White Paper I etherCON®

Next generation ethernet – CAT6A

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Content
1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................ 3
TERMINOLOGY...................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Category vs. Class..................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Permanent Link vs. Channel Link............................................................................................ 4
TECHNOLOGY........................................................................................................................................ 4
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

Ethernet standards................................................................................................................... 4
NEXT, FEXT, AXT and RL........................................................................................................... 6
Current twisted pair standards............................................................................................... 7
10G-Ethernet / Category 6A..................................................................................................... 7
Cat6A vs Cat6A – ISO/IEC vs EIA/TIA....................................................................................... 8

MEASURING RESULTS........................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 NEXT Value................................................................................................................................ 9
4.2 Mating durability test etherCON CAT6A with PoE................................................................. 9White Paper – etherCON CAT6A
Title: NWP05© NEUTRIK AG. All rights reserved.
This white paper is a publication of NEUTRIK AG.
This white paper represents the technical status at the time ofprinting. The product information, specifications, and all technical datacontained within this white paper are not contractually binding.
NEUTRIK AG reserves the right to make changes at any time to thetechnology and / or configuration without announcement.

2

NEUTRIK AG is not to be held liable for statements and declarations
given in this white paper.

NEUTRIK AG explicitly exonerates itself from all liability for mistakes inthis white paper.

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1

SCOPE

The increasing need for a higher bandwidth for
growing Ethernet applications led to new standards. More and more manufacturers advertisewith Cat 6A / Cat 6A or Class EA products.
10 G-Ethernet over copper wires and the related
higher bandwidth do have restrictions. This paper explains the difference of current standards
and includes measuring results of Neutrik’s latest
product – the Cat6A series.

TERMINOLOGY
The requirement of multivendorcapable standardized wirings led to the international norm ISO/IEC 11801. This standard specifies a structured
wiring and includes requirements on the single
components as well as the entire link.
A structured wiring can be divided into primary,secondary and tertiary wiring. Primary wiringrefers to the cabling between buildings. The linking of different hubs within a building is known
as secondary wiring, whereas the tertiary wiring
is responsible for the connection between a hub
and the receptacles. There mostly twisted paircables are used.
The American standard EIA/TIA 568 and theEuropean norm EN50173 are derived from theglobal standard ISO/IEC 11801.

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2.1 Category vs. Class
The terms “category” and “class” are often
mixed up. Both determine the electrical transmission values, which have to be observed in a norm
compliant installation.
According to DIN EN 50173 “class” applies tothe entire wiring, i.e. the installed link. The “category” (CAT) as such applies only to one single
component, for example the connector. The
installed link is always tested according to classes.
Only manufacturers and verification labs possessmeasurement instrumentation to evaluate single
components according to the categories.
Category specification for components – cables,
patch panels, communication outlets, connectors• Class specification for system applications on
full channel•

CAT describes, up to which operating frequency
and transmission speed for example the cable isapplicable. The higher the frequency range is,the higher the transmission speed gets on larger
distances. That increases the performance of the
network.
In contrast, the American standard EIA/TIA 568
only classifies according to categories and uses
this term for the whole system as well as for thecomponents.
For a detailed overview of the different classes
and categories please refer to chapter 3.3.

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2.2 Permanent Link vs. Channel Link
Concerning the term “link” it can be distinguished between:
Permanent Link – Permanent link defines thepath between the data outlet and the patchbay
excluding the patchcords. Which means that it
includes the permanently installed wiring path.
Channel Link – Channel link defines the path
between the data outlet and the patchbay including all patch cables. That is the complete signal
path as it is in use.

figure 1 – Permanent Link versus Channel Link
(Source: Telegärtner)

TECHNOLOGY
3.1 Ethernet standards
Ethernet is a technology which specifies software(protocols, etc.) as well as hardware (cables,
switches…) for wired networks. It enables the datatransfer between devices which are connected toa local network (LAN). Ethernet protocols containthe specification of types of cables, connectors
as well as the form of the transmission. Ethernet
is the basis of other network protocols such as
Apple Talk, DECnet or TCP/IP. IEEE developed an
Ethernet standard known as IEEE Standard 802.3.

