Where’s the chalkboard? Technology Infrastructure in Today’s Classroom

In 1801, James Pillans hung a large piece of slate on the wall of his classroom in Edinburgh, Scotland. Using colored chalk to mark on the slate, he had just invented a new mechanism to convey information to his students. By the mid 1800’s virtually every classroom in the United States had a chalkboard — a fine example of mid-19th century game-changing technology. Similar to the change we experience in our modern culture, the chalkboard came with a learning curve. This resulted in at least two printed books and numerous instructional tools on how to best utilize the technology. As always, technology progressed and devices such as handheld school slates were eventually replaced by pencil and paper.  Like all technology, chalkboards weren’t immune to advancement or economies of scale. The building boom of the 1950’s led to the development of cheaper synthetic green chalkboards, followed by whiteboards using felt colored tip markers. Mix in overhead projectors and transparency film, film projectors, VCRs, radio, television, etc. and an interesting timeline of classroom technological advancement presents itself. In the 21st century, learning has gone digital and lessons come to life on electronic devices. Was Category 6A ahead of its time? Unlike the chalkboard of old, modern technology changes rapidly. While the digital universe has seen unprecedented change, the physical infrastructure (i.e., the Category 6A cabling standard) that enabled and supported this change has been in place for over a decade.  In 2007, the iPhone was introduced, TVs were not yet smart, Netflix had just started streaming movies and we were still three years away from tablet computers. At the time of its introduction, the industry hailed Category 6A as the future-proof technology enablement standard. However, it’s only within the past few years that Category 6A deployments have taken off, now growing around 20 percent annually. Was Category 6A cable actually ahead of its time? Yes, but it had to be. Ratification of the Category 6A standard paved the way for manufacturers, integrators and customers alike to understand Category 6A’s place, the network designs necessary to implement it and development of the active components that support it. After 11 years of anticipation, “the future is now.”  Category 6A in the K-12 Digital Classroom  While the chalkboards of the 1800’s provided a new way to visually transmit information in the classroom and enhanced the learning experience in unprecedented ways, high-speed connectivity and rich digital experiences directly impact the quality of today’s learning experience. School districts are focused on making each minute in the classroom as meaningful as possible for students, while working within limited budgets to produce the best possible academic results. That means making sure you have the right enabling cable infrastructure to support today’s digital devices. High-speed Category 6A cabling provides the speed and capacity students need to prevent valuable classroom minutes from being spent connecting, downloading and uploading. Recommended for any new installations or upgrades, Category 6A is able to handle both current and future bandwidth requirements. This is especially important for high-speed WiFi deployments with next generation Wireless Access Points (WAPs), as the traditional method of hard cabling computer labs and classroom computer stations become old news. Traditional Classrooms: Times They Are a Changing Over the past 10-15 years, the notion of a traditional classroom — one teacher at a chalkboard in the front of the room, teaching rows of students at desks taking notes with pen and paper — has undergone a radical transformation. Modern classrooms are designed to create an educational experience where students can be motivated to engage with other students using technology with inspirational teachers helping them along the way. The educational space spans beyond the physical classroom to include media centers, cafeterias, gymnasiums, common areas and the outdoors, with students accessing educational resources  via mobile devices like laptops and tablet computers.  The technologically modern classroom includes more than just a high-bandwidth WiFi cabling infrastructure and mobile device compatibility.  Audiovisual devices such as projectors, HD flat panel displays, cameras, microphones and speaker systems make the teacher’s lessons come alive. Students are not only able to access lessons via Remote Learning, but an entire classroom on the east coast can collaborate with one on the west coast, or anywhere in world. Students can interact real time with an Arctic exploration party or astronauts on the International Space Station. The possibilities are endless! A Great Idea Whose Time Has Come Ironically, the chalkboard industry remains reasonably robust. From a simple easel for your child’s playroom, to decorations for your home, to the sign advertising daily specials at your favorite restaurant, chalkboards have made their way out of the classroom. Although they were innovative at the start, like their digital counterparts, chalkboards are simply mechanisms to deliver information at the most basic level — the webinars of their time. They not only prove that good ideas always endure, but provide an example of how ingenuity, communication and collaboration can better develop learning in the 21st century.   The advent of Category 6A cabling infrastructure helped to facilitate a data communications revolution with technology manufacturers rising to the challenge to create new and better digital devices that utilized the supporting infrastructure. The digital device explosion in recent years is not slowing down and many could argue it will continue to expand, both inside and outside of the classroom. Like the chalkboard, digital technology has been and will continue to be a game changer.  After more than a decade, Category 6A is gaining traction. As technology and demand continue to expand, high-capacity solutions to support them will continue to develop. Future-proofing your classroom with Category 6A has become table stakes in a game that seemingly knows few boundaries. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely Hubbell's. They do not necessarily represent WESCO’s views.

