BICSI's ICT Terminology Handbook (V1) section 2 vocab

Administration

The method for labeling, documentation, and usage needed to implement moves, additions, and changes of the telecommunications infrastructure.

Alien Crosstalk

A measure of the unwanted signal coupling between adjacent cabling or components.

All-Thread-Rod

A straight section of round rod stock that has threads installed over its entire length. Also known as a threaded rod. American wire gauge:

Anchor

1. A fastening device.

2. In an outside plant environment, a device made up of a single plate or series of flate plates and combined with a rod having a connecting eye.

Architectural Structure

Walls, floors, floor/ceilings, and roof/ceilings that are load bearing.

As-built

The documentation of measurements, locations, and quantities of material work performed. May be in the form of marked up documents or other work order forms.

Attenuation

The decrease in magnitude of transmission signal strength between point, expressed as the ratio of output to input. Measured in decibels (dB), usually at a specific frequency for copper or wavelength for optical fiber, the signal strength may be power or voltage.

Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)

The entities responsible for interpretation and enforcement of local building and electrical codes.

Backboard

A panel (e.g., wood, metal) used for mounting connecting hardware and equipment.

Backbone

1. A facility (e.g., pathway cable, conductors) between any of the following spaces: telecommunications rooms, telecommunications enclosures, common telecommunications rooms, floor-serving terminals, entrance facilities, equipment rooms, and common equipment rooms.

2. In a data center, a facility (e.g., pathway cable, conductors) between any of the following spaces: entrance rooms or spaces, main distribution areas, and telecommunications rooms.

Backbone Cable

SEE BACKBONE AND BACKBONE CABLING

Backbone Cabling

Cable and connecting hardware that provides interconnections between telecommunications rooms, equipment rooms, and entrance facilities. SEE BACKBONE

Backbone Pathway

The portion of the pathway system that permits the placing of backbone cables between the entrance location and all crossconnect points within a building and between buildings.

Bandwidth

1. A range of frequencies available for signaling expressed in hertz.

2. The information handling capability of a medium, expressed in units of frequency (hertz).

Beam Clam

A device attached to a building stricture to hold cable supports or equipment.

Bend Radius

The radius of curvature that a media can bend without signal degradation.

Binder Group

One or two or more bound copper pairs or optical fiver strands within a cable.

Blueprint

A reproduction of an architectural plan and/or technical drawing that provides details of a construction project or an existing structure.

Bonding

The permanent joining of metallic parts to form an electrically conductive path that will ensure electrical continuity and the capacity to conduct safely any current likely to be imposed.

Bonding Conductor

A conductor used specifically for the purpose of bonding.

Bonding Conductor for Telecommunications

A conductor that interconnects the building's service equipment (power) ground to the telecommunications grounding system.

Braid

A group of non-insulated conductors interwoven to surround one or more insulated conductor.

Bullwheel

A large wheel used to maintain an arc when feeding large cables into a backbone pathway.

Bundle

1. Many individual optical fibers contained within a single jacket of buffer tube. Also, a group of buffered optical fibers distinguished in some fashion from another group in the same cable core.

Cabinet

A container that may enclose connection devices, terminations, apparatus, wiring, and equipment.

Cable

An assembly of one or more insulated conductors or optical fibers within an enveloping sheath.

Cable Run

A length of installed media, which may include other components along its path.

Cable Sheath

A covering over the optical fiber or conductor assembly that may include one or more metallic members, strength members, or jackets.

Cable Support System

A combination of conduits, cable trays, support hooks, tie wraps, and any other hardware pieces used in a cabling installation to support cables. Cable support systems keep excess stress off the cables and may provide some mechanical protection to the cables being supported.

Cable Termination

The connecting or termination hardware applied to the end of a cable for the purpose of facilitating connection to active or passive transmission equipment.

Cable Tray

A rigid structure for supporting, housing and protecting cables or conductors. Usually consists of one-piece solid or ventilated bottom or individual transverse members with two side rails.

