Abstract:
A modular communications cable assembly comprises first and second connectors, each having an elongated array of electrical contacts, and high-speed (e.g., data) and low-speed (e.g., voice) twisted wire pairs extending between the first and second connectors and terminated to the electrical contacts. Electrical contacts are skipped (or left empty) between the high-speed wire pairs to reduce cross-talk., but no electrical contacts are skipped between the low-speed wire pairs. An electrically conductive member with pins may be used to electrically couple the skipped contacts together to further reduce cross-talk. In another aspect, a modular communications cable assembly provides a plurality of communication circuits to a cluster of workstations. The cable assembly comprises an upstream connector and at least one downstream connector, with a plurality of high-speed cable segments and at least one low-speed cable segment extending between the upstream and downstream connectors. Each high-speed cable segment contains a set of twisted wire pairs for high-speed communication, and the at least one low-speed cable segment provides a plurality of sets of twisted wire pairs for low-speed communication. Each communication circuit comprises one set of twisted pairs from the high-speed cable segments and one set of twisted pairs from the at least one low-speed cable segment. Colors are used to facilitate the proper joining of cable assemblies, e.g., black connectors are joined to red connectors. A circuit breakout assembly (FIG. 13) is used and includes a body, an in-feed connector and a plurality of breakout connectors for providing communication circuits to a cluster of workstations.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to telecommunications cabling and devices for transmitting analog and digital electrical signals. In particular, the present invention relates to a modular cable system for providing data and voice communications to a plurality of workstations, which is easy to install and which reliably transmits the data at a high rate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Communications cabling systems transmit information or data in the form of analog or digital electrical signals to and from various offices or workstations. Such cabling systems communicate between a distribution block or a patch panel located in a computer room or telecommunication closet and telecommunication devices located at the workstations, including telephones, facsimile machines and computers. Traditional cabling systems often comprise individual cables that extend uninterrupted from the wiring closet to the user devices (known as a “home run” cabling system). More recently, however, it has become increasingly popular to provide cabling systems with at least one connection point located intermediate the closet and the user devices (known as a “modular” cabling system). A modular cabling system has the advantage in that moves, adds, and changes to the cabling system are substantially simplified in that there is no need to reconfigure the cables all the way back to the wiring closet. Instead, only the cables “downstream” of the intermediate connection point need be reconfigured. Despite the increasing popularity of modular cable systems, however, such modular cabling systems have several drawbacks. 
     One drawback with existing modular cabling systems is that they can be difficult or confusing for unskilled or inexperienced workers to install properly. This problem can be exacerbated when the modular cabling systems includes what will herein be referred to as Y-cable assemblies, which are another recent development. Each Y-cable assembly includes wiring for multiple offices or workstations and includes three connectors: one upstream connector, one downstream (or pass-thru) connector, and one extractor (or peel-off) connector. The upstream and downstream connectors of the Y-cables can be interconnected to one another to provide a segmented (or serially connected) cabling system that includes all the wiring necessary for the individual offices or workstations. Each Y-cable assembly in the serial chain extracts a unique subset of the wires (or a circuit) to its extractor connector for use by one particular office or workstation. Thus, it is important for the installer to be able easily distinguish the different Y-cables because each can be used only once in the same serial chain. 
     However, in prior art segmented cabling systems the unique Y-cables have been distinguished only by a part number, usually stamped on one of the connectors. This makes it difficult for the installer to ensure that the system is configured correctly, e.g., the part numbers must be either memorized or written down before comparing one Y-cable with another. Moreover, performing moves, adds or changes on an existing system is further complicated in that such part numbers are located on portions of the connectors that are not visible when the Y-cables are installed. As a result, the installer must either uninstall (at least partially) each of the Y-cables for purposes of identification, or the written records (if they exist) of the wiring scheme must be located and consulted. 
     Another drawback with existing modular cabling systems is that, although the cables may be capable of communicating at Category 5 or higher performance levels, the connectors often form weak points that limit the overall capabilities of the system. In particular, cross-talk, which is a measure of the amount of signal coupling occurring between different pairs of wires either in a cable or cable-to-cable, can be a problem in connectors when the electrical pins extend close to one another and in parallel. Such cross-talk is a source of interference that degrades the ability of the system to transmit or receive signals, and can become particularly acute at high speeds. It has been discovered, however, that terminating the wire pairs at pin positions so as to leave empty (or unused) pins between the wire pairs can reduce this cross-talk in the connectors, which enables higher data transmission speeds. Nevertheless, with the continuing demand for even faster data transmission rates, there remains a need for cable assemblies that offer reduced cross-talk at even high transmission rates (e.g., 100 MHz to 300 MHz). 
