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AAR: Abbreviation for Association of American Railroads
Abrasion: The destruction of a material caused by scraping or rubbing against a rough, hard surface
Abrasion Machine: Device used for determining the abrasion resistance of wire and cable. The two stranded types of machines are the squirrel cage, with square steel bars, and the abrasive grit type
Abrasion Resistance: A measure of ability of a wire, wire covering, or material to withstand surface wear or damage by mechanical means
Absorption: Physical phenomenon that restricts light traveling in fibers by converting it into heat by raising the temperature of the fiber. Results from impurities and defects in the glass structure
Alternating Current (AC): Electrical current that reverses direction at regular intervals. The rate at which reversals occur is expressed in cycles per second (Hertz or Hz)
AC Resistance: Complete resistance provided by a device in an alternating current circuit due to inductive and capacitive effects, as well as the direct current resistance
Accelerated Life/Aging Test: A test in which a cable is subject to extreme conditions including voltage and temperature levels above normal operating values to obtain detectable degradation in a relatively short period of time
Accelerator: A chemical additive that expedites the time it takes for a chemical reaction to occur
Acceptance Angle: The half-angle of the cone within which all incident light is totally internally reflected by the fiber core. The acceptance angle is a function of position on the entrance face of the core
Accordion: 1) A series of equally-spaced transverse folds in a retractile cable; 2) A Z shaped connector contact with a flat spring to permit high deflection without overstress
ACM: Abbreviation for Aluminum Conductor Material
ACR: Designation for cable with corona resisting insulation
ACRS: A group of aluminum wires stranded around a single steel core. Usually used for high voltage cross-country transmission lines
Activator: In a specific chemical mixture, an additive that is used to initiate the chemical reaction
Active Current: A component in time with the voltage in an alternating current; the working component as differentiated from the idle or watt-less component
Active Pressure: The pressure which produces a current in an AC circuit, as distinguished from the voltage placed upon the circuit
Adapter: A device that permits any or all of the following: 1) Different sizes or types of plugs to pair with one another or to fit into a telecommunications outlet/connector; 2) The reorganization of leads; or 3) Fan out large cables with numerous wires into smaller cables
Adapter-Fiber: A mechanical termination device constructed to align and join fiber optic cables. Often referred to as coupling, bulkhead, or interconnect sleeve
Adhesion: The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which may be chemical or mechanical in nature
Adhesive: Usually a synthetic material which permits elements to be bonded together when applied to tapes, potting materials, etc.
Adhesive Bonded: Cables bonded together by adding an adhesive coating to the surface of each of the cable’s components, then joining and curing the adhesive to form a cable
Adjacent Conductor: Any conductor that is next to another conducts either in adjacent layers or in the same multi-conductor cable layer
Administration: The method for labeling, identification, documentation and usage needed to implement moves, additions and changes of the telecommunications infrastructure
Admittance: The reciprocal of impedance. Given by the formula Y = G + iB where G is the conductance, B is the susceptance, and i = -1. Since impedance, Z, is given by: Z = R + iX where R and X are the resistance and reactance, respectively, then Y = (R-iX) / (R2+X2)
AEC: Abbreviation for Atomic Energy Commission. The government agency which oversees all atomic energy projects
AEIC: Abbreviation for Association of Edison Illuminating Companies
Aerial Cable: Cable positioned in the air on an overhead structure, including poles and buildings
AES/EBU: Unofficial name of a digital audio standard established by the AES (Audio Engineering Society) and EBU (European Broadcast Union)
Aging: Irreversible change of a material’s properties after exposure to an environment for a period of time
AIA: Abbreviation for Aluminum Interlocked Armor
AIEE: Formerly the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Not Called the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Air Core: Telephone outside plant cable construction for aerial and duct installation in which the insulated conductors in the cable core are surrounded by air
Air Spaced Coax: A coaxial cable in which air is essentially the dielectric material. The conductor is typically centered by means of a spirally wound synthetic filament, beads, or braided filaments.
Air Spaced PE: A coaxial cable that uses air injected into plastic as the dielectric spacer between conductors. This is also known as a foam dielectric
Aircraft Ignition Cable: A high tension cable designed for use in the ignition systems of internal combustion aircraft engines
Aircraft Wire: An electrical wire primarily designed for the extreme conditions of airborne equipment including temperature, altitude, solvents, fuels, etc.
Air-Handling Plenum: A designated area used for environmental air whether it be closed or open space
AL: Abbreviation for Aluminum
Alkali: Obtained from the ashes of plants, a soluble salt consisting largely of potassium or sodium carbonate
Alligator Clip: A temporary connection on the sod of interconnection wire that are shaped like an alligator’s jaw
Alloy: Metal created through the combination of two or more dissimilar metals for the final required properties
All Rubber Cable: All voids between conductors are filled with a rubber compound in a cable. This construction gives greater resistance to impact, adds strength, and reduces the tendency to kink. It also reduces flexibility
AL/MY: Abbreviation for Aluminum Mylar. A laminated aluminum and polyester tape used for shielding
ALS: A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous, closely sitting aluminum tube
Alternating Current (AC): An electric current in which the direction of current is reversed at regular intervals giving a definite plus and minus waveform. Expressed in Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second
Alternating Voltage: Voltage developed across a resistance or impedance through which alternating current is flowing
Alumel: An alloy used for thermocouple and thermocouple extension wire
Aluminum Conductor: A wire or group of wires made of aluminum that are suitable for carrying electrical current and are not insulated from each other
Aluminum-Steel Conductor: A conductor made up of a combination of aluminum and steel wires
ALVYN: Cable sheath consisting of coated corrugated aluminum (AL) shield and an outer polyvinyl chloride (VYN) jacket
AM: Abbreviation for Amplitude Modulation
Ambient: Conditions in the surrounding environment of the cable
Ambient Temperature: The all-encompassing temperature of a medium (liquid or gas) surrounding an object American Mustang: A premium grade thermoset cord, UL and CSA listed as SOOW or SJOOW
American Wire Gauge (AWG): Standard method used to measure the diameter of a wire. The diameter gets larger as the AWG number gets smaller.
Ampacity: The maximum current carried continuously by an insulated conductor without being heated beyond a safe limit and without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations (expressed in amperes)
Ampere (Amp): A unit of current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential
Ampere’s Law: For any closed path, the sum of the length of the elements times the magnetic field in the direction of the length element if equal to the permeability times the electric current enclosed in the loop
Amplifier: A device usually engaging electron tubes or transistors to obtain amplification of voltage, current, or power
Amplitude: Magnitude of a voltage or current that represents signal strength
Amp Load: Total amount of amperage flowing through a conductor when it is loaded
AN: Abbreviation for Aircraft Number. For example, AN-6 signifiers a wire size of 6 AWG
Analog: Being or relative to a mechanism in which data is represented by continuously varying physical quantities. Opposite - digital
Analog Signal: A signal in which the intelligence is represented by continuously varying quantities
Angle of Incidence: The angle between an incident ray and the normal reflecting to a surface
Angle of Refraction: The angle between a refracted ray and the normal reflecting to a surface. Lies in a common plane with the angle of incidence
Anneal (Soften): The relief of mechanical stress through application of heat and gradual cooling. The act of softening the metal by means of heat renders it less brittle
Annealed Wire: Wire that has been softened through heating and cooling, eliminating the effects of cold working. Also called soft drawn wire
Annular Conductor: A number of wires stranded in three reversed concentric layers around a saturated hemp core
Annunciator: A signaling device that gives an audible or visual signal (or both) when energized
Anode: Positive pole of an electric source. Opposite - cathode
ANSI: American National Standards Institute. A federation of trade, technical, professional organizations, government agencies, and consumer groups. Coordinates standards development and publishes standards. Operates a voluntary certification program. Used to be called the American Standards Association (ASA)
Antenna Wire: A high tensile strength wire with or without insulation used as an antenna for radio and electronic equipment
Antioxidant: A substance which prevents or slows down oxidation of material exposed to air
Antiozonant: A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction
Appliance Wire and Cable: A classification of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., covering insulated wire and cable intended for internal wiring of appliances and equipment. Each construction satisfies the requirements for use in particular applications
Approx.: Abbreviation for approximate
Aramid (Yarn): A lightweight, strong heat-resistant aromatic polyamide material used in fiber optic strength elements to provide tensile strength, support, and additional protection of fiber bundles
Arc: 1) A radiant glow formed by the flow of electric current through ionized air, gas or vapor between separated electrodes or contacts; 2) A portion of the circumference of a circle
Arc Resistance: Time required for an arc to establish a conductive path in a material
Area of Conductor: The size of the cross section of a conductor measured in circular mils, square inches, etc.
