Technical Data
Glossary
Abrasion Resistance
Abilityofawire,cable,ormaterialto
resistsurfacewear.
Breakdown Voltage
Thevoltageatwhichtheinsulation
betweentwoconductorsisdestroyed.
Connector
Adeviceusedtophysicallyand
electricallyjointwoormoreconductors.
Alloy
Ametalformedbycombiningtwoormore
differentmetalstoformdesirable
properties.
Bunch Stranding
Agroupofwiresofthesamediameter
twistedtogetherwithoutapredetermined
pattern.
Control Cable
Amulti-conductorcablemadefor
operationincontrolorsignalcircuits.
Alternating Current (AC)
Electriccurrentthatcontinuallyreverses
itsdirection.Itisexpressedincyclesper
second(HertzorHz).
Cable
Agroupofindividuallyinsulated
conductorsintwistedorparallel
configurationunderacommonsheath.
Ambient Temperature
Thetemperatureofthemedium
surroundinganobject.
Cabling
Thetwistingtogetheroftwoormore
insulatedconductorstoformanelement.
American Wire Gauge (AWG)
Astandardsystemfordesignatingwire
diameter.PrimarilyusedintheUnited
States.
Capacitance
Storageofelectricallyseparatedcharges
betweentwoplateshavingdifferent
potentials.Thevaluedependslargelyon
thesurfaceareaoftheplatesandthe
distanceandmaterialbetweenthem.
ANSI
Abbr:AmericanNationalStandards
Institute
Cold Flow
Deformationoftheinsulationdueto
mechanicalforceorpressure(notdueto
Armor
Abraidorwrappingofmetal,usuallysteel heatsoftening).
oraluminum,usedformechanical
Common Mode
protection
(Noise),causedbyadifferencein“ground
potential”.Bygroundingateitherend
ASME
ratherthanbothends(usuallygroundedat
Abbr:AmericanSocietyofMechanical
source)onecanreducethisinterference.
Engineers
Concentric Stranding
Braid
Acentralwiresurroundedbysixormore
Afibrousormetallicgroupoffilaments
interwovencylindricallytoformacovering layersofhelicallywoundstrandsinafixed
roundgeometricarrangement.
overoneormorewires.
Braid Ends
Thenumberofstrandsusedtomakeup
onecarrier.Thestrandsarewoundside
bysideonthecarrierbobbinandlie
parallelinthefinishedbraid.
Conductor
Anuninsulatedwiresuitableforcarrying
electricalcurrent.
Conduit
Atubeortroughinwhichinsulatedwires
andcablesarepassed.
Cord
Asmall,flexibleinsulatedcable.
Core
Incables,acomponentorassemblyof
componentsoverwhichadditional
components(shield,sheath,etc.)are
applied.
Cut-Through Resistance
Theabilityofamaterialtowithstand
mechanicalpressure,(usuallyasharp
edgeorsmallradius)without
separation.
Dielectric
Anyinsultingmaterialbetweentwo
conductorswhichpermitselectrostatic
attractionandrepulsiontotakeplace
acrossit.
Dielectric Constant (ε)
Theratioofthecapacitanceusingthe
materialinquestionasthedielectric,to
thecapacitanceresultingwhenthe
materialisreplacedbyair.
Dielectric Strength
Thevoltagewhichaninsulationcan
withstandbeforebreakdownoccurs.
Usuallyexpressedasavoltagegradient
(suchasvoltspermil).
Double Foot
Combinedlengthofonelinearfootof
pairedmaterials;i.e.,Onedoublefootis
equaltoonefootofnegativematerial
plusonefootofpositivematerial.
Usuallyusedindetermining
thermocouplewireloopresistance.
Technical Data
Glossary
Flammability
Drain Wire
Inacable,theuninsulatedwireinintimate Themeasureofthematerial’sabilityto
contactwithashieldtoprovideforeasier supportcombustion.
terminationofsuchashieldtoground.
Gauge
Atermusedtodenotethephysicalsizeof
Duct
wire.Alsospelledgage.
Anundergroundoroverheadtubefor
carryingelectricalcables.
Ground
Theconnectionbetweenanelectrical
Electromagnetic
circuitandtheearthorotherlarge
Pertainingtothecombinedelectricand
conductingbody.
magneticfieldsassociatedwith
movementsofelectronsthrough
Heat Distortion
conductors.
Distortionofamaterialduetotheeffects
ofheat.
Electromotive Force (emf)
Theforcewhichcausescurrenttoflowina
Hi-Pot
circuit.
