Cabling Terms

Backbone cable


Those cables connecting entrance cables to station cables. These were formerly called riser cables, also house cables.




Backbone raceway


That portion of the pathway system that permits the placing of high- volume cables between the entrance location and all cross-connect points within a building.




Bonding


The permanent joining of metallic parts to form an electrical conductive path which will assure electrical continuity.




Conduit


A raceway of circular cross section.




Device


An item such as a telephone, personal computer, or a video terminal.




Direct Buried Cable


Cable placed directly into the ground by trenching or other method without the use of underground conduit, tunnel, steam tunnel or either type of raceway.




Entrance Wiring Closet (EWC)


A room designated for the single purpose of terminating and protecting fiber and copper cables entering a building. Electronic equipment will be situated here to change the type of media used to supply the building a particular connectivity or service.




Floor Wiring Closet (FWC)


A room designated for the single purpose of cross connecting station cable conductors to backbone cable conductors. Electronic equipment will be situated here to facilitate that cross connection for data and video applications.




Grounding


A permanent joining of metallic connectors to electrodes possessing a low impedance connection to earth ground. Usually accomplished through more than one circuit route to insure the lowest impedance connection possible.




Raceway


Any channel designed for holding wires or cables; e.g., conduit, electrical metallic tubing, sleeves, slots, under floor raceways, cable troughs, and ventilated flexible cableway.




Sleeve


An opening usually circular, through the wall, ceiling, or floor to allow the passage of cables and wires.




Slot

An opening through a wall, floor, or ceiling, usually rectangular, to allow the passage of cables and wires.




Service Cable


Cables connecting the workstation location with the Floor Wiring Closet and in some instances, the Entrance Wiring Closet.




Underground Cable


Cable placed below the surface of the ground by using conduit, steam tunnels, utility tunnels or any other method except placing it directly in an open trench, plowing it into place or pulling it into a bored hole not filled with a conduit or casing.




Usable Floor Space


Floor space which is capable of being used as office space.




Workstation


A building space where the occupants interact with telecommunications equipment.