Armature Wire: Stranded annealed copper wire, straight lay, soft loose white cotton braid. Used for low voltage, high current rotor winding motors and generators. Straight lay allows forming in armature slots and compressibility
Armor: A braid of metal or spiral sheet tapes used for mechanical protection and generally places over the outer sheath of a wire
Armored Cable: Cable having a metallic covering for protection against mechanical injury
Aromatic: A ring structure of organic material composed of benzene
Artos Stripper: A machine that will measure to a predetermined length, cut, strip, count, and tie wire in bundles automatically
ASCII: Abbreviation for American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASESA: Abbreviation for Armed Services Electro Standards Agency
ASME: Abbreviation for American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASP: A cable sheath consisting of a corrugated aluminum (A) shield, corrugated steel (S) shield, flooding compound and an outer polyethylene (P) jacket
ASTA: United Kingdom approval agency
ASTM: Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials. An organization that tests materials and attempts to set standards on various materials for industry
Attenuation: A decrease in the magnitude of power in an electrical system between points in a circuit. Generally expressed in decibels (dB) per unit length, usually one thousand (1000) feet, at a specific frequency
Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio (ACR): Difference between attenuation and crosstalk, measured in dB, at a given frequency. An important characteristic in networking transmission to assure that signal sent down a twisted pair is stronger at the receiving end, after being attenuated
Audio Frequency (AF): Frequencies that fall within the range of human hearing (approximately 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Auto Primary Wire: A single or multi-conductor wire used for original equipment or replacement on automotive products. Normally low voltage, resistant to oil, acid, and weather
AWM: A UL designation for Appliance Wiring Material
AAR: Abbreviation for Association of American Railroads
Abrasion: The destruction of a material caused by scraping or rubbing against a rough, hard surface
Abrasion Machine: Device used for determining the abrasion resistance of wire and cable. The two stranded types of machines are the squirrel cage, with square steel bars, and the abrasive grit type
Abrasion Resistance: A measure of ability of a wire, wire covering, or material to withstand surface wear or damage by mechanical means
Absorption: Physical phenomenon that restricts light traveling in fibers by converting it into heat by raising the temperature of the fiber. Results from impurities and defects in the glass structure
Alternating Current (AC): Electrical current that reverses direction at regular intervals. The rate at which reversals occur is expressed in cycles per second (Hertz or Hz)
AC Resistance: Complete resistance provided by a device in an alternating current circuit due to inductive and capacitive effects, as well as the direct current resistance
Accelerated Life/Aging Test: A test in which a cable is subject to extreme conditions including voltage and temperature levels above normal operating values to obtain detectable degradation in a relatively short period of time
Accelerator: A chemical additive that expedites the time it takes for a chemical reaction to occur
Acceptance Angle: The half-angle of the cone within which all incident light is totally internally reflected by the fiber core. The acceptance angle is a function of position on the entrance face of the core
Accordion: 1) A series of equally-spaced transverse folds in a retractile cable; 2) A Z shaped connector contact with a flat spring to permit high deflection without overstress
ACM: Abbreviation for Aluminum Conductor Material
ACR: Designation for cable with corona resisting insulation
ACRS: A group of aluminum wires stranded around a single steel core. Usually used for high voltage cross-country transmission lines
Activator: In a specific chemical mixture, an additive that is used to initiate the chemical reaction
Active Current: A component in time with the voltage in an alternating current; the working component as differentiated from the idle or watt-less component
Active Pressure: The pressure which produces a current in an AC circuit, as distinguished from the voltage placed upon the circuit
Adapter: A device that permits any or all of the following: 1) Different sizes or types of plugs to pair with one another or to fit into a telecommunications outlet/connector; 2) The reorganization of leads; or 3) Fan out large cables with numerous wires into smaller cables
Adapter-Fiber: A mechanical termination device constructed to align and join fiber optic cables. Often referred to as coupling, bulkhead, or interconnect sleeve
Adhesion: The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which may be chemical or mechanical in nature
Adhesive: Usually a synthetic material which permits elements to be bonded together when applied to tapes, potting materials, etc.
Adhesive Bonded: Cables bonded together by adding an adhesive coating to the surface of each of the cable’s components, then joining and curing the adhesive to form a cable
Adjacent Conductor: Any conductor that is next to another conducts either in adjacent layers or in the same multi-conductor cable layer
Administration: The method for labeling, identification, documentation and usage needed to implement moves, additions and changes of the telecommunications infrastructure
Admittance: The reciprocal of impedance. Given by the formula Y = G + iB where G is the conductance, B is the susceptance, and i = -1. Since impedance, Z, is given by: Z = R + iX where R and X are the resistance and reactance, respectively, then Y = (R-iX) / (R2+X2)
AEC: Abbreviation for Atomic Energy Commission. The government agency which oversees all atomic energy projects
AEIC: Abbreviation for Association of Edison Illuminating Companies
Aerial Cable: Cable positioned in the air on an overhead structure, including poles and buildings
AES/EBU: Unofficial name of a digital audio standard established by the AES (Audio Engineering Society) and EBU (European Broadcast Union)
Aging: Irreversible change of a material’s properties after exposure to an environment for a period of time
AIA: Abbreviation for Aluminum Interlocked Armor
AIEE: Formerly the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Not Called the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Air Core: Telephone outside plant cable construction for aerial and duct installation in which the insulated conductors in the cable core are surrounded by air
Air Spaced Coax: A coaxial cable in which air is essentially the dielectric material. The conductor is typically centered by means of a spirally wound synthetic filament, beads, or braided filaments.
Air Spaced PE: A coaxial cable that uses air injected into plastic as the dielectric spacer between conductors. This is also known as a foam dielectric
Aircraft Ignition Cable: A high tension cable designed for use in the ignition systems of internal combustion aircraft engines
Aircraft Wire: An electrical wire primarily designed for the extreme conditions of airborne equipment including temperature, altitude, solvents, fuels, etc.
Air-Handling Plenum: A designated area used for environmental air whether it be closed or open space
AL: Abbreviation for Aluminum
Alkali: Obtained from the ashes of plants, a soluble salt consisting largely of potassium or sodium carbonate
Alligator Clip: A temporary connection on the sod of interconnection wire that are shaped like an alligator’s jaw
Alloy: Metal created through the combination of two or more dissimilar metals for the final required properties
All Rubber Cable: All voids between conductors are filled with a rubber compound in a cable. This construction gives greater resistance to impact, adds strength, and reduces the tendency to kink. It also reduces flexibility
AL/MY: Abbreviation for Aluminum Mylar. A laminated aluminum and polyester tape used for shielding
ALS: A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous, closely sitting aluminum tube
Alternating Current (AC): An electric current in which the direction of current is reversed at regular intervals giving a definite plus and minus waveform. Expressed in Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second
Alternating Voltage: Voltage developed across a resistance or impedance through which alternating current is flowing
Alumel: An alloy used for thermocouple and thermocouple extension wire
Aluminum Conductor: A wire or group of wires made of aluminum that are suitable for carrying electrical current and are not insulated from each other
Aluminum-Steel Conductor: A conductor made up of a combination of aluminum and steel wires
ALVYN: Cable sheath consisting of coated corrugated aluminum (AL) shield and an outer polyvinyl chloride (VYN) jacket
AM: Abbreviation for Amplitude Modulation
Ambient: Conditions in the surrounding environment of the cable
Ambient Temperature: The all-encompassing temperature of a medium (liquid or gas) surrounding an object American Mustang: A premium grade thermoset cord, UL and CSA listed as SOOW or SJOOW
American Wire Gauge (AWG): Standard method used to measure the diameter of a wire. The diameter gets larger as the AWG number gets smaller.
