Abstract: Throughout the next decade, remote powering technology via communications cabling (“Power Over Communications Cables” (PoCC)), will grow far beyond anyone’s expectations. Balanced twisted pair copper cabling has the capability to deliver direct current (DC power), enabling devices such as cameras, wireless access points (WAPs), LED lighting fixtures, radio frequency ID readers, digital display, IT phones, and an ever growing list of other new devices. The popularity of this technology is expanding exponentially, resulting in a demand for higher and higher wattages applied over each pair. Accordingly, material selection criteria becomes more demanding for insulations, jackets and cable fillers / crosswebs. This paper will provide a comparative analysis of various 4-pair communication cables, wherein these common insulation and jacketing materials are exposed to heat rise from higher wattages/amperage, similar to what will be experienced with increasing need for PoCC. The analysis will look at cellular structure, crystallinity and mechanical/physical properties, which defines a material’s thermal stability with elevated heat exposure over time. Specifically, the paper will focus on the feasibility of 4-pair cables in an ambient temperature of 45°C per UL Certification Requirements for -LP Cable Listings and the heat rises that will occur as we move from 25W of power per pair upward to 200W of power per pair, which could possibly be the future demand on these cables.
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