By Josh Taylor, senior product manager at CABLExpress Fiber optic cabling is widely used in data centers around the world, so it’s important to understand the basics. In fiber optic cables, data is transmitted through pulses of light and this digital signal is transmitted over a medium made of high-quality glass. When considering fiber optics […]
Low-smoke, zero halogen was the word at IWCS
If there was one phrase that really stood out to me during my brief trip to Charlotte for the International Wire & Cable Symposium (IWCS), it would be the term “low-smoke, zero halogen.” Several companies were highlighting new product lines touting this very critical feature, and several presenters highlighted it throughout the technical sessions, particularly […]
Ready to learn at IWCS
Next Monday, I travel with a colleague to the 62nd International Wire & Cable Symposium and Conference (IWCS) in Charlotte. This is the first trade show and conference I’ll be attending dedicated strictly to manufacturers and users of wire and cable, and I’m looking forward to it. The annual event presents the latest technologies in product design, […]
Cat 5e cord sets for industrial Ethernet applications
DataTuff TC Cat 5e cord sets from Belden Inc., St. Louis, come with TC listed industrial Ethernet cable. These 600 V TC 1277 rated Cat 5e cord sets, with RJ45 connectors, easily route industrial Ethernet cables in the most demanding heavy-industry environments using existing 600-V cable trays. They reduce the cost of installation and the […]
Motor power cables for repeatable motion
Hi-Flex motor power cables from Cicoil, Valencia, Calif., have been designed for repeatable motion, tight routing, high voltages, and high current carrying capacity and heat dissipation. Featuring a high strand count, they are available in four conductor non-shielded (24 to 4 AWG) and individually shielded versions for use in servo-controlled automation systems, stepper motor, and […]
Cable configurator is simple and straightforward
As an editor, I’ve sampled a lot of product configurators over the years, but have never actually used any to purchase anything. I can play with these configuration tools but never get to the final “ready-to-purchase” point. Usually, because I’m just looking at how the tool works, I don’t get to see the full benefits […]
18 GHz low-loss test cables
Line of flexible 18 GHz low-loss test cables from Pasternack Enterprises Inc., Irvine, Calif., is terminated with durable stainless steel connectors and are well suited for test environments where a rugged, phase stable cable assembly is required. They use a 0.195-in. diameter coax with an expanded dielectric which results in 83% Velocity of Propagation (VoP) performance […]
Basics of cable and wire design tutorial
If you’re new to specifying and installing cable and wire in your facility or on your machines, it can be confusing to know what type of cable should be used where. I was curious to see what type of information was available to give users a simplistic look at designing with all types of cable, […]
CAT.6A cables for continuous flex and torsion applications
ETHERLINE CAT.6A cables from Lapp Group North America, Florham Park, N.J., provide fast data transmission rates in industrial Ethernet systems while withstanding the continuous flex or torsion requirements associated with moving machine applications. These cables combine CAT.6A’s 10 Gbit/sec data transfer rates with continuous flex and torsion performance suitable for robotics, machine vision systems, wind turbines […]
Plastic armored USB cables resist high pressures
New line of USB 2.0 cable assemblies with crush-resistant plastic armor from L-com, Inc., North Andover, Mass., can withstand up to 800 psi, thus providing excellent crush protection at a much lower cost for those who do not need the metal armor. Like metal-armored USB cables, the new plastic-armored cables are available with either USB Type […]