Ampacity: The maximum current carried continuously by an insulated conductor without being heated beyond a safe limit and without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations (expressed in amperes)
Ampere (Amp): A unit of current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential
Ampere’s Law: For any closed path, the sum of the length of the elements times the magnetic field in the direction of the length element if equal to the permeability times the electric current enclosed in the loop
Amplifier: A device usually engaging electron tubes or transistors to obtain amplification of voltage, current, or power
Amplitude: Magnitude of a voltage or current that represents signal strength
Amp Load: Total amount of amperage flowing through a conductor when it is loaded
AN: Abbreviation for Aircraft Number. For example, AN-6 signifiers a wire size of 6 AWG
Analog: Being or relative to a mechanism in which data is represented by continuously varying physical quantities. Opposite - digital
Analog Signal: A signal in which the intelligence is represented by continuously varying quantities
Angle of Incidence: The angle between an incident ray and the normal reflecting to a surface
Angle of Refraction: The angle between a refracted ray and the normal reflecting to a surface. Lies in a common plane with the angle of incidence
Anneal (Soften): The relief of mechanical stress through application of heat and gradual cooling. The act of softening the metal by means of heat renders it less brittle
Annealed Wire: Wire that has been softened through heating and cooling, eliminating the effects of cold working. Also called soft drawn wire
Annular Conductor: A number of wires stranded in three reversed concentric layers around a saturated hemp core
Annunciator: A signaling device that gives an audible or visual signal (or both) when energized
Anode: Positive pole of an electric source. Opposite - cathode
ANSI: American National Standards Institute. A federation of trade, technical, professional organizations, government agencies, and consumer groups. Coordinates standards development and publishes standards. Operates a voluntary certification program. Used to be called the American Standards Association (ASA)
Antenna Wire: A high tensile strength wire with or without insulation used as an antenna for radio and electronic equipment
Antioxidant: A substance which prevents or slows down oxidation of material exposed to air
Antiozonant: A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction
Appliance Wire and Cable: A classification of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., covering insulated wire and cable intended for internal wiring of appliances and equipment. Each construction satisfies the requirements for use in particular applications
Approx.: Abbreviation for approximate
Aramid (Yarn): A lightweight, strong heat-resistant aromatic polyamide material used in fiber optic strength elements to provide tensile strength, support, and additional protection of fiber bundles
Arc: 1) A radiant glow formed by the flow of electric current through ionized air, gas or vapor between separated electrodes or contacts; 2) A portion of the circumference of a circle
Arc Resistance: Time required for an arc to establish a conductive path in a material
Area of Conductor: The size of the cross section of a conductor measured in circular mils, square inches, etc.
Armature Wire: Stranded annealed copper wire, straight lay, soft loose white cotton braid. Used for low voltage, high current rotor winding motors and generators. Straight lay allows forming in armature slots and compressibility
Armor: A braid of metal or spiral sheet tapes used for mechanical protection and generally places over the outer sheath of a wire
Armored Cable: Cable having a metallic covering for protection against mechanical injury
Aromatic: A ring structure of organic material composed of benzene
Artos Stripper: A machine that will measure to a predetermined length, cut, strip, count, and tie wire in bundles automatically
ASCII: Abbreviation for American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASESA: Abbreviation for Armed Services Electro Standards Agency
ASME: Abbreviation for American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASP: A cable sheath consisting of a corrugated aluminum (A) shield, corrugated steel (S) shield, flooding compound and an outer polyethylene (P) jacket
ASTA: United Kingdom approval agency
ASTM: Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials. An organization that tests materials and attempts to set standards on various materials for industry
Attenuation: A decrease in the magnitude of power in an electrical system between points in a circuit. Generally expressed in decibels (dB) per unit length, usually one thousand (1000) feet, at a specific frequency
Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio (ACR): Difference between attenuation and crosstalk, measured in dB, at a given frequency. An important characteristic in networking transmission to assure that signal sent down a twisted pair is stronger at the receiving end, after being attenuated
Audio Frequency (AF): Frequencies that fall within the range of human hearing (approximately 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Auto Primary Wire: A single or multi-conductor wire used for original equipment or replacement on automotive products. Normally low voltage, resistant to oil, acid, and weather
AWM: A UL designation for Appliance Wiring Material
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B&S Wire Gauge: Brown and Sharpe wire gauge used for describing different sizes of copper conductors. The same as AWG
Backbone: Transmission network that carries information in a fiber optic system. Mainly for indoor applications between floors and areas with different types of cables
Backscattering: The scattering of light in the direction opposite to the original
Backshell Mold: Aluminum mold used to mold form a rubber or Neoprene covering over the backshell of a conductor or plug after it is connected to a cable
Balanced Circuit: A circuit arranged so that the impressed voltages on each conductor of the pair are equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity with respect to ground
Balanced Line: Cable with two identical conductors that carry voltages with opposite polarities and equal magnitudes with respect to ground
Balco: A 70% nickel, 30% iron alloy used in devices where self-regulation by temperature is required
Ballast: Device constructed to stabilize current flow
Balun: A device used to match unbalanced coaxial transmission lines to balanced two-wire systems
Band Marking: A continuous band at regular intervals around the circumference of a conductor’s insulation for the purpose of color coding or circuit identification
Banded Cable: Two or more cables banded together by stainless steel strapping
Bandwidth: The range of frequencies transmitting electrical or optical signals within a device or system, expressed in Hertz (Hz). The greater or higher the bandwidth, the greater the information carrying capacity
Bank Wire: An insulated wire used for the interconnection of selector switches in automatic telephone exchanges
Bare Conductor: A conductor with no insulation or jacket
Barrel-Packed: Method of coiling into a fiber drum for shipment
Baseband: The frequency band occupied by all the transmitted modulating signals
Baseband Signaling: Transmission of a digital or analog signal at its original frequencies, i.e., a signal in its original form, not changed by modulation
Base Price: The price per pound of copper before adders are applied. Adders are used to determine price for drawing the copper into a wire and for tinning or insulating the bare copper
Basic Conductor Load: Assumed for the purposes of design, the limiting conductor-load per unit length
Battery Cable: A single conductor cable, either insulated or uninsulated, used for carrying current from batteries to the point where power is needed. May also be used for grounding
Baud: Unit of measure for data transmission speed representing bits per second
BC: Abbreviation for Bare Copper
2BC: Abbreviation for double Bare Copper shield
BCCS: Abbreviation for Bare Copper-Clad Steel
BCF: Abbreviation for Billion Conductor Feet. A quantity derived by multiplying the number of conductors in a cable by the amount of cable. Usually used to indicate plant capacity or an annual requirement
BC-S: Abbreviation for double shield; 1 Bare Copper, 1 Silver
Beaded Coax: Beads of various materials make up the dielectric in a coaxial cable
Bedding: A layer of material applied to a cable directly below the armoring
Bell Wire: Common term for wire primarily used for making doorbell and thermostat connections
Belt (Belted Type Cable): Refers to the number of layers in insulation on a conductor or number of layers of jacket on a cable
Bend-Intensive Fiber (BIF): Adds a layer of glass around the core of the fiber - a protective type coating - so that if light tries to get out of the core it is reflected back to minimize data loss even if bent beyond the bend radius
Bend Loss: A form of increased attenuation caused by: 1) Having an optical fiber curved around a restrictive radius of curvature, or 2) Microbends caused by minute distortions in the fiber imposed by externally induced forces
Bend Radius: The radius of curvature that one can bend a pipe, tube, sheet, cable or hose without causing harmful effects on the optical or mechanical performance of the cable and without shortening its life
Bending Loss: In a fiber optic system, a form of increased attenuation caused by: 1) Having the fiber curved around a restrictive radius of curvature; or 2) Micro bends caused by minute distortions in the fiber imposed by externally induced disturbances. Excessive bending loss may result from poor drawing or cable manufacturing technique
BerC: Abbreviation for Beryllium-Copper alloy
Bias: 1) Reference level of operation established based on amount of voltage applied to a device; or 2) A high frequency voltage combined with an audio signal to reduce distortion
BICSI: Abbreviation for Building Industry Consulting Service International
Bifilar: Winding together (as one wire) two wires carrying current in opposite directions to make the wire non-conductive
Billion Conductor Feet (BCF): Quantity derived from multiplying the number of conductors in a cable by the amount of cable. Usually used to indicate plant capacity or an annual requirement
Bimetallic Wire: Two different metals joined together (not alloyed) to form a wire. Can include wire with a steel core clad wire or plated or coated wire
Binder: A spirally served tape or thread used for holding assembled cable components in place awaiting subsequent manufacturing operations
Binding Post: Device for clamping or holding electrical conductors in a rigid position
Bit: One binary digit
Bit Rate: Rate at which binary or code information is transmitted over a communication channel. Measured in bits per second
Bit Error Rate (BER): Difference between incoming and outgoing bits transmitted between data equipment
Blasting Wire: Used for denoting explosives. Usually very inexpensively constructed wire.