4

The previous Ethernet standard network was able
to transmit data rates up to 10 Mbit/s for a distance of 100 m (max) and a frequency range of
20 MHz.
Fast Ethernet
For Ethernet networks, where a higher transmission speed is required, the Fast Ethernet (100BASETX) standard IEEE 802.3u has been established.
With this the speed limit has been raised from 10
Mbit/s up to 100 Mbit/s for a distance of 100 m(max) and a frequency of 100 MHz.
Gigabit Ethernet
Applications such as multimedia and Voice overIP (VoIP) require even faster communication networks such as Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T). In
contrast to Fast Ethernet the Gigabit Ethernet is
10 times faster. For the transmission all 4 pairs ofwires are used. The 1000 Mbit/s are subdivided
into 250 Mbit/s for each pair. Regarding frequency limit, Class D allows up to 100 MHz whereas
Class E specifies 250 MHz already.
10 Gigabit Ethernet
10 GBASE-T offers already a nominal rate of 10
Gbit/s. The standard in terms of copper is IEEE
802.3an. The used connector is still RJ45, to becompatible with previous Ethernet types. The
biggest challenge for setting up a 10G-Ethernet
infrastructure is the duplication of the frequency
bandwidth. Cat5e or Cat6 cables are therefore
not sufficient for a 10 G-Ethernet transmission
for a length of 100 m. 10 G-Ethernet requires amaximum frequency of 500 MHz in contrast to
250 MHz for 1 GbE.
Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE Plus)
Power over Ethernet was developed to reduce
costs when planning and installing networks.
The standard of PoE is IEEE 802.3af. The power
supply is provided by a data cable. Therefore the
network setup gets independent of any switch
case and electrical socket.

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In a network the devices in use are classified into:• Power Sourcing Units (PSE)• Powered Devices (PD)During the insertion process the contact spot
between the connector and the chassis moves
along the surface of the contacts.

IEEE 802.3af defines a maximum power of 12,95 W at
the PD if a cable length of 100 m is in use. 802.3af
distinguishes between two meth-ods: Spare pairs
method refers to a separation between data andpower. Pair 4/5 and 7/8 are responsible for power
supply whereas pair 1/2 and 3/6 are in charge ofthe data transfer. In the Phantom Power method
power and data are transmitted together using
the pairs 1/2 and 3/6.

The area between the first contact spot until thenominal contact spot is known as grinding zone.
(fig 2)
At a proper design of the contacts the nominal
contact spot (green) and the connection / disconnection area (red) are separated as shown in fig 3.

Since the introduction of Power over Ethernet thedemand for more power increased. A new standard was developed and released in 2009 known
as Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE Plus) or IEEE
802.3at. PoE Plus delivers more power to enable
a new breed of Ethernet devices and continues tosupport IEEE 802.3af. The defined limit is 25,50 W.
In contrast to 802.af the current increased from
350 mA to 720 mA with a feeding voltage of 50 V.
With 1000BASE-T cables only the Phantom Powermethod can be used, since all 4 pairs are necessary for the data transmission.
There is a new standard on its way but not released yet. IEEE 802.3bt should supply powered
devices with 70 W. In this case all 4 pairs of atwisted pair cable must be used for phantom
power.

figure 2 – insertion process and contact spots

When using Power over Ethernet it is importantto take the heat buildup into consideration.
Therefore you have to use proper cross sectionsof the conductors.
Besides the heating up of the conductors there isanother critical issue which has to be considered:
Damage of the contacts due to sparking.
figure 3 – proper contact design

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A bad contact design (fig 4), when the above
mentioned areas overlap, result into damaged
contacts in the nominal contact spot due to sparking during insertion.

figure 4 – bad contact design

3.2 NEXT, FEXT, AXT and RL
The higher the data rates get, the faster a system
has to switch between different voltage levels.
That’s the reason for decreasing voltage values.
Fast Ethernet (100 Mbit/s) had a level range of
1 V, whereas 20 Gigabit Ethernet operates with
130 mV only.
Since the electronics get more sensitive withincreasing data rate, even small disturbances are
now noticeable. With higher frequencies interference due to crosstalk is increasing. Crosstalkappears because of an electromagnetic field of
adjacent signal transporting wire. This generates
interference currents and voltages. Modern transmission methods offer high line impedance andlow currents. That’s why the capacitive crosstalk
is stronger than the inductive crosstalk.

