SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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Ethernet cable plays one of the major roles in the evolution of technology, industrial area, manufacturing processes, and more.
And if you are looking to convert your home, workplace, production unit, etc. into technologically advanced places then installing an ethernet cable network would be the perfect decision. Here’s why: IoT And Ethernet Cables IoT aka the internet of things is not a newborn concept. IoT’s concept is to introduce internet connectivity in our everyday life. Having internet in everyday objects will allow them to send and receive the data. And when you have a properly installed ethernet cable in your system, it reduces downtime and renders the constant flow of data. This cable network connects your data systems and other devices including routers, modems, adapters or anything which needs internet in your place. So, if you are planning to install Ethernet cables, here are some of the points you don’t want to miss: PlanningAfter identifying a central location where all of your installed cables will end, you should start planning your ethernet cable installation. It is important that the central location of your cable installation should be large in size to accommodate your current network as well as future expansion. Understand that the cable you choose should be able to face any harsh environments such as UV light, abrasion, oil, chemicals, extreme temperatures, etc. Hence choosing the right type of cables is necessary. Deciding The TypeAfter completing the planning, you can go straight choosing the cables for your industry. Here are the types of cables you can consider. PROFINET – Made using foil and brain shielding, this type of cable protects signals from the noise expected in plant floors. CAT6 – One of the major benefits of CAT6 cables is that they are backward compatible with all the previous CAT cables. Plus, they have higher gauge wires and are capable of running in longer lengths. They support up to 10 Gbps and 250 MHz bandwidth. CAT6A – They fulfills all the missing features of Cat 6 cables. Their performance is up to 500Mhz and can accommodate distances up to 100 meters. CAT7A – They supports 10-Gigabit Ethernet, up to 1000Mhz frequencies. You can use these cables in place of fiber optic cabling. To build a proper ethernet cable network, you will need to buy bulk ethernet cables. As your network will require long lengths of cables, you will have to invest in bulk ethernet cables. After choosing the right type of cable, you need to keep these do’s and don’ts in mind. Do’s: Cross The Power Cable At 90º Angle If you have to cross your data network cabling, make sure you keep them at the 90º angle in order to avoid interface. Use Different Color Schemes You can easily separate them by using different color schemes. Yes, while you have to check, repair or replace certain types of cables, using different color schemes helps you recognize the right cable. Label ThemThe most important thing for your cable system management: Labeling. Make sure to label your cables after asking these questions:
Choose An Effective Wire Management System There are numerous types of devices available to manage your systems. Use the safe and effective wire bundling device to organize cabling between racks.
Consider Connectorized Cable When you buy pre-connectorized cables, it becomes easier for the plug-and-play installation. It would also provide the assembly required. Don’ts: Run Cables At Unsafe Locations There may be instances when you would need the cables to run off the wall or ceiling type surfaces. One of the important things to keep in mind is that ethernet cables should not touch the ceiling tiles. Also, do not run the cable over the electrical conductor, water channels or such elements which are unsafe. Do Not Keep Them Tight Keeping them in a tight bundle with so many cables together may negatively impact the quality of cables. They become difficult to troubleshoot when required. Never “Over Cable” Your Racks Exceeding the amount of cables can cause hazards because of the overheating issue. So, make sure not to have too many cables on your racks as their temperature needs to be cool. Avoid The Terminations Exposure If you leave the wires exposed by terminations, you run a risk of wire damage inside the termination and can break the inside plug. Most Importantly: Prepare The Data Systems For The FutureIn the world of the Internet of Things, you are capable of connecting anything where they communicate among each in an intelligent manner. It is important to reduce the downtime of your system for smarter and faster communications. That’s why it is important to begin your ethernet cable installation properly for a streamlined working system. This Blog Is Originally Posted here; https://www.sfcable.com/blog/do-not-miss-while-installing-ethernet-cables/ If you found this blog post useful, here are some other Blogs that may be of interest. Fiber Optic Cables Vs Ethernet Cables: What Is the Difference? The Best High-Speed Networking Cable for your House
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The spring is almost here and it’s again that time of the year when we all shall be sitting in our backyards, with a nice cup of coffee, group of friends and dim (yellow) lights till late night!
