AbrasionResistance A bility lof a wire, cable Armor A braid or wrapping of metal, usually Breakout The point at which a conductor or or material to resist surfacewear. steel or aluminum, used for mechanical group of conductors is separated from a protection. Accelerated Aging A test in which voltage, multiconductor cable to complete circuits at temperature, etc. are increased above ASA Abbreviation for American Standards various points along the main cable. normal operating values to obtain Association. Former name of ANSI. Building Wire Wire used for light and power, observable deterioration in a relatively short ASME Abbreviation for American Society of 600 volts or less, usually not exposed to period of time. Mechanical Engineers. A non-profit society outdoor environment. AerialCable Acable suspendedin the air on of mechanical engineers who endeavor to Bunch Stranding A group of wires of the polesor otheroverheadstructure. advance both the theories of mechanics and same diameter twisted together without a practical approaches to everyday problems. Admittance Avalue denoti ng the ease with predetermined pattern. which an AC current flows in a circuit. ASTM Abbreviation for the American Society Buried Cable A cable installed directly in the for Testing and Materials, a non-profit earth without use of underground conduit. Air Spaced Coaxial Cable One in which air is industry-wide organization which publishes Also called “direct burial cable.” the essential dielectric material. A spirally standards, methods of test, recommended wound synthetic filament or spacer may be practices, definitions and other related Cable A group of individually insulated conductors in twisted or parallel used to center the conductor. material. configuration under a common sheath. Attenuation Power loss in an electrical he tw system. In cables, generally expressed in dB Cabling T isting together of two or more insulated cond per unit length. uctors to form an element. ALS A type of cable consisting of insulated Capacitance Storage of electrically Audio Frequency Those frequencies audible conductors enclosed in a continuous closely separated charges between two plates to the human ear, generally considered to be fitting aluminum tube. having different potentials. The value in the range of 32 to 16,000 hertz (Hz). depends largely on the surface area of the Alternating Current (AC) Electric current AWG Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge. plates and the distance between them. that continually reverses its direction. It is expressed in cycles per second (hertz or Hz). AWM Designation for applicance wiring Capacitance,Direct The capacitance material. measured directly from conductor to AmbientTemperature The temperature of a mediumsurrounding an object. Band Marking A continuous circumferential conductor through a single insulating layer. band applied to a conductor at regular American Wire Gauge (AWG) A standard Capacitance, Mutual The capacitance intervals for identification. system for designating wire diameter. between two conductors with all other Primarily used in the United States. Balanced Circuit A circuit so arranged that conductors, including shield, shortcircuited the impressed voltages on each conductor of to ground. Ampacity The maximum current an the pair are equal in magnitude but opposite Capacitance, Unbalance An inequality of insulated wire or cable can safely carry in polarity with respect to ground. without exceeding erther the insulation or capacitance between the wires of two or more pairs which result in a transfer of jacket material limitations. (Same as Binder A spirally served tape or thread used unwanted signal from one pair to others. Current Carrying Capacity.) for holding assembled cable components in place awaiting subsequent manufacturing Ampere The unit of current. One ampere is Capacitance, Unbalance To Ground An operations. the current flowing through one ohm of inequality of capacitance between the resistance at one volt potential. Bond StrengthAmount of d hesion between ground capacitance of the conductors of a surfaces, e.g. in cemente ribbon cable. pair which results in a pickup of external Annealed Wire Wire, which after final d” source energy, usually from power drawdown, has been heated and slowly Braid A fibrous or metallic group of filaments transmission lines. cooled to remove the effects of cold working. interwoven in cylindrical form to form a covering over one or more wires. Capacitive Coupling Electrical interaction ANSI Abbreviation for American National between two conductors caused by the Standards Institute. A subsidiary of the Braid Angle The smaller of the two angles potential difference between them. Instrument Society of America (ISA) whose formed by the shielding strand and the axis CATV An acronym for Community Antenna purpose is to oversee American Standards. of the cable being shielded. Television. Such standards define a product, process or Braid Carrier A spool or bobbin on a braider procedure with reference to one or more of which holds one group of strands or Cellular Polyethylene Expanded or “foam” the following: nomenclature, composition, filaments consisting of a specific number of polyethylene consisting of individual closed construction, dimensions, tolerances, ends. The carrier revolves during braiding cells suspended in a polyethylene medium. safety, operating characteristics, operations. Certificate of Compliance (C of C) A performance quality, rating, certification, certificate which is normally generated by a testing and the service for which it was Braid Ends The number of strands used to Quality Control Department, which shows designed. make up one carrier. The strands are wound side by side on the carrier bobbin and lie that the product being shipped meets Anti-Oxidant A substance which prevents or parallel in the finished braid. customer’s specifications. slows down oxidation of material exposed to air. Breakdown Voltage The voltage at which the insulation between two conductors is Certified Test Report (CTR) A report providing actual test data on a cable. Tests destroyed. are normally run by a Quality Control Copper-Clad Steel with a coating of copper Dielectric Strength The voltage which an Department, which shows that the product welded to it, as distinguished from copper- insulation can withstand before breakdown being shipped conforms to test plated. occurs. Usually expressed as a voltage specifications. Cord A small, flexible insulated cable. gradient (such as volts per mil). Characteristic Impedance The impedance Core In cables, a component or assembly of Direct Current (DC) An electric current that, when connected to the output components