Cable Tree

A vertical rack with multiple arms for holding small reels of cable.

Cabling

A system of cables, cords, and connecting hardware. equipment/patch cords, and connecting hardware.

Cabling System

A specific system of cables, equipment/patch cords, connecting hardware, and other components supplied as a single entity.

Channel

1. The end-to-end transmission path connecting interfaces of any two pieces of application-specific equipment. Equipment cords and work area cords are included in the channel.

2. In frequency division multiplexing, a band in the frequency spectrum that is assigned to a specific logical connection.

3. In time division multiplexing, a time that is assigned to a specific logical connection.

Channel Stock

A metallic U-shaped bar with or without evenly spaced

holes. Often hung in a trapeze configuration for support of pathway systems, such as conduits and cable trays.

Circuit

The electrical or optical path used for communications between two devices.

Code

A rule intended to ensure safety during the installation and use of materials, components, fixtures, systems, premises, and related subjects. Codes are typically invoked and enforced through government regulation.

Commercial Building

A building, or portion thereof, that is intended for office use.

Conduit

1. A raceway of circular cross-section

2. A structure containing one or more ducts.

conduit stub-out

a short section of conduit that is installed from a receptacle box, usually in a wall, into an accessible ceiling space directly above the receptacle box

connecting hardware

a device or combination of devices, used to connect two cables, or cable elements

connector

a mechanical device used to provide a means for aligning, attaching, and achieving continuity between conductors or optical fibers

consolidation point

a location for interconnection between horizontal cables extending from building pathways and horizontal cables extending into furniture pathways

core

the central, light carrying part of an optical fiber through which light pulses are transmitted

cross-connect

a facility enabling the termination of cable elements and their interconnection or cross-connection

cross-connection

a connection scheme between cabling runs, subsystems, and equipment using patch cords or jumpers that attach to connecting hardware on each end

crossed pairs

an error condition where physical connection of a wire or wires in a pair of wires is made to another wire or wires in yet another pair of wires generally found in the same cable

decibel

a logarithmic unit for measuring the relative voltage, power, or strength of a signal. a decibel is on tenth of a bel

distribution ring

wire management ring shaped like the letter D for routing and supporting distribution cables and jumpers/patch cables on a backboard

dressing

placing cables into a neat and symmetrical pattern for proper alignment and positioning for termination

Duct

1. a single enclosed raceway for conductors, wires, or cables. see also raceway

2. an enclosure in which air is moved, generally part of HVAC of a building

fire retardant

any substance added to delay the start of fire ignition or to slow the spread of flame by the burning material

firestop

a fire-rated material device or assembly of parts installed in a penetration of a fire-rated barrier

firestop system

a specific listed assembly consisting of the materials (fire stop penetration seals) that fill the opening in the wall or floor assembly and around and between any items that penetrate the wall or floor and any termination devices along with their means of support

firewall

1. barrier to prevent fire from spreading from an area to another

2. network security appliance

floor slab

1. part of reinforced concrete floor carried on beams below

2. concrete mat poured on subgrade serving as a floor than a structural member

foldback splicing

process of folding back conductors in a splice for future maintenance or rearrangements

ground

a conducting connection (intentional or accidental) between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth

ground electrode

conductor (usually a rod pipe or plate) in direct contact with the earth for the purpose of prociding a low impedance connection to earth

grounding system

a system of hardware and wiring that provides an electrical path from a specified location to an earth ground point