Today people are going crazy over the trend of yellow/white series lights, bulbs, etc. Because they make all the difference to your conventional decorating ideas. But we would have to cope with the weather fluctuations as well. Last two days in our city the weather was rainy. We knew that the weather will be better later on this week, and that’s why we kept my chairs under plastic bags to save them from getting wet. But with the lights, it was a different scenario. We had connected many extension cords together to make the whole set of series work simultaneously. To protect them from rain and keep them dry, we applied one small DIY trick and it worked well! That’s why here we are sharing that with you to help you keep your extension cords dry and protect them from the uncertainty of the weather. There are some other small tips as well at the end of the article. DIY Extension Power Cord Protection Cover: This trick can come in handy when you have outdoor extension cords, probably where the lawn sprinkler pump sits, under wet surfaces like docks. To keep the extension cords plugged-in and dry, you can create a shield with the following steps as mentioned below:
Keep your extension cord plugs inside it and the container will protect them from the wet and humid weather. It doesn’t need to be an insane air-tight container. The store-bought version would do just fine. This level of protection is enough. It will work well and keep the power cords off the ground and dry to keep your lights working throughout the season. Pro Tip: Never Use Metal Tape for this. Other Methods: Method: 1
User Do’s And Don’ts Don'ts: Apart from the outdoor usage, there are a number of ways you might be using your extension power cords. One needs to be careful while using them to ensure safety. Following are some of the don’ts along with user guidelines:
Do’s: If you are following the above-mentioned things, it’s time to change the conventional way and do things differently.
Extension cords can be a great product to light up your back lawn, garden, or even the insides of your house using your choice of lights. The important thing to keep in mind is to follow the user guideline and keep them dry to avoid any hazards at your home! This Article is Originally Posted here; https://www.sfcable.com/blog/how-keep-outdoor-extension-cords-dry If you found this blog post useful, here are some other Blogs that may be of interest. Your Classic Guide to Buying Power Cords for Your Needs What is the Difference between C13 and C15 Power Cords? Tips to Choose a Good Power Adapter for your Laptop If you buy a new TV or soundbar, you might have come across the new label about “ARC” while setting up the HDMI adapters. That indicates one of the best features which saves your money, reduces cable web and makes your set up more simplified.
What Is ARC? Ever since the HDMI 1.4 was introduced in the market, ARC is available on TVs, soundbars, and other gadgets. It is a protocol which offers two-way communication between devices over a single HDMI connection. This port lets you use HDMI as both an input and an audio output. It came in 2009 and became a common standard. Majorly you would find it with all types of TVs, soundbars, and receivers. All the devices which support HDMI 1.4 would support ARC. Things You Can Do With ARC: It provides a two-way flow of sound means that you can use it for things which require extra cables.
How To Setup: To set up ARC completely with the system, you can follow the steps given in the guidelines below. Depending on the model and manufacturer, it might take some time to activate it. Determine the ARC port on your system. Most TV manufacturers offer ARC output over HDMI port instead of all three or four port on the set. Mostly they try to indicate it with labels. If HDMI adapters ports don’t have proper labeling, check the TV manual. It will help you navigate to the HDMI ARC that you can use. Activate the ARC output on the TV to start leveraging it. You can find this feature in the settings menu under audio. In many TVs, this feature auto-detect devices with ARC capacity. While in others you need to turn on the feature manually. One thing to keep in mind while plugging in your stuff is that ARC-enabled port should be there with your external audio device. Paradoxically… Even our brand-new iPhone model would have some drawbacks. Just like that, the simplicity of ARC and audio over HDMI is viable, but it has some disadvantages as well. The main aim behind designing this stuff was to replace S/PDIF digital audio outputs. Thus, it supports each and every audio format that wouldn’t normally pass through S/PDIF. For instance, Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM audio. It can handle TV’s regular two-channel audio and 5.1 surround sound without any troubles. Even though it replaces the S/PDIF standard, it can’t send HD or high-bit-rate audio with high standards like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It can be little overwhelming as the downstream audio over HDMI can carry the signal without any obstacles. This is ARC related disadvantage only which is one of the major limitations of the ARC specifications. Some TVs actually downgrade the audio output over ARC by converting everything to two-channel sound even if it originates as 5.1 audio. Depending on your TV model you might wind up with the lower sound quality even after using ARC. In this case, if you want, you can connect an extra audio cable or two which may cause more trouble for you but will be worth it. The Power Of HDMI ARC In the present scenario, many TVs dumb down and compress audio signals before passing them down to HDMI cables while others do support more channels. Dolby Atmos albeit uses a compressed codec like Dolby digital plus instead of Dolby True HD. Now that requires much bandwidth. But with ARC, you can send the original, full-resolution audio signal via HDMI cables. Which produces the best sound without any compromises. This Article is Originally Posted here; https://www.sfcable.com/blog/hdmi-arc-what-why-you-care If you found this article useful, here are some other Articles that may be of interest. Difference between an RCA, DVI and HDMI cable FAQs About HDMI Technology Answered A Guided Tour on HDMI Cables, Their Types, and Functionalities Wireless headphones, wireless chargers, wireless speakers and a whole bunch of other wireless things are here to stay now. ‘Cutting the cord’ is the trend.
