Innovative Technologies

Innovative Technologies for Over a Century

For more than 100 years, Belden has been an industry leader in providing top-performing and reliable signal transmission solutions. And we continue to raise the bar each and every day – using innovative technologies to help set industry-wide standards for quality, performance and reliability.   

Here are a few of Belden’s most notable system technology innovations in recent years.    

System Technologies

IBDN System 10GX – In today’s data center and LAN environments, the newest performance challenge lies in providing 10 Gb/s transmission speeds over copper-based, 4-pair channels – a ten-fold performance increase over previous generation channels.  Most manufacturers have attempted to meet this 10-fold increase by ‘pumping up’ or strengthening traditional product design elements, typically with disappointing or marginal results.  Belden took a whole new approach by inventing unique, new enabling technologies to meet the 10 Gb/s challenge.

Here are the key technology innovations developed for Belden’s IBDN 10GX System:

FleXPoint PCB Technology – a technology innovation which utilizes a flexible printed circuit board within the module that allows the compensation circuitry to be located directly at the point of plug contact.  This reduces the delay between the source of the crosstalk in the plug and the crosstalk cancellation circuitry on the PCB, resulting in a dramatic reduction in crosstalk at frequencies up to 625 MHz.

MatriX IDC Technology – a patent-pending IDC design and patch panel circuit layout which positions each IDC at 90 degrees to its neighbor – effectively canceling out the Alien Crosstalk between modules by 15dB as compared with traditional technology.

X-Bar Installation Device – a control device that affixes to the module to enable the accurate positioning of each UTP pair for termination on the 10GX Module's IDC pins. This enables installers to maintain the proper conductor twist lays during installation to prevent untwisting.  This assures Installable Performance, the after-installation assurance that no termination errors have been committed.

Cable Technologies

Throughout its history, Belden has developed some of the most innovative and high-performance cable designs and constructions in the industry.  Two notable designs include Bonded-Pair Cables and Banana Peel Composite Cables, while the following shielding innovations – Beldfoil, Duofoil, “French Braid” and Z-Fold – were developed to meet the market demand for more effective cable shields.

Bonded-Pair Cables – a patented design that bonds the individual insulated conductors of each pair along the full length of the cable. This bonded construction delivers Installable Performance. That is, Bonded-Pair cables are consistent in the distance between the conductors and in the amount of twist, throughout the installation process, so they deliver the same superior – and stable -- electrical performance both before and after the cable's installation. Bonded-Pair cables are also used in the manufacture of Belden's CAT6+ and CAT5E Bonded-Pair Modular Patch Cords, where this technology ensures that the cords meet the stringent TIA mechanical stress reliability specifications.

Banana Peel Composite Cables – an entirely new concept in composite cable design and construction. This patented, award-winning technology offers easier installation by affixing the individual cables to a central spline for easy pulling of all the cables in a single pull. The jacketless design also simplifies termination . Installers need only Pull, Peel and Terminate – it's as simple as that. Banana Peel cables also have a smaller OD than jacketed composite cable designs, reducing the amount of space needed in conduit Their use can also facilitate a more organized-looking, or neat, installation.

Beldfoil – The first aluminum/polyester foil developed for use as a cable shield. Provides 100% shield coverage for optimum protection against radiated emissions and ingress at audio and radio frequencies. This shield is ideally suited for multiple pair, individually shielded audio, communications and data cables, providing a maximum electrical capability for "clean" signal transmissions.

Duofoil – Consists of an aluminum-poly-aluminum laminate wrapped around the cable's dielectric core. Provides 100% physical coverage, and improves shield reliability and flex life.

"French Braid" Shields – a patented double spiral (double serve shield) with the two spirals tied together by one weave. This design offers improved flex life over serves and improved flexibility and ease of termination over typical braids. Because of the flexibility it is ideal for use on audio, musical instrument and microphone cables.

Z-Fold – an improvement on the traditional shorting fold designed for use in multi-pair applications to reduce crosstalk. The Z-Fold combines an isolation fold and a shorting fold. The shorting fold provides metal-to-metal contact, while the isolation fold keeps shields from shorting to one another in multi-pair, individually shielded cables. The use of a Z-Fold increases the foil shield's range of effectiveness to higher frequencies. Because of their crosstalk reduction characteristics, this shield design is used with computer, control and audio and instrumentation/industrial cables.