     Modular segmented cabling systems similar to the type contemplated herein are shown in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application No. 09/163,886, filed Sep. 30, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,458 (“the &#39;886 application”). The &#39;886 application shows a preferred embodiment of a modular cabling system for providing high speed data communication to a cluster of eight workstations. The segmented cabling system shown in the &#39;886 application includes a unique color coding scheme that enables an installer to properly configure the system by following a few easy to remember rules. Moreover, the &#39;886 application also discloses a device for reducing cross-talk in the connectors. 
     Workstations conventionally include a variety of equipment besides computers, many of which do not communicate at the same high speeds as modern day computers. For example, telephones, facsimile machines, and modems operate quite well on cabling capable of transmitting signals at lower speeds, such as Category 3. Moreover, most equipment of these types require only one or two wire pairs for communication, rather than four as with computers. Providing transmission capability for such equipment, therefore, either requires that a separate low speed cabling network must be installed or, alternatively, that some of the cabling designed for high speed transmission be used for lower speed transmission. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a single modular cabling system that can be easily installed to provide not only high speed communications for computers, but also low-speed communications for other types of equipment. Moreover, it would also be desirable to provide such a system using integrated connectors that pass both types of signals because this would reduce connector congestion and simplify installation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a modular communications cable assembly comprising a first connector and a second connector, each having an elongated array of electrical contacts. A first plurality of wires arranged in twisted pairs is terminated to selected electrical contacts in each array in a predetermined pattern such that at least one electrical contact remains unterminated between adjacent pairs of the first plurality of wires to reduce cross-talk therebetween. In addition, a second plurality of wires arranged in twisted pairs is terminated to selected electrical contacts in each array in the predetermined pattern such that no electrical contact remains unterminated between at least some adjacent pairs of the second plurality of wires. 
     The present invention also relates to a modular communications cable assembly for providing a plurality of communication circuits to a cluster of workstations. The cable assembly comprises an upstream connector, at least one downstream connector, a plurality of high-speed cable segments, and at least one low-speed cable segment. Each high-speed cable segment contains a set of twisted wire pairs for high-speed communication and extends between the upstream connector and one of the at least one downstream connectors. The at least one low-speed cable segment extends between the upstream connector and one of the at least one downstream connectors. The at least one low-speed cable segment provides a plurality of sets of twisted wire pairs for low-speed communication. Each circuit comprises one set of twisted wire pairs from the high-speed cable segments and one set of twisted wire pairs from the at least one low-speed cable segment 
     The present invention further relates to a wiring arrangement for providing a plurality of communication circuits to a cluster of workstations. The wiring arrangement includes at least one modular cable assembly having a set of wires extending between a pair of connectors. The set of wires is grouped into disjoint wiring subsets that define the plurality of circuits. The wiring arrangement comprises a breakout assembly for linking the plurality of circuits to the cluster of workstations. The breakout assembly includes a body, an in-feed connector, and a plurality of breakout connectors associated with the in-feed connector. The breakout assembly also includes communications wiring connecting the in-feed connector with the associated breakout connectors such that each circuit is diverted from the in-feed connector to one of the associated breakout connectors. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing an exemplary cable system of the present invention including two cable subsystems installed to provide communications to a cluster of six workstations. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing a first one of the cable subsystems of FIG. 1 in greater detail. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a first type of cable assembly with a first connector and a second type of cable assembly with a second connector, each cable assembly including a plurality of cable segments and the connectors configured to mate with each other. 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a first cable segment of the first cable assembly of FIG. 3 with portions removed for purposes of illustration. 
     FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a second cable segment of the first cable assembly of FIG. 3 with portions removed for purposes of illustration. 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first and second connectors of the first and second cable assemblies of FIG. 3 interconnected. 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the first connector and cable assembly of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the first connector and cable assembly of FIG. 3 with portions of the connector removed for purposes of illustration. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the first connector and cable assembly of FIG. 3 taken along lines  8 — 8  in FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the first connector and cable assembly of FIG. 3 taken along lines  9 — 9  in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration showing a preferred termination pattern for defining three circuits of wires in the first connector and cable assembly of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a third connector of the second cable assembly of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the third connector of the second cable assembly of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration showing an exemplary circuit breakout assembly that can be used in combination with the cable assemblies of FIG. 3 to further increase the modularity of the cable system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary cabling system  10  installed to provide communications to a cluster of six workstations  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22  divided by partitions  26  and  28 . Cabling system  10  includes a horizontal distribution cable (HDC)  32 , a consolidation point  34 , and cable subsystems  36  and  38 . HDC  32  is typically the longest cable in the system and extends from a main distribution interface or other modular closet interface device located in a computer room or wiring closet  33  to consolidation point  34 . As conventionally known, the distribution interface represents the demarcation point between the local telephone company or wide area network and the owner of the office distribution network. As is known in the art, HDC  32  may extend through the floor, ceiling, column of the building, or other structure depending on the layout of the building and the locations of wiring closet  33  and consolidation point  34 . 
