Inside plant
Encyclopedia
In telecommunication
, the term inside plant has the following meanings:
Around the turn of the century, DSLAMs became an important part of telephone company
inside plant. Inside plant will also have distribution frame
s and other equipment including passive optical network
(name depends on the Service Provider).
For safety and reliability reasons, it is desirable that all telecommunications loads be DC powered with minimal AC-powered devices used. Telcordia GR-513, Power Requirements in Telecommunications Plant (LSSGR Section 13), contains detailed industry requirements for using power in an inside plant.
Both integrated and isolated bonding networks as per Telcordia GR-295, Mesh and Isolated Bonding Networks: Definition and Application to Telephone Central Offices, are a technically viable means to ground and bond the equipment in a safe and effective manner. However, the integrated or mesh bonding schemes are preferred over isolated bonding networks because of the added costs and efforts required to manage, control, and maintain the isolation for the equipment, particularly during equipment upgrade and modifications to the plant. This preference is based on a pragmatic desire for lower costs and ease of management, and to simplify operations during plant modifications/upgrades.
For a comprehensive analysis of the energy efficiency and environmental soundness of a power system, one should ideally consider a wider range of factors than strict energy conversion AC-to-DC power efficiency. These environmental factors cover a wider vision known as Industrial Ecology
within which each manufacturing step of the products need to be considered from a Design for Environment (DfE) factors standpoint.
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
, the term inside plant has the following meanings:
- All the cabling and equipment installed in a telecommunications facilityTelecommunications facilityIn telecommunications, a facility is defined by Federal Standard 1037C as:# A fixed, mobile, or transportable structure, including all installed electrical and electronic wiring, cabling, and equipment and all supporting structures, such as utility, ground network, and electrical supporting...
, including the main distribution frameMain distribution frameIn telephony, a main distribution frame is a signal distribution frame for connecting equipment to cables and subscriber carrier equipment . The MDF is a termination point within the local telephone exchange where exchange equipment and terminations of local loops are connected by jumper wires...
(MDF) and all the equipment extending inward therefrom, such as PABX or central office equipment, MDF heat coilHeat coilHeat coils, also known as protectors, bugs or carbons serve as a surge protector between the telephone exchange and outside plant. They are commonly the last point of appearance for a telephone circuit before it leaves the office, for example on the outside plant side of the main distribution frame...
protectors, and grounding systems. - In radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
systems, all communications-electronicsCommunications-electronicsIn telecommunication, communications-electronics is the specialized field concerned with the use of electronic devices and systems for the acquisition or acceptance, processing, storage, display, analysis, protection, disposition, and transfer of information.C-E includes the wide range of...
(C-E) equipment that is installed in buildings.
Around the turn of the century, DSLAMs became an important part of telephone company
Telephone company
A telephone company is a service provider of telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many were at one time nationalized or state-regulated monopolies...
inside plant. Inside plant will also have distribution frame
Distribution frame
In telecommunications, a distribution frame is a passive device which terminates cables, allowing arbitrary interconnections to be made.For example, the Main Distribution Frame located at a telephone central office terminates the cables leading to subscribers on the one hand, and cables leading to...
s and other equipment including passive optical network
Passive optical network
A passive optical network is a point-to-multipoint, fiber to the premises network architecture in which unpowered optical splitters are used to enable a single optical fiber to serve multiple premises, typically 16-128. A PON consists of an optical line terminal at the service provider's central...
(name depends on the Service Provider).
Power
A typical power system for a switching office in an inside plant consists of the elements listed below:- AC power system
- AC input switch gear
- Standby AC plant (where appropriate)
- AC distribution system (essential and non-essential loads)
- AC backup systems for uninterruptible loads and protected loads
- DC power system
- Rectifiers and plant controls
- Storage batteries
- DC distribution system.
For safety and reliability reasons, it is desirable that all telecommunications loads be DC powered with minimal AC-powered devices used. Telcordia GR-513, Power Requirements in Telecommunications Plant (LSSGR Section 13), contains detailed industry requirements for using power in an inside plant.
Both integrated and isolated bonding networks as per Telcordia GR-295, Mesh and Isolated Bonding Networks: Definition and Application to Telephone Central Offices, are a technically viable means to ground and bond the equipment in a safe and effective manner. However, the integrated or mesh bonding schemes are preferred over isolated bonding networks because of the added costs and efforts required to manage, control, and maintain the isolation for the equipment, particularly during equipment upgrade and modifications to the plant. This preference is based on a pragmatic desire for lower costs and ease of management, and to simplify operations during plant modifications/upgrades.
For a comprehensive analysis of the energy efficiency and environmental soundness of a power system, one should ideally consider a wider range of factors than strict energy conversion AC-to-DC power efficiency. These environmental factors cover a wider vision known as Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology
Industrial Ecology is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. The global industrial economy can be modeled as a network of industrial processes that extract resources from the Earth and transform those resources into commodities which can be bought and sold to meet the...
within which each manufacturing step of the products need to be considered from a Design for Environment (DfE) factors standpoint.