BLK: Abbreviation for black
Blown Jacket: An applied outer cable covering by controlled inflation of the cured jacket tube them pulling the cable through it
BMS: Abbreviation for Boeing Material Specification
Bond Strength: Total amount of adhesion between bonded surfaces
Bondable Wire: Surface of an insulated wire that has been specially treated to make it possible to adhere to other materials. The etching process roughens the surface of the insulation permitting an interlocking effect with adhesives
Bonded: Application of a metallic shielding tape to the dielectric of coaxial cable
Bonded Cable: Pre-insulated conductors or multi- conductor components laid in parallel and bonded into a flat cable
Bonded Construction: A type of insulation construction in which the glass braid and nylon jacket are bonded together
Bonded Flat Cable: Flat cable made of individually insulated conductors lying parallel and bonded together. Used for applications in electronics, telecommunication, or computers
Bonding: Method used to join two metallic parts forming an electrically conductive path that will assure electrical continuity and the capacity to conduct safely any current likely to be imposed on it
Bonding Conductor: Insulated or uninsulated conductors forming part of the cable assembly which is used for the purpose of connecting non-current carrying parts of electrical equipment to a system grounding conductor
Booster: An amplifier put into a cable for increased signal amplitude to make up for signal loss
Boot: Protective covering over a portion of a cable or conductor in addition to its jacket or insulation
BPF: Abbreviation for Billion Paired Feet
BPS: Abbreviation for Bits per Second
Braid: A group of filaments interwoven into a cylindrical form to be utilized over one or more wires. Usually a fibrous braid is saturated with an impregnant to protect it against moisture and fraying
Braid Angle: Smaller of the two angles formed by the shielding strand and the axis of the cable shield
Braid Carrier: Spool or bobbin on a braiding machine that holds one group of strands or filaments consisting of a certain number of ends. The carrier revolved during braiding operations
Braid Coverage: The total amount that the braided filaments shield the inner dielectric.
Braid Ends: Number of strands used to make up one carrier. Strands wound side by side on the carrier bobbin and lie parallel in the finished braid
Braided Wire: Bare or tinned copper wire woven together and used as shielding for wires, cables, and ground wire for batteries or heavy industrial equipment. Many different types of construction
Braiding Machine: Machine used to apply braids to wire and cable and to produce braided sleeving and braids for tying and lacing purposes. Identified by the number of carriers
Brake Wire: Supply current to the electrical brakes on both home and truck trailers
Brazing: Joining the end of two wires, rods, or groups of wires with a non-ferrous filler material at temperatures above 427° C (800° F)
Breakdown (Puncture): 1) Disruptive discharge through the insulation of a wire; or 2) Failure of an insulation resulting in a flow of current through the insulation. May be caused by the application of too high a voltage or defects or decay in the insulation
Breakdown Voltage: The voltage at which the insulation between two conductors is ruined
Breaking Strength: Maximum load a conductor can withstand when tested in tension to rupture. Usually expressed in pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kgs)
Breakout: The point at which a conductor or conductors are removed from a multi-conductor cable to complete circuits at other points along the main cable
Breakout Cable: Multi-fiber cable constructed in the tight buffered design with individually jacketed fibers. Designed for ease of connectorization and rugged application for intra- and inter-building requirements
Bridge: Device used to expand a local area network by forwarding frames between data link layers
Bridged Tap: Multiple appearances of the same cable pair at several distribution points
British Standard Wire Gauge: A modification of the Birmingham Wire Gauge and the legal standard of Great Britain for all wires. Also known as Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), New British Standard (NBS), English Legal Standard and Imperial Wire Guide
Broadband: Frequency band that extends over a relatively large range
Buffer (Tube): Metallic or nonmetallic tube used to protect optical fibers from physical damage, providing mechanical isolation and/or protection
Buffing Stripper: Motorized device for removing flat cable insulation by means of buffing wheels that melt the insulation and brush it away from the conductors. Also called Abrasion Stripper
Building Entrance Area: The space in which the joining of inter- or intra-building telecommunications backbone facilities takes place. May also serve as an equipment room
Building Wire: Commercial wires used in building trades. Generally used for light and power, 600V or loss, usually not exposed to outdoor environment. Types include RR, RH, RL, TW, THW, and THHN wires
Buna Rubber: A synthetic rubber used as a replacement for natural rubber
Bunch Stranding: A group of conductors twisted together with the same lay and direction without a predetermined pattern
Buncher: A machine that twists wires together in a random arrangement
Bundle: Several individual fibers within a single jacket or buffer tube. Also, a group of buffered fibers distinguished in some fashion from another group in the same cable core
Buried: Cables that are required to go underground without use of underground conduit
Buried Distribution and Service Wires: Telephone wires which are designed to provide buried service extensions from distribution cables to the subscriber’s protector
Bus (Bus Bar): Uninsulated, tinned copper wire used as a common lead wire
Butt: The joining of two conductors end-to-end, with no overlap and with the axes in line
Butt Braider: A machine used for braiding or shielding cable or wire. Operate on the maypole type principal. May be 8, 16, 24, 32, 48, or 64 carriers
Butt Splice: A splice where two wires from opposite ends butt up against each other, or against a stop, in the center of a splice
Butt Wrap: Tape wrapped around an object or conductor in an edge-to-edge condition
Butyl: Used for various synthetic rubbers made by polymerizing isobutylene
Butyl Rubber: A synthetic rubber with good insulating properties
BX: A very common type of armored building wire in various configurations, rated at 600 volts
Byte: A group of eight binary digits
C
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c: Abbreviation for centimeter. Also abbreviated cm
C: Abbreviation for Capacitance (electrical) or Celsius (temperature)
Cable: 1) A combination of conductors insulated from one another; 2) A small number of large conductors or large number of small conductors, grouped together, and usually color coded with a protective jacket overall; 3) A single conductor larger than 9 AWG
Cable Assembly: A length of cable that has plugs or connectors on one or both ends for a specific purpose. May be formed in various configurations
Cable Attenuation: Loss or reduction in signal strength, expressed in decibels (dBs). A naturally occurring effect when transmitting signals over distance
Cable Bend Radius: The radius that a fiber can be bent before risking increased attenuation or fiber breaks
Cable Clamp: Device used to support the wire bundle or cable at the rear of a plug or receptacle to allow the attachment of a cable clamp
Cable Clamp Adapter: Mechanical adapter that attaches to the rear of a plug or receptacle to allow the attachment of a cable clamp
Cable Core: Portion of an insulated cable lying under the protective covering or jacket
Cable Core Binder: Wrapping of tapes or cords around the conductors of a multiple-conductor cable used to hold them together
Cable Filler: Material used in multi-conductor cables to occupy spaces formed by the assembly of components thus forming a core of the desired shape (normally cylindrical)
Cable-in-Duct: Flexible conduit is extruded over electrical cables forming a single pre-assembled unit for direct burial
Cable Rack: Vertical or horizontal open support that is attached to a ceiling or wall. Usually made of aluminum or steel
Cable Sheath: A covering of rubber, Neoprene, resin, or lead over a wire or cable core
Cable Tray: A ladder, trough, solid-bottom, or channel raceway intended for the support of telecommunications media
Cable Vulcanizer: Compression molding machine used to repair cable jacketing that has had a part removed for splicing, for adding connectors or other devices, or for replacing damaged sections
Cable, Star Quad: Multi-core radio or television relay cable in which the conductors are arranged in quads and each quad consists of four conductors twisted together, the diagonally opposite conductors constituting a pair circuit. Also known as spiral four cable
Cabling: 1) A combination of all cables, wires, cords and connecting hardware; 2) Twisting together two or more insulated conductors to form a cable
Cabling Factor: Used in the formula for calculating the diameter of an unshielded, unjacketed cable. D = Kd, where D is the diameter, K is the factor, and d is the diameter of one insulated conductor. A separate constant is used based on the number of conductors used
CAD/CAM: Abbreviations for Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing
CAD BR: Abbreviation for Cadmium Bronze
Cadmium: A bluish-white malleable ductile toxic bivalent metallic element used in protective platings and in bearing metals
Caged Armor: Armor wires within a polyethylene jacket to increase mechanical protection and tensile strength. Often used in submarine cables
Campus: The building and grounds of a complex (i.e. a university, college, industrial park, or military establishment)
Canadian Electrical Code (CEC): Canada’s version of the US National Electrical Code
Capacitance: Storage of electrically separated charges between two plates having dissimilar potentials. Value depends largely on the surface area of the plates, distance between them, and the composition of the medium between the plates. Usually Expressed in Farads (f)
Capacitance, Direct: Capacitance measured directly from conductor to conductor through a single layer including shield, short circuited to ground
Capacitance, Mutual: Capacitance between two conductors, including shield, short-circuited to ground
Capacitance, Unbalanced: An inequality of capacitance between the wires of two or more pairs which results in a transfer of unwanted signal from one pair to others
Capacitance, Unbalanced to Ground: An inequality of capacitance between the ground capacitance of the conductors of a pair which results in a pick-up of external source energy, usually from power transmission lines
