Quabbin Manufacturing currently has the following Tech Briefs on file.  Click on any of the titles to see more information, or use the site search above for a given keyword.
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When bonds are too rigid - the case against bonded pairs
This sounds like a cheap self-help book for relationships, doesn't it?  Let me assure you, this isn't about dating or couples pairing.  It's about the pairing of conductors in a high flex Ethernet cable and the resulting relationship to factory downtime.

Tin vs. Bare
There seems to have always been differences of opinion when it comes to certain topics, be it politics, sports and even which drive-through has the best coffee.  Another age old argument that we face as a high-end data cable producer is whether or not a data grade copper conductor should be plated or left in its bare copper form.

Why 5E Cable is Unsuitable for T1 Extensions
As a manufacturer of high end data cable Quabbin is often asked the question, "Can we use a Category cable to extend our T1 service from the telephone company demarc (demarcation) point to our own internal equipment?"

Copper Cabling for Digital Audio and Video Applications
Much of the newest audio and visual (A/V) hardware is digital rather than analog, providing benefits of faster processing speeds, lower cost connectivity, improved reliability, less noise, and truer reproduction. This article discusses various digital A/V applications and examines how commercial data cables may be modified and used for interconnection.

Alternative Industrial Ethernet (IE) Cable Jackets Provide a Variety of Properties for Tough Applications
Industrial Ethernet (IE) network cabling must transmit high speed data signals with 100% reliability in hazardous environments. Quabbin Wire's DataMax® Extreme cables are available with three different jackets, each providing a different balance of properties. This article introduces Industrial-Grade PVC jacketing and provides jacket comparison information.

Quabbin's DataMax® 6E Assembler Program Evolves to Meet Higher Patch Cord Requirements
The DataMax 6E assembler program was originally designed to train cord assemblers to produce fully compliant Category 6 patch cords. Responding to new requirements, these assemblers now also produce cords for Category 6A and harsh Industrial Ethernet networks.

A Method to Calculate the Capacity of a Reel or Spool
It is often necessary to determine how much of a given cable or wire will fit onto a spool or reel. This article provides a relatively simple method to calculate the approximate maximum length if you know the cable's diameter and the reel's dimensions.

Installing Industrial Ethernet in hazardous industrial environments requires the infrastructure be "hardened"
This article describes the differences in both environment and system requirements, compared to a commercial or office network and introduces DataMax® Extreme cables.

DataMax® Extreme FR-TPE Jacket Has Superior Mechanical, Chemical, and Electrical Properties
FR-TPE (Flame Retardant Thermoplastic Elastomer) jacketed cables may be used for many hazardous Industrial Ethernet applications. The material has exceptional low-temperature flexibility, flex-life and moisture resistance. It also has better electrical properties than polyurethane.

Stranded Copper Patch Cable Minimizes Alien Crosstalk Noise for 10GBase-T Applications
Alien Crosstalk has been identified by the IEEE 802.3 10 Gig Ethernet subcommittee as the critical noise parameter that must be controlled to implement 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBase-T) on copper cabling networks. Test data shows that Quabbin's next-generation patch cable, DataMax® 10Gig, minimizes this problem.

European Union Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS) Requirements and Update
European Union Directive (2002/95/EC), commonly known as RoHS, became effective July 1, 2006. This article provides background information related to RoHS, the requirements, and Quabbin Wire's on-going program for compliance.

Industrial Ethernet (IE) Cable's Electrical and Mechanical Performance
Quabbin Wire's DataMax® Extreme polyurethane cable, designed for manufacturing industrial Ethernet cables, provides many benefits. The resulting cords are very flexible, have outstanding electrical performance, aging characteristics, resistance to oils, and survive mechanical abuse.

Quabbin Endorses Fluke Networks' Cord Test Adapter
Quabbin Wire endorses the use of Fluke Networks' Patch Cord Test Adapter. It accurately performs the cord testing requirements of TIA/EIA-568-B, allowing cord assemblers, distributors, installers, and end users to verify that patch cords meet the component requirements of Category 5e and 6. This article briefly summarizes the performance of that unit.

Most Patch Cords Fail Testing
Testing of open-market Cat 5e and 6 patch cords proved that 70% and 83% respectively, fail to meet the TIA's performance requirements. Cord buyers should demand actual test data.

Category 6 Channel Power Sum ACR Measurements and Patch Cord Interoperabilty
The Category 6 specification has issued. Actual Channel Power Sum ACR (PSACR) measurements prove that Cat 6 hardware provides much more performance than Category 5e. Independent testing also shows that DataMax® 6 patch cords are interoperable with many Premise OEMS' Cat 6 premise channels.

Return Loss and Data Transmission
Channel modeling techniques prove that return loss directly affects the quality of the transmitted signal and that impedance-controlled patch cords can improve LAN performance.

What is Return Loss? Why is it Important?
Return loss is one of several important, newly recognized noise sources that affect higher frequency protocols. This article explains return loss testing and its effects.

The Hidden Cost of Higher Speed Networks
Migrating from 10Base-T or 100Base-T to faster signaling creates unexpected problems for many network owners. These problems result from the added vulnerability of networks to failure caused by lost operating margin. This article describes four steps contractors and installers can take to surmount these problems.

Evaluating Alien Crosstalk for Gigabit and 10 Gig Ethernet on Copper
About ten years ago, Quabbin Wire conducted tests to compare the alien crosstalk performance of Cat 5e round four pair cabling versus "flat" cabling constructions. Results showed poor alien crosstalk performance of the flat cables but confirmed that 1000Base-T Ethernet can be used on Category 5e channels with proper cabling. This article reviews that data and updates the evaluation of 10 Gig Ethernet using Category 6A channels.

Effect of Return Loss and Impedance Stability on Premise Wiring Systems at Extended Frequencies
Quabbin Wire & Cable tested the performance of LAN premise systems at extended frequencies. This article describes that program and the conclusions. The surprising result was that system return loss and impedance stability are critically important at frequencies beyond 100Base-T Ethernet.

Why is Cable Capacitance Important for Electronic Applications?
High speed data(>1MB/sec) in digital systems requires precise cable electrical performance. This article examines what determines capacitance in a cable and how it affects system performance.

Special Applications for Low Capacitance Cables
This article outlines why higher data speeds, longer distances, "balanced circuits" and electrically "noisy" environments often require cables with enhanced performance characteristics.

T-1 and T-3 Circuits Provide LAN to WAN Interconnection
The use of T-1 and T-3 Telco circuits to interconnect LANs and other applications is growing rapidly. This article explains how these cost-effective circuits work and why they are so popular.

Independent T-1 Test Verification
A multiplexer (MUX) OEM evaluated Quabbin P/N 9720 for their equipment. Their lab test data confirmed that P/N 9720 met all T-1 requirements, fit modular connectors and passed FCC/Bell Core EMI radiation and emission standards.