Is there a maximum length of Cat5 cable? - VENDOR - Animated Lighting Odds and Ends Read Only. No more posting. - PlanetChristmas! Forums. Read Only. We've moved to http://talk.planetchristmas.com - The Forums of PlanetChristmas have moved to http://talk.PlanetChristmas.com
I'm thinking of moving a couple of controllers closer to my megatree, etc. I see that the longest ready made cable is 50 foot. I'm looking at closer to 100 feet for a run. Will that length be possible or should I think about putting a controller in the middle of that long run? Any issues with signal noise, etc on a 50 foot or 100 foot run? I currently keep my controllers in the garage and run cords up to 100 foot out for each channel. How does the Cat5 cable stand up to outdoor environment (rain, sun, etc)? Any info would be appreciated.
You are just fine with 100 feet. I have runs in excess of 200 feet. I do however have them enclosed in plastic conduit. Make sure you keep them isolated from electrical lines as they can actually pick up the current and burn up your controllers.
100 feet should not be a problem.. I suspect the cable from my USB-485 adapter to my first controller was longer than that, and I know one display I worked on had over 200 feet of cable between the 2nd and 3rd controller. Also, the controllers do not regenerate the signal at all. It is a simple electrical pass through, so it really does not matter where along the allowed 2000 feet of cat5 your controllers are.
I did not experience any issues with the cat5 outdoors in either environment, but it was not out there all that long. I would not be surprised if the outer jacket does not contain UV inhibitors and may fail after several years. If you make your own cables, I do recommend stranded cable instead of solid, as repeated bending will cause the solid cable to eventually fail. I also recommend a cable test tool be used on home made cables. I have used a $50 test set that verified continuity, pinout, and that the pairs are not split to be in compliance with TIA-568.
I wonderd the same thing about the cable. When I move my controllers closer to the things in the yard I am going to be using alot more cable in daisy chain. If phone wire works the same as the cat5 then the phone cable is MUCH cheaper. I know that if CAT5 is used in Ethernet setting the limitation is 328ft. Though I've never seen a person use a 328ft of cable between nodes.
Historically, the 100 meter limit on ethernet was actually a time limit, relating to half duplex operation. There was a range of time where between full duplex switches, and ethernet cards that drove the signals strong enough that exceeding 100M was possible with decent results on occasion. Now days the 100M seems to be a pretty accurate limit. Maybe the manufacturers have lowered the power output, or are checking the timing on the link pulse to be sure ethernet is under 100M...
However, none of that applies to RS-485, as they are completely different standards, and permissible length is part of the data signalling standard, not the physical cable standard.
We have some runs that are over 300' in the RS485 network. As long as you take proper care of the cable (conduit and other precautions that several have mentioned), you will be fine. Ensure you use a certified cable and properly protect the ends of the cable from weather and you will be in great shape.