6

Most modern Ethernet networks therefore use
twisted pair cables. A pair of wires forms a circuitthat can transmit data. The twist of the paired
wires is necessary to provide protection againstcrosstalk – the noise generated by adjacent pairs.
As soon as electrical current flows through awire, it creates a small, circular magnetic fieldaround the wire. When two wires in an electricalcircuit are placed close together, their magnetic
fields are the exact opposite of each other. The
two magnetic fields cancel each other out. If thewires are twisted the cancellation effect is evenstronger.
If this twist is not tight enough or the connecting hardware is not proper designed, the result isnear end crosstalk (NEXT). The NEXT level is thesignal level, which occurs in a pair of wires if an
adjacent pair is transmitting a signal. A transmitter
disturbs the nearby receiver. The NEXT level is thathigh because the emission is high at the beginning of the wire. Far end crosstalk (FEXT) occurs
on signals which run parallel. The FEXT level isoccurring on the total length but is also getting
attenuated over the distance. That’s why the FEXT
level is lower than the NEXT level.
With higher transmission rates additional effects
occur such as coupling effects between adjoining
twisted pair cables. Crosstalk between cables isknown as Alien Crosstalk (AXT). Alien Crosstalk
can’t be calculated and compensated. Propershielding and proper installation are the key factors to avoid this.
Another important factor is the return loss. It
determines whether the used components of achannel are well designed regarding the characteristic impedance. The more properly the setup
is matched, the lower the reflected signal will be.

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3.3 Current twisted pair standards

Standardbody

As stated in the beginning of this paper, twisted
pair cables are standardised and divided up intoclasses and categories according to their bandwidth. Each class or category covers different
applications with specific quality demands.
This table gives an overview about current
standards:
EIA/TIA
568-C.2

ISO/IEC
11801

EN
50173

Max.
Frequency

Application

CAT 5

CAT 5

Class D

100 MHz

100 Base-TX,
SONET,
SOH

CAT 5eCAT 5eClass D

100 MHz

1 GBase-T

250 MHz

1 GBase-T,
155-MBitATM,
622-MBitATM

CAT 6

CAT 6

Class ECAT 6ACAT 6AClass EA

500 MHz

10 GBase-T

–

CAT 7

Class F

600 MHz

10 GBase-T–

CAT 7AClass FA

1000 MHz

10 GBase-T,
40 GBase-T,
100 GBase-T,(limited)

figure 5 – Twisted pair standards – Overview

3.4 10 G-Ethernet / Category 6A
Cat 6A derived from the need for a higher bandwidth due to 10 G-Ethernet applications. Thus
frequencies up to 500 MHz and a distance of 100
m are possible.
Let’s have a look at 10 Gigabit Ethernet according
to the different standards:

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ISO/IECEN(CENELEC)

EIA/TIA

Configuration

Cat 6 /ClassE(500 MHz)Cat 6A/ClassEA(500 MHz)

ChannelPermanent Link
Component

Class EClass ECat 6Class EAClass EACat 6A

ChannelPermanent Link
Component

Class EClass ECat 6Class EAClass EACat 6A

ChannelPermanent Link
Component

Cat 6
Cat 6
Cat 6

Cat 6ACat 6ACat 6Afigure 6 – Class E / EA Overview (Source: Tyco Electronics)

The requirements of the US specification (EIA/TIA)
differ from the international (ISO/IEC) as well asfrom the European (EN) standard. The latter havehigher power reserve and thus allow better planning and installing reliability.
The international and European standards define
cable networks from 100 MHz up to 1000 MHz:Class D:Class E:Class EA:Class F:Class FA:

to 100 MHz
to 250 MHz
to 500 MHz
to 600 MHz
to 1000 MHz

Class EA fits for applications up to 10 Gbit/s. ClassF and class FA have considerably more headroom
and are specified for further Ethernet generations
such as 40 GBase and 100 GBase.
The US standard EIA/TIA 568-C.2 is limited for
networks up to 500 MHz.
It is essential that Category 6A is not the sameas Category 6A!

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3.5 Cat6A vs Cat6A – ISO/IEC vs EIA/TIA
The introduction of 10 G-Ethernet over twisted
pair cables led to new standards. In February 2008
the EIA/TIA published the Cat6A standard. Almost
at the same time the ISO/IEC came up with class
EA. Those specifications define different performances.
For the frequency range from 250 MHz up to 500
MHz the prescribed threshold value for the “Near
End Crosstalk” is significantly higher within theinternational ISO/IEC and European EN standard
than in the US EIA/TIA counterpart.