     HDC  32  is for the most part a conventionally-known cable including electrical leads or wires extending in multiple, i.e., including sets of wires for two or more workstations. HDC  32  differs from a conventional horizontal distribution cable, however, in that it preferably is preterminated at both ends by connectors  30  of the same gender (preferably male). For reasons explained below, both connectors  30  are preferably of the same color, such as black. Because HDC  32  is not gender specific, an installer can pull HDC  32  from closet  33  out to the workstation area (or from the workstation area to the closet) without regard to whether the cable is left handed or right handed. Thus, unlike with gender specific cables, it is impossible for the installer to make a mistake by pulling the wrong end of HDC  32 , and thus no effort is ever wasted. Moreover, wasted effort from such a mistake can be substantial because pulling the horizontal distribution cables is often the most labor intensive part of the installation (e.g., an installer might spend several days to pull 50 cables 200 feet). 
     Consolidation point  34 , also known as a subsidiary distribution point, comprises a device for interconnecting wiring extending from closet  33  with wiring extending to the cluster of workstations. More precisely, consolidation point  34  comprises an organizer bracket located between HDC  32  and cable subsystems  36  and  38 , and may be situated at a conventional location such as in a ceiling, floor, or building support. Alternatively, consolidation point  34  may be located in one of the partitions  26 ,  28 , in a furniture item, or in an external cabinet located adjacent to or mounted on one of the partitions. Consolidation point  34  eliminates the need to extend individual cable lengths all the way from the distribution interface at closet  33  to each individual workstation. As will be appreciated, cabling system  10  may include as many additional consolidation points as desired. 
     Cable subsystems  36  and  38  are modular in nature and provide telecommunications from consolidation point  34  to each of the workstations  12 - 22  in the cluster. Since cable subsystem  36  and  38  are substantially identical to one another, for purposes of brevity, only cable subsystem  36  is discussed hereafter. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, cable subsystem  36  generally includes a feeder cable  40  (also known as an X-cable assembly) and a plurality of breakout or diversion cable assemblies  42 ,  44  and  46  (also known as Y-cable assemblies). X-cable  40  is modular in nature and includes a plurality of data wires  54  (see FIG. 4A) and a plurality of voice wires  56  (see FIG.  4 B), all of which extend between an upstream connector  50  and a downstream connector  52 . For reasons explained below, connectors  50  and  52  are preferably of opposite gender and distinctly colored (preferably a red male connector and a black female connector, respectively). Upstream connector  50  of X-cable  40  is removably connectable to consolidation point  34 , and downstream connector  52  is removably connectable to Y-cable  42 . Additional or alternatively X-cables  40  could of course be located further downstream, such as between Y-cables  44  and  46 , to extend the length of cable subsystem  36 . 
     FIGS. 3-5 illustrate portions of X-cable  40  and Y-cable  42 . In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates a downstream end portion of X-cable  40  terminated by connector  52 , and an upstream portion of Y-cable  42 . As can be seen, X-cable  40  includes an optional outer sheath  58  that encases four cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  (as indicated by the dashed lead-line, cable segment  1  is not visible in FIG.  3 ). When sheath  58  is present, it preferably comprises a polymeric flame-retardant sheath that is shielded to prevent noise interference with cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  from induced voltage. 
     FIG. 4A illustrates cable segment  1  of X-cable  40  in greater detail, with portions of the segment removed for clarity. As can be seen, cable segment  1  includes eight individually insulated wires  54  that are arranged as four twisted pairs and enclosed within a sheath  60 . Sheath  60  may be a polymeric flame-retardant sheath and/or shielded to prevent induced voltage. Cable segments  2  and  3  are substantially identical to cable segment  1 . In the preferred embodiment, cable segments  1 ,  2  and  3  each include wires  54  designed to carry high-speed data signals (e.g., Category 5 or higher) 
     FIG. 4B illustrates cable segment  4  of X-cable  40  in greater detail, with portions of the segment removed for clarity. As can be seen, cable segment  4  includes twelve individually insulated wires  56  that are arranged as six twisted pairs and enclosed within a sheath  62 . Sheath  62  may be a polymeric flame-retardant sheath and/or shielded to prevent induced voltage. In the preferred embodiment, cable segment  4  includes wires  56  designed to carry low-speed voice signals (e.g., Category 3 to Category 5). Those skilled in the art will recognize that wires  56  could also carry low-speed data signals. Moreover, it should be clear that the terms “low-speed” and “high-speed” are used in a relative sense. That is, as connector and cabling technology improves and the speeds increase, the high-speed cabling transmission speeds could be, for example, Category 7-9, while the low-speed cabling transmission speeds could be Category 5-6. 
