DMX/Cat5

[Jay Ashworth]

Microstar is the only commenter I've seen who nailed it here:

Nearly all "Cat5" rated ethernet cable is solid conductor.

You should never use solid conductor wire for "cord sets"; cables intended to be moved and stowed on a regular basis. Those should always be stranded.

You can *get* stranded Cat5, as well as 8p8c connectors (*please* don't get me started on "RJ-45" ), but it's more expensive.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Microstar is the only commenter I've seen who nailed it here:

Nearly all "Cat5" rated ethernet cable is solid conductor.

You should never use solid conductor wire for "cord sets"; cables intended to be moved and stowed on a regular basis. Those should always be stranded.

You can *get* stranded Cat5, as well as 8p8c connectors (*please* don't get me started on "RJ-45" ), but it's more expensive.

You like those over Neutrik's ethercon on Proplex cables? I like the fact that you can use a commonly available ethernet patch cord with RJ45's in a pinch, and just seems harder to come up with more cords with 8p8c connectors at the last minute. But we agree that the plain RJ45 patch cords are a poor permanent solution.

 

[AlexDonkle]

You like those over Neutrik's ethercon on Proplex cables? I like the fact that you can use a commonly available ethernet patch cord with RJ45's in a pinch, and just seems harder to come up with more cords with 8p8c connectors at the last minute. But we agree that the plain RJ45 patch cords are a poor permanent solution.

Ethercon Cat6 rated connector uses 8p8c, which is what we standardize on for most of our jobs. The older ethercon Cat5e connector with RJ45 work great, but can't pass Cat6 data speeds. My guess is we'll see more and more 8p8c as Cat6 becomes common in more venues.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Ethercon Cat6 rated connector uses 8p8c, which is what we standardize on for most of our jobs. The older ethercon Cat5e connector with RJ45 work great, but can't pass Cat6 data speeds. My guess is we'll see more and more 8p8c as Cat6 becomes common in more venues.

We looked at this just recently and - for lighting - and the manufacturers we asked had no plans even to adapt this. Have you found a node from pathway or etc that will mate? I seem to recall that it would be a major change because the receptacle is larger and won't fit in the current boxes.

 

[robartsd]

From what I can find, RJ45 is a wiring standard for 8p8c connectors. There are some RJ45 variants that use physically keyed variants of the 8p8c connector and there are other wiring patterns for 8p8c connectors that frequently get called RJ45 anyway because many people associate RJ45 with the connector rather than the wiring pattern of the connector. Some wiring patterns for 8p8c connectors are not compatable with high speed data because they space the contacts for a pair of wires too far apart to keep enough twist near the connector.

 

[GreyWyvern]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registered_jack

 

[AlexDonkle]

We looked at this just recently and - for lighting - and the manufacturers we asked had no plans even to adapt this. Have you found a node from pathway or etc that will mate? I seem to recall that it would be a major change because the receptacle is larger and won't fit in the current boxes.

We have not run into that actually, nearly all equipment like lighting nodes and digital audio stageboxes with ethercon jacks on our jobs are permanently wired into fixed or rolling racks with security screws. Primarily due to theft concerns from the school, as it is very common across the state. We use ethercon jacks primarily for either patch panels or wall / floor plates where custom-wired lecterns or stage manager's racks plug in. This is also driven by the state procurement rules for "portable equipment" vs. "built-in equipment", but that's a whole other can of worms.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

We have not run into that actually, nearly all equipment like lighting nodes and digital audio stageboxes with ethercon jacks on our jobs are permanently wired into fixed or rolling racks with security screws. Primarily due to theft concerns from the school, as it is very common across the state. We use ethercon jacks primarily for either patch panels or wall / floor plates where custom-wired lecterns or stage manager's racks plug in. This is also driven by the state procurement rules for "portable equipment" vs. "built-in equipment", but that's a whole other can of worms.

We use portable nodes quite a bit, catwalks and electrics for instance.

 

[AlexDonkle]

We use portable nodes quite a bit, catwalks and electrics for instance.

Makes sense then. It looks like Neutrik's new Cat6A jacks released this year will intermate with the Cat5e Ethercon connectors though.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

What Robartsd said. Unless you are an installer for a wireline telephone company working on esoteric data arrangements that nobody uses anymore, you have never touched an actual RJ-45 in your entire career.

It is not a technically accurate name for anything else using an 8p8c modular connector. Jack or plug.

That was the point I was trying to make earlier. When I was half asleep.

 

[GreyWyvern]

It seems to me that the CB wiki entries for RJ45 and 8P8C should be swapped. RJ45 should send you to 8P8C.

*Also, for whatever reason, RJ45/RJ-45 isn't auto linking in the wiki or in posts, making it not possible to simply click through. Have to search instead.

Edit: Here is the link to the wiki http://www.controlbooth.com/wiki/?title=RJ-45
Also, to be technically correct, the hyphen should not be in it. I did add it in the 8P8C entry to try to get it to link.