Frequency

NEXT
Connectors

MHz

ISO/IEC
11801 AM2

EIA/TIA
568-C.2

Category 6A

Category 6A

1

75

75

100

54

54

250

46

46

500

37

34

Frequency

NEXT
ChannelMHz

ISO/IEC
11801 AM1

EIA/TIA
568-C.2

Class EA

Category 6A

1

65

65

100

39,9

39,9

250

33,1

33,1

500

27,9

26,1

figure 9 – Requirements NEXT (Channel)

The EIA/TIA CAT 6A channel requirements show asteady decrease of the attenuation from 330 MHz
upwards, whereas the channel according to the
ISO/IEC Class EA defines a straight curve.
At 500 MHz the difference of the NEXT performance is 1,8 dB between the Class EA and the
CAT 6A channel.
ISO/IEC CAT6A vs. TIA Cat 6A
Connecting Hardware Next Values

figure 7 – Requirements NEXT (Connectors)

For the connectors for example the requirement
at 500 MHz is 3 dB higher. This corresponds to a
performance increase of 30 % at 500 MHz.
The same is valid for the channel as well as thepermanent link:

Frequency

NEXT
Permanent Link

MHz

ISO/IEC
11801 AM2

EIA/TIA
568-C.2

Class EA

Category 6A

1

65

65

100

41,8

41,8

250

35,3

35,3

500

29,2

26,7

figure 8 – Requirements NEXT (Permanent Link)

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figure 10 – Connecting Hardware NEXT values for different
standards

Thus the best performance according to thepredominantly available RJ45 technology canbe reached by a class EA channel. Since Cat6A
components according to the EIA/TIA can’t meetthe strong performance of a class EA channel, it isadvisable to apply Cat 6A components. This leads
to a higher operating reliability of the networkand fewer transmission errors.

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MEASURING RESULTS

4.1 NEXT Value

To meet the increasing market demands of higher
bandwidth links even in harsh environments
Neutrik launches a new product series – the ruggedized CAT6A connector range. These connectors and chassis are component compliant as well
as PoE+ compliant.

The picture below shows measuring results interms of NEXT of a 90 m Permanent Link ClassEA using Neutrik’s NE8MX6 and NE8FDX-Y6. The
results are within the limitation of the strict ISO/IES standard 11801.
The diagram reflects enough headroom for futureapplications. As stated before the class EA channel
corresponds to a performance increase of 30 % at
500 MHz in contrast to CAT 6A. Using Neutrik’s
CAT 6A will provide you enough headroom forpossible losses in the real installation environment
due to cable bend, deformation, etc…

NE8MX6

NE8FDX-Y6

4.2 Mating durability test etherCON
CAT6A with PoE
Below there are measuring results of Neutrik’s
new CAT6A series regarding NEXT and Power over
Ethernet performance.

Neutrik performed a mating cycle test under load
(PoE) to evaluate if mating cycle in combination
with constant power has any effect to the contact
resistance.

Headroom

figure 11 – NEXT value of a 90 m Permanent Link Class EA according to ISO/IEC 11801

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Test Setup:
The mating cycles have been carried out by afully automatically mating cycle machine. Current
load was simulated by a selfmade current sink (2different tests with different settings). The cycle
consisted of a 4 seconds mated period and a 9
seconds unmated duration.
Measuring was done after:
0 cycles first initial measurement
250 cycles resistance measurement
		 with power source
500 cycles polarity reversal and resistance		 measurement with power source
750 cycles resistance measurement with		 power source
1000 cycles polarity reversal and resistance		 measurement with power source
Resistance Measurement has been carried out
using a HIOKI milliohm meter. The applied cable
was a „Belden 1303E-CATSNAKE S/FTP CAT6A
4PR AWG 24“. (2 x 70 cm)

10

Test Conditions:Temperature:
21,2 – 24,2 °C
Duration / cycles: 0 to 1000 cycles
Standard measurements according to IEC 6051299-001 prescribe 100 cycles under load. Neutrik
increased this test up to 1000 cycles as it is usualwith other Neutrik products.
Test Settings:
Test 1:56.6 VDC, 0.6 A per pin / 30 W application
Test 2:47.8 VDC, 1.03 A per pin / 100 W application
Test 1 refers to a PoE+ application (IEEE 802.3at).
Test 2 was adapted according to preliminary
information about the upcoming new standard 802.3bt, which is as mentioned before notreleased yet.

figure 12 – NE8FDX-Y6 before test

figure 13 – NE8MX6 before test

figure 14 – NE8FDX-Y6 after 1000 mating cycles

figure 15 – NE8FDX-Y6 after 1000 mating cycles

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Results1
Test 1:Pin0cyclesTemp.

250
cyclesTemp.

500
cyclesTemp.

750
cyclesTemp.

1000
cycles
241

243

255

GN

197

GN/WS

206

BR

206

BR/WS

208

BL

241

BL/WS

240

197
209
205
215
239
228

198
212
207
230
237
227

207
212
216
239
241
229

215
212
218
243
249

Room temp. 23,2 °C
Contact temp. 23,5 °C

231

240

Room temp. 23,3 °C
Contact temp. 23,6 °C

241

232

Room temp. 23,1 °C
Contact temp. 23,6 °C

227

230

Room temp. 22,6 °C
Contact temp. 22,9 °C

224

OR/WS

Room temp. 22,6 °C

OR

Temp.