However, certain products are simply not there yet. If we talk about televisions, even modern day ones that literally roll out of sight, they have to use cables for power, for additional I/O needs, etc. The new age televisions that roll out of sight, or stick to walls like posters, still have to have some way of connecting other devices to them. So, we are nowhere near getting rid of cables altogether yet. The cables themselves have evolved over the years. There are of course cables that are simply audio, like the much controversial 3.5 mm headphone cable. Then there are also solutions for managing both the audio and video, together. So, if we have come this far, why do televisions still have the dated red, yellow and white ports? What is the use of them? Well, those are RCA ports, to which RCA cables connect for audio and video. The yellow connector at the end of the cable is for composite video, the red one, for the right audio channel, and lastly the white one for the left audio channel of stereo sound. The main purpose of these audio video cables in terms of a traditional television set is to connect a video input device, making the TV itself the audio output device. So if you were to connect a video game console to a standard TV, the console would be the input for the video, the TV would display it, and the TV speakers would provide the sound. But this is the most basic setup, and standard RCA audio video cables are not as updated as one may need them to be. They cannot provide the display in extremely high resolution, which we have come to expect nowadays. RCA audio cables are, however, the analog solution you need if your display lacks the fancy multi-channel HDMI port. You will always find RCA ports saving the day. RCA cables cannot combine multi-channel audio in one cable. Therefore, there is one cable for each channel you may want to add to your set up, including a certain number of subwoofers if that’s your requirement. Anything over four channels and a subwoofer might be too overwhelming for a home setup. However, audio feedback largely depends on the size of the room, the materials it has and how the sound absorption is. One of the requirements of this is when you have limited HDMI ports on your display. The things that you need to connect to a display have increased over time. You probably have a satellite DTH box, a gaming console, a DVD player, a variety of speakers, and lastly a streaming box or stick. When all put together, it requires a minimum of two HDMI ports, a few audio video ports, of various kinds and perhaps even some spare USB ports for a flash drive or an external hard drive. Another requirement that you might have is to set up a high-end home theatre in your house. And here’s how you can do it:
RCA Cables were first seen in the 1940s which were introduced by Radio Corporation of America. They didn’t have the idea that their product would last till date. They might not be the best but they do the work. And in case you were wondering how to connect the RCA cables to HDMI or vice versa, then we have covered that in the next section. HDMI is used for digital signal whereas RCA cables are for analog signaling. To convert the RCA signal to HDMI or vice versa, there needs to be an active signal converter. How to convert or connect HDMI to RCA?
This article is Originally Posted here; Why are RCA Cables Necessary in The Wireless Age? If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest. Types and Uses of VGA Cables Why is an audio flat cable are better than the regular ones? Tips For Selecting a Right Hospital Grade Power Cord Did you know that there are around twelve different types of power sockets available around the world?
To our surprise as well, there are! Twelve different types of power sockets needing different types of adapters and what not. And we have to admit that it’s an unavoidable problem. To get rid of it, an entire community of travel adapter manufacturers sprung up to let frustrated vacationers charge their iPhones and laptops without any problems. But keep in mind that not all power plug adapters are equal. Therefore, there are a few things you must know before buying one for your overseas trip. 6 Things to Keep in Mind before Buying a Travel Adapter: It doesn’t Convert Voltages One of the important things to make sure when you buy a travel adapter is that it doesn’t convert the voltage. Just the layout of the pins on your charger or appliance coming out from the power socket. In most countries, the usual voltage supply is 220-240 volts. Twice the voltage that you use at home. The power plug adapters you buy should be able to handle this load. Otherwise, it would end up as a non-working appliance with a burning smell. Make sure to check out the voltage capability of the socket on a small sticker either on the charger or the device itself. If it doesn’t support up to 240 volts, you would need to take a voltage converter as well! The Size Matters They are available in many shapes and sizes. Starting from small and simple single-region adapters to larger ‘universal’ versions that can be used in most countries. If you are traveling all over the world, universal ones are convenient ones but their size can create issues for travelers. The main problem with the large size is that they tend to fall out of the socket if there is any weight on them like a heavy plug if the socket is loose fitting. Plus, there is a good chance that they’ll block the socket beside them. Thus, take the smallest adapter, or say a set of adapters