A Look Into Different Types Of Cables

Introduction: Types of Electrical Cables

A cable can be defined as the grouping of multiple wires encased in a common sheathing and a  wire is a single electrical conductor. The widespread use of electricity is enabled because of the use of wires and cables. From households to telecom sectors, different types of cables are being used. The cables are differentiated based on their material and applications. 

The cables are distinguished from one another based on their construction and intended function. Identification of electric cables is crucial since it provides information on their length, number, and kind of insulation. The most crucial component of a cable’s identification is the plastic coating or insulation that surrounds the conducting wires.

Some of the labels or identifications that are regularly written on cables are THHN, THWN, THW, and XHHN. Below is a list of the labels’ respective letter meanings.

• T – Thermoplastic insulation is a fire-resistant material.
• H – Materials that are heat-resistant may withstand temperatures of up to 167 F.
• HH stands for Highly Heat-Resistant and can withstand heat up to 194 F.
• W – Wet works well in dry settings.
• X: Insulation made of synthetic polymers that are flame-resistant.
• N- Nylon-coated, oil- and gasoline-resistant.

Not all devices use a similar type of cabling. Having a knowledge of the different types of cables will assist you in having a better insight into what’s going on inside the electrical appliances around you or where and how your electricity reaches you.

Depending on the applications of electrical cables there are more than 20 different types of cables. Let’s take a closer look at them. But before that – composition of cables. 

Electrical cables are essential components of electrical systems, serving the purpose of transmitting electrical power or signals from one point to another. The composition of types of electrical cables can vary depending on their intended application, but they generally consist of several key components:

1. Communication Cable:

The type of cables used for the transmission of signal or in the other words, for communication purposes is called communication cables. They can be of three subtypes.

● Coaxial Cable :

Coaxial cables are made of 4 layers forming the coaxial structure (i.e., having a common center or axis). The central layer is the conductor. The surrounding layer which is the second layer is the insulating plastic. These two layers are encased in a metallic sheath. The last layer is the outer insulating plastic. Amongst the different types of cables, coaxial cable is used to transmit high frequencies with very low noise interference (achieved by the presence of metallic sheath). It is used in cable television, satellite communications, and high-speed internet access.

● Fiber Optic Cable:

Fiber optic cable is one of the different types of cable. It is made of transparent and flexible glass fibers called optical fibers. These optical fibers transmit data in the form of light. The thickness of each optical fiber is similar to the thickness of human hair. Relatively new to the market, fiber optic cables are not yet used in households. Since it employs rapid pulses of light to transmit data, its speed is unimaginably faster than any standard copper wire.

● Direct-buried Cable (DBC):

Direct-buried cable is yet another cable amongst the different types of cables. It is designed specifically to be buried underground without any extra insulation. It has water-resistant protection, plastic insulation, and other protection for underground factors that would otherwise affect any other normal cable.

2. Non-metallic Sheathed Cable (NM-sheathed Cable):

The outer insulating of the non-metallic cable is made of plastic. These cables are of two types depending on the number of conductors used. Two wires NM-sheathed conductors have two conductors separately insulated and a conductor for ground. Thus, a total of three conductors exist. A Three-wire NM-sheathed conductor has three conductors that are separately insulated with a third conductor for ground.

3. Metallic-sheathed Cable:

A metallic sheathed cable is a type of cable with metallic protection over the plastic insulated conductors. These cables are of two types: armored cables and metal-clad cables.

4. Multi-conductor or Multicore Cable:

Amongst the different types of cables, the multicore cable is the type that has more than one number of conductors with insulated protection rolled into one jacketed cable. It avoids messy connections by having one compact cable instead of ten or twenty separate wires. Using a multicore cable is a time saver as all the wires can be connected at the same time.

5. Paired Cable:

Paired cables are a pair of two insulated conductors encased in an insulation sheath.

6. Portable Or Extension Cord:

It is an electrical cable that is flexible having connectors on both ends that provide a temporary AC power supply. It is usually used as an extension of the power source to portable appliances.

7. Ribbon Cable:

Ribbon cables are unique cables amongst the different types of cable, shaped like a ribbon. It’s made of multiple small grades of insulated wires placed parallel to each other in a flat shape.

8. Shielded or Screened Cable:

In screened cables, the conductors are encased in a metallic layer known as a shield. The shield is made from copper, braided aluminum, or any other metal. It could also be a solid layer, a foil, or a spiral tape made from the above-mentioned conducting metals.

9. Single Conductor Wire:

Amongst the different types of cables, single-conductor wire is yet another type. It is made of a single insulated conductor. They are available in multiple colors so as to identify phases and earth lines. The single-stranded wire and the single-solid wire are two subtypes.

10. Submersible Cable:

Submersible cables are useful under submerged conditions, as the name suggests. Its insulation is abrasion-resilient, very rugged, and highly durable. Submersible cables have two different types as mentioned below.

11. Twin-lead:

Twin lead cables have two conductors held apart and placed uniformly by a plastic layer in between them. Signal distortion is due to unequal speaking so equal spacing of the two conductors is very important.

12. Ladder Line:

Ladder line cables are important in wet conditions as sometimes wetness seeps inside the plastic covering the conductors. This will cause interference in the signal. To avoid such interference, slots like a window are cut into the plastic layer. The wire thus resulting will resemble a ladder-like structure. Hence, the name ladder line has been coined. The Cost and use of ladder line cable are as given below.

13. Underground Feeder (UF) Cable:

UF cables have conductors that are surrounded by an individual layer of thermoplastic. It provides flexibility and additional protection. The uses and cost of UF cable are as given below.

14. Flexible Cables:

Flexible cables are yet another one amongst the different types of cables. It can withstand continuous bending in moving appliances. The flexibility is obtained by the usage of stranded conductors. Its uses and cost are as given below.

Note:

The different types of cables also include power transmission cables seen in overhead transmission lines. There are 4 types as is mentioned below.

Concluding Thoughts:

At the end of this article, you must have come across varieties of different types of cables which are used in both the telecom sector and all households. Identifying which cable goes wire is a bemusing task. This article will help you to not all identify such perplexing cables but also their cost, applications, and structure. The types of cables that exist both in the layman’s world and in the telecommunication sector have been briefed above.

Types of Cables FAQs