     Returning to FIG. 3, downstream connector  52  of X-cable  40  comprises a body  64  having a male mating portion  66  that includes a plurality of electrical contacts  68  spaced along opposite side walls of a terminal bar  70 . The individual wires  54 ,  56  of cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  are electrically connected (or terminated) to selected electrical contacts  68  of connector  52  in a predetermined pattern designed to reduce cross-talk in the connector, as explained below. Similarly, the individual wires  54 ,  56  are also terminated to selected electrical contacts at upstream connector  50  of X-cable  40 , but in a complimentary or opposite pattern. 
     FIGS. 6-9 illustrate connector  52  and the predetermined termination pattern in greater detail. As best seen in FIG. 6, connector  52  is a conventional 50-pin (25 pair) connector in which electrical contacts  68  are arranged in two parallel rows of 25 pins each, numbered  1 - 25  in one row and  26 - 50  in the other row. Pin position  1  is adjacent to pin position  26  at one end of connector  52 , and pin position  25  is adjacent to pin position  50  at the other end. Each electrical contact  68  includes a rearwardly facing insulation displacement portion  71  and a forwardly facing contact portion  72 . Each insulation displacement portion  71  includes one wire receiving socket  74 , which is sized to cut through the wire insulation of one wire  54  or  56  inserted therein to electrically interconnect the wire  54  or  56  with electrical contact  68 . 
     As discussed above, wires  54  and  56  of cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  are positioned in specific sockets  74  of connector  52  in a predetermined pattern designed to reduce cross-talk. In particular, wires  54  of each twisted pair in data cable segments  1 ,  2 , and  3  are inserted into adjacent sockets  74  such that at least one socket  74  is skipped (i.e., left empty) between the adjacent twisted pairs. This termination pattern provides extra spacing between the adjacent pairs used for high speed data transmission, which has been found to reduce cross-talk and thus enable higher speeds. As for wires  56  of voice cable segment  4 , such extra spacing is not required between the adjacent pairs because the communication speeds of such devices are generally low enough that cross-talk is not a problem. Thus, it is possible to utilize a more dense termination pattern for wires  56 , which in turn allows better space utilization in connector  52 . For example, in the preferred embodiment which utilizes three data cable segments  1 ,  2  and  3 , a termination pattern that also provides three voice twisted pairs (one for each data cable segment) would be particularly desirable because most workstation users require one data and one voice outlet. This balancing of data and voice capacity can be achieved in a 50-pin connector by terminating all twelve wires  56  (or six pairs) of voice cable segment  4  in adjacent sockets  74  at one end of connector  52  such that no sockets  74  are skipped between voice wires  56 . However, one socket  74  is preferably left empty between voice wires  56  and data wires  54  to prevent induced cross-talk. 
     Although a number of termination patterns could be devised to meet the above requirements, one preferred arrangement will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7-9. As can be seen, data cable segment  1  includes eight wires  54  arranged as four twisted pairs ( 54 A,  54 B), ( 54 C,  54 D), ( 54 E,  54 F), ( 54 G,  54 H), which are assigned to specific sockets  74  of connector  52 . In particular, wires  54 A and  54 B are assigned to respective pin positions  2  and  3 , wires  54 C and  54 D are assigned to respective pin positions  5  and  6 , wires  54 E and  54 F are assigned to respective pin positions  27  and  28 , and wires  54 G and  54 H are assigned to respective pin positions  30  and  31 . Thus, the four twisted pairs of data cable segment  1  are assigned to pin positions  2 - 3 ,  5 - 6 ,  27 - 28 , and  30 - 31 , while pin positions  1 ,  4 ,  26  and  29  are skipped. Data cable segments  2  and  3  each include eight wires arranged as four twisted pairs, which are assigned to specific sockets  74  of connector  52  in similar termination patterns. In particular, the four twisted pairs of cable segment  2  are assigned to pin positions  8 - 9 ,  11 - 12 ,  33 - 34 , and  36 - 67 , while pin positions  7 ,  10 ,  32  and  35  are skipped. Similarly, the four twisted pairs of cable segment  3  are assigned to pin positions  14 - 15 ,  17 - 18 ,  39 - 40 , and  42 - 43 , while pin positions  13 ,  16 ,  38  and  41  are skipped. 