Capacitive Coupling: Electrical interaction between two conductors caused by the capacitance between them
Capacitive Reactance (Xc): The opposition to alternating current due to the capacitance of the cable or circuit. Measured in Ohms
Capacitor: Two individual conducting surfaces separated by a dielectric material
Cat3: Typically used with voice and low speed networks, having a maximum frequency range of 16MHz
Cat5: Used for networks and multi-line phone systems, having a maximum frequency of 100MHz and can transmit up to 10/100 Mbps
Cat5e: Used for networks and multi-line phone systems, having a maximum frequency range of 100MHz and can transmit up to 10/100/1000 Mbps. Current standard for installing networks
Cat6: Used for networks and multi-line phone systems, having an maximum frequency of 250MHz and can transmit up to 10/100/1000 Mbps
Cat6a: Used for networks, having a maximum frequency of 500 MHz and can transmit up to 10/100/1000 Mbps and 10Gbps
Category: Rating of a local area network (LAN) cable to designate the level of electrical performance
Category 1: A UL designation for inside television cable for voice
Category 2: A UL designation for inside television cable for voice
Category 3: A UL designation for inside television cable that is the lowest performance level recommended for voice
Category 4: A UL designation for inside cable for Data Grade UTP
Category 5E: A UL designation for inside data cable that is the lowest performance level recommended to enhanced 350MHz data cable
Category 6: A UL designation for inside data cable that is the highest performance data cable
Cathode: Negative pole of an electric source
CATV: Community Antenna Television
CBO: Abbreviation for Brewery cord, Neoprene insulated
CCA: Abbreviation for Copper-Clad Aluminum
CCITT: Abbreviation for Consultative Committee of International Telegraph and Telephone
CCTV: Abbreviation for Closed-Circuit Television
CDDI: Abbreviation for Cable Distributed Data Interface
CE: European Economic Community approval that shows a product complies with a European directive
CE Code, CEC: Canadian Electrical Code
CEBEC: Belgium approval agency; Comite Electrotechnique Belge Service de la Marque
CEE: European standards agency; International Commission of Rule for the Approval of Electrical Equipment
Cellular Plastics: Expanded or foam consisting of individual closed cells of inert gas suspended in a plastic medium, resulting in a desirable reduction of the dielectric constant
Cellular Polyethylene: Expanded or foam polyethylene consisting of individual closed cells suspended in a polyethylene medium
Celsius Temperature Scale: Metric temperature scale based upon the freezing point of water defined as 0 degrees and the boiling point defined as 100 degrees.
CENELEC: 1) European Economic Community Committee for Standardization of technical requirements; 2) European standards agency, European Committee for Electrotechnical Norms
Center Conductor: The wire in the middle of the coaxial cable, the diameter of which is based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG), a standard system
Centi: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-hundredth (102) of that unit
Central Member: Material located in the middle of a cable that provides extra strength and anti-buckling properties
Central Office: The place where communications common carrier terminate customer lines and locate switching equipment that interconnects those lines
Central Patching: The patching done at the core of a structured cabling system. Simplifies equipment moves, adds and changes
Certificate of Compliance/Conformance (C of C): A certificate made by a Quality Control Department that shows the product being shipped meets appropriate specifications
Certified Test Reports (CTR): Report providing actual test data on a cable. Tests are normally run by a quality control department which show that the product being shipped conforms to test specifications
CF: The designation for cotton fixture wire. Cotton insulated, impregnated with moisture resisting, flame-retarding compounds. It is used in lighting fixtures up to 90° C
CF Glass: Continuous filament glass yarn which is used in braiding, in making glass fabric, and glass thread
CFT: The abbreviation for 100 feet
Changing Current: The current produced when a DC voltage is first applied to conductors of an unterminated cable, caused by the capacitive reactance of the cable, and decreases exponentially with time
Characteristic Impedance: 1) The impedance that, when connected to the output terminals of a transmission line of any length, makes the line appear infinitely long; 2) The ratio of an applied voltage and current at every point along the transmission line on which there are no standing waves
Charge: Quantity of electricity held statically in a condenser or on an insulated conductor
Chemically Cured Compound: Those compounds which are cured by a chemical process rather than by heat and pressure
Chloroprene: A colorless liquid C4H5Cl. abbreviated as chloro
Chlorinated Polyurethane (CPE): 1) A synthetic rubber jacketing compound; 2) A polymerized ethylene resin that has been treated or combined with chlorine or a chlorine compound
Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene: Synthetic rubber jacketing compound manufactured by DuPont. Resistant to oxidation by ozone, sun, weather, heat, and chemicals, rated 90° C. Abbreviated CP or CSPE
Chromatic Dispersion: The spreading of a light pulse by the difference in refractive indices at different lengths. Expressed in picoseconds (of dispersion) per kilometer (of length) per nanometer (of source bandwidth)
Chromel-Alumel: Alloy used in making Chromel-Alumel thermocouple wires. Chromel is an alloy of nickel and chrome plus nine other elements. Alumel is an alloy containing nickel, manganese, aluminum, silicon, and nine other elements. Chromel is nonmagnetic; Alumel is highly magnetic
Chromium: A blue-white metallic element found naturally only in combination and used in alloys and in electroplating
Cigarette Wrap: Tape insulation wrapped longitudinally instead of spirally over a conductor
Circuit: A system assembled to pass an electric current in its entirety. An open circuit is when the continuity is broken. A circuit in which continuity is maintained is called a closed circuit
Circuit Sizes: Popular term for building wires sizes 14 AWG through 10 AWG
Circular Mil: Term used to define the cross sectional area of conductors. Equal to the area of a circle one-thousandth (10-3) of an inch in diameter. As the number of circular mils increases, the size of a wire increases. Abbreviated CM
Circular Mil Area (CMA): The square of a conductor diameter in mils, of thousandths of an inch
CL2: Abbreviation for Class 2 cable. General use applications within a building under NEC Article 725. Meets a 70,000 BTU flame test
CL2P: Abbreviation for Class 2 plenum cable. Suitable for use in plenums in accordance with NEC Article 725. Meets the requirements of the UL 910, the Steiner Tunnel Test which classifies fire and smoke characteristics
CL2R: Abbreviation for Class 2 riser cable. Suitable for use in riser shafts in accordance with NEC Article 725. Meets the requirements of the UL 1666 flame test
CL2X: Abbreviation for Class 2 limited used cable. Suitable for restricted applications (less than 0.25” in diameter in reticence, exposed lengths less than 10 ft.) or else in raceways under NEC Article 725. Meet a VW-1 flame test
CL3: Abbreviation for Class 3 cable
CL3P: Abbreviation for Class 3 plenum cable
CL3R: Abbreviation for Class 3 riser cable
CL3X: Abbreviation for Class 3 limited use cable
Cladding: 1) The layer of material, usually glass that immediately surrounds the fiber core of fiber optic cable. Usually coated with another material to provide protection when handling; 2) Method of applying a layer of metal over another metal where the intersection of the two metals is continuously welded
Clamping Voltage: The maximum amount of voltage that can pass through a surge protector or electrical breaker before it restricts further voltages from passing to a device or computer. A process in which a device or equipment is protected from electrical surges. The lower the rating, the better the protection
Cleaving: The process of separating an optical fiber by a controlled break of the glass to create a perfectly flat end face that is smooth and perpendicular to the fiber axis. A good cleave is required for a successful splice of an optical fiber, whether by fusion or mechanical means
Closed End Splice: Insulated splice in which two or more wires overlap and enter the splice from the same end of the barrel
Closet, Telecommunications: Enclosed space for housing telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and cross-connect tubing. The recognized location of cross connect between the backbone and horizontal facilities
CM: 1) Abbreviation for Communication general purpose cable. Used within buildings under NEC Article 800. Meets the requirements of the 70,000 BTU flame test; 2) Abbreviation for Circular Mil
CMP: Abbreviation for Communication Plenum cable
CMR: Abbreviation for Communication Riser cable
CMX: Abbreviation for limited use Communication cable
Coating: Material applied to the surface of a conductor to prevent environmental deterioration, facilitate soldering, or improve electrical performance
Coated Wire: Wire covered by a relatively thin coating of a metal by a dip bath and wipe process
Coaxial: Contains a center core conductor with a second conductor wrapped around it. Second conductor can be made from different types of braided conductors (typically gold, copper, and aluminum) or a metal foil. Outer wire is typically the ground; cable made of two cylindrical conductors with a common axis separated by a dielectric
Coaxial Adapter: Device used to join connectors of unlike types or the same gender
Coaxial Connector: A connector that has a coaxial construction and is used with coaxial cable
Coherent Source: Light source which emits a very narrow, unidirectional beam of light of one wavelength (monochromatic)
Coil: A conductor wound on a form or core which uses electromagnetic induction to cause changes in a current
Coil Effect: Inductive effect exhibited by a spiral-wrapped shield, especially above audio frequencies
Cold Bend: A test to measure a cable’s characteristics at low temperatures. A sample of wire or cable is wrapped around a mandrel and cooled in a low temperature box to a specified temperature at a given rate of speed and examined for defects
Cold Flow: Deformation of the insulation due to mechanical force or pressure (not due to heat softening)
Cold Joint: A soldered joint made with insufficient heat
Cold Work: Hardening and embrittlement of a metal by repeated flexing actions
Color Code: Used for the identification of individual components of cables, can be solid colors, tracers, braids, surface printing, etc.
