Installation manual

MONGOOSE
Installation Manual
22
TASK 3: PULLING THE CAT 5 CABLE
You can terminate and plug in the CAT 5 cable prior to or after installing the Mongoose into the audio
rack. We recommend that you install the cable and the Mongoose before installing the RADs.
If you’re curious how the twisted pairs within the CAT 5 cable are utilized for audio transmission, data
communications, and power, see the illustration and explanation in "Remote Audio Devices" on page 13.
Knowing how the wires are used can be helpful when troubleshooting the system.
Following are a list of things to consider when installing the CAT 5 cable:
• e maximum allowed distance of CAT 5 cable connecting a RAD to a Mongoose is 150 meters (500
feet). e audio design dictating your installation most likely takes this limitation into consideration.
But it’s important to doublecheck that no CAT 5 cable you pull exceeds this distance.
• We recommend that you clearly label each end of each CAT 5 cable you install. is makes it much
easier to connect the proper CAT 5 cable to the proper port on the back of the Mongoose and to the
RADs. It also helps guarantee that you install the proper RAD in each designated location.
• Speaking of labels, you should generate and insert a label to each RAD prior to installing it. It’s possible
you did this during an off-site build of the audio rack. If the audio designer did not provide you with
labels, you can generate and print them yourself from within the Mongoose Tracker software or you
can use the default labels supplied with each RAD. See "Generating RAD Labels" on page 34 for details.
If the RADs are not available yet, you can still generate the labels and insert them later.
• Most RADs mount in standard two or four-gang switchboxes with a minimum depth of 2¼" (57 mm).
Terminating the CAT 5 Cable
e Mongoose system wiring complies with the standard CAT 5 T568-A or T568-B termination. You can
use a CAT 5, a CAT 5e, or a CAT 6 cable (UTP and 24 AWG). To comply with the FCC and European
emissions standards, you should use cable that has screened twisted pairs (four unshielded twisted pairs
surrounded by a single foil shield with a drain wire). is is referred to as F/UTP, S/UTP, FTP, and ScTP.
You’ll also sometimes see the term STP, although technically this refers to individually shielded twisted
pairs. For the remainder of this manual, we’ll be using the term CAT 5 to represent all of these choices.
When terminating the cable, it is important to maintain the natural twist of each wire pair as close to the
termination as possible. Use a standard RJ-45 connector to terminate the cable. Note that outputs are
short-circuit protected.
Trivia: What are commonly referred to as RJ45 jacks are not RJ45 at all but are 8P8C (8 Position 8 Contact)
modular connectors. We’ll bow to convention, however, and use the more recognized term of RJ-45.
e following graphic illustrates the T568-B termination and also shows the function of each wire pair
on the RAD network.