     Voice cable segment  4  includes twelve wires  56  arranged as six twisted pairs: three of which pairs ( 56 A,  56 B), ( 56 C,  56 D), ( 56 E,  56 F) are assigned to sockets  74  along the upper row of pins in connector  52  in FIG.  8  and three of which pairs ( 56 G,  56 H), ( 56 I,  56 J), ( 56 K,  56 L) are assigned to sockets  74  along the lower row of pins in connector  52  in FIG.  8 . From the combination of FIGS. 8 and 10, it can be seen that four of the six twisted pairs-namely, pairs ( 56 A,  56 B), ( 56 C,  56 D), ( 56 G,  56 H) and ( 56 I,  56 J)—are assigned to respective pin positions  20 - 21 ,  23 - 24 ,  45 - 46 , and  48 - 49  in a pattern similar to the pattern in which the four twisted pairs in each of the data cable segments  1 ,  2  and  3  are terminated. However, unlike with those data termination patterns, the remaining pin positions between these four voice pairs, i.e., pin positions  22 ,  25 ,  47  and  50 , are not skipped. Instead, they are utilized for terminating the remaining two twisted pairs of voice wires  56 —i.e., pairs ( 56 E,  56 F) and ( 56 K,  56 L). In particular, one of the remaining twisted pairs is assigned to pin positions  22  and  25 , and the other is assigned to pin positions  47  and  50 . As already mentioned, pin positions  19  and  44 , i.e., the pin positions between data wires  54  and voice wires  56 , are preferably left empty to provide increased spacing and thereby reduce cross-talk. 
     Terminating four of the six voice twisted pairs in the same pattern as is used for each of the four data twisted pairs provides several advantages. For example, the manufacture of the cable assemblies is simplified because the worker can connect the voice wires in the same pattern as the data wires, with the only difference being the extra step of terminating the two remaining voice wires. More importantly, however, this pattern also facilitates backwards compatibility with other cabling systems of the assignee that pass four high-speed data cable segments through a 50-pin connector. One such system is disclosed in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application No. 09/163,886, filed Sep. 30, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,458, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIG. 10 shows a schematic representation of a preferred termination pattern superimposed on connector  52  (illustrated as a male 50-pin connector), and also defines three workstation circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  comprising disjoint sets of wires (i.e., no wires in common) extending throughout all cable assemblies  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46  in cable subsystem  36 . As is conventional, the upper row of pin positions is numbered  1 - 25  from left to right, and the lower row of pin positions is numbered  26 - 50  from left to right. The symbol “x” denotes pin positions that are skipped, and the numerals “ 1 ”, “ 2 ” and “ 3 ” denote pin positions that are utilized for circuits  1 ,  2  and  3 , respectively. As mentioned above, each circuit  1 ,  2  and  3  utilizes four twisted pairs of wires  54  for high-speed data transmission and two twisted pairs of wires  56  for low-speed voice communication. In particular, circuit  1  utilizes pin positions  2 - 3 ,  5 - 6 ,  27 - 28  and  30 - 31  for the four data twisted pairs and pin positions  20 - 21  and  23 - 24  for the two voice twisted pairs. Circuit  2  utilizes pin positions  8 - 9 ,  11 - 12 ,  33 - 34  and  36 - 37  for the four data twisted pairs and pin positions  45 - 46  and  48 - 49  for the two voice twisted pairs. Finally, circuit  3  utilizes pin positions  14 - 15 ,  17 - 18 ,  39 - 40  and  42 - 43  for the four data twisted pairs and pin positions  22 ,  25  and  47 ,  50  for the two twisted pairs. 
     Thus, it can be seen that the two wires  54  of each data twisted pair are terminated to adjacent pin positions in a row with one empty pin between each pair, that wires  56  of the voice twisted pairs are terminated to pin positions without leaving any empty pins, and that one pin is skipped between the data twisted pairs the voice twisted pairs. It should be clear that a number of termination patterns could meet these requirements, and that the above-described and illustrated wire termination pattern is merely one presently preferred pattern. 
     As further shown by FIGS. 7 and 8, connector  52  preferably includes a device  76  for further reducing cross-talk among data wires  54 . As illustrated, cross-talk reduction device  76  includes a body  78  and an electrically conductive member  80 . Body  78  is preferably made of a plastic, nonconductive material, but it may be formed from a variety of other materials including conductive ones. 
     Electrically conductive member  80  electrically interconnects empty sockets  74  to each other in connector  52 . In the illustrated embodiment, therefore, conductive member  80  electrically interconnects empty sockets  74  corresponding to pin positions  1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  10 ,  13 ,  16  and  19  along one row of electrical contacts  68 , and pin positions  26 ,  29 ,  32 ,  35 ,  38 ,  41  and  44  along the other row. The empty pin positions in the two rows may also be electrically interconnected with each other if desired. As illustrated, conductive member  80  includes a plurality of pins  82  that are located and sized such that pins  82  extend into and become firmly seated in associated sockets  74  when device  76  is installed on connector  52 . Cross-talk reduction device  76  could be part of the initial manufacture of connector  52  or, alternatively, it could be retrofitted onto an existing connector  52  and then soldered, glued, or otherwise held in place (e.g., by simple interference or snap fit). Even simpler, cross-talk reduction device  76  could comprise a plurality of short segments of electrical wiring that would be inserted into empty sockets  74  of electrical contacts  68  to interconnect them. 