Power over Ethernet: An IoT Intelligent Building Platform

Many of the buildings we see today have communication infrastructure supporting building systems that are disconnected, disparate and expensive to operate. We are rapidly approaching the time when every low-voltage building sub-system will be intelligent, require power and become part of a larger building network. The worlds of operation technology (OT) and information technology (IT) are rapidly joining together. Today we are at a tipping point where a more innovative approach must be considered. Modern buildings require a scalable intelligent network cabling infrastructure for all IP enabled building systems including wireless, security, video and lighting. The solution is to plan and design for the future. Intelligent network end devices require more physical network connections and power. Designs should provide capacity beyond current requirements to simplify future upgrades and better support the fully converged building of the future. What is Power over Ethernet (PoE)?  Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a networking technology that enables safe transmission of DC power and data communication over a traditional twisted-pair networking cable. This technology is an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard and is also a Class 2 power distribution strategy outlined in Articles 725 and 800 of the 2017 National Electric Code (NEC). In a PoE enabled building, a well-designed cabling system is essential to support Internet Protocol (IP) communications and PoE power delivery to all low-voltage sub-systems. This cabling system is designed and constructed to stringent standards with high quality Ethernet communications cables. Use of the highest quality structured cabling components will provide error-free transmission of data from high-bandwidth Wireless Access Points (WAPs) to low-bandwidth building controllers. Utilize Category 6A cabling where possible to future-proof the intelligent building and support emerging high bandwidth building systems such as 802.11ac and 802.11ax wireless or 4K AV.  PoE power is provided by the Ethernet network switch. Power is combined with data and transmitted from the switch port to selected network end devices (nodes). This technology was developed over fifteen years ago and first approved for use by IEEE in 2003. It began as a power source for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems and eliminated the need for a separate power supply to power desktop, wall mounted and attendant console telephones. In 2009, PoE power increased to 30 watts resulting in a quick adoption of PoE technology by the security industry to power cameras and transmit digital video.  Today, PoE enabled Ethernet switches provide 60 watts of power and as a result nearly all 802.11xx commercial Wireless Access Points (WAPs) are powered and networked with PoE infrastructure. LED lighting systems for commercial use are easily powered with 60 watts. Forthcoming 802.3bt, at close to 100 watts, will further increase system capability. Basic PoE Cabling Architecture Not all intelligent building systems are the same. The cabling infrastructure must scale with building system technologies, building upgrades and expansion. The correct solution is to design and build a universal IoT (Internet of Things) ready platform that easily fits current and future technologies. It should not make a difference if you are connecting LED lights, surveillance cameras, Wi-Fi access points or video displays. All PoE enabled systems require: An available PoE Ethernet switch port attached to a network Ethernet cable and patch cables Connecting hardware Advanced PoE Cabling Architecture As buildings grow and occupant populations increase, so must the intelligent building scale to meet network demand. A zone cabling architecture is designed to scale. Horizontal Connection Points (HCP) are installed in zone enclosures, which provides two benefits. First, it permits installation of the cabling system earlier in the construction cycle before finish work begins, creating a “light-ready” environment. In ceiling grid environments, lights are simply dropped in the grid and cabled with patch cords. The areas above drop ceilings are normally plenum (return air) spaces, requiring plenum-rated components. In some situations there may be an advantage to placing Ethernet switches closer to the lights. One reason to do this is to extend the distance of intelligent building cabling runs. Second, Ethernet switches can be placed in a building zone freeing up valuable floor space normally dedicated for a telecommunications rooms (TR). This architecture also increases energy efficiency by reducing voltage drop through the cable. Optical fiber can be used to position the Ethernet switch up to 2km from the primary TR. The HCP and the Ethernet switch can coexist in the same zone.. They are available in plenum and non-plenum versions. AC power is required at the remote Ethernet switch location. This must be accounted for in the planning and design phase of the project.    Simplified LED Lighting LED lighting is just one element of an efficient, energy saving intelligent building system. Building owners and operators expect a robust IoT lighting platform that is efficient and scales with technology and operational advancements. The system must accurately collect building performance data and provide analytics to help make actionable building performance and utilization decisions. The primary benefit of PoE in lighting is the elimination of separate power supplies and additional AC electrical infrastructures to power IP enabled building systems. PoE provides a single-cable solution for power and network connectivity. Readily available network communication cables are the power and communication connectivity medium of choice for intelligent building system end-points. The LEDs in modern solid state lighting (SSL) systems are DC powered digital devices. The traditional LED luminaire is equipped with an AC to DC power converter called a driver. This driver converts the building provided AC power to DC power to operate the LEDs and consumes unnecessary electrical energy that is dissipated in the form of heat. Driving the LEDs directly with DC power, as in PoE, provides improved efficiency. In building design, it is common practice to provide a separate AC power facility for lighting and distribute this AC power to traditional lighting in the ceiling area. This dedicated lighting power delivery system is not required for network PoE lighting systems, reducing the associated material lost. Lighting controls are required to efficiently operate the LED lighting network and reduce electrical energy consumption. Controlling LED lights is an obvious network solution and the PoE network cable is the clear control connection to the network. Adding wireless radios for this control is a redundant network connection. It is a separate IP network path and requires additional power to operate. A robust PoE platform is the most energy efficient solution with interference-free control operation.   PoE Sensors for Intelligent Buildings  Sensors are added to the PoE lighting system to provide increased energy saving, occupancy comfort and preference control. Some examples of the sensors used include: Occupancy Sensors Occupancy sensors detect when an occupant enters a space and automatically turns lights on, off or adjusts them to lower energy-savings levels based upon predetermined preferences.  Ambient Light Sensors Ambient light sensors measure outside light contribution to a space and raise and lower the LED light levels to keep the level at the occupant’s preference. This technology is known as “daylight harvesting” and can contribute to significant energy savings. The same ambient light sensors can activate motorized window shades and screens. Plug loads such as task lighting can be turned off along with the overhead lights to save even more electrical energy. Gas Sensors  Gas sensors detect hazardous auto exhaust in parking garages and activate exhaust fans. The data collected can be ported to building HVAC systems to adjust comfort levels and eliminate separate hard-wired thermostats. A PoE open Application Program Interface (API) enables the development of sensor, control and temperature solutions customized to building owner needs. The attachment of power monitoring sensor systems can provide electrical power consumption data for an entire building or individual branch circuits. The intelligent building cabling system can also power and gather data from access control systems and surveillance camera systems. The Future of PoE With 100 watt PoE availability around the corner, virtually all in-building systems or end-devices will be able to leverage the technology, securing and enhancing the work environment and driving down energy costs. Working with the right products and the right contracting professionals today can provide access to opportunities that were simply unavailable in years past.

