Making Connections With TUK

Emerging from the telecoms liberalisation of the early 1980's, London based TUK originated as a manufacturer of connectors and accessories for voice.

With manufacturing facilities in both the UK and Far East, they were ideally placed to identify the transition to converged networking and are now one of the UK's leading specialists in copper connectivity for datacoms.

Canford has successfully distributed TUK products to the professional AV and Broadcast markets for almost 20 years, both as raw materials and incorporated into distinctive Canford manufactured panel solutions.

TUK's focus on the Voice and Datacom market sectors has meant that they have perhaps operated under the AV radar in many respects, but not for Canford, who have over forty years' experience of producing innovative, cost and time saving connection solutions. Cooperation first started with TUK's CONNECT+ range of LSA+ type connection modules which are fully compatible with other similar designs. This wide-ranging offering of high quality items, including several specifically designed for the broadcast market, provided the foundation for the long standing relationship of today.

The collaborative approach between Canford's Portland (Dorset) manufacturing team and TUK has produced multiple Category 5e, 6 and 6A solutions, but also extended into more identifiably broadcast and AV developments such as the TUK D UNIVERSAL range of XLR style connectors.

The centre point of much of the recent development work has been connectivity in 'keystone' format. This type of connector was originally developed in the USA for use in telephony applications but TUK have extended the time saving snap-in range to incorporate not only Cat 5e, 6 and 6A but also various popular Broadcast and AV connections such as BNC, HDMI, and USB along with several Fibre Couplers.

The consistent high-quality, reliability and competitiveness of the TUK product range has enabled Canford to equip major systems integrators worldwide with fully performing 'Cat' standard broadcast infrastructure.

Gavin Drake, Canford's Production Manager (Portland), commented: "Many years of reliable product delivery from TUK, together with their adaptability and flexibility to meet the requirements of our clientele have long encouraged our confidence in the brand. TUK offer us an innovative and cost effective alternative to traditional panel mount connectors."

Although TUK's product set is almost entirely passive, TUK strives to respond to user demand so that new products are continuously developed. As examples, their various plugs for extra-large Cat 6A and Cat 7 cables answered requirements from installers who wanted to terminate directly onto horizontal cable and when the same people complained about the challenges of successfully performing field terminations a dedicated plug was offered.

In terms of sockets, when the market was looking for a Cat 6A coupler to fit XLR outlets, TUK was quick to offer one and when engineers asked how they could differentiate between the multiple uses of Category 6 cabling they offered the simple solution of coloured outlets.

TUK's connectors in keystone and other forms have added to Canford's abilities to offer not only a huge range of panels with rapid turnaround times, but also easy customisation within that range of panels – if it can fit into the keystone format, TUK probably do it!

Innovations continue and with Category 6A increasingly required in Broadcast and AV, TUK are already exploring Category 8 and panels meeting the new standard could even be available by the New Year.

Stephen Mercer, TUK Director, concludes: "We are very proud of our relationship with Canford and shall continue to look for ways to support them, and together develop innovative solutions in response to the demands of the Broadcast and Pro AV markets."

www.canford.co.uk

This article also features in the February edition of Broadcast Film & Video.