Atestdesignedtodeterminethehighest
voltagethatcanbeappliedtoaconductor
Elongation
withoutelectricallybreakingdownthe
Thefractionalincreaseinlengthofa
insulation.
materialstressedintension.
EMI
Abbr:Electromagneticinterference.
External Interference
Theeffectsofelectricalwavesoffields
whichcausespurioussignalsotherthan
thedesiredintelligence,e.g.,noise.
FEP
FluorinatedEthylenePropyleneisameltextrudablefluorocarbonresin.“Teflon
FEP”isaregisteredtrademarkofthe
DuPontCompany.
Hook-Up Wire
Asingleinsulatedconductorusedforlowcurrent,low-voltage(usuallyunder1000
volts)applicationswithinenclosed
electronicequipment.
Hygroscopic
Readilyabsorbingandretainingmoisture.
Impedance
Thetotaloppositionthatacircuitoffersto
theflowofalternatingcurrentoranyother
varyingcurrentofaparticularfrequency.It
isacombinationofresistanceRand
reactanceX.
Filler
1. Amaterialusedinmulticonductorcables
tooccupylargeintersticesformedbythe Inductance
Thepropertyofacircuitorcircuitelement
assembledconductors.2.Aninvert
substanceaddedtocompoundtoimprove thatopposesachangeincurrentflow
causingcurrentchangestolagbehind
propertiesordecreasecost.
voltagechanges.Itismeasuredinhenrys.
Flame-Resistant
Theabilityofamaterialnottopropagate
flameoncetheflamesourceisremoved.
Inductive Coupling
Crosstalkresultingfromtheactionofthe
electromagneticfieldofoneconductoron
theother.
Insulation
Amaterialhavinghighresistancetothe
flowofelectriccurrent.
Insulation Resistance (I.R.)
Thatresistanceofferedbyaninsulation
toanimpresseddcvoltage,tendingto
producealeakagecurrentthroughthe
insulation.
IEC
Abbr:InternationalElectrotechnical
Commission.
IEEE
Abbr:InstituteofElectricaland
ElectronicsEngineers.
Insulation Thickness
Thewallthicknessoftheapplied
insulation.
Interference
Electricalorelectromagnetic
disturbanceswhichintroduce
undesirableresponsesintoother
electronicequipment.
ISA
Abbr:InstrumentSocietyofAmerica.
ISO
Abbr:InternationalOrganizationfor
Standardization.
Jacket
Anoutercoveringmainlyusedfor
protectionagainsttheenvironment.
Lacquer
Aliquidresinorcompoundappliedto
textilebraidtopreventfraying.
Laminated Tape
Atapeconsistingoftwoormorelayers
ofdifferentmaterialsbondedtogether.
Technical Data
Glossary
Lay
Thelengthmeasuredalongtheaxisofa
wireorcablerequiredforasinglestrand
(instandardwire)orconductor(incable)
tomakeoncompleteturnabouttheaxis
oftheconductororcable.
Leakage Current
Theundesirableflowofcurrentthrough
oroverthesurfaceofaninsulation.
Life Cycle
Atesttodeterminetheexpectedlength
oftimebeforefailureinacontrolled,
usuallyaccelerated,environment.
Limits of Error
Themaximumdeviation(indegreesor
percent)ofathermocoupleor
thermocoupleextensionwirefrom
standardemf-temperaturevalues.
Micro
Prefixforone-millionth.
Mil
Aunitusedinmeasuringdiameterofa
wireorthicknessofinsulationovera
conductor.Oneone-thousandthofaninch
(.001”).
Moisture Absorption
Theamountofmoisture,inpercentage,
thatamaterialwillabsorbunderspecified
conditions.
Moisture Resistance
Theabilityofamaterialtoresistabsorbing
moisturefromtheairorwhenimmersed
inwater.
Monomer
Thebasicchemicalunitusedinbuildinga
polymer.
Loop Resistance
Thetotalresistanceoftwoconductors
measuredfromoneend,througha
junction,totheotherconductor.
Multiplexing
Simultaneoustransmissionoftwoormore
messagesoverthesamecablemedium.
Magnetic Field
Theregionwithinwhichabodyor
currentexperiencesmagneticforces.
Mylar
DuPonttradenameforapolyester
material.
Magnetic Flux
Therateofflowofmagneticenergy
acrossorthroughasurface(realor
imaginary)
National Electric Code (NEC)
Aconsensusstandardpublishedbythe
NationalFireProtectionAssociation
(NFPA)andincorporatedinOSHA
regulations.
