CPI Shares Details About New TIA-942 Standard Addressing Data Center Design

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. – July 7, 2005- Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI), a leading manufacturer of structural support systems designed to organize, store and secure computer and communications networks, is pleased to share that the Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) has endorsed the concept of zone cabling for Data Centers (TIA-942). As the first extensive standard to address data centers, TIA-942 is a valuable tool for the proper design, installation and management of data center cabling.  

In a data center topology, a zone distribution area may be used to locate a zone outlet or consolidation point between the horizontal distribution area and the equipment distribution area to provide more flexibility in moving, adding or changing cabinets of equipment. Only the cables between the zone enclosure and the individual equipment are moved, added or changed eliminating disruption in other zones and re-wiring.

CPI’s consolidation point enclosures include mounting brackets for wiring blocks or patch panels, and are used to reduce the amount of cable affected by a change in the data center. Designing your data center in accordance with the new TIA-942 standard will help ensure robust data center design, standardized organization, ready supply, less re-work and scalability for future applications. Extra connections are planed for each zone and pre-terminated in the consolidation point enclosure. Cables are added between the consolidation point and workspaces as needed.

CPI offers several styles of zone enclosures that can be used under raised floors or in drop ceilings. Enclosures are UL Listed 2043 and can be located in air-handling spaces (the plenum). Raised floor enclosures are placed under a single 2’ x 2’ floor tile making the floor tile the cover. Ceiling enclosures replace a single 2’ x 2’ or 2’ x 4’ drop ceiling tile and the access door provides easy access to equipment.

CPI also offers active telecommunications enclosures for use in the open office environment. These include mounting brackets for patch panels, a ventilation fan, electrical junction box and extra equipment mounting space for active equipment like network switches. Placing a network switch in the enclosure allows users in the zone to connect to the rest of the network through a single cable, typically fiber. The network switch can increase bandwidth in the zone.

For more information about these and other zone and telecommunication enclosures visit, www.chatsworth.com/zonewireless or contact CPI. 

Raised Floor Enclosure for Fiber A0822-RF-F     2’ x 2’	Ceiling Mounted Zone Enclosure A1224-LP     2' x 4'

About Telecommunications Industry Association 

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop and endorse industry standards for a wide variety of telecommunications products. Within TIA, more than 1,500 representatives from manufacturers, service providers and end-users, including the government, serve on the formulating groups involved in standards setting. For a potential project to become a standard it must be circulated and approved by the designated formulating groups. After a potential project has been approved it will then be endorsed by the TIA.