CommScope unveils SYSTIMAX Constellation platform

CommScope, a global leader in network connectivity, has announced the global availability of its evolved SYSTIMAX Constellation edge-based power and connectivity platform.

The system, now compliant with nearly all global power and data transmission standards, integrates fault-managed power, hybrid power/data fiber, and Constellation Points (CPs) in a star topology capable of connecting hundreds or thousands of network devices and systems.

Unlike traditional structured cabling networks, the Constellation platform uses a simplified star architecture that is modular and technology-agnostic.

Supporting AC and DC power applications and a wide range of IT/OT connectivity standards, it eliminates the need for a telecom room or wiring closet on every floor. Instead, UPS equipment can be centralised, and CPs can be installed in ceilings, walls, or equipment racks, reducing component requirements while supporting both converged and segmented networks.

Aiding urban environments

The platform delivers greater power and faster speeds to more devices, reduces installation labour by more than 50% compared to traditional solutions, lowers space requirements, and decreases the network’s overall carbon footprint by using less plastic and copper. Constellation also extends service distances from equipment rooms and can deliver 10G and higher speeds with up to 1kW of fault-managed power to a wide range of connected devices, meeting the demands of increasingly dense urban environments.

“The Constellation platform enables our customers to support much denser urban centers and a proliferation of connected devices in their buildings,” said Luc Adriaenssens, VP, Building & Campus, CCS, CommScope. “By offering a modular, technology-agnostic solution, we’re giving our global customers more choices for building connectivity and power to the network edge—and helping them do it in a way that’s cost-effective, scalable and sustainable.”

Part of CommScope’s SYSTIMAX cabling and connectivity portfolio, the Constellation platform comprises Propel fiber panels, power transmitters, and power transition panels that connect to CPs via patented hybrid power/data fiber trunks. Devices are then linked using pre-terminated SYSTIMAX Cat 6A patch cords and cable assemblies.

The platform provides up to 1800W of power across AC, DC, and PoE systems for transmission distances of up to 250 m between equipment rooms and convergence points, up to 1000W for 500 m, and up to 700W for 1,000 m. Constellation supports 10G bandwidth (or higher with singlemode fiber), can accommodate up to 50 devices per CP, and delivers significant sustainability benefits, including up to a 57% reduction in skilled installation labour hours, 59% less copper, 65% less plastic, and a 40% reduction in overall network carbon footprint compared with traditional LAN solutions.