that you find would work well in all of your traveling destinations. Those single-region versions are cheaper as well. Those Three Pin Plugs are Must! Many old-fashioned adapters only have sockets for two-pin plugs. But if you are the one who uses a MacBook, power strip or any other devices with the round earth pin, then they won’t fit in this kind of adapter. Therefore, make sure that you try the plug into your adapter before buying it. This way, you can avoid a future problem and buy a travel adapter that you actually need. Don’t Do Airport Shopping The airport is one of the most expensive places to shop whether it’s food, drink, clothing and almost everything you can think of. If you buy a travel adapter from an airport then you end up paying thrice the actual worth of that adapter. A five dollar worth adapter is sold for well over twenty dollars. Don’t just be that person, buy your adapter before you set out for the journey. Buying early would let you pick the version you need, type and a golden chance to test it before you leave! Don’t Buy Many of Them If you are traveling with a family, you might have a bunch of gadgets and appliances as well. Therefore, buying individual adapters for them is an expensive exercise. Instead of that buy a travel power strip or just pack one lying around at home. As long as they don’t need to convert their voltages, you can simply plug all your chargers into the power strip. Plug the power strip into the travel adapter and that adapter into the wall. One of the advantages is that it saves you money, provides some extra space in your bag and spares you from the problem of never, ever having that problem of enough power sockets in your hotel room! Other Options If you have electronics which can charge via USB, there is a better option available! Many companies make compact power plug sockets with two or four socket USB travel adapters. It will let you charge multiple gadgets from the same adapter! Some of them have clip-on plugs that allow you to use them in various countries. You can power phones, tablets, Kindles, portable batteries, even electric toothbrush with the same little adapter. Summing it up: Before you buy a power plug adapter for your traveling, just make sure that the adapter’s maximum power output, both for individual sockets and as an adapter is whole. Make sure that the recent iPads and smartphones and even other small devices require more juice than the older devices. Therefore, look for power plug adapters which support at least 2.4 MPs from each socket you plan to plug your high powered gadgets into. If you found this article useful, here are some other Articles that may be of interest. Use of Power Plug Adapters Essentials About Power Plug Adapters Cat6a cables: an inexpensive solution for 10G cabling. Its design is according to the upgraded design of Cat6 cable. They are capable of supporting data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps at a maximum bandwidth of 500MHz. With the ever-emerging applications and industrial demands, it is a recommended standard for most of the production units. Moreover, they are backward compatible with Cat6 and Cat5e. However, the debate about choosing Cat6a shielded vs unshielded is a dilemma for many users. It is important to understand the difference between them along with the pros and cons. Let’s discuss that in detail. The main thing to consider while installing Cat6a cables is that they are future-proof network products. If you are planning to get a new cabling system, consider Cat6a as the first option. Even if planned for ten years or more, Cat6a definitely appears to be the best solution. Considering the Cat6a components in a 10Gbps, class EA network, here’s why they are considered the best solution:
Understanding The Difference: Shielded Vs NonShielded Both shielded and unshielded cables differ in design and making. They are chosen on the basis on the industry requirement, connectivity of electronic equipment, etc. Cat6a Shielded Cable Cat6a shielded twisted pair (STP) has shielded cables to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio-frequency interference (RFI) that affects the cable performance. They prevent the cable signals from interfering with cables in the surrounding area. These cables contain a special ground wire - drain wire. And one of the best practice for shielded cables is to ground them at both the ends. For high-speed 10G networks, they are an ideal choice. If you install them properly, they automatically curb EMI and crosstalk which ensures the integrity of data and high-speed performance. Cat6a Unshielded Cable Cat6a unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables do not have shielding but are twisted into 4 sets of pairs. Each bare copper conductor is color coded. Each of the bundle of Cat6a unshielded cable should be under an overall jacket such as PVC, and each pair of cable has a different twist rate in order to minimize crosstalk within the cable. This standard is most common in the market as they are less expensive than the shielded cables. Plus, they are simple to install as there is no shielding or drain wire involved. Although they are less effective to handle EMI, they are larger in size which requires more space for accommodating them. Famous Acronyms Of Cat6a Cable Shielding There are many acronyms describes Cat6 shielded and unshielded cables. Here we are with the basic information about each type of acronym used to clear up the confusion. Although there are many of them used synonymously.