Horizontal cable

distribution media that connect the telecommunications outlet/connector at the work area and the first piece of connecting hardware in the horizontal cross-connect

horizontal cross-connect

a group of connectors (patch panel, punch down,…) that allows equipment and backbone cabling to be cross connected with patch cords or jumpers. floor distributor is the international equivalent term for horizontal cross-connect

infrastructure (telecommunications)

a collection of those telecommunications components, excluding equipment that together provide the basic support for the distribution of all information within a building or campus

in line splice

a splice in a cable which enters one endcap and after splicing the cable exits the other end cap of the enclosure

interduct

a non metallic pathway, usually circular, placed within a larger pathway

insertion loss

the signal loss resulting from the insertion of a component or link, or channel, between a transmitter and receiver

insulation displacement contact

a type of wire termination in which the insulation that is surrounding a conductor is displaced at the connection point without physically stripping the insulation from the conductor and consequently makes a gas-tight connection to the conductor

interconnection

1. a connection scheme that employs connecting hardware for the direct connection of a cable to another without a patch cord or jumper

2. a type of connection in which the single-port equipment connections (4 pair and optical fiber connections) attach to horizontal or backbone cabling by means of patch cord or jumper

intermediate cross-connect

the connection point between a backbone cable that extends from the main cross-connect (first level backbone) and the backbone cable from the horizontal cross-connect

j-hook

a supporting device for horizonal cables that is shaped like a j, it attaches to some building structures. horizontal cables are laid in the opening formed by the j to provide support for the cables

jumper

1. an assembly of twisted wires without connectors, used to join telecommunications circuits/links at the cross connect

2. an optical fiber cables with connectors installed on both ends

ladder rack

a device similar to a cable tray but more closely resembles a single section of a ladder.

link

a transmission path between two points, not including terminal equipment, work area cables, patch cables, and equipment cables. can be up to 90 meters (295 ft)

loss

attenuation of a signal, usually measure in dB

main cross-connect

the cross connect normally located in the (main) equipment room for cross connection and interconnection of entrance cables, first level backbone cables, and equipment cables

membrane penetration

an opening through only one surface or side of a barrier

multimode optical fiber

an optical wave guide that allows many bound modes to propagate

network

a series of controllers, all connected via a telecommunications cable

optical fiber

a transmission media using a thin filament of glass or plastic to transmit pulse light signals

outlet box

a metallic or non metallic box mounted within a floor, wall, or ceiling and used to hold telecommunications outlets/connectors or transition devices

outlet/connector

a connecting device in the work area on which horizontal cable or outlet cable terminates

pair

1. two insulated wires commonly joined

2. one side circuit in a star quad (two diametrically facing conductors)

pair count

1. indicates how many pairs of grouped conductors are in a cable

2. the pair identification of cable and pairs serving a location

patch cord

a length of cable with connectors on both ends used to join telecommunications circuits/links at the cross-connect

pathway

1. a sequence of connections that provide connectivity between devices on a network or between networks on an internetwork

2. the vertical and horizontal route of telecommunications cable

3. a facility for the placement of telecommunications cable

premises

building or buildings on common property, occupied by a single tenant or landlord

pull

1. the act of placing cable by pulling

2. the longitudinal force acting on a pole as a result of horizontal loading

raceway

any enclosed channel designed for holding wires or cables

Reel brake

device used to control rate of removal of a cable from a cable reel

reversed pair

a condition in which the conductors in a pair are terminated in the wrong sequence

(tip to ring, and ring to tip)

ring

a means for identification of one conductor of a pair. Historically associated with the wire connected to the “ring” portion of an operators telephone plug

scope of work

document that provides detailed statements and descriptions of the work content for project requirements

Shield

a metallic layer (copper braids, metal foil, solid tubing)placed around a conductor or group of conductors

Single mode optical fiber

small core (8-9 micron), and cladding diameter of 125 micron. lightwave propagation is restricted to a single path or mode

sleeve

an opening usually circular through the wall, ceiling, or floor to allow the passage of cables

slot

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

space

area used for the housing installation and termination of telecommunications equipment and cable

splice

1. a joining of conductors in a splice closure, meant to be permanent

2. a device that joins conducting or transmitting media

splice case

a metal or plastic housing with a semicylindrical cavity used in identical pairs to clamp around a cable splice to provide a closure