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    Token Ring Network Cabling Guide

    
    

    INTEL TOKEN RING NETWORK CABLING GUIDE

    
       MAXIMUM NUMBER OF STATIONS PER RING WITH VARIOUS CABLING TYPES
    
    
    
       The Intel Token Ring Network Adapters have been tested as having one of
    
       the industry's lowest jitter values, both concerning "correlated" and
    
       "un-correlated" jitter, which means that by using the Intel adapters,
    
       users can build networks which meet or exceed all required Industry
    
       Standards concerning maximum number of workstations per ring or maximum
    
       length of the lobe cables.
    
    
    
       The Intel Token Ring Network Adapters are guaranteed to meet or exceed
    
       all cabling specifications outlined in the "IBM Token Ring Network
    
       Introduction and Planning Guide" and in the "IBM Local Area Network
    
       Technical Reference Manual". As an example, for 100 meter (328 Feet)
    
       lobe length, a total of 136 adapters (connected via 17 MAU's) are
    
       guaranteed to be supported at 16 Mbps operation. Using shorter lobe
    
       lengths will allow additional Adapters.
    
    
    
       The IEEE 802.5 Standard calls for a maximum of 250 adapters on one
    
       single ring. At this time, 16 Mbps rings with more than 260 workstations
    
       using Intel's Token Ring network adapters and connected via "type-1
    
       (shielded twisted pair) cabling" have been tested without showing even a
    
       single error. TokenExpress supports 150ohms on STP cable and 100ohms on
    
       UTP cable.
    
    
    
       For 16 Mbps operation, Intel guarantees a MAXIMUM ADAPTER LOBE LENGTH,
    
       measured as total cable length between the MAU and the adapter's
    
       connector, of:
    
    
    
       173 Meters/568 Feet
    
    
    
       In addition, although no industry-wide specification for operation via
    
       "type-3 (unshielded twisted pair)" cabling exists at this time, recent
    
       measurements have shown the Intel Token Ring network adapters running
    
       via the Intel "16/4 Mbps on board Type-3 Media Filter" will meet or
    
       exceed one  of the "de facto" Industry Standards of:
    
    
    
            At least 72 Token Ring Workstations with up to 65 meters (213 feet)
    
            lobe lengths on one ring via IBM specified "type-3 or unshielded
    
            twisted pair" (Belden 1154A T3M E 24 AWG) cabling
    
    
    
            At least 104 Token Ring Workstations with up to 100 meters (328
    
            feet) lobe length on one ring via AT&T Systimax 2061 Cabling
    
    
    
            At least 72 Token Ring Workstations with at least 70 meters (230
    
            feet) lobe lengths on one ring via AT&T Systimax PDS DIW 4/24
    
            cabling
    
    
    
       INTEL NETWORK PLANNING GUIDE USING "TYPE-1" STP CABLING (IN METERS)
    
    
    
       To accommodate future network growth using multiple MAU's at 16 MBps
    
       operation, the Network should be planned using the following tables for
    
       typical ADAPTER LOBE LENGTHS for single-wiring-closet "type-1" or
    
       "type-2" (STP) cabled networks:
    
    
    
       All Lobe Cable Length in Meters
    
    
    
       # of
    
       MAU's
    
    
    
             <---------------- Number of Racks ---------------->
    
                1   2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10
    
           -----------------------------------------------------
    
          1 | 173                                             |
    
          2 | 167  160                                        |
    
          3 | 163  156  151                                   |
    
          4 | 159  152  147  142                              |
    
          5 | 156  148  143  138  133                         |
    
          6 | 152  144  139  134  129  124                    |
    
          7 | 148  140  135  130  125  120  115               |
    
          8 | 145  136  131  126  121  116  111  106          |
    
          9 | 141  132  127  122  117  112  107  102   97     |
    
         10 | 137  128  123  118  113  108  103   98   93   88|
    
         11 | 134  124  119  114  109  104   99   94   89   84|
    
         12 | 130  121  116  111  106  101   96   91   86   81|
    
       * 13 | 116  117  112  107  102   97   92   87   82   77|
    
       * 14 | 112  113  108  103   98   93   88   83   78   73|
    
       * 15 | 109  109  104   99   94   89   84   79   74   69|
    
       * 16 | 105  105  100   95   90   85   80   75   70   65|
    
       * 17 | 101  101   96   91   86   81   76   71   66   61|
    
       * 18 |  98   97   92   87   82   77   72   67   62   57|
    
       * 19 |  94   93   88   83   78   73   68   63   58   53|
    
       * 20 |  90   85   80   75   70   65   60   55   50   45|
    
       * 21 |  87   77   72   67   62   57   52   47   42   37|
    
       * 22 |  83   69   64   59   54   49   44   39   34   29|
    
       * 23 |  79   61   56   51   46   41   36   31   26   21|
    
       * 24 |  75   53   48   43   38   33   28   23   18   13|
    
       * 25 |  67   40   35   30   25   20   15   10    5     |
    
       * 26 |  63   32   27   22   17   12    7               |
    
       * 27 |  59   23   18   13    8    3                    |
    
       * 28 |  56   15   10    5                              |
    
       * 29 |  52    7                                        |
    
       * 30 |  48                                             |
    
       * 31 |  45                                             |
    
       * 32 |  41                                             |
    
       * 33 |  37                                             |
    
       --------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    
       Note:     "*" marked entries are for more than 12 MAU's in a single 
    
                 rack.
    
