Introduction
A CAT9 Connect baseball bat refers to a high-performance bat that meets the CAT9 performance standard set by USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association). CAT stands for Category, and CAT9 is the highest performance category under the USSSA bat standards. The CAT9 standard allows for maximum bat performance with barrel exit speeds of up to 98 mph.
CAT9 Connect specifically refers to Marucci’s line of CAT9 approved bats that use a patented connection technology between the alloy barrel and composite handle. This connection allows for a smoother feel on contact and better energy transfer for maximum pop and performance according to Marucci (source).
History
The Marucci Cat 9 was first introduced in 2021 by Marucci Sports, a major manufacturer of baseball and softball equipment based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Cat 9 is the latest iteration in Marucci’s Cat line of alloy baseball bats, which began with the release of the Cat 5 in 2009 (Source 1). The Cat bats get their name from the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, where Category 5 is the strongest and most destructive storm. Similarly, Marucci designed the Cat bats to be the most powerful in their alloy lineup (Source 1).
According to Source 2, the new Marucci Cat 9 officially launched in stores on August 21, 2020. As the successor to the popular Cat 8 model first released in 2018, the Cat 9 offers an improved alloy barrel and other upgrades to enhance performance. Marucci Sports founder and professional baseball player Marucci Gagnier said, “The CAT 9 pushes the limits of alloy bats to give players a lighter swing weight, a huge sweet spot and maximum barrel flex” (Source 2). The Cat 9 was one of the most anticipated new baseball bat releases in recent years.
Applications
CAT9 or Category 9 cable was first released in 2001 for very high speed networks with speeds up to 2,000 Mbps (2Gbps). It is mainly used for backbone networks that connect routers, switches, and servers where very high speed and low latency are required.
Some common applications of CAT9 cable include:
- Data centers and server rooms – To connect high speed servers and storage devices.
- Large corporate networks – As backbone cabling for connecting buildings and floors. CAT9 provides higher bandwidth for high speed networks.
- High frequency stock trading networks – Low latency requirements for algorithmic trading.
- Telecom networks – Connecting telecom switches and routers.
- Supercomputing clusters – Interconnecting high performance computing nodes.
CAT9 cable is compatible with 10GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T Ethernet standards, so it can be used for 10Gbps and 40Gbps Ethernet networks. It can also support uncompressed 8K video signals.
Devices commonly connected over CAT9 include:
- High speed network switches
- Servers
- Routers
- High performance computers
- Data center storage devices
- Security cameras and devices
Benefits
One of the main benefits of Cat 9 Ethernet cabling is the increased speed and bandwidth it provides compared to previous standards like Cat 5 and Cat 6. Cat 9 cables can support speeds up to 2,000 MHz and bandwidth up to 2,000 Mbps (https://betterbaseball.com/blog/cat-9-connect). This is a significant improvement over Cat 6 cables that max out at 250 MHz and 1 Gbps. The higher frequency allows Cat 9 cables to transmit data faster with less crosstalk and interference.
Another benefit is the increased distance Cat 9 can transmit data. Whereas Cat 6 cables are limited to about 55 meters, Cat 9 cables can transmit data up to 100 meters without any loss of quality or speed (https://maruccisports.com/the-rundown/introducing-the-cat9-and-cat9-connect/). This extended reach makes Cat 9 ideal for larger spaces and buildings where longer cable runs are required.
Overall, the speed, bandwidth, and distance improvements offered by Cat 9 Ethernet make it advantageous for high bandwidth applications like 4K video streaming, cloud computing, server farms, and network backbones. The extra performance helps future-proof networks for emerging technologies.
Drawbacks
One of the main drawbacks of CAT9 connections is the high cost compared to previous standards like CAT6 and CAT8. The specialized cabling and connectors required for CAT9 can be significantly more expensive to purchase and install (Source). Many organizations may find the upgrade cost prohibitive, especially for shorter cable runs that don’t require the full performance of CAT9.
CAT9 cables and connectors are also not backwards compatible with previous standards due to the differences in cabling. This means that CAT9 cannot simply replace CAT6 or CAT8 in an existing network infrastructure. The entire cabling system would need to be replaced to transition to CAT9, further increasing complexity and costs (Source).
