Calrec BRIO 36 Installation Manual - page 38
38 BRIO 36
Audio Production System with Optional Networking
Connection Information
COPPER SFP CONNECTIVITY
Hydra2 network connections can
be made via copper SFP modules.
Copper connections require shielded
F/UTP Category 5e or Category 6
cables with shielded RJ45 mating
connectors. Surface to Core
connections can only be made using
optical/fibre SFP modules.
It is important to note that Copper
SFPs must support LOS (Loss of
Signal detection) - this is not standard
for copper SFPs, but are commonly
available, Calrec supplied Copper
SFPs do support LOS.
Calrecdonotsupplycoppercablesasit
isoftenpreferabletoterminatethemafter
theyhavebeenrunthroughcableducting
toavoiddamagingtheterminations,andto
beabletocutthemtothepreciselength
required.
Shieldedcablesandconnectors
Shieldedcablingandconnectorsare
requiredinordertomeetEMC(Electro-
magneticcompatibility)standardsto
complywiththeradiatedemissionlimits
setintheEN55022standard,aswellas
toguaranteeperformanceinelectrically
noisyenvironments.
F/UTPCat5e/Cat6cablehasanoverall
foilshieldaroundtheconductorcores.
ShieldedRJ45connectorplugshavea
metallicshieldaroundthemwhichshould
beclamped/bondedtotheshieldwithin
thecable.Theconnectorshieldconnects
withthechassisoftheRJ45socketthat
itispluggedinto,providinganearthtothe
cableshield.
Themethodofattachingtheconnector
shieldtothecableshieldcanvary.Please
refertotheconnectormanufacturer’s
informationforfurtherguidance.
Maximumcablelength
ThemaximumlengthofCat5e/Cat6
cablesis90m/295ft.Thisisthe
absolutemaximumandneedstoinclude
anypatchpointsandcablesthatmaybe
inthepath.Hydra2cablerunscanNOT
beextendedusingEthernetswitches,
hubsorrepeaters.Ifarunbetween
Hydra2hardwareexceedsthemaximum
recommendeddistanceforcopper
cabling,fibreandopticalSFPsshouldbe
usedinstead.
Cableroutingconsiderations
Thelayoutandtwistrateofthedata
coreswithinCat5e/Cat6cablesare
integraltotheirperformanceathigh
speedoverdistance.Poorpractiseduring
installationcanseriouslyimpactupon
this.Thefollowingaregeneralrulesof
goodpractisebutpleaserefertothe
cablemanufacturer’sinformationfor
comprehensiveinstallationrules:
• WhenrunningCat5e/Cat6network
cabling,itisimportanttoavoidkinking
thecable.Kinkscanseriouslyimpair
performance.Cablemanufacturers
advisethatkinkedcablesshouldbe
discardedandreplacedasthedamage
causedcannotbeaddressedsimplyby
straighteningthemout.
• Cablesshouldnotbebentintight
angles,thistoocanseriouslyimpair
performance.Pleaserefertothe
cablemanufacturer’sspecificationon
minimumbendradii.
• Excessivepullingforcewhenrouting
cablescandeformthetwistrateof
thecablecores,causingirreparable
damage.Cablemanufacturersspecify
amaximumpullingtension.
• Cabletiesshouldnotbeover-tightened
asthisdeformstheinternalstructure
ofthecable.Cabletiesshouldbetight
enoughtosupportthecableweight
butnotsotightastocauseanyvisible
deformationtothecable’souterjacket.
Large,heavybundlesofcablescan
bedifficulttosupportusingcableties
withoutcausingdamage.‘Velcro’style
hook-and-loopcablestrapscanbea
goodalternativetoplasticcableties.
• Whilstneatlybundledparallelcable
runsaretidyandaestheticallypleasing,
theycanincreasecross-talk,which
canimpactonperformance.Avoid
neatbundlingofnetworkcablesover
anykindofdistance—themajorityof
acableslengthisnormallyunseen,
runningunderfloororthroughducting
wheretheyshouldbelooselylaidrather
thanneatlybundled.
Termination-strainrelief
Poorterminationandlackofstrainrelief
isoneofthemostcommoncausesof
highspeednetworkcableproblems.
Toproperlyrelievestrainonthedata
cores,theouterjacketofthecableshould
beinsertedintotheRJ45housingand
heldinplaceoncecrimpedatthestrain-
reliefpoint,asshowninthediagram
above.Thisalsomaintainstheintegrity
ofthetwistrateandshieldintothe
termination,ensuringthefulllengthofthe
cableconformstoitsspecification.Slide
onouterbootsofferadditionalstrain-relief
protectionbutarenotsufficientontheir
own.
SHIELDED RJ45 CONNECTOR
Conductiveconnectormating
screenclamped/bondedto
cableshield
Crimppoints
Cableouterjacket
Strainrelief
STRAIN RELIEVED RJ45 TERMINATION
• Note,thisisasimplified
diagramthatdoesnot
includetheshield.