Magnetic Noise
Causedbychangeincurrentlevel,e.g.
ACpowerlinecreatesamagneticfield
aroundthatcable.
Mho
Theunitofconductivity.Thereciprocal
ofanohm.
MHz
Megahertz(onemillioncyclesper
second).FormerlyMc.
NBS
Abbr:NationalBureauofStandards.
NEMA
Abbr:NationalElectricalManufacturers
Association.
Noise
Unwantedand/orunintelligiblesignals
pickeduponacablecircuit.
OFHC
Abbr:oxygen-free,highconductivity
copper.Hasnoresidualdeoxidant,
99.95%minimumcoppercontentandan
averageannealedconductivityof101%.
Overlap
Theamountthetrailingedgelapsover
theleadingedgeofatapewrap.
Pairing
Theunionoftwoinsulatedsingle
conductorsthroughtwisting.
Pick
Distancebetweentwoadjacent
crossoverpointsofbraidfilaments.The
measurementinpicksperinchindicates
thedegreeofcoverage.
Pitch
Inflatcable,thenominaldistance
betweentheindexedgesoftwo
adjacentconductors.
Polyester
Polyethyleneterephthalatewhichis
usedextensivelyintheproductionofa
highstrengthmoistureresistantfilm
usedasacable/corewrap.
Polymer
Amaterialofhighmolecularweight
formedbythechemicalunionof
monomers.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Ageneralpurposefamilyofinsulations
whosebasicconstituentispolyvinyl
chlorideoritscopolymerwithvinyl
acetate.Plasticizers,stabilizers,
pigmentsandfillersareaddedinlesser
quantitytoimprovemechanicaland/or
electricalpropertiesofthismaterial.
Porosity
Airvoidsinaninsulationorjacketwall.
Technical Data
Glossary
Primary Insulation
Thefirstlayerofnonconductivematerial
appliedoveraconductor,whoseprime
functionistoactaselectricalbarrier.
Propagation
Delaytimerequiredforanelectrical
wavetotravelbetweentwopointsona
transmissionline.
Pulling Eye
Adevicefastenedtoacabletowhicha
hookmaybeattachedinordertopull
thecable.
Reactance
Theoppositionofferedtotheflowof
alternatingcurrentbyinductanceor
capacitanceofcomponentorcircuit.
Reference Junction
Thejunctionofathermocouplewhichis
ataknownreferencetemperature.Also
knownasthe“cold”junction,itisusually
locatedattheemfmeasuringdevice.
Resin
Asyntheticorganicmaterialformedby
theunion(polymerization)ofoneor
moremonomerswithoneormoreacids.
Resistance
Ameasureofthedifficultyinmoving
electricalcurrentthroughamedium
whenvoltageisapplied.Itismeasuredin
ohms.
RFI
Abbr:radiofrequencyinterference.
Root Mean Square (RMS)
Theeffectivevalueofanalternating
currentorvoltage.
Self-Extinguishing
Thecharacteristicofamaterialwhose
flameisextinguishedaftertheigniting
flameisremoved.
Semi-Conducting Tape
Atapeofsuchresistancethatwhen
appliedbetweentwoelementsofacable,
theadjacentsurfacesofthetwoelements
willmaintainsubstantiallythesame
potential.Suchtapesarecommonlyused
forconductorshieldingandinconjunction
withmetallicshieldingovertheinsulation.
Serve
Afilamentorgroupoffilamentssuchas
fibersorwires,woundaroundacentral
core.
Served Wire Armor
Spiralwrapofsoftgalvanizedsteelwires
wrappedaroundacabletoafford
mechanicalprotectionandincreasethe
cablepullingtensioncharacteristics.
Sheath
Theoutercoveringorjacketofa
multiconductorcable.
Sintering
Fusionofaspirallyappliedtapewrap
jacketbytheuseofhighheattoa
homogenouscontinuum.Usually
employedforfluorocarbon,nonextrudablematerials.
Solid Conductor
Aconductorconsistingofasinglewire.
Spark Test
Atestdesignatedtolocate
imperfections(usuallypinholes)inthe
insulationofawireorcableby
applicationofavoltageforaveryshort
periodoftimewhilethewireisbeing
drawnthroughtheelectrodefield.
Spiral Wrap
Thehelicalwrapofamaterialovera
core.
Stranded Conductor
Aconductorcomposedofsinglesold
wirestwistedtogether,eithersinglyor
ingroups.