Commercial Building: Building or portion thereof that is intended for office use
Common Axis Cabling: A twisting of all conductors around a common axis in multiple cable constructions with two conductor groups then selected as pairs. This method yields smaller diameter constructions than does a separate axis construction, but tends to yield greater susceptible to EMI and ESI
Common Carrier: An organization that provides regulated telephone, telegraph, telex and data communication systems such as the Bell or General Telephone Systems
Common Mode: Noise caused by a difference in ground potential. By grounding at either end rather than both ends (usually grounded at the source), one can reduce this interference
Community TV Cable: Coaxial cables that are used to transmit television signals from a master antenna to a group of receivers in a community. Primary Lead-in: RG17/U, Secondary Lead-in: RG-11/U, Tap-Off Lead-In: RG 59/U
Compact Conductor: Stranded conductor rolled to deform the round wires to fill the normal interstices between the wires in a strand
Composite Cable: Cables having conductors with two or more AWG sizes or more than one cable type
Composite (Clad) Wire: A core of one metal with a fused outer shell of different metals
Composite Conductor: Two or more strands of different metals assembled and operated in parallel
Compound: Insulating or jacketing material made by the chemical union of two or more ingredients
Compression Cable: Pipe type cable in which the pressure medium is separated from the insulation by a membrane or sheath
Concentric: Central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically wound strands in a fixed round geometric arrangement
Concentric Lay Conductor: Single conductor composed of a central core surrounded by one or more helically laid wires. Each following layer is applied with an opposite direction twist. There are six wires in the center, and each succeeding layer consists of six additional wires so that the number of wires in the strands are 7, 19, 37, 61, etc.
Concentric Strand: A strand that consists of central wire or core surrounded by one or more layers of spirally laid wires
Concentric Stranding: A central wire or core surrounded by one or more layers of helically wound uninsulated strands in a fixed round geometric arrangement.
Concentricity: Measurement of the location of the center of the conductor in a wire with respect to the geometric center of the surrounding insulation
Conductance: The measure of the ability of a substance to conduct electricity. The ratio of the current flow to the potential difference causing the flow. The real part of the admittance, Y, which is given by: Y = G + Bi where B is the susceptance and i = -1. For a direct current circuit, the conductance is the reciprocal of resistance and is measured in ohms. For a circuit containing both resistance, R, and reactance, X, the conductance is given by: G = R / (R2+X2)
Conductivity: The ability of a material to transmit electrical current, usually expressed as a percentage of copper conductivity (copper being 100%). The reciprocal of resistivity
Conductor: Material that transports electricity energy. When a potential difference is applied across it, a relatively large current flows. A conductor usually consists of copper, aluminum, steel, silver, or other materials. Abbreviated as cond.
Conductor Shield: An extrusion of black semi-conducting thermoses material over the conductor to provide a smooth interface with the insulation for even distribution of electrical stress
Conduit: Tubing, constructed of metal or plastic, through which wire and cables can be pulled or housed
Connectors: Device that physically and electrically connects two or more conductors, allowing electrical flow from one wire or cable to a device on another cable
Connector Return Loss: Amount of power reflected from the connector to connector interface. Usually expressed in decibels
Conservation of Energy Principle: A principle in physics; the total energy of an isolated system remains constant irrespective of whatever internal change may take place with energy disappearing in one for and reappearing in another
Const: Abbreviation for Construction
Constantan: An alloy (55% copper, 45% nickel) used in thermocouple wires in the temperature range of 169° C to 386° C. (Temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is 0.0002/° C)
Cont.: Abbreviation for Continued
Contact: The part of the conductor that actually carries the electrical current and that touch the equivalent parts in the mating connector that control flow when touched together or separated
Contact Inspection Hole: A hole in the cylindrical rear portion of the contact used to check the depth to which a wire has been inserted
Contact Size: Largest size wire which can be used to check the depth to which a wire has been inserted
Continuity Check: A test to determine if the electrical current flows continuously through the length of a finished wire or cable. Individual conductors may also be checked against each other to ensure that no shorts exist between conductors
Continuous Duty: Two standard number of strands of a given wire size for some portable cords are sometimes give, the one with the greater number (most flexible) is called continuous duty and the other is called stationary duty
Continuous Vulcanization: Simultaneous extrusion and vulcanization of rubber-like (thermoset) coating materials. Abbreviated as cv
Contra Helical: Spiral cabling in the opposite direction than the preceding layer within a wire or cable
Control Cable: A multi-conductor cable constructed for operation in control or signal circuits; used for remote control operation of any type of electrical power equipment
Controlled Impedance Cable: Two or more insulated conductors where impedance measurements between respective conductors are kept essentially constant throughout the entire length
Copolene: A dielectric material used in manufacturing coaxial cable. It is composed of polystyrene and polyisobutylene and was developed as a substitute for polystyrene. It has since been replaced by polyethylene since it has undesirable characteristics. Abbreviated as copo
Copolymer: A compound resulting from the polymerization of two different monomers
Copper: Most widely used electrical conductor in wires and cables. Some of the common types of electrical coppers and copper alloys are: 1) Electrolytic tough pitch copper (ETPC) has a minimum copper content of 99.9%. Annealed conductivity averages 101% with a 100% minimum. Commonly used for wire and bus bars; 2) Silver bearing copper with a 99.9% copper content provides nearly the same electrical conductivity as the ETP copper but offers a higher softening point, greater resistance to creep and higher strength at elevated temperatures; 3) Oxygen-free high conductivity copper (OFHC) has 99.5% minimum copper content with an average annealed conductivity of 101%
Copper-Clad: Steel wire with a coating of copper welded to it before drawing as opposed to copper plated. Abbreviated as CCS, synonymous with Copperweld
Copper-Covered Steel Wire: A wire having a steel core and an outer covering of copper
Copper Constantan: Two materials used in making thermocouple wires. Copper is the positive wire, constantan is the negative wire
Copperweld: Trade name for copper covered steel wire manufactured by Copperweld Steel Company. Made by an exclusive molten welding process by which a thick copper covering is inseparably welded to a steel core. Hot rolling, cold drawing, pounding, or temperature changes cannot adversely affect it. Abbreviated a cw
Cord: A small, flexible insulated conductor(s), usually 10 AWG or smaller, and not more than four conductors; jacketed to protect the conductors, and most often used for portable applications; constructed to withstand mechanical abuse
Cord, Telecommunications: A cable using stranded conductors for flexibility as in distribution cords or line cords. Line cords can also use tinsel conductors
Cord Sets: Portable cords fitted with any type of wiring device at one or both ends
Core: 1) A component or assembly of components in cables over which additional components (shield, sheath, etc.) are applied; 2) The central part of the glass construction through which light is transmitted in fiber optic cable
Core Eccentricity: Measure of the displacement of the center of the core relative to the cladding center
Core Ellipticity: Measure of the non-roundness of the core
Corona: A discharge due to the ionization of the air surrounding a conductor due to the potential gradient at the surface exceeding a certain critical value
Corona Resistance: The time that the insulation will withstand a specified level of field-intensified ionization that does not result in the immediate complete breakdown of the insulation
Corp of Engineers: Branch of the United States Army in charge of construction on all military installations
Corrosion: The process or result of deterioration of a material by chemical reaction
Counterpoise: Soft drawn bare copper buried around the perimeter of a structure for grounding purposes. Usually running parallel to the overhead lines along the right-of-way when grounding electrical transmission towers; a factor, force, or influence that balances or neutralizes another
Coupling: Transfer of energy between cables of a circuit with no direct electrical contact
Coupling Efficiency: Efficiency of optical power transfer between two components
Coupling Loss: Loss of signal due to small differences in numerical aperture, core diameter, core concentricity, and tolerances in splicing connectors when two fibers are aligned. Also known as splicing loss and transfer loss
