray pattern (45) which is in the area of a plane. Advantageously, those nozzles cooperate to stabilize the conductor and prevent undulations thereof as the conductor is moved along its path of travel. A second plurality of nozzles (50--50) cause the colorant to be in a solid conical pattern (53). The first and the second pluralities of nozzles are effective to cause substantially all the surface area of the plastic insulation on successive increments of length of the conductor to be covered with the colorant material.

Methods of and apparatus for applying a coating material to elongated

During the heating of a moving wire (21) such as when the wire is being aaled, the wire is heated in such a manner that the energy applied to each successive increment of length of the wire is substantially constant. This is accomplished by causing an integral number of half cycles of alternating curent to be applied to each successive increment of length of the wire as the increments are moved from one sheave to another in an annealer (20). In one embodiment, the integral number of half cycles is achieved by adjusting the speed at which the wire is being advanced between two sheaves of the annealer in a manufacturing line. This also may be accomlished by adjusting the distance between the sheaves in an annealing leg of the annealer, or by adjusting the frequency of the applied power source.

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Gretna, NE, United States of America

Stephen Taylor Zerbs