How to submit products
UL purchased the rights and intellectual property for Levels XP® channels testing from Anixter Inc. in 2003. The original Levels program was created as a means of evaluating, categorizing and establishing standards of performance for cable and cabling systems used within an enterprise network. It is the basis upon which the industry's Category system (Cat5e, Cat6, etc.) is founded and performance standards are based.
The Levels XP (Expanded Performance) program measures network cable performance using live data and evaluates the cabling system's capability to minimize bit errors. The program is the most accurate measurement of data throughput and enterprise network bandwidth currently available in the industry. All Levels XP certification testing for existing and prospective Levels XP partners is performed at UL's Melville, N.Y. division. Anixter will continue to market and support Levels XP as the cornerstone of its marketing and purchasing strategy.
Follow this process for becoming Levels XP-certified:
- Submit appropriate samples to UL for evaluation
- Samples are investigated for compliance with Levels XP specifications.
- Upon approval, test results and a follow-up procedure are issued to the client
- Solution partners are identified in UL's Electrical Construction Equipment Directory as well as UL's Verified Cabling Products Directory
- Client receives a certificate of conformity and authorization to use the UL verified Levels XP Mark for marketing and specification purposes
Sample submittal requirements
To evaluate each solution, UL requires these materials:
- A single 1,000-foot reel of cable (if both riser and plenum solutions are submitted, then provide 1,000 feet of each type)
- Fifteen each of short, medium and long patch cords
- Ten work-area jacks in each solution
- Three patch panels in each solution
- Three 110 consolidation point/transition point connectors in each solution
Sample investigation
The Levels XP program is administered under UL's performance verification program for wire and cable. Levels XP works on the premise that compatible components do not always mean an efficient solution; a network system might work, but not up to its full potential. Levels XP-verified components are matched, which means all components in the cabling solution were designed with the others in mind.
Levels XP requires testing of the solution's horizontal cable, patch cords and connecting hardware, as well as passive channel, active channel and expanded active channel testing for compliance with the Levels XP specification. The test results are provided to the solution partners.
Follow-Up Service procedure
After successful completion of the investigation, UL issues a Follow-Up Service procedure that documents the construction of the evaluated solution and is given to each solution partner, identifying them as applicant, manufacturer, or listee (the party appearing in UL's published records). The Follow-Up Service procedure identifies each solution in a separate descriptive section. This allows UL to document the various partnerships (and solution constructions) in effect for each participating partner under one UL procedure.
Unlike typical UL certification programs, coverage under the Levels XP program is not manufacturer- or location-dependent. There is no factory Follow-Up Service component under the Levels XP program. The program assumes that the UL verified solution is Levels XP-compliant, regardless ofwhere the cable, connecting hardware, etc., is produced.
Ongoing compliance with Levels XP requirements is maintained via quarterly sampling by UL from the marketplace. UL assembles the channel and verifies it for compliance. A follow-up report is provided to the solution partners.
Publication of certification
Solution partners are identified in UL's Electrical Construction Equipment Directory under the new category, "Levels XP® Structured Cabling Program (VZZL)." Certifications will also appear on UL's wire and cable Web site, and in UL's Verified Cabling Products Directory.
Use of the UL performance verification Mark
Because Levels XP cabling solutions are field-assembled cabling and connectivity products, the UL verification Mark is not directly applied to the cabling solutions. The complete verification Mark (illustrated below) may appear on a bill of lading, a bulk shipment certificate, or on UL's certificate or conformity assessment.
The verification Mark may also be used in print advertising, Web-based advertising, and specification sheets. In these circumstances, the Mark must be reproduced in its entirety and clearly associated with the solution investigated by UL. Solution partners are authorized to use the UL verification Mark. The Follow-Up Service procedure will contain a verification Mark data page, which illustrates the Mark. The primary solution partner must submit verification Mark artwork to their supporting UL label center for review and assignment of a control number.
Levels XP program
Solution name and part number
Control number
Note: The control number is a permanent, four-character alphanumeric code assigned to the subscriber by UL.
