Residential networking is finally starting to accelerate in Europe. Partly as a result, the industry standards have been recently revised, developed and approved for domestic cabling systems. The relevant standard is Cenelec EN50173-4 - Generic Cabling Systems - Homes. This includes cables and control systems for home automation systems, intelligent buildings ('Smart Homes') and command control systems. James Hunt reports:
Despite quite early expectations, the market for residential networks has been slow to materialise, especially in Europe - and even more so in the UK. However, the sector has significant potential and is now starting to take off, and not only for expensive luxury homes - costs are reducing all the time for lower end systems, so that even quite ordinary homes can benefit.
The current market drivers include increased homeworking (and this will only increase still further), increased use of datacomms in the home, together with home cinema / video entertainment systems. In addition, more and more developers and homeowners are fitting modern and quite sophisticated monitoring, control and security systems. All such systems require data cable, as well as power cable. As use of these systems increases, the sector will grow, probably quite rapidly, and across a broad cross-section of homes.
Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA - www.bsria.co.uk) has estimated that 10% of US homes now have such home cabling, with the penetration rate also high in far eastern countries (China, Singapore, South Korea etc). Europe has not seen a high penetration rate so far, but it is beginning to grow fast, especially in Northern Europe. Scandinavia and Germany are normally acknowledged to be the leaders, but the business is starting to grow significantly in the UK too. It is still the case that use of residential networks is more widespread in new, single dwellings in Northern Europe and the US, while in the Far East, the technology tends to be most used in new multiple dwellings.
Standards:
ISO/IEC has been developing standards for domestic cabling and home electronic systems for over a decade. Three years ago, ISO/IEC 15018 was published. This defines generic cabling infrastructure for domestic (residential) environments, including cabling for Broadcast & Communications Technologies (BTC), Information & Communications Technologies (ICT) and Command & Control Communications for Buildings (CCCB).
Under ISO/IEC 15018, briefly, copper cable is preferred to support remote power as it is relatively cheap, while ICT cabling is the same as office structured cabling (screened or un-screened). As such, it has a minimum requirement for Class D/Cat 5e, but Class E/Cat 6 is recommended. For BCT cabling, Class F/Cat 7 is specified up to 1 GHz, but coaxial cables can be used for shorter lengths. CCCB cabling can be low bandwidth / high current or, alternatively, conventional Cat 5e. Also note that optical fibre is allowable as an alternative to copper for ICT and BCT cabling systems. The standard also covers connectors. Under ICT and BCT cabling infrastructures, primary and secondary 'home distributors' provide connection to external network services and local equipment, and primary home cabling to secondary home cabling respectively. The latter then provides connections to the various outlets. CCCB cabling, on the other hand, can follow any topology between the primary and secondary 'home distributors' and control outlets.
However, CENELEC (www.cenelec.org) has adopted its own standard for such cabling. This is EN 50173-4, which is based on a simplification of ISO/IEC 15018. EN 50173-4 is now the structured cabling standard, and is (in full) termed: 'EN 50173-4 - Information Technology - Generic Cabling Systems Part 4: Homes', but such wiring must also adhere, in the UK, to the cable separation standard BS EN 50174-2 and to BS 7671, the IEE Wiring Regulations.
Note that the Telecoms Industry Association (TIA) is responsible for providing and maintaining standards and practises for the cabling industry.
To learn more:
For much more information, click on CENELEC's 'SmartHouse Code of Practise' .PDF document elsewhere in this VoltiBULLETIN. This looks at all aspects of so-called 'smart home' design and installation from the electrical/electronic and cabling points of view, including relevant standards.
From Legrand in .PDF format, is a 'resume' on residential Wired Networks - a very brief, yet informative and colourful document of what wired infrastructures can do for homeowners. In fact, this should, perhaps, be used as an introduction to the topic.
For a concise introduction to smart homes in general, click on Legrand's excellent .PDF document entitled: 'Home Networks - Principles, Applications and Desirability.
Mike Gillmore, MD of e-Ready Building, the Cabling Partnership, runs courses and seminars on the topic. Click on .PDF documents 'Dotting the 'i's & Crossing the 't's - Cabling Standards 2005', and also 'Data Cabling Standards & New Technology Overview' to learn more. VoltiBULLETIN users can also contact him using the details below to learn more about the courses.
Contacts:
Building Services Research and Information Association Ltd., (BSRIA)
Email: bsria@bsria.co.uk
Web: www.bsria.co.uk
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC)
CENELEC Online Info Service:
Email: Info@cenelec.org
Tel: + 32 (0) 2 519 68 71
Web: www.cenelec.org
Contact: Mike Gilmore
Senior Partner,
The Cabling Partnership
Tel: +44 (0) 113 232 2632
Fax: +44 (0) 113 293 2632
Web: www.it-cabling.com
Legrand Electric UK,
Great King Street North, Birmingham B19 2LF
Tel: 0121 515 0515
Fax: 0121 515 0516
Email: legrand.sales@legrand.co.uk
Web: www.legrand.co.uk
Back