On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, Christopher K. Neitzert wrote:
I'm in the process of managing cabling for a large install (500-ish runs) and a vendor came to me with a story about the creation of ground loops in running sheilded+gounded cat-5e in large installations.
While working at a previous employer, I had the privilege of hiring Ralph Morrison to look at grounding in our facility. I spent some time with Mr. Morrison talking about different methods used in large installations. It was a great learning experience. If you don't know Mr. Morrison, check out a few of his books on the subject. The short answer is follow the equipment manufacturer's directions and the local electrical code (usually the NEC in the USA). If you are unsure, you need to ask the manufacturer and a licensed professional for recommendations for your specific situation. The problem is there are many theoretically correct answers. There are lots of methods which will work under specific conditions. But will go tragically wrong when those conditions aren't met. BICSI, Telecommunications Cabling Installation Manual NFPA 70, National Electrical Code IEEE Std 1100, IEEE Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Sensitive Electronic Equipment IEEE Std 142, IEEE Recommended Practice for Grounding of Industrial and commercial Power systems Mil HDBK 419, Grounding, Bonding, and Shielding for Electronic Equipment and Facilities Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 94, Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations (A bit out of date, but explains where some of the weirder stories come from) The following are a bit dry, but if you want definitive information TIA/EIA-568-A, Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard TIA/EIA-569-A, Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces TIA/EIA-570-A, Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunication Wiring Standard TIA/EIA-607, Commercial Building Grounding/Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications TIA/EIA-758, Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Cabling Standard IS0/IEC 11801, Generic Cabling for Customer Premises