Data Cabling Glossary & Acronyms

Data Cabling Glossary & Acronyms

A

• ACMM – As-Built Cable Management Model: the BIM-derived record that shows final tray, conduit and micro-duct routes after commissioning.
• ACR-F / ELFEXT – “Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio, Far-end”; a Cat 6A+ metric that measures unwanted signal coupling at the remote end of a copper link.
• Alien Crosstalk – Interference between adjacent copper channels; the prime reason shielded or individually-foiled pairs appear in high-density bundles.
• ANSI/TIA-568 – The North-American cabling standard often cross-referenced in UK specs alongside ISO/IEC 11801.
• AP – Access Point: the ceiling-mounted radio that turns structured cabling into Wi-Fi. See our [Office Wi-Fi guide] for design tips.

B

• BBN – Building Bonding Network, the largest mesh in BS EN 50310 earthing architecture.
• Bend Radius – Minimum curve a cable may follow without exceeding insertion-loss limits; typically 4×OD for UTP, 15×OD for OS2 fibre.
• BICSI – International association that certifies RCDDs and issues the Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual referenced in many ACCL designs.
• BTU – British Thermal Unit; handy for converting switch heat-dissipation figures into HVAC loads.
• Bundle Fill – Percentage of tray cross-section occupied by cable; ISO/IEC 14763-2 caps this at 50 % for adequate PoE cooling.

C

• Cabling Audit – A structured survey of live links, labels and cabinet hygiene. ACCL’s process is outlined in our [Data-Cabling Audits guide].
• Cat 6A – 500 MHz, 10 Gb/s copper cabling; the de-facto baseline in modern smart buildings.
• Cat 8 – 2 GHz, 25/40 Gb/s copper limited to 30 m; see [Category 8 & Beyond – 40 Gb/s over Copper].
• CCA – Copper-Clad Aluminium; a non-standards-compliant conductor notorious for PoE voltage drop.
• Core-to-Core Loss – Fibre-splice attenuation resulting purely from glass mismatch, exclusive of connector losses.

D

• dB – Decibel; logarithmic ratio used for loss and crosstalk measurements.
• DDM – Digital Diagnostic Monitoring in SFP/QSFP optics reporting Tx/Rx power and temperature.
• Dual-ratification – When a cable build references both ISO/IEC and TIA classes to satisfy global clients.
• Dust Cap (Fibre) – Light-tight plug required to maintain Class 1 laser safety when a transceiver is removed.
• DWDM – Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing; multiples of 100+ Gbit/s over a single OS2 pair across metro spans.

E

• EBN– Equipotential Bonding Network: the intermediate mesh linking containment in BS EN 50310.
• EF – Encircled Flux, the launch-condition for repeatable multimode fibre testing.
• ELTCTL – Equal Level Transverse Conversion Transfer Loss; copper balance parameter critical for 2 GHz Cat 8 certification.
• EMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility; the discipline governing separation between power and data pathways.
• Enclosure Rating – IP/NEMA code defining dust and water resistance of outdoor cabinets.

F

• F/UTP – Cable with an overall foil shield and unshielded pairs: the common Cat 6A construction in UK offices.
• Far-End – The remote side of a link (opposite the tester or source).
• Fibre Blowing – Pneumatic installation of micro-cable through HDPE ducts; explained in [What Is Air-Blown Fibre?].
• FOTP – Fibre Optic Test Procedure series by IEC, often cited in Tier 2 OTDR baselines.
• Frosting – Microscopic cracks on a bent fibre, visible under inspection as a white halo, causing step loss.

H

• H-Class Extractor – Vacuum cleaner certified for hazardous dust (including asbestos) during ceiling void works.
• HDBaseT – 5-play signal (video, audio, control, Ethernet, power) over Cat 6A; popular in AV fit-outs.
• HDR (Cable doc) – High-Density Rack; cabinet designed for >1 000 copper terminations in 42 U footprint.
• Horizontal Manager – Patch-cable guide installed every 2 U to preserve bend radius and airflow.
• Hybrid Cable – Sheath combining fibre and copper conductors, e.g., for CCTV with remote power.

I

• IIM – Intelligent Infrastructure Management; live patch-panel and asset-tracking ecosystem. See [Smart Patch Panels & IIM] for full treatment.
• IEC 61300-3-35 – Standard defining fibre end-face cleanliness grades (A–D).
• Insertion Loss – Attenuation measured end-to-end; the primary pass/fail metric for Tier 1 fibre testing.
• IP Rating – Ingress Protection; IP55 cabinets resist dust, IP66 withstand jet wash.
• ISO/IEC 11801-1 – Umbrella cabling performance standard adopted across UK commercial builds.

J

• J-Hook – Ceiling-mounted cable support used where basket tray is impossible; spacing rules derived from BS 6701.
• Jitter – Timing variation in serial signalling; rises if NEXT margin erodes on long copper runs.
• JSA – Job Safety Analysis; a pre-task risk checklist required on many ACCL sites.

K

• Keystone – Snap-in RJ-45 or fibre module that fits standard faceplates and panels.
• Kilometre Zero – OTDR trace marker at the launch end, set after reference launch-cord.
• K-factor – Derating coefficient for bundled PoE cables; curated in ISO/IEC 14763-2 annex.

L

• LANscape – Brand-agnostic term for structured cabling as a service layer.
• Lead-through – Temporary patch lead installed for testing; must be logged and removed to avoid ghost ports.
• LLDP – Link Layer Discovery Protocol; when integrated with IIM it reconciles patch data with switch tables.
• Loose-Tube – Fibre construction with gel-filled buffer, favouring outdoor runs.
• LSZH – Low Smoke Zero Halogen jacket; mandated for UK escape routes by BS 7671.

M

• MAC – Move, Add, Change; day-two cabling work executed under change control.
• Modal Dispersion – Pulse spreading in multimode fibre limiting reach; mitigated by OM4/OM5.
• MOP – Method of Procedure; step-by-step patch plan within an IIM ticket.
• MPO – Multi-fibre Push-On connector, typically 12 or 24 fibres; backbone staple for 40/100 G links.
• MPTL – Modular Plug Terminated Link; Cat 6A link that ends in a field-terminable RJ-45 rather than faceplate, common for WAPs.