What is Motorola R56 and why is it important?
Communication network downtime significantly impacts daily operations and much of potential downtime can be the result of non-compliance to minimum communication site standards. If the equipment isn’t properly grounded and incorporates surge suppression, it can significantly jeopardize your network, and it also puts those who maintain the site at significant risk. Originally developed by Motorola in 1987 to provide internal guidelines and requirements for the installation of communication equipment, infrastructure and facilities, the “Standards and Guidelines for Communication Sites” (R56) form the minimum standards required to provide expected system performance, reliability and equipment longevity. The Motorola guidelines have since become the recognized standard in the industry and serve as the most complete and rigorous specification for the protection of communication system equipment installed at public safety and commercial wireless communication sites.
What type of antistatic flooring is recommended for communications application in R56?
Motorola R56 recommends static dissipative flooring - not conductive flooring. Static dissipative flooring is defined as having an ohms resistance between 1.0 X 10 E6 and 1.0 X 10 E9. Conductive flooring is defined as having an ohms resistance between 2.5 X 10 E4 and 1.0 X 10 E6.
The excerpt below is taken directly from page 469: Full R56 document is available at this website: http://www.radioandtrunking.com/downloads/motorola/R56_2005_manual.pdf
"Carpeting or floor tiles within an equipment room or dispatch center, including raised flooring, should have a resistance to ground measurement of between 10 E6 and 10 E9 ohms when measured using the test method of ANSI/ESD STM7.1-2001 or later. Existing flooring that does not meet this requirement should be treated with a topical solution such as an antistatic floor wax or spray solution. The effectiveness of antistatic solutions is temporary and varies with floor material and relative humidity.
Use the following language in an RFQ to ensure contractors are bidding the proper antistatic flooring for a dispatch area?
1. Flooring must comply with electrical resistance range noted in Motorola R56 and ATIS-0600321-2010
2. Flooring must measure over 1 million ohms from any point on the floor to ground using an ohm meter based on test method ANSI/ESD S7.1-2005
3. At the completion of the project the floor must be tested and certified by a trained individual. A certification letter must state compliance with the static dissipative electrical resistance range outlined in Motorola R56 and ATIS-0600321-2010.
This video helps explain these concepts:
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