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Wire, cable and fibre notes
Notes for people who specify, import, distribute and install cable: what a designation means, how conductor classes and fire classes are tested, how fibre is chosen, how copper moves a quote and how a drum is checked before it ships.
Cable basics
- Wire vs cable: the difference buyers need on a spec sheetWire or cable? How standards separate single insulated conductors from sheathed cables, and why the distinction changes price, testing and HS codes.
- Cable construction layers: conductor to sheath, explainedWhat each layer of a power cable does, from conductor and insulation to fillers, armour and sheath, and which layer to check when two quotes differ.
- Reading cable designations: Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC decodedHow to read cable designations such as Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC, YJV22, H07V-R and H05VV-F 3G1.5, and how to turn them into an unambiguous purchase order.
- Cable voltage ratings: what 0.6/1 kV and 8.7/15 kV meanWhat the two numbers in a cable voltage rating mean, how U0/U maps to system voltage, and which ratings apply to building wire, power, MV and solar cable.
Conductors and sizing
- IEC 60228 conductor classes 1, 2, 5 and 6 explainedWhat IEC 60228 Class 1, 2, 5 and 6 mean for copper and aluminium conductors, how the resistance limits work and what to write on a cable spec sheet.
- Copper vs aluminium conductors: resistance, weight and jointsCopper vs aluminium cable conductors compared on resistance, size, weight and joints, with IEC 60228 figures and what buyers should check before switching.
- AWG vs mm2: converting wire sizes without mistakesHow AWG and mm2 wire sizes relate, a conversion table from 24 AWG to 500 kcmil, and why the nearest metric size is not always a safe substitute.
Insulation, sheaths and armour
- XLPE vs PVC insulation: 90 and 70 degree ratings comparedXLPE or PVC insulation? What the 90 C and 70 C conductor ratings mean, how each compound behaves, and how to specify the right one for a cable quote.
- LSZH sheaths explained: smoke, halogen and acid gas testsWhat makes a cable sheath LSZH: the IEC 61034 smoke test, the IEC 60754 halogen and acid gas tests, their pass limits, and what to ask a supplier for.
- SWA vs STA armour: steel wire, steel tape and where to useSteel wire armour or steel tape armour? How SWA and STA cables are built, where each suits burial, trays and ducts, and what to check before ordering.
- AWA armour on single-core cables: why not steelWhy single-core AC power cables use aluminium wire armour instead of steel: induced currents, heating, bonding and what buyers should state on the spec.
Fire performance
- CPR cable classes explained: Aca to Fca and s, d, aHow EU CPR reaction-to-fire classes for cables work: Aca to Fca, the s, d and a additional classes, AVCP systems and what to check on the DoP.
- IEC 60332 flame tests: single cable and bunched categoriesIEC 60332-1-2 single cable and IEC 60332-3 bunched flame tests explained: categories A to D, non-metallic volume, char height and what buyers check.
- Fire-resistant vs flame-retardant cables: not the sameFire-resistant and flame-retardant cables answer different questions. How IEC 60331, IEC 60332, BS 6387 and CPR classes split the job, and what to specify.
Optical fibre and cable
- Single-mode vs multimode fibre: OS2, OM3, OM4 and OM5Single-mode or multimode fibre? How OS2, OM3, OM4 and OM5 differ in core size, bandwidth, reach and optics cost, and what to write on a fibre RFQ.
- G.652.D vs G.657.A1 and A2: bend-insensitive fibreG.652.D or bend-insensitive G.657.A1 and A2? Bend radius, splice compatibility, mode field diameter and where each single-mode fibre belongs in a network.
- Loose tube vs tight buffer fibre cable constructionsLoose tube or tight buffer fibre cable? How each construction protects the fibre, where it belongs, how it is terminated and what to ask on the datasheet.
LAN, coax and FTTH
- Cat6 vs Cat6A cable: bandwidth, diameter and shieldingCat6 or Cat6A? How the two categories differ in tested bandwidth, cable diameter, shielding and box weight, and what to write on the RFQ for each.
- UTP vs FTP vs S/FTP: network cable shielding explainedU/UTP, F/UTP and S/FTP decoded: what each shielding letter means, where shielded network cable helps, and what it changes in installation and sourcing.
- RG6 vs RG59 coax: impedance, shield and use casesRG6 or RG59? How the two 75 ohm coax families differ in conductor, dielectric, shield and diameter, and which suits CATV, satellite, CCTV and SDI runs.
Standards and market access
- Cable standards map: IEC, EN, BS, UL and local rulesHow IEC, EN, BS and UL cable standards fit together with market rules such as CPR, TIS 11, SONCAP and SABER, and which layer a buyer must name on an RFQ.
- EU CPR for cables: DoP, CE label and AVCP systemsHow the EU Construction Products Regulation applies to cables: EN 50575 scope, Aca to Fca classes, AVCP systems, the DoP and where the CE marking goes.
- UL listing for US building wire: THHN, XHHW and the AHJWhat a UL listing means for THHN, THWN-2 and XHHW-2 building wire, why the AHJ decides acceptance, and how to verify a listing held by a partner plant.
Sourcing, price and OEM
- Sourcing cable from China: clusters, plants and processWhere China's wire, cable and fibre clusters are, how to match a construction to the right plant, and the steps from RFQ to a loaded drum.
- Copper price and cable quotes: how LME moves your priceWhy cable quotes are built as copper price plus processing fee, how LME copper moves them, and why validity is short. Dated facts, no price tables.
- Cable price adjustment clauses: copper formulas explainedHow copper price adjustment clauses work in cable contracts: index formulas, weight times price difference, base dates and what to write down.
- Cable MOQ explained: metres per size, drums and boxesWhy cable minimums are set in metres per size, drums or boxes, typical ranges for power, solar and LAN cable, and how to plan a first order around them.
Quality, testing and problems
- Cable factory audit checklist: lines, labs and recordsWhat to check when auditing a wire or cable plant: drawing and extrusion lines, test lab equipment, drum-by-drum records and the scope of its certificates.
- Cable routine, sample and type tests: what each coversRoutine tests run on every drum, sample tests on cut lengths, type tests once per design. What each covers for LV and MV cable, and which reports to ask for.
- Undersized conductors: how short cross-sections happenHow undersized cable conductors happen, why IEC 60228 judges size by resistance not diameter, and which records, weights and checks catch short copper early.
Comparisons
- THHN vs XHHW-2 building wire: nylon jacket or XLPETHHN or XHHW-2? How UL 83 nylon-jacketed PVC wire and UL 44 XLPE wire differ in construction, listing, packing and where each one suits a US project.
- H07V-U vs H07V-R vs H07V-K: solid, stranded, flexibleH07V-U, H07V-R and H07V-K share one PVC insulation and voltage rating. The conductor class differs, and that changes handling, resistance and where each fits.