EN 50173

What Is the EN 50173 standard?

The EN 50173 series of standards, developed by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), focuses on European telecommunication cabling systems. These standards detail the structure, components, performance requirements, and guidelines for installing, testing, and maintaining cabling systems. They emphasize flexibility and scalability, ensuring the systems adapt to varying building structures and layouts. By providing a standardized framework, the EN 50173 standards ensure compatibility and optimal performance across different manufacturers and technologies, enhancing communication efficiency and system reliability.

Key Aspects of the EN 50173 Standard

The EN 50173 series is built on several key aspects:

• Structure and Configuration of Backbone Cabling Systems: The standards detail how backbone cabling subsystems should be structured and configured, covering cable layout, patch panels, and rack arrangements, ensuring seamless physical and logical connections from main distribution areas to various zones.

• Channel Performance Requirements: They define performance standards for entire channels, including bandwidth, attenuation, and crosstalk, ensuring efficient and reliable signal transmission between devices.

• Connector Performance Requirements: Specifications for connectors, sockets, and patch panels ensure mechanical and electrical performance stability and reliability in long-term use.

• Reference Applications for Backbone Cabling: Provides recommendations and examples of cabling in typical application environments, aiding designers and installers in adhering to the standards.

• Component Performance Requirements: Component performance requirements focus on the quality of specific parts such as cables and connectors. To ensure the reliable operation of the entire cabling system, components must meet specific electrical and physical performance standards, including low insertion loss, long-term durability, and the ability to adapt to various environmental conditions.

Why Is EN 50173 Important?

Implementing the EN 50173 standard is crucial for designing and managing cabling systems:

• Consistency: Ensures components from different manufacturers can be interchangeably used, achieving system consistency and standardization.

• Performance Guarantee: Provides performance requirements and testing methods to ensure cabling systems support large data transfers and high-frequency operations.

• Flexibility and Scalability: Standardized cabling system designs facilitate future expansion and flexible adjustments to accommodate new technological advancements and business needs.

• Cost-Effectiveness: Standardization helps reduce design, installation, and maintenance costs while enhancing system reliability and durability.

Areas of Application of the EN 50173 Standard

The EN 50173 standards are applied across various fields, ensuring optimal performance and compatibility of cabling systems in different environments:

EN 50173-1: General Requirements

This section provides the fundamental requirements applicable to all areas covered by the standard. It lays out performance standards, testing methods, installation guidelines, and details about the components of cabling systems. It is the backbone of the entire series, ensuring consistency and quality across diverse applications.

EN 50173-2: Office Premises

This section focuses on structured cabling systems for office environments. It supports voice, data, and multimedia communication within office buildings and covers crucial aspects like topology, cable layout, pathway spaces, and the performance and testing requirements for different cabling subsystems, such as work area, horizontal, and backbone.

EN 50173-3: Industrial Premises

This section, designed for residential settings, focuses on cabling systems that support modern home devices such as the Internet, TV, and telephone. It emphasizes ease of installation, scalability, and the interconnectivity needed for home entertainment and control systems, ensuring a seamless user experience.

EN 50173-4: Homes

This section, designed for residential settings, focuses on cabling systems that support modern home devices such as the Internet, TV, and telephone. It emphasizes ease of installation, scalability, and the interconnectivity needed for home entertainment and control systems, ensuring a seamless user experience.

EN 50173-5: Data Centers

This section is dedicated to the rigorous demands of data centers, which require high-density, performance, and reliable cabling systems. It includes stringent performance criteria, redundancy design, and high-speed data transmission capabilities, essential for supporting data center operations' robust and dynamic nature.