over which additional which flows in only one direction. terminals of a transmission line of any components (shield, sheath, etc.) are length, makes the line appear infinitely long. Dissipation Factor The tangent of the loss applied. The ratio of voltage to current at every point angle of the insulating material. (Also along a transmission line on which there are Corona A discharge due to ionization of air referred to as loss tangent, tan S, and no standing waves. around a conductor due to a potential approximate power factor.) gradient exceeding a certain critical value. Circuit Sizes A popularterm for buildingwire Double Foot Combined length of one linear sizes 14 through 10 AWG. Corona Resistance The time that the foot of paired material; i.e. One double foot is insulation will withstand a specified level of equal to one foot of positive material plus Circular Mil The area of a circle one mil field-intensified ionization that does not one foot of negative material. Usually used in (.001”) in diameter; 7.845 x 10-7 sq. in. result in the immediate complete determining thermocouple wire loop Used in expressing wire cross sectional area. breakdown of the insulation. resistance. Cladding A method of applying a layer of Corrosion The deterioration of a material by Drain Wire In a cable, the uninsulated wire in metal over another metal whereby the chemical reaction or galvanic action. intimate contact with a shield to provide for junction of the two metals is continuously easier termination of such a shield to a Crazing The minute cracks on the surface of welded. ground point. plastic materials. Coaxial Cable A cable consisting of two Drawing In wire manufacturing, pulling the CRCS An acronym for continuous rigid cable cylindrical conductors with a common axis, metal through a die or series of dies to support. Synonymous with Tray. separated by a dielectric. reduce diameter to a specified size. Creep The dimensional change with time of Cold Flow Deformation of the insulation due Duct An underground or overhead tube for a material under load. to mechanical force or pressure (not due to carrying electrical conductors. heat softening). Cross-Linked A term denoting inter- Duplex Insulated In the thermocouple Common Mode (Noise), caused by a molecular bonds between long chain industry, a combination of dissimilar metal difference in “ground potential.” By thermoplastic polymers, effected by conductors of a thermocouple or grounding at either end rather than both chemical or irradiation techniques. thermocouple extension wire. ends (usually grounded at source) one can Crosstalk A type of interference caused by Eccentricity Like concentricity, a measure of reduce this interference. signals from one circuit being coupled into the center of a conductor’s location with adjacent circuits. Composite Cable A cable containing more respect to the circular cross section of the than one gauge size or a variety of circuit C.S.A. Abbreviation for Canadian Standards insulation. Expressed as a percentage of types, e.g. pairs, triples, quads, coaxials, etc. Association, a non-profit, independent displacement of one circle within the other. organization which operates a listing service Compound An insulating or jacketing EIA Abbreviation for Electronic Industries material made by mixing two or more for electrical and electronic materials and Association. ingredients. equipment. The Canadian counterpart of the Underwriters Laboratories. Elastomer A class of long chain polymers Concentric Stranding A central wire capable of being crosslinked to produce surrounded by one or more layers of helically Current Carrying Capacity The maximum elastic compounds, e.g. polychloroprene current an insulated conductor can safely wound strands in a fixed round geometric and ethylene propylene rubber. arrangement. carry without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations. (Same as Electromagnetic Pertaining to the combined Concentricity In a wire or cable, the Ampacity.) electric and magnetic fields associated with measurement of the location of the center of movements of electrons through the conductor with respect to the geometric Cut-Through Resistance The ability of a conductors. center of the surrounding insulation. material to withstand mechanical pressure, usually a sharp edge or small radius, without Electromotive Force (e.m.f.) Pressure or Conductance The ability of a conductor to separation. voltage. The force which causes current to carry an electric charge. The ratio of the flow in a circuit. current flow to the potential difference C.V. Abbreviation for continuous Electrostatic Pertaining to static electricity causing the flow. The reciprocal of vulcanization. or electricity at rest. A constant intensity resistance. electric charge. Decibel (dB) A unit to express differences of Conductivity The capability of a material to power level. Used to express power gain in Elongation The fractional Increase in length carry electrical current-usually expressed amplifiers or power loss in passive circuits or of a material stressed in tension. as a percentage of copper conductivity cables (10 times the common logarithm of (copper being 100%). EMI Abbreviation for electromagnetic power ratios, 20 times the common interference. Conductor An uninsulated wire suitable for logarithm of the voltage or current ratios). carrying electrical current. Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR) An ozone Derating Factor A factor used to reduce the resistant rubber consisting primarily of Conduit A tube or trough in which insulated current carrying capacity of a wire when ethylene propylene copolymer (EPM) or wires and cables are run. used in environments other than that for ethylene propylene diene terpolymer Connector A device used to physically and which the value was established. (EDPM). electrically join two or more conductors. Dielectric Any insulating material between two conductors which permits electro- Expanded Diameter Diameter of shrink Continuous Vulcanization Simultaneous tubing as supplied. When heated the tubing static attraction and repulsion to take place extrusion and curing of elastomeric wire will shrink to its extruded diameter. coating materials. across it. External Interference The effects of Dielectric Constant (K) The ratio of the Control Cable A multiconductor cable made electrical waves or fields which cause capacitance using the material in question for operation in control or signal circuits. spurious signals other than the desired as the dielectric, to the capacitance intelligence, e.g. noise. Copolymer A compound resulting from the resulting when the material is replaced polymerizaiton of two different monomers. by air