     Since electrically conductive member  80  is made of a highly conductive material, such as copper, it absorbs and distributes energy that leaks from the pairs and which would otherwise be transferred directly to an adjacent wire pair. Device  76  also reduces alien cross-talk, which is the tendency of signals in one cable segment to induce signals in adjacent cable segment when connected in series. U.S. patent application No. 09/163,886, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,458, which was incorporated by reference above, includes a table that illustrates comparative test results for similar connectors both with and without cross-talk reduction devices. As can be seen from the table, cross-talk reduction device  76  allows electronic signals or data to be transmitted at faster rates than would otherwise be possible. In particular, appropriately configured devices can be used to reduce cross-talk such that connectors designed originally for Cat 5 performance (100 Mbps) can be improved to Cat 6, Cat 7, or even higher. 
     Although the above-described termination pattern and cross-talk reduction device  76  have been illustrated and described for reducing cross-talk in a 50-pin male connector (i.e., connector  52  in X-cable  40 ), such cross-talk reducing features are also preferably used in all the other connectors in cable subsystem  36 , regardless whether male or female, upstream or downstream, or the number of pins or rows of electrical contacts. 
     Returning now to FIG. 2, each Y-cable  42 ,  44  and  46  generally includes an upstream connector  84  (preferably female), a pass-thru connector  86  (preferably male), a peel-off connector  88 , and a plurality of data and voice wires  90  and  92 , respectively (see FIG.  3 ). For reasons explained below, it is also preferable for connectors  84  and  86  to be differently colored (preferably red and black, respectively). Preferably, pass-thru and peel-off connectors  86  and  88 , respectively, of Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  are all similar in construction to downstream connector  52  of X-cable  40  described above. 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 3, upstream connector  84  of Y-cable  42  comprises a body  94  having a female mating portion  96 , which includes a plurality of electrical contacts  98  spaced along opposed side walls of a slot  100 . A portion of electrical contacts  98  of upstream connector  84  are electrically connected to individual wires  90 ,  92  of cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  in a predetermined pattern that is similar to, but opposite, that described above for downstream connector  52  of X-cable  40 . This is necessary so that the wires  54 ,  56  of cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  in X-cable  40  are electrically connected to appropriate wires  90 ,  92  of associated cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  in Y-cable  42  when connectors  52  and  84  are interconnected. As best seen in FIG. 5, Y-cable assembly  42  can be serially interconnected with X-cable  40  by inserting terminal bar  70  of downstream connector  52  into slot  100  of upstream connector  84 , which causes electrical contacts  68  to firmly engage electrical contacts  98 . Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  can be serially interconnected to one another in a similar manner. 
     Returning again to FIG. 2, each Y-cable  42 ,  44  and  46  is uniquely configured to divert a unique subset of wires  90 ,  92  (i.e., circuit  1 ,  2  or  3 ) from upstream connector  84  to peel-off connector  88 , while the remaining wires  90 ,  92  continue on from upstream connector  84  to pass-thru connector  86 . In particular, Y-cable  42  is configured such that wires  90 ,  92  of circuit  1  (see FIG. 10) extend through an extraction lead  102  to peel-off connector  88 , while wires  90 ,  92  of circuits  2  and  3  continue on through a main lead  104  to pass-thru connector  86 . Y-cable  44  is configured such that wires  90 ,  92  of circuit  2  (see FIG. 10) extend through extraction lead  102  to peel-off connector  88 , while wires  90 ,  92  of circuits  1  and  3  continue on through main lead  104  to pass-thru connector  86 . And Y-cable  44  is configured such that wires  90 ,  92  of circuit  3  (see FIG. 10) extend through extraction lead  102  to peel-off connector  88 , while wires  90 ,  92  of circuits  1  and  3  continue on through main lead  104  to pass-thru connector  86 . 
     Accordingly, Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  can be serially interconnected to provide integrated data and voice circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  to a cluster of workstations, with particular circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  being diverted to individual workstations for use by both high-speed and low-speed telecommunication devices. Moreover, because each Y-cable  42 ,  44  and  46  includes all three unique subsets  1 ,  2  and  3  of wires  90 ,  92 , either in main lead  104  or extraction lead  102 , the Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  can be connected in any order and still function. 
     An example will help make this more clear. Referring again to FIG. 2, X-cable  40  can be seen to carry electrical signals A, B and C through respective wire subsets (or circuits)  1 ,  2  and  3  to and from Y-cable  42 . Y-cable  42  diverts circuit  1 , and thus signal A, through extraction lead  102  to peel-off connector  88  for use in workstation  12  (WS   12   ). Signals B and C, however, continue through main lead  104  via circuits  2  and  3  to pass-thru connector  86 , and thus to upstream connector  84  of Y-cable  44 . Y-cable  44  in turn diverts circuit  2 , and thus signal B, through extraction lead  102  to peel-off connector  88  for use in workstation  14  (WS   14   ), while signal C continues through main lead  104  via circuit  3  to pass-thru connector  86 , and thus to upstream connector  84  of Y-cable  46 . Lastly, Y-cable  46  diverts circuit  3 , and thus signal C, to peel-off connector  88  for use in workstation  16  (WS   16   ). 