    
    
       INTEL NETWORK PLANNING GUIDE USING "TYPE-1" STP CABLING (IN FEET)
    
    
    
       To accommodate future network growth using multiple MAU's at 16 MBps
    
       operation, the Network should be planned using the following tables for
    
       typical ADAPTER LOBE LENGTHS for single-wiring-closet "type-1" or
    
       "type-2" STP cabled networks:
    
    
    
       All Lobe Cable lengths in Feet
    
    
    
       #
    
       MAU's
    
    
    
           <---------------- Number of Racks ---------------->
    
              1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10
    
         ----------------------------------------------------
    
         1 | 569                                             |
    
         2 | 556  524                                        |
    
         3 | 544  511  494                                   |
    
         4 | 531  498  482  465                              |
    
         5 | 518  485  469  452  436                         |
    
         6 | 505  472  456  439  423  407                    |
    
         7 | 492  459  443  427  410  394  377               |
    
         8 | 479  447  430  414  397  381  365  348          |
    
         9 | 467  434  417  401  385  368  352  335  319     |
    
        10 | 454  421  405  388  372  355  339  323  306  290|
    
        11 | 441  408  392  375  359  343  326  310  293  277|
    
        12 | 428  395  379  363  346  330  313  297  281  264|
    
        13 |*380  383  366  350  333  317  300  284  268  251|
    
        14 |*367  370  353  337  320  304  288  271  255  238|
    
        15 |*358  357  340  324  308  291  275  258  242  226|
    
        16 |*344  344  328  311  295  278  262  246  229  213|
    
        17 |*331  331  315  298  282  266  249  233  216  200|
    
        18 |*321  318  302  286  269  253  236  220  204  187|
    
        19 |*308  306  289  273  256  240  224  207  191  174|
    
        20 |*295  280  264  247  231  214  198  181  165  149|
    
        21 |*285  251  235  218  202  185  169  153  136  120|
    
        22 |*272  225  209  193  176  160  143  127  111   94|
    
        23 |*259  200  183  167  150  134  118  101   85   68|
    
        24 |*246  174  158  141  125  108   92   76   59   43|
    
        25 |*220       132  116   99   83   66   50   34   17|
    
        26 |*207       106   90   74   57   41   24          |
    
        27 |*193        74   58   41   25    9               |
    
        28 |*183        49   32   16                         |
    
        29 |*171        23                                   |
    
        30 |*157                                             |
    
        31 |*148                                             |
    
        32 |*135                                             |
    
        33 |*121                                             |
    
          ---------------------------------------------------
    
    
    
       Note: "*" marked entries are for more than 12 MAU's in a single  rack.
    
    
    
       INTEL NETWORK PLANNING GUIDE USING "TYPE-3" UTP CABLING (IN METERS)
    
    
    
       To accommodate future network growth using multiple MAU's at 16 MBps
    
       operation, the Network should be planned using the following tables for
    
       typical ADAPTER LOBE LENGTHS for single-wiring-closet "type-3" cabled
    
       networks:
    
    
    
       All Lobe Cable lengths in meters
    
    
    
       Number    Number   Belden    Systimax  Systimax
    
       Of        Of       1154A     PDS       PDS DIW
    
       Adapters  MAU's    24AWG     206       14/24
    
    
    
       1-8       1         82        125       87
    
       9-16      2         79        122       84
    
       17-24     3         77        120       82
    
       25-32     4         75        118       80
    
       33-40     5         73        116       78
    
       41-48     6         71        114       76
    
       49-56     7         69        112       74
    
       57-64     8         67        110       72
    
       65-72     9         65        108       70
    
       73-80     10                  106
    
       81-88     11                  104
    
       89-96     12                  102
    
       97-104    13                  100
    
       ------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    
       All lengths are in Meters. For length in Feet, multiply above lengths
    
       with a factor of 3.28.
    
    
    
       NOTE:     Distance between MAU's = 7 Feet = 2.13 Meters. Maximum 12
    
                 MAU's per Rack.
    
    
    
       NOTE:     Due to type-3 cabling being un-shielded, networks based on
    
                 type-3 cabling are sensitive to the electrical environment;
    
                 how the cables are physically run and distances from
    
                 electrically "noisy" components (power transformers, motors,
    
                 etc.). In addition, the electrical characteristics of the
    
                 cables may vary. For instance, for older versions of the
    
                 "Belden 1154A T3M 24 AWG" cable, laboratory measurements of up
    
                 to 130 Meters have been measured for maximum error-free
    
                 adapter drive distance.
    
    
    
       NOTE:     Level 3 cable has 2 twists per foot.  Higher levels have more
    
                 twists per foot.
    
    
    
       INTEL NETWORK PLANNING GUIDE - PLANNING FORMULAS
    
    
    
       Cable Budget =
    
    
    
            (longest lobe length) plus (total length of all cables between all
    
            MAU's).
    
    
    
       Normal Maximum Adapter Signal Drive Distance =
    
    
    
            (2 * longest lobe length) plus (total length of all cables between
    
            all MAU's).
    
    
    
       Adjusted Ring Length, or ARL =
    
    
    
            (total length of all cables between all MAU's) minus (length of
    
            shortest cable between MAU's).
    
    
    
       NOTE:     (This is used for error determination if one MAU-to-MAU
    
                 connection cable is broken/disconnected)
    
    
    
       Worst Case Maximum Adapter Signal Drive Distance =
    
    
    
            2 * ((longest lobe length) plus (Adjusted Ring Length)) = 2 *
    
            ((longest lobe length) plus (total length of all cables between all
    
            MAU's) - (length of shortest cable connecting two MAU's)).
    
    
    
       For error free operation under all conditions, Worst Case Maximum
    
       Adapter Signal Drive Distance MUST be below the guaranteed MAXIMUM
    
       ADAPTER SIGNAL DRIVE DISTANCE for the type of cable used.
    
    

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