Coupling Ring: A device used on cylindrical connectors to lock plug and receptacle together
Coverage: Calculated percentage of completeness with which a metal braid covers the underlying surface. The higher the percentage of coverage, the greater the protection against external interference
Coverings: Textile braid or jacket of rubber, plastics, or other materials applied over wire or cable to provide mechanical protection, and in some cases, circuit identification
CP: Abbreviation for Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene. Also abbreviated as CSPE
CPC: Abbreviation for Copper Polyester Copper laminate
CPE: Abbreviation for Chlorinated Polyethylene, a conductive polyethylene. Can be used as a thermoplastic or thermoset. Tough chemical and oil resistant material and makes an excellent jacket for industrial control cable. As a thermoset, it can be used as an oil-resistant cord jacket
CPVC: Abbreviation for Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride
CR: Abbreviation for Chloroprene Rubber
CRAC: Abbreviation for Computer Room Air Conditioner/ Conditioning
Crazing: The minute cracks on the surface of plastic materials
CRCS: Abbreviation for Continuous Rigid Cable Support, synonymous with tray
Creep: The dimensional change with time of a material under load
Creepage: The conduction of electricity across the surface of a dielectric
Creepage Path: The path across the surface of a dielectric between two conductors
Creepage Surface: An insulating surface which provides physical separation as a form of insulation between two electrical conductors of difference potential
Crimp: The act of compressing a connector barrel around a cable in order to make an electrical connection
Crimp Termination: Connection in which a metal sleeve is secured to a conductor by mechanically crimping the sleeve with pliers, presses or automated crimping machines
Critical Angle: Smallest angle at which a meridional ray may be totally reflected within a fiber at the core-cladding interface
Cross-Connect: A facility enabling termination of cable elements and their interconnection, and/or cross-connection, primarily by means of a patch cord or jumper
Cross-Linked: Intermolecular bonds between long chain thermoplastic polymers by means of chemical or electron bombardment. Properties of resulting thermo-setting material are usually improved
Cross Sectional Area of a Conductor: The sum of cross sectional areas of the individual wires comprising the strand cut at right angles to the length of the object
Cross Talk: Undesired signal interference due to cross coupling between nearby conductors, producing an unwanted signal in one circuit when a signal is present in the other. Usually due to induction
CRT: Abbreviation for Cathode Ray Tube; common terminology for a video display terminal. Also referred to as VDU or VDT
CS-95: Phelps Dodge High Performance Conductors trade name for extra high strength copper alloy
CSA: Abbreviation for Canadian Standards Association, Canadian counterpart of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in the US. A nonprofit independent organization that operates a listing service for electrical and electronic materials and equipment
C-SJ: Same as SJ except extra-flexible conductor
C-SJO: Same as SJO except extra-flexible conductor
CSPE: Insulation and jacketing compound based on Chlorosulfonated polyethylene
Cubic Capacity: Most important commercial measurement when the cargo is so lightweight that the ship is filled to capacity without being loaded to the load line (freeboard). Capacity is measured in cubic meters or cubic feet
Cure: To change the physical properties of a material by chemical reaction, but the action of heat and catalysts, alone or in combination, with or without pressure
Cure Date: 1) The date at which the curing cycle is completed on Neoprene or rubber; 2) The date of manufacture
Curing Cycle: The time, temperature, and pressure required for curing
Curl: The degree to which a wire tends to form a circle after removal from a spool. An indication of the ability of the wire to be wrapped around posts in long runs
Current: The rate of flow of electricity. Usually measured in amperes. Symbol I.
Current Carrying Capacity: The maximum current an insulated conductor can continuously carry safely without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations. Also called ampacity
Current Penetration: The depth a current of a given frequency will penetrate into the surface of a conductor carrying the current
Customer Premises: Building(s) with grounds and appurtenances (belongings) under the control of the customer
Cut-Through Resistance: Ability of a material to withstand the application of blades or sharp edges without being cut under conditions of pressure, temperature, etc.
Cutoff Wavelength: The wavelength at which a single mode fiber transmits a single-mode of light
Cycle: The complete sequence of alteration or reversal of the flow of an alternating electric current
Cycle Life: Number of repetitive flex motions a wire will withstand prior to breakdown
D E F
D
dB Loss: Loss of signal over a path or conductor, expressed in decibels
DB15: A gender specific connector (Male / Female) with 15 pins used for connecting to Mac Monitors or PC joysticks. When ordering or connecting to any DB connector, make sure you have the correct gender on the cable
DB25: A 25 pin connection used on most desktop computers to connect serial or parallel ports together
DB9: A 9 pin serial connection common on most laptop and desktop computers, as well as token ring connections. DB connectors are gender specific (Male / Female), so when ordering or connecting any DB connector, make sure you have the correct gender on the cable
DCE: Abbreviation for Data Communication Equipment such as a modem
DCR: Abbreviation for Direct Current Resistance. The resistance offered by any circuit to the flow of direct current
Deadweight: Largest weight of cargo, bunkers and stores a ship is able to carry. Expressed in metric tons (1000 kg) or long tons (1016 kg). Most important commercial measurement. Maximum payload for a ship is typically three to ten percent lower than the deadweight, due to the weight of bunkers and stores, etc
DEC: Abbreviation for Digital Equipment Corporation
Deca: A prefix to a unit, denoting a multiple of ten (10) of that unit
Deci: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-tenth (10-1) of that unit
Decibel (dB): Unit used to express ratios of sound or signal power, defined by the following formula where n is the number of decibels. n = 10log10(P2/P1) where P1 and P2 are the power levels. Since decibels represent a ratio, it is necessary to establish a reference level in order to indicate an absolute level. For sound, the reference level is a pressure of 0.0002 microbar
Degree Rise: Amount of increase in temperature caused by the introduction of electricity into a unit
Delay Line: A cable made of specific material in a specific size and length to provide very low velocity of propagation for a predetermined specific length of time. Delay is measured in microseconds or nanoseconds
Demarcation Point: Point where the operational control or ownership changes
DEMKO: Approval agency of Denmark
Demultiplexing: Separating once combined signals back into original individual signals for processing
Denier: Textile industry terms for sizing yarns. Defined as the weight in grams of 9,000 yards of yarn
Density: The distribution of a quantity per unit, usually of space (mass, electricity, energy)
Depth of Crimp: Measured between opposite points on the crimped surface, the thickness of the crimped portion of a connector
Derating Factor: Factor used to reduce the current carrying capacity of a wire when used in environments other than that for which the value was established
Desiccant: Material used to prevent moisture from damaging packaged equipment or other merchandise. Water or moisture absorbent
Design Voltage: Voltage at which a cable is designed for maximum work
Detecta-Duct: Traffic signal inductance loop detector wire
Detector: Device that picks up light from fiber and converts the information into an electrical signal
Device, as related to Protection: Items such as a protector, protector mount, protector unit or protectomodule
Device, as related to Workstation: Items such as a telephone, personal computer, or graphic or video terminal
Dia: Abbreviation for Diameter
Dielectric: Insulating or non-conducting material that has the property of transmitting electric force across itself
Dielectric Absorption: The property of an imperfect dielectric through which there is an accumulation of electric charge within the body of the material when it is placed in an electric field
Dielectric Breakdown: A modification in the properties of a dielectric that makes it become conductive
Dielectric Constant: Factor by which the electric field strength in a vacuum exceeds that in the dielectric for the same distribution of charge. Symbol K. The K for air is 1.0
Dielectric Loss: The power dissipated in a dielectric that results from the friction created by molecular motion when an alternating electric field is applied
Dielectric Strength: The voltage that insulation will withstand before breaking down; the voltage stress required to puncture an insulation of known thickness. Usually expressed as a voltage gradient, such as volts per mil
Dielectric Test: Under normal conditions, a test in which a voltage higher than the rated voltage is applied for a specified time to determine the sufficiency of the insulation
