Panduit UTP28X40BL TX6A-28 Cat 6A UTP Patch Cord - 40 Foot

Panduit's TX6A-28 Cat 6A patch cord addresses high-density data center and network closet deployments where cable congestion limits airflow and complicates moves, adds, and changes. The 28 AWG solid conductor construction reduces the overall diameter to 0.185 inches—36% smaller than standard Cat 6A cords—allowing integrators to run more cables through vertical and horizontal managers while maintaining bend radius compliance. The 40-foot length handles cross-rack connections in multi-row layouts and aggregation-layer uplinks without requiring mid-run splicing.

Key Features

• 28 AWG solid conductor construction for 0.185" diameter (4.7 mm)—36% smaller than standard Cat 6A
• Exceeds ANSI/TIA-568.2-D Category 6A and ISO 11801 Class EA requirements up to 500 MHz
• Supports IEEE 802.3bt Type 3 and Type 4 PoE (up to 100W in 24-cable bundles)
• Tangle-free latch design prevents snags during cable routing and disconnects
• RapidID pre-installed barcodes for automated port mapping and documentation
• CM/LSZH dual flammability rating for mixed-use installations
• 100% factory tested for wire map, NEXT, and return loss
• Centered de-embedded plug and integral pair manager for consistent performance

The TX6A-28 line uses a centered de-embedded plug design and integral pair manager to maintain pair geometry through the termination, ensuring the cord exceeds TIA-568.2-D Category 6A electrical requirements across the full 1–500 MHz spectrum. Each cord is factory tested for wire map continuity, near-end crosstalk (NEXT), and return loss, with results logged during manufacturing. The U/UTP construction (unshielded twisted pair) eliminates the drain wire and foil shield found in F/UTP designs, reducing termination time and simplifying field troubleshooting. The CM/LSZH jacket combines plenum-alternative fire performance with low smoke and halogen emissions, meeting NEC Article 800 requirements for cable routing in air-handling spaces and international LSZH mandates in the same product.

In server virtualization environments and 10GBASE-T aggregation layers, the 28 AWG diameter improves airflow around densely packed patch panels and reduces the load on cable managers—critical when a single 42U rack houses 40+ top-of-rack switches with 48 ports each. The tangle-free latch uses a low-profile boot that glides past adjacent connectors without snagging, cutting the time required for MACs in production environments. Each cord ships with a pre-installed RapidID barcode label that integrates with Panduit's RapidID software: installers scan the cord during termination to auto-populate port maps, cable schedules, and as-built documentation without manual data entry, eliminating transcription errors on multi-rack deployments.

The TX6A-28 patch cord supports IEEE 802.3bt Type 4 PoE deployments up to 100 watts when installed in bundles of 24 cables or fewer, accommodating high-power devices like PTZ cameras, wireless access points, and VoIP phones without requiring separate power drops. The 40-foot length provides enough slack for cable management arms on sliding server rails and allows routing through overhead ladder rack or underfloor pathways in raised-floor data centers, while staying short enough to avoid excessive insertion loss on 10GBASE-T links.