Belden beyond cables

I came to the Belden thinking I'd prepared for my interview by brushing up on Belden's latest cables. Boy, was I wrong. There is a lot going on at this booth this year, and two of the biggest attractions aren't cable products at all. The three big product groups I looked at were: recently acquired Hirschmann's MACH 1000 and 4000 switchers, new modular racks and the introduction of the 1855p (the plenum version of it's 1855a).

First, let's start with Hirschmann. Tim Toth, director of sales, told me this was Hirschmann's first showing at NAB. Hirschmann offers Ethernet switchers and routers for mission critical applications. The group's goal is to eliminate single points of failure in Ethernet networks. The MACH 1000 and 4000 are created to provide 99.999 percent reliability, even under extreme circumstances. The fanless MACH 1000 has an operating temperature range of -40 degrees F to 185 degrees F. The switchers also have a handy USB flash drive backup setup. For more, check out a short audio clip of Tim talking about the MACH 1000 and 4000.

Next, on to Belden's new racks. Product line manager and engineer Denis Blouin says that Belden's goal in making these racks was to provide enclosures designed with broadcasters' needs in mind. And the well-thought-out setup for cable placement and flow is to be expected from racks being designed by a cable maker. Denis showed me the ultra-slim truck rack, which has the option of being made from aluminum. All the rack frames include the company's Quick Mount System for cable placement, allowing a cable to be attached anywhere a user wants. For more, check out a short audio clip from Denis about the racks.

And, yes, there were cables too. The company introduced new HDMI cables for HD audio and video. It has also completely updated its Brilliance Tactical Fiber Optic Cables. And Marc Stringer, market manager, told me that Belden will soon be offering the 1855p.