Diffraction: The phenomenon in which when light passes by an opaque edge or through an opening, generating weaker secondary wavefronts. Secondary wavefronts interfere with the primary wavefronts as well as with each other to form various patterns
Digital: Of or relating to calculation by discrete characters, numerical methods, or separate physical levels to contain information
Digital Signal: Signal in which the data is represented by a series of discrete steps or pulses
Diode: An electronic device with only two electrodes. Voltage characteristics determine the application of several different types. Most commonly used as rectifiers
Dip Coating: Insulating coating applied to the conductor by passing the conductor through an applicator containing a liquid insulating medium
Direct Burial Cable: Cable installed directly in the earth
Direct Current (DC): A current that flows in one direction. Abbreviated as DC or dc. Batteries are an example of DC current production
Direct Current Resistance: Resistance offered by any circuit to the flow of direct current
Direction of Lay: Lateral direction in which the strands of a cable run over the top of the cable as they retreat from you looking along the axis of the cable
Discrete Wiring: Wire or wires having distinct identity and purpose
Dispersion: Spread of the signal delay in an optical waveguide consisting of various components such as modal dispersion, material dispersion, and waveguide dispersion. As a result of the dispersion, an optical waveguide acts as a low-pass filter for the transmitted signal
Disruptive Discharge: A large increase in current through an insulation medium suddenly due to the complete failure of the medium under the electrostatic stress
Dissipation Factor: The target of the loss angle of the insulating material
Distributed Conductor: Receives energy generated by the field of another conductor or an external source such as a transformer
Distribution Cable: The transmission cable between the distribution amplifier and the drop wire in telecommunications and CATV systems
Distribution Frame: A structure with terminations for connecting the permanent cabling of a facility in such a manner that interconnection or cross-connections may be readily made
DMUX: Abbreviation for Demultiplex
DOD: Abbreviation for the US Department of Defense
Double Foot: Combined length of one linear foot of paired materials; i.e. one double foot if equal to one foot of positive
Double Shield: Two shields, one over the other, used to improve shield effectiveness. Maximum coverage is 98%
DP: Abbreviation for Data Processing
Drain Wire: The uninsulated wire in a cable that is in close contact with a shield to provide for easier termination of such a shield to ground. Completely necessary on spiral shielded cables because it eliminates the possibility of induction in a spiral shield
Draw Feed Stock: Rod or wire that is drawn to a smaller size
Drawing: The process of pulling metal through a die or series of dies to reduce the diameter to a specific size
Drop Cable: Transmission cable in a CATV system from the distribution cable to a dwelling
Drop Ceiling: An area or space between the ceiling material and the structure above it
Drop Wire: One insulated telephone pair in a telephone cable used to connect a building to open wire lines on poles
DRT: Plastic range and dryer cord (CSA)
DTE: Abbreviation for Data Terminal Equipment (such as VDTs or printers)
Dual Coaxial Cable: A pair of individually insulated conductors laid in parallel or twisted and placed within an overall shield or sheath
Duct: 1) An underground or overhead tube for carrying electrical conductors; 2) A single enclosed raceway for wires or cables; 3) An enclosure in which air is moved. Typically part of the HVAC system in a building
Ductile: The ability of a material to be drawn out or hammered thing, or of being flexed or bent without failure
Duplex: Defines the direction of the transmission in two conductors that are twisted together, usually with no outer covering. Duplex transmissions are bi-directional. A half duplex is the ability to transmit in only one direction at a time, while in a full duplex you can send and receive information at the same time
Duplex Cable: 1) Two insulated single conductor cables twisted together; 2) Two fibers, typically 62.5/125mm Multimode, placed in parallel under a thermoplastic sheath
Duplex Insulated: The combination of dissimilar metal conductors of a thermocouple wire
Duplex Parallel: Two parallel conductors of dissimilar metals insulated in parallel without being twisted and jacketed. Commonly applied to thermocouple grades and extension wires
Durometer: An instrument for testing the hardness of various plastics and rubber. For most flexible plastics, the A or D scale is used
E
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E: Symbol for voltage. Used to represent direct voltage or the effective (root-mean-square) value of an alternating current
Earth Fault: Occurs when a conductor is accidentally connected to earth or when the resistance to earth of an insulator falls below a specific value
Earth Potential: Potential of a large conducting body taken to be the arbitrary zero in the scale of electrical potential
Eccentricity: A measure of the center of a conductor’s location with respect to the circular cross section of the insulation, similar to concentricity. Expressed as a percentage of displacement of one circle within the other
ECM: Abbreviation for Electronic Counter Machine. Equipment used to prevent or induce jamming of electronic equipment, missile systems, radar, radio, and other devices
EDA: Abbreviation for Equipment Distribution Area. Spaces in which you will find cabinets and racks that house equipment such as servers, storage devices, mainframes, tape drives, etc. Patch panels terminate horizontal cabling in these spaces
Eddy Current: Circulating currents induced in conducting materials by varying magnetic fields
EEA: Abbreviation for the Ethylene-Ethyl Acrylate copolymer
EEMAC: Abbreviation for Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association of Canada (US Counterpart is NEMA)
EFTS: Abbreviation for Electronics Funds Transfer System
EHF: Abbreviation for Extremely High Frequency
EIA: Abbreviation for Electronics Industries Association. A standards organization that defines standards for telecommunications cabling systems. Formerly known as RETMA (Radio Electronics Television Manufacturers Association)
Elastomer: A rubber like material that will return rapidly and with force to its original dimensions after be stretched repeatedly to 200 percent or more
Electrical Duct: Electrical raceways or conduit round in cross section that is approved or listed for use underground and is embedded into the earth or concrete
Electrode: Current entering or leaving a conductor through a nonmetallic conductor
Electrolysis: Chemical changes by passage of current through an electrolyte
Electrolytic Tough Pitch: Method of raw copper preparation to ensure good physical and electrical grade copper finished products containing less than 1010 of 1% impurities
Electromagnetic: The combined electric and magnetic fields associated with movements of electrons through conductors
Electromagnetic Coupling: The transfer of energy by means of a varying magnetic field
Electromagnetic Field: Rapidly moving electric and magnetic fields that are associated
Electromagnetic Induction: Producing a voltage in a coil due to a change in the number of magnetic lines of force passing through the coil
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): A disturbance in an electrical circuit caused by external electromagnetic induction. The negative effect on the signal is determined by the strength and proximity of the magnetic fields
Electromotive Force (EMF): Pressure or voltage. The force which causes current to flow in a circuit. The algebraic sum of the potential differences in a circuit. Strictly applies to a source of electrical energy but is sometimes misused as being equivalent to potential difference. Symbol E.
Electronic Wire and Cable: Conductive or semi-conductive material used in electronic applications
Electrostatic: Static electricity or electricity at rest. Constant intensity in electric charge
Electrostatic Shield: In order to protect from the electric field radiated by a voltage source, a copper or laminated aluminum/Mylar tape wrapped around a signal or instrumentation circuit (pair, triad, etc.) The shield is grounded and intercepts static interference which is then carried off to ground
Electro-Tinned: Wire tinned with pure tin using an electrolytic process
Elongation: The increase in length of a wire or cable as a result of longitudinal tension
Elongation at Break: In conditions such that the stress is substantially uniform over the cross-section, the tensile strain in a test piece stretched to its breaking point
Embossing: Identification by means of thermal indentation leaving raised lettering on the sheath material of the cable
EMC: Abbreviation for Electromagnetic Compatibility. No emission of interference exceeding FCC limits
Emergency Overloads: Larger than normal currents being carried through a cable or wire over a short period of time
EMP: Abbreviation for Electromagnetic Pulse
EMRC: Abbreviation for Energy Mines and Resources Canada
Enameled Wire: A conductor with a baked-on varnish enamel or film insulation; may be 7 AWG through 50 AWG. Used in magnet wire, thermocouple type wires, and other wires for winding motors, coils, transformers, and other applications of similar usage
End Finish: The