     As further shown by FIG. 2, each unique Y-cable  42 ,  44  and  46  includes a unique indicium corresponding to the unique wire subset  1 ,  2  or  3  included in its extraction lead  102 . In a preferred embodiment, the indicium associated with each Y-cable  42 ,  44  and  46  is a unique color, which preferably is located on each peel-off connector  88  and/or on the outer sheath of extraction lead  102 . For example, Y-cable  42 , in which wire subset  1  is diverted by extraction lead  102 , includes a blue peel-off connector  88  and a blue extraction lead  102 . Likewise, peel-off connectors  88  of Y-cables  44  and  46  are white and gray, respectively, to correspond with respective wire subsets  2  and  3  being diverted by extraction leads  102 . The unique color indicium is preferably applied to each peel-off connector  88  by molding it from an appropriately colored molding material. Alternatively, peel-off connector  88  may have a colored coating or paint applied thereto, or a colored member (e.g., a sticker) may be adhered to the connector, either during or after initial manufacture. 
     From the foregoing, it is clear that cable subsystem  36  includes unique color assignments that would enable an installer to easily distinguish the unique Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  from one another, simply by a glance. Thus, even an inexperienced worker can easily install the system or perform moves, adds or changes, in substantially less time and with reduced chance for errors than was possible using the heretofore known modular cabling systems. Moreover, the installer need only remember and follow a few simple rules to properly connect the Y-cables in a properly functioning serial chain: a red connector is always connected to a black connector, and each unique color (e.g., blue, white, gray) can be used only once in the chain. However, Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  may be interconnected in any order. Consequently, this unique color-coding scheme makes installation of a segmented modular cabling system simple and non-threatening. 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate peel-off connector  88  of Y-cable  42  in greater detail. As can be seen, connector  88  is similar to downstream connector  52  of X-cable  40 , and includes a body  106  and a plurality of electrical contacts  108 . Connector  88  is preferably adapted for being installed in a port  110  form in one of the partitions  26 ,  28  such that a front face  112  of connector  88  remains visually accessible even when installed (see FIG.  12 ). To secure connector  88  in place, body  106  preferably includes a pair of lateral projections  113  that extend from opposite ends of body  106  and contain screw or bolt holes  114 . Body  106  includes a front mating portion of a predetermined gender (preferably male) that is configured for mating with a patch cable (such as described below) having a connector of opposite gender. 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the unique indicium on each peel-off connector  88  is preferably located on front face  112  and extensions  113 . Thus, the installer can easily determine which Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  are currently being used in cable subsystem  36  without having to remove or disturb any of the peel-off connectors  88  from the ports  110 . Of course, alternative or additional easily distinguishable unique indicia could be used to achieve this same result. For example, front face  112  of each connector  88  could be provided with a unique surface texture. Unique surface texture indicia would enable the installer to easily identify and distinguish the Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  from one another even when connectors  88  are, for some reason, not visible. For example, surface texture indicia would be highly advantageous when the lighting is poor, or when there are other visual impairments such as furniture or other obstructions that block the installer&#39;s view. It should thus be clear that the only requirements for the unique indicia are that they enable easy identification of the various assemblies and remain accessible (e.g., visually or tactilely) even when connectors  88  are installed. 
     Referring now to FIG. 12, the preferred pattern for terminating the wires  90 ,  92  of circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  in peel-off connectors  88  of respective Y-cables  42 ,  44 , and  46  will be explained. In the illustrated embodiment, each extraction lead  102  comprises all four pairs of wires  90  from one of the data cable segments  1 ,  2 ,  3  as well as two pairs of wires  92  from voice cable segment  4 . However, no matter which circuit  1 ,  2  or  3  is being diverted to peel-off connector  88 , the eight data wires  56  (four pairs) and four voice wires (two pairs) are preferably terminated to identical pin positions in the connector. In particular, the eight data wires  90  (four pairs) are preferably terminated to pin positions in the same manner as explained above for terminating data wires  54  of cable segment  1  in downstream connector  52  of X-cable  40  (see FIGS. 7,  8 ). That is, the four pairs of data wires  90  of circuit  1  are preferably terminated in pin positions  2 - 3 ,  5 - 6 ,  27 - 28 , and  30 - 31 . As to the four voice wires  92 , one pair is preferably terminated in pin positions  20 - 21 , and the other pair is preferably terminated in pin positions  23 - 24 . 
