Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat7 Patch Cord Performance Specification Chart

Parameter

Cat5 Patch Cables
and Class D
with additional
requirements TSB95
and FDAM 2

Cat5e Patch Cables
('568-A-5)

Cat6 Patch Cables
Class E
(Performance at
250 MHz shown
in parentheses)

Proposed
Cat7 Patch Cables
Class F
(Performance at
600 MHz shown
in parentheses)

Specified frequency range

1-100 MHz

1-100 MHz

1-250 MHz

1-600 MHz

Attenuation

24 dB

24 dB

21.7 dB
(36 dB)

20.8 dB
(54.1 dB)

NEXT

27.1 dB

30.1 dB

39.9 dB
(33.1 dB)

62.1 dB
(51 dB)

Power-sum NEXT

N/A*

27.1 dB

37.1 dB
(30.2 dB)

59.1 dB
(48 dB)

ACR

3.1 dB

6.1 dB

18.2 dB
(-2.9 dB)

41.3 dB
(-3.1 dB)**

Power-sum ACR

N/A

3.1 dB

15.4 dB
(-5.8 dB)

38.3 dB
(-6.1 dB)**

ELFEXT

17 dB
(new requirement)

17.4 dB

23.2 dB
(15.3 dB)

ffs***

Power-sum ELFEXT

14.4 dB
(new requirement)

14.4 dB

20.2 dB
(12.3 dB)

ffs***

Return loss

8 dB*
(new requirement)

10 dB

12 dB
(8 dB)

14.1 dB
(8.7 dB)

Propagation delay

548 nsec

548 nsec

548 nsec
(546 nsec)

504 nsec
(501 nsec)

Delay skew

50 nsec

50 nsec

50 nsec

20 nsec