Shield
Incables,ametalliclayerplacedarounda
conductororgroupofconductorto
preventelectrostaticinterferencebetween Suggested Working Voltage
theenclosedwiresandexternalfields.
Avoltagethatcanbeappliedbetween
adjacentconductors.
Shield Covering
Thephysicalareaofacablethatisactually Tape Wrap
coveredbytheshieldingmaterialandis
Aspirallyappliedtapeoveraninsulated
expressedinpercent.
oruninsulatedwire.
Shield Effectiveness
Tear Strength
Therelativeabilityofashieldtoscreenout Theforcerequiredtoinitiateorcontinue
undesirablesignals.
atearinamaterialunderspecified
conditions.
Signal
Acurrentusedtoconveyinformation,
Teflon
eitherdigital,analog,audioorvideo.
ADuPontCompanyTrademarkfor
polytetrafluoroethylene.
Signal Cable
Acabledesignedtocarrycurrentofusually Tefzel
lessthanoneampereperconductor.
TheDuPontCompanyTradenamefora
fluorocarbonmaterialtypicallyusedas
theinsulationonwirewrapwire.
Technical Data
Glossary
Temperature Rating
Themaximumandminimum
temperatureatwhichasinsulating
materialmaybeusedincontinuous
operationwithoutlossofitsbasic
properties.
Tensile Strength
Thepullstressrequiredtobreakagiven
specimen.
Thermal Shock
Atexttodeterminetheabilityofa
materialtowithstandheatandcoldby
subjectingittorapidandwidechangesin
temperature.
Thermocouple
Adeviceconsistingoftwodissimilar
metalsinphysicalcontact,whichwhen
placedacrossatemperaturedifferential
willdevelopanemfoutput.
Thermocouple Element
Athermocoupledesignedtobeusedas
partofanassembly,butwithout
associatedpartssuchastheterminal
block,connectinghead,orprotecting
tube.
Thermocouple Extension
Cable
Acablecomprisedofoneormore
twistedthermocoupleextensionwires
underacommonsheath.
Thermocouple Extension Wire
Apairofwiresofdissimilaralloyshaving
suchemf-temperaturecharacteristics
complimentingthethermocouplewhich
isintendedtobeused,suchthatwhen
properlyconnectedallowstheemftobe
faithfullytransmittedtothereference
junction.
Thermocouple Wire (Grade)
Apairofwiresofdissimilaralloyshaving
emf-temperaturecharacteristicscalibrated
tohighertemperaturelevelsthanthe
extensiontypeofthermocouplewire.
Unlikethethermocoupleextensionwire,
thiswiremaybeemployedasthe
thermocouplehotjunctioninadditionto
servingastheentirewireconnection
betweenhotandcoldreferencejunctions.
Thermoplastic
Amaterialwhichsoftenswhenheatedor
reheatedandbecomesfirmoncooling.
Thermoset Plastic
Amaterialwhichhardensorsetsbyheat,
chemicalorradiationcross-linking
techniquesandwhich,onceset,cannotbe
resoftenedbyheating.
Tinned Copper
Tincoatingaddedtocoppertoaidin
solderingandinhibitcorrosion.
Tray
Acabletraysystemisaunitofassemblyof
unitsorsections,andassociatedfitting,
madeofnon-combustiblematerials
formingarigidstructuralsystemusedto
supportcables.Cabletraysystems
(previouslytermedcontinuousrigidcable
supports)includeladders,troughs,
channels,solidbottomtrays,andsimilar
structures.
Tray Cable
Afactory-assembledmulticonductoror
multipaircontrol,signalorpowercable
specificallyapprovedundertheNational
ElectricalCodeforinstallationintrays.
Triple (Triad)
Acableconsistingofthreeinsulatedsingle
conductorstwistedtogether.
Twinning
Synonymouswithpairing.
UL
Abbr:UnderwritersLaboratories;an
independentorganization,which
operatesalistingserviceforelectrical
andelectronicmaterialsandequipment.
Volt
Aunitofelectromotiveforce.
Voltage
Thetermmostoftenusedinplaceof
electromotiveforce,potential,potential
difference,orvoltagedroptodesignate
theelectricpotentialthatexists
betweentwopointsandiscapableof
producingacurrentwhenaclosed
circuitisconnectedbetweentwopoints.
Voltage Rating
Thehighestvoltagethatmaybe
continuouslyappliedtoawirein
conformancewithstandardsor
specifications.
Wire
Aslenderrodorfilamentofdrawn
metal.