25
CHAPTER 4: Checklist of System Components
4.2.5 T
O
C
ONNECT THE
L
OCAL
U
NIT TO THE
R
EMOTE
U
NIT
To interconnect the Local and Remote Units of the Micro Extender, you’ll need
industry-standard structured cabling (Category 5 UTP or STP, 4-pair) terminated
with RJ-45 plugs. This cable is not included with the Extender. You’ll need CAT5
patch cables such as our product code EYN737MS or CAT5 bulk cable such as our
EYN840A. The bulk cable should be terminated with high-quality RJ-45 plugs such
as those included in our FM732 25-pack.
CAUTION!
This cable
must
be solid-core type; stranded patch cable will give poor
results over longer distances. The pairing of the cable and pinning of its
connectors must be in accordance with EIA/TIA-568A or (preferably)
EIA/TIA-568B. (Refer to the wiring chart in
Appendix A
. Please note that
failure to wire the twisted pairs correctly will dramatically impair video
quality and possibly prevent correct operation.)
Regular CAT5 is preferable to CAT5e cable (rated for 155 Mbps),
although CAT5e should perform well in most applications.
Avoid
using
“Level 6” or “Level 7” cables, or other types of cable rated for data rates
higher than 100 Mbps (bandwidths higher than 100 MHz). This is because
the wires in these cables are twisted much more tightly than those in
regular CAT5, which is great for high-speed data but
really bad
for analog
video signals. Having said that, however, the signal-skew problems caused
by tightly twisted pairs in these cables can sometimes be resolved by
swapping which pairs are used for which signals or by using an external
delay line. Please contact tech support if you have problems getting a
good picture with CAT5e cable or if you
must
use cables with
bandwidths higher than 155 Mbps.
Even though your network might use the same type of 4-wire twisted-
pair cabling, do
not
connect the Micro Extender to 10/100BASE-T Ethernet
devices or
any
other network equipment. Doing so will virtually destroy the
Extender’s circuitry and could also damage the attached equipment.
The Micro Extender is designed for use up to a maximum cable length of 50 m
(160 ft.). At this length the video quality should be acceptable even at a screen
resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels.
Although a single continuous length of interconnect cable is preferable, it’s
possible to operate a Micro Extender system if the Local and Remote Units are
connected through multiple patch panels. However, the more patch panels the
cable is routed through, the greater the probability that the video signal will be
degraded.
NOTE
The Micro Extender has been tested and found to work,
in certain
situations
, with 4-pair Category 3 cable or with four pairs of 25-pair UTP
trunk cables instead of 4-pair Category 5 cable. We do not recommend
such installations; if you want to experiment with them, do so at your
own risk.
