scope:

This standard covers the minimum temperature, humidity, and altitude criteria for telecommunications network equipment to be installed and utilized by service providers in outside plant (OSP) environments. These environments include those found in OSP cabinets, enclosures, pedestals, etc., as well as those outside of protective enclosures. Test methodologies and test report criteria necessary for proper evaluation by interested parties, and those intending to deploy equipment in such environments are also provided.

This document defines Environmental Classifications based on the temperature, humidity and altitude ranges in which the equipment must operate, and provides test methodologies to evaluate equipment operation in those environments. Based on the intended usage, network equipment could be placed in one or more of the "Environment Classifications".

The expectation is that equipment will continue to function properly and without any unexpected degradation of performance when placed in these environments. Regardless of the operational environmental classification, equipment is expected to function properly after exposure to other environmental stresses, such as operational altitude and storage/transportation temperature-humidity. The test criteria defined in this document apply to all equipment.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide the end-users, manufacturers, test labs, etc. a means of testing OSP equipment to the expected temperature, humidity and altitude conditions encountered in normal deployment.

Application

This document applies to network equipment intended to be installed and utilized by service providers in OSP locations.

Equipment originally designed for Class 0 or Class 1 Environments shall not be deployed in Class 2, Class 3, or Class 4 Environments unless they are evaluated to the criteria applicable to that Class of environment as outlined in this document.

Environmental Classes 0, 1, 2, and 3 as defined in this standard are in an ascending hierarchy. Therefore, equipment evaluated to a higher Class is acceptable for deployment in lower Class environments, e.g., equipment evaluated for a Class 3 Environment is acceptable in a Class 2 environment. Engineering judgment and analysis may be used to determine if subassemblies in a product tested in a Class 4 Environment meet the requirements of the Class in which it is to be installed.

Specific test methods may deviate from the general procedures set forth in each of the testing sections. In the case where the specific test methods deviate from those general procedures, the specific test methods take precedence.

Ramp rates can exceed those specified at the discretion of the manufacturer.