242

Measurements in mOhm

Test 2:Pin0cyclesTemp.

250
cyclesTemp.

500
cyclesTemp.

750
cyclesTemp.

1000
cycles
230

239

243

GN

193

GN/WS

201

BR

200

BR/WS

204

BL

236

BL/WS

218

195
204
200
205
237
221

194
204
201
205
237
222

197
204
203
207
237
222

197
205
204
210
237

Room temp. 22,5° C
Contact temp. 23,1 °C

229

238

Room temp. 21,7 °C
Contact temp. 22,6 °C

229

237

Room temp. 21,2 °C
Contact temp. 21,8 °C

226

235

Room temp. 23,7 °C
Contact temp. 24,2 °C

224

OR/WS

Room temp. 23,7 °C

OR

Temp.

223

Measurements in mOhm

figure 16 – proper contact design of Neutrik’s NE8FDX-Y6

References / Literature
1 Connections 9/2009-37 „CAT 6A vs. CAT 6A“, 2009
2 R&M „Cat. 6A vs. Cat. 6A”, 2010
3 R&M „Power over Ethernet plus”, 2009
4 Schnabel Patrik „Netzwerktechnik-Fibel”, 2009
5 Telegärtner „Hintergrundwissen zu 10 G-Ethernet“, 2010
6 Telegärtner „Daten-/Netzwerktechnik Basiswissen“, 2011
7 Tyco Electronics „Where Cat.6A meets 600 MHz”, 2009White Paper – etherCON

Observations:Typical abrasions of material at the contacts of thechassis as well as of the cable connector without
noticeable resistance change. This proves theproper design of the contacts. As shown in fig.16
the contact spot (green) and the nominal spot (red)do not overlap. Further there are no big differences between the results of the two tests (Test 1
30 W; Test 2 100 W). According to the results
Neutrik’s new CAT 6A series is future proof forupcoming Power over Ethernet standards.

Measuring results consist of:Contact resistance inclusive bulk resistances of connector and chassis:~ 90 mOhm• Cable with a length of 1,4 m: ~ 63 mOhm
1•

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JapanNeutrik Limited, Yusen-Higashinihonbashi-Ekimae Bldg., 3-7-19
Higashinihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103
T +81 3 3663 47 33, mail@neutrik.co.jp
Hong Kong
Neutrik Hong Kong LTD., Suite 18, 7th Floor Shatin Galleria
Fotan, Shatin
T +852 2687 6055, neutrik@neutrik.com.hk
China
Ningbo Neutrik Trading Co., Ltd., Shiqi Street, Yinxian Road West
Fengjia Villiage, Yinzhou Area, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315153
T +86 574 88250488 800, neutrik@neutrik.com.cn
India
Neutrik India Pvt. Ltd., Level 3, Neo Vikram, New Link Road,
Above Audi Show Room, Andheri West, Mumbai, 400058
T +91 982 05 43 424, anklesaria@neutrik.com
Associated companies
Contrik AG
Steinackerstrasse 35, 8902 Urdorf, Switzerland
T +41 44 736 50 10, contrik@contrik.ch
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Felix-Wankel-Straße 1, 85221 Dachau, Germany
T +49 08131 28 08-0, info@adam-gmbh.de

www.neutrik.com®

USA
Neutrik USA Inc., 4115 Taggart Creek Road, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28208
T +1 704 972 30 50, info@neutrikusa.com®

FranceNeutrik France SARL, Rue du Parchamp 13, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
T +33 1 41 31 67 50, info@neutrik.fr®

Great Britain
Neutrik (UK) Ltd., Westridge Business Park, Cothey Way
Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 1 QT
T +44 1983 811 441, sales@neutrik.co.uk

etherCON White Paper 2015/11 V2 - NWP05 - Data subject to change without prior notice. © 2015 NEUTRIK . NEUTRIK , etherCON are registered trademarks of NEUTRIK AG. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Germany / Netherlands / Denmark / Austria
Neutrik Vertriebs GmbH, Felix-Wankel-Strasse 1, 85221 Dachau, Germany
T +49 8131 28 08 90, info@neutrik.de

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NEUTRIK AG, Im alten Riet 143, 9494 Schaan
T +423 237 24 24, F +423 232 53 93, neutrik@neutrik.com