Comparison to Other Standards
Cat 9 connections offer higher performance than other Cat cable standards like Cat 5, Cat 6, Cat 7, and Cat 8. Here’s an overview of how Cat 9 compares:
Cat 5 cables can support speeds up to 100Mbps and are not commonly used for new network installations anymore. Cat 9 supports speeds up to 2,000MHz or 40Gbps, far exceeding Cat 5 capabilities.
Cat 6 cables can support speeds up to 250MHz or 10Gbps. While Cat 6 is still sufficient for many networks, Cat 9 offers 4x higher bandwidth.
Cat 7 cables can support speeds up to 600MHz or 10Gbps. Cat 9 again provides significantly faster potential speeds at 2,000MHz.
Cat 8 cables also offer 40Gbps speeds like Cat 9. However, Cat 8 uses thicker, heavier cables that are meant for specialized applications like data centers. Cat 9 provides similar speeds with more flexible, lightweight cabling [1].
In summary, Cat 9 represents the highest standard Cat cable available today in terms of bandwidth and speed capabilities.
Cabling
Cat 9 cabling is still in development and not yet standardized, but it will likely have similar construction to Cat 8 cabling with some enhancements. Cat 8 cables consist of four twisted pairs of copper wiring, with each pair containing thicker 26 AWG gauge wires compared to Cat 6 and below. The wires are also more tightly twisted to reduce crosstalk. Each pair is insulated and color coded for easy identification. The entire cable has an outer jacket, shielding, and drain wire to reduce EMI interference.
Some potential improvements for Cat 9 over Cat 8 include increasing the wire gauge further to 25 AWG or 24 AWG for less resistance, adding more shielding, tighter twisting, and tin-plated copper conductors for superior conductivity. Cat 9 may also utilize more advanced materials like silver-plated copper wire to achieve its high speeds over longer distances. The structure aims to minimize interference and signal degradation across the lengthy cable runs required in large facilities.
Connectors
Cat 9 cables utilize specialized connectors to achieve the high speeds and bandwidth capacity they are designed for. While they use the standard RJ45 form factor, the connectors contain additional shielding and higher quality materials to enable 40Gbps performance.
Some common connector types used with Cat 9 cable include:
- GG45 connectors – Feature a ruggedized design with gold plated contacts resistant to corrosion. The GG45 provides 360 degree shielding to minimize crosstalk.
- TERA connectors – Utilize bronze phosphor to achieve maximum conductivity. The connector contacts are 50-micron gold plated for low loss signal transfer.
- CAT9e connectors – Contain metal shielding between each pin contact to isolate the data lanes. The connector housing is made of high quality ABS plastic for durability.
Many Cat 9 cables come with matching shielded connectors pre-installed for ease of use. Using the properly shielded connectors is critical to achieving the full performance potential of Cat 9 cabling.
Sources:
https://www.amazon.com/cat-9-cable/s?k=cat+9+cable
Future Outlook
Currently Ethernet cables up to Cat 8 are available commercially. Cat 8 cables can support up to 40 Gbps and 100m cable runs. However, development is underway for even faster CAT9 cables that may support up to 100 Gbps speeds (source).
CAT9 cables are still under development and not commercially available yet. They are expected to support bandwidths up to 100 Gbps and cable lengths up to 30m or 100ft. CAT9 may use existing RJ45 connectors but could potentially require new interfaces. The CAT9 standard is being developed for data centers and enterprise networks that need higher speeds. The applications that require CAT9 are still emerging, so it remains to be seen when CAT9 cables become widely adopted (source).
Looking even further ahead, early research for CAT10 cables is underway as well. CAT10 may support up to 125 Gbps speeds but remains several years away from any potential release. Overall, Ethernet cable technology continues advancing rapidly to meet growing bandwidth needs, so we can expect steady improvements in speed and performance in the coming years.
Conclusion
In summary, category 9 cabling represents the latest advancement in structured cabling, capable of transmitting up to 2,000 MHz and supporting the highest bandwidth applications. As demands for faster speeds, higher bandwidth, and lower latencies continue to increase, cat 9 offers a future-proof solution for enterprise networks.
With the ability to support the upcoming 400GBASE-ZR standard, cat 9 will be critical for handling tomorrow’s high-speed workloads. The key benefits of lower crosstalk, higher frequencies, and improved performance make cat 9 the ideal choice for new installations where advanced applications will be deployed. As cat 9 becomes more widely available and affordable, it is likely to steadily replace cat 6 and cat 6a in modern networks.