If we consider the ISO/IEC standards, the first letter indicates the type of overall shield while the next part of the acronym indicates the type of shielding on each pair. For instance, F/UTP, “F” indicates the shielding type, “U” describes the shielding pairs, “TP” describes the twisted pairs. The code before the slash symbol describes the overall shielding. The second letter after the slash indicates the shielding of each pair. After knowing them thoroughly let’s see how you can choose the right cable:
Unshielded cables actually provide faster data speed in the absence of EMI. They are less expensive to make a purchase, easy to install and been there in many existing installations for years. Comparison Another important factor to consider while choosing between Cat6a shielded vs unshielded network ethernet cables battle is to analyze how EMI would play the role while installation. EMI can be caused by nearby motors, generators, air conditioners, offices such as light and print shops, etc. They can cause crosstalks between circuits which affect the performance and result in degradation of data, slow data speed, and errors. So, if your area experiences heavy electromagnetic interference, Cat6a shielded cable could be the best fit for your area. Because shielding boosts the reliability and blocks out the interference. If you want these cables for the average home office or as a small business owner, you can consider buying unshielded network ethernet cables. Conclusion Overall the choice is fully based on your requirements, budget, and usage. Make sure you install high-quality cat6a cables to expect a longer life from your cable installation. It will eventually reduce long-term replacement and manpower costs. SF cables offer a wide range of options to build your Cat6a network. We provide products which offer high-speed performance. For more information, you can visit our web store here. This Blog is originally posted here; https://www.sfcable.com/blog/cat6a-shielded-vs-nonshielded-right-choice Plenty of planning goes to build a system that protects computer hardware and any type of peripherals. During the building phase of the industrial computer enclosure, a common question arises by many of the end-users is how to power electronics inside a sealed enclosure. And that too when there is almost no place for the computer cables.
Stated as ‘fully-sealed’, waterproof units are the industrial computer enclosures with an industry standard rating of IP56. They do not include a traditional split panel to feed additional cables into the enclosure. Most enclosure system comes with a fit cable entry gland with a maintained seal. They come with a clean, safe entry point to cable and reach the computer equipment. When you are in the market for an industrial computer enclosure, there are many types of cable glands available that suit specific enclosure applications. But before finalizing any one for your project, keep these five things in mind to feed cables into the unit. Point of Entry In a scenario, where particularly water is present, it is wise to insert cables into enclosures from the below side if the system is wall-mounted. But for the modular and freestanding system, you can insert cables from the downward direction. Because if you keep feeding wires from the above direction, it will lead to water penetration where droplets flow down on the cables. Cable Diameters The type of cable gland needed for your enclosure application is totally dependent on the width of the wiring you want to set into the unit. Sealed cables glands are available in various sizes for different cable diameters. For example, formats ranging from 0.3" ~ 1.5" to pass through the same gland exist that allow several wires. These glands are manufactured in various materials:
To decide that ideal cable gland configuration for your type of enclosure application, you would need to consult an enclosure expert. Open Version Cable Glands They are an ideal solution for industrial computer enclosures. Particularly for pre-terminated cables, it can be a challenge to find the right cable gland. Because the end of the plug would be significantly larger than the cable width. Thus, choose computer cables glands which are permeable. It allows for quick installation of pre-terminated cables with already attached connectors. This can happen when you cut the disruption to the operational function of your computer system. System Changes and Upgrades We would recommend you to choose a flexible cable gland keeping in mind the future system changes and upgrades. Technology is a dynamic domain. It will be changing constantly and continue to develop at an accelerated rate. On the contrary, the computer enclosure will last for years. Mostly, you will be facing a situation where you are replacing the computer hardware a few times till your manufacturing facility needs a new enclosure. Keeping that in a loop, investing for a flexible gland configuration will let you easily repair systems, replace or upgrade them. When looking for computer adapters and cables make sure you consult with the enclosure expert to discuss the important things related to it. Safety In this golden age of computers are used across industrial facilities, the cables can cause hazards. Therefore, safety is a paramount feature on the manufacturing floor. Asses the positions of your enclosure, resolve the concealment of cables in a safer way prior to the installation. Operational performance and reliability are central points of an enclosure installation. If you haven’t planned properly you would have to compromise cable entry and the protection of your computer hardware in the wet and humid environments. Because if you haven’t planned the necessary precautions, then water will definitely find the way in. Wrapping it up: It is important to follow important steps while looking for computer adapters and cables for your computer enclosure. As mentioned above if you follow the correct practices and take necessary precautions, you can keep your computer enclosure safe. You can prevent any hazardous damage and can plug your devices rightly whenever needed! This Article is originally posted here; Tips to Run Cables Into An Industrial Computer Enclosure If you found this article useful, here are some other Articles that may be of interest. How to Choose Best Adapters and Connectors for your Computer Mistakes You Make While Setting Up a Computer System Computer Accessories that will Make Your Life Easier |
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