This document summarizes the specifications and categories of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. It describes the EIA/TIA 568 standard for UTP cables and the testing parameters for categories 1-7, including minimum frequency, attenuation, NEXT, ELFEXT, and more. It also explains the common cable categories and their typical data transmission speeds as well as comparisons between UTP and shielded twisted pair cables.
4. EIA (Electronics Industries Association)
TIA (Telecommunication Industries Association)
EIA/TIA 568 UTP
Category N N
International Organization for Standardization)
Class A-F
Parameter dB CAT5 CAT5e CAT6
Minimum
Frequency 100 MHz 100 MHz 250 MHz
(
Attenuation
24 dB 24 dB 36 dB
(
NEXT ( 27.1 dB 30.1 dB 33.1 dB
PS-NEXT(
N/A 27.1 dB 33.2 dB
ELFEXT( 17 dB 17.4 dB 17.3 dB
PS-ELFEXT(
14.4 dB 14.4 dB 12.3 dB
ACR( 3.1 dB 6.1 dB -2.9 dB
PS-ACR( N/B 3.1 dB -5.8 dB
Return Loss(
8 dB 10 dB 8 dB
Propagation
548 nsec 548 nsec 546 nsec
Delay (
Delay Skew
50 nsec 50 nsec 50 nsec
(
5. Category 1/Class A :
Category 2/Class B : MHz
MHz
Category 3/Class C : Mbps
Category 4 : Mbps
Category 5/Class D : Mbps
Category 5 Enhanced (5e) : Cat 5
Mbps
Category 6/Class E : Mbps
MHz
Category 7/Class F : MHz
6. UTP CAT3 LAN
IEEE 802.3 Mbps
CAT3
Fast Ethernet Mbps
UTP CAT5 Fast
Ethernet CAT3
LAN
Mbps UTP CAT5
UTP CAT5e
Mbps
Mbps