Power over Ethernet LED Lighting and the Data Center

Today’s data centers face more demands than ever before. The increasing number of connected devices, along with more data and users, has pushed data center managers to find creative methods to efficiently meet network requirements. While lighting makes up a small percent of a data center’s load, it presents a unique opportunity for addressing energy efficiency. Use LED and Power over Ethernet for greater efficiency and lower installation costs in your enterprise application. Data Centers Consume Less Energy as Electricity Consumption Increases Often referred to as “power hungry” or “energy hogs,” today’s modern data center is actually consuming less energy. According to the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, after a decade of increased energy usage, those requirements “started to plateau in 2010 and has remained steady since, at just under 2 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption,” despite an increase in the number of data centers. Electricity consumption is expected to maintain low growth through 2020 even with the data center server base growing by 40 percent. Reduced electricity consumption can be attributed to a few factors, including: Efficiencies in cooling Power management software Lighting LED Lighting: A Clear Candidate for Reducing Energy Consumption Lighting has traditionally represented only 5 percent of a data center’s power load. However, lighting is an easy energy area to address and can quickly provide ROI for either new construction or retrofits. The Telecommunication Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers recommends LED lighting for efficiency. When the move is made from conventional AC wiring for powering LED lighting to PoE, the networking component further enhances the benefits. PoE lighting is often estimated to be around 20 percent more efficient than non-PoE LED installations, while also providing lower installation costs on new construction data centers. Power over Ethernet in the Data Center PoE lighting is well-suited for the data center space because it is engineered to operate over Ethernet cabling (category cabling) and devices such as a PoE switch. These are two things that are very common to the data center environment. They can create a more streamlined and analogous transition when designing lighting for a greenfield data center or retrofitting an existing data center that has legacy components. PoE becomes a compelling solution when one considers that a single cable can power the lighting fixture. Because it is networked with a unique IP address, the fixture can also be managed via the lighting controls software. This plays into PoE’s role in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). What You’ll Get From Implementing PoE What this provides is enhanced efficiency. The networked architecture of the PoE system allows for information to be processed and analyzed. Perhaps the most recognized benefit from this data is the ability to use sensors to turn off the lighting when the room is empty, creating a hybrid “lights out” data center. Additional PoE benefits include: The ability to alter lighting color to code cabinets and hardware Set organization policies on each fixture Increase employee productivity by minimizing impact on circadian rhythms Lighting pathways to emergency exits This approach is often extended from the server room into other rooms that may not be regularly populated. Possible use cases include break rooms, bathrooms, training rooms, and storage areas. PoE and LED: Better Together While LED provides many benefits on its own, efficiency and cost savings are maximized when LED is controlled through PoE. Manage your power and lighting through a single cable for smart lighting that has never been simpler. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely Hubbell's. They do not necessarily represent WESCO’s views.