     Terminating data and voice wires  90 ,  92  of all three circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  to the same pin positions in peel-off connector  88  for all three Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46  provides a number of advantages. Most importantly, the same type of patch cable can be used to carry the signals from peel-off connector  88  to the user devices, no matter which Y-cable  42 ,  44  or  46  is being used. Although not illustrated, such a patch cable would have an upstream connector configured to releasibly mate with peel-off connector  88  and one or more downstream connectors configured to releasibly mate with the user devices. For example, the downstream connector(s) of the patch cable could comprise a single 50-pin connector or, alternatively, one four-pair RJ45 data plug for a computer and one two-pair RJ11 plug for a telephone, modem or fax. Another possibility is that the patch cable could be provided with three downstream connectors comprising a four-pair RJ45 plug for the computer, a one-pair RJ11 plug for the telephone, and a one-pair RJ11 plug for the modem. It will be recognized that other combinations are possible, such as breaking the one four-pair data into two separate two-pairs. 
     FIG. 13 shows a schematic representation of a breakout box  116  that can be used in combination with the above-described cabling system  10  to further increase its modularity. In the illustrated embodiment, breakout box  116  comprises two in-feed connectors  118  and six associated breakout connectors  120 ,  122  and  124 . In addition, breakout box  116  includes two input connectors  126 , each of which is associated with an output connector  128 . All connectors  118 - 128  are preferably mounted on a front face  130  of a housing  132  or, alternatively, on a plate, rack, or bracket. Preferably, housing  132  is generally rectangular in shape and configured for mounting inside one of the partitions  26 ,  28 . 
     Preferably, connectors  126 ,  128  provide a straight passthrough capability, while connectors  118 - 124  provide a circuit breakout capability. The circuit passthrough capability (i.e., a one-to-one coupling) is provided by internal cabling  134 , which electrically couples each input connector  126  to one associated output connector  128 . In particular, internal cabling  134  is terminated to input and output connectors  126  and  128 , respectively, in the same pattern as discussed above for the upstream and downstream connectors  50  and  52 , respectively, of X-cable  40 . 
     The circuit breakout capability (i.e., a one-to-three coupling) is provided by internal cabling  136 ,  138  and  140 , which electrically couples each in-feed connector  118  to three associated breakout connectors  120 ,  122  and  124 , respectively. Internal cabling  136 ,  138  and  140  is terminated to in-feed connector  118  in the same pattern as described above for upstream connector  84  of Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46 , and also terminated to breakout connectors  120 ,  122  and  124  in the same pattern as described above for peel-off connectors  88  of Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46 . Thus, the three circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  present at in-feed connector  118  are diverted such that circuit  1  goes through cabling  136  to breakout connector  120 , circuit  2  goes through cabling  138  to breakout connector  120 , and circuit  3  goes through cabling  138  to breakout connector  124 . 
     One of skill in the art will recognize that breakout box  116  could be utilized either in place of, or in addition to, consolidation point  34  to increase the modularity of cabling system  10 . For example, breakout box  116  could be installed in one partition wall  26 ,  28  such that front face  130  is exposed in a workstation for use by a single heavy-duty user (e.g., a user requiring three data outlets and three voice outlets). This arrangement would allow the heavy-duty user access to all three circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  at one convenient location, without having to breakout each of the circuits  1 ,  2  and  3  by means of three serially connected Y-cables  42 ,  44  and  46 . 
     Breakout box  116  could also be useful in other situations, such as illustrated by the following example. Assume that breakout box  116  is initially installed in partition panel  26  forming the left side of workstation  12  in FIG. 1, and that users at workstations  16  and  22  currently are provided one data and one voice outlet, and three data and three voice outlets, respectively. This capability could be initially provided through breakout box  116 , for example, by running an X-cable  40  from breakout connector  120  of breakout box  116  to an outlet at workstation  16 , and by running another X-cable  40  from output connector  128  to workstation  22 . If, at a later date, the users in workstations  16  and  22  needed to switch locations, each user could be provided with the required communication capability simply by swapping the upstream connectors of each X-cable  40 . Such a switch could not be just as easily made at consolidation point  34 , however, because swapping X-cables or Y-cables at that point would effect additional workstations not involved in the switch. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although each cable assembly is illustrated and described as using 50-pin connectors each having two rows of 25 pins (i.e., a two dimensional array), connectors having electrical contacts in other arrangements could be used, e.g., a linear array (i.e., one dimensional), an M×N matrix, or even a circular array of electrical contacts. Moreover, connectors having increased pin capacity (e.g., 64-pin connectors each having two rows of 32 pins) could be used to allow the construction of Y-cable assemblies that extract more than one circuit to the peel-off connectors. These and other modifications are considered to form part of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims which follow.