<s>
BIX	B-Protocol
(	O
Building	O
Industry	O
Cross-connect	O
)	O
is	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
telephony	O
cross-connect	O
system	O
(	O
Integrated	O
Building	O
Distribution	O
Network	O
-	O
IBDN	O
)	O
created	O
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
by	O
Nortel	O
Networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
system	O
,	O
it	O
consists	O
of	O
various	O
sizes	O
of	O
punch-down	B-Protocol
blocks	I-Protocol
,	O
cable	O
distribution	O
accessories	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
moulded	O
rings	O
and	O
strips	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
punch-down	O
tool	O
to	O
terminate	O
wires	O
at	O
the	O
punch-down	B-Protocol
block	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BIX	B-Protocol
cross-connect	O
system	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
is	O
certified	O
for	O
Category-5e	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BIX	B-Protocol
cross-connect	O
system	O
is	O
primarily	O
composed	O
of	O
two	O
parts	O
:	O
the	O
mounts	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
connectors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BIX	B-Protocol
mounts	O
are	O
wall-mounted	O
frames	O
,	O
generally	O
built	O
from	O
16	O
gauge	O
steel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
frames	O
feature	O
a	O
rectangular	O
plastic	O
backplate	O
,	O
and	O
two	O
plastic	O
brackets	O
that	O
extend	O
from	O
either	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
backplate	O
to	O
fit	O
between	O
two	O
and	O
ten	O
BIX	B-Protocol
connectors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BIX	B-Protocol
mounts	O
are	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
either	O
'	O
12E	O
 '	O
,	O
'	O
10A	O
 '	O
or	O
'	O
10C	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BIX	B-Protocol
connectors	O
are	O
rectangular	O
punch-down	B-Protocol
blocks	I-Protocol
used	O
to	O
terminate	O
up	O
to	O
25	O
pairs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BIX	B-Protocol
connectors	O
also	O
have	O
a	O
pair-splitter	O
to	O
facilitate	O
fast	O
arranging	O
of	O
wires	O
on	O
the	O
punch-down	B-Protocol
block	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
many	O
types	O
of	O
BIX	B-Protocol
connectors	O
,	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
kinds	O
being	O
the	O
1A	O
and	O
the	O
1A4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
goes	O
beyond	O
the	O
Category-6	B-Protocol
standard	O
and	O
is	O
available	O
in	O
two	O
topologies	O
:	O
the	O
Patch	O
Cord	O
topology	O
and	O
the	O
Cross-Connect	O
Wire	O
topology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
mature	O
BIX	B-Protocol
technology	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
over	O
25	O
years	O
old	O
and	O
well-established	O
in	O
the	O
telecommunications	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
termination	O
and	O
installation	O
procedures	O
have	O
been	O
improved	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
to	O
surpass	O
Category-6	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
1970s	O
,	O
Northern	O
Telecom	O
(	O
Nortel	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
designed	O
the	O
BIX	B-Protocol
system	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
manufacturing	O
BIX	B-Protocol
mounts	O
,	O
connectors	O
and	O
tools	O
in	O
house	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Belden	O
now	O
sells	O
all	O
BIX	B-Protocol
products	O
including	O
mounts	O
,	O
connectors	O
,	O
tools	O
and	O
accessories	O
previously	O
sold	O
by	O
NORDX/CDT	O
,	O
and	O
before	O
that	O
,	O
Nortel	O
Cable	O
Group	O
.	O
</s>
