CCA vs 100% Solid Copper CAT6 Cable and T568B / T568A RJ45 Pinout Guide
Why ANSI/TIA-568 requires 100% bare copper over CCA (Copper-Clad Aluminium) for PoE cameras and Gigabit Ethernet, plus the complete 1-8 pin T568B vs T568A RJ45 color code table.
CCA cable (*Copper-Clad Aluminium*) uses an aluminium core coated with a thin outer layer of copper. ANSI/TIA-568.2-D and ISO/IEC 11801 require 100% bare solid or stranded annealed copper (Cu) for balanced twisted-pair category cables (CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6A); CCA conductors cannot pass standards-compliant channel certification.
> Related Category: Compare technical specifications and model options directly in the CAT6 Cables, CAT6A Cables, and Ready-Made Ethernet Patch Cables categories.
100% Solid Copper vs CCA comparison
| Criterion | 100% Bare Copper (23/24 AWG Cu) | CCA (Copper-Clad Aluminium) |
|---|---|---|
| TIA-568 / ISO 11801 compliance | Fully compliant | Non-compliant |
| DC loop resistance (100 m) | ≤ 9.38 Ω / 100 m | ~50%–60% higher DC resistance |
| IEEE 802.3af/at/bt PoE performance | Stable up to 100 m without overheating | High voltage drop and bundle heating; cameras reboot when IR LEDs turn on |
| IDC punch-down reliability | Ductile gas-tight contact | Brittle; exposed aluminium core oxidizes at keystone blades |
CAT6 RJ45 color order: T568B vs T568A (clip facing down, left to right)
| Pin | T568B (Commercial Default) | T568A | Pair / Gigabit & PoE Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White / Orange | White / Green | Pair 2 (BI_DA+, PoE Mode A) |
| 2 | Orange | Green | Pair 2 (BI_DA-, PoE Mode A) |
| 3 | White / Green | White / Orange | Pair 3 (BI_DB+, PoE Mode A) |
| 4 | Blue | Blue | Pair 1 (BI_DC+, PoE Mode B) |
| 5 | White / Blue | White / Blue | Pair 1 (BI_DC-, PoE Mode B) |
| 6 | Green | Orange | Pair 3 (BI_DB-, PoE Mode A) |
| 7 | White / Brown | White / Brown | Pair 4 (BI_DD+, PoE Mode B) |
| 8 | Brown | Brown | Pair 4 (BI_DD-, PoE Mode B) |
Keep pair untwisting at the RJ45 plug or keystone jack under 13 mm (0.5 in) to preserve NEXT margin at 250 MHz.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell CCA apart from solid copper on site?
Lightly scrape a stripped conductor with a utility blade: solid copper remains copper-colored throughout, whereas CCA reveals a silvery-white aluminium core and weighs noticeably less per 305 m box.
Why does 23 AWG CAT6 outperform 24 AWG for PoE+?
Lower AWG means larger conductor diameter (~0.57 mm vs ~0.51 mm), reducing DC resistance and bundle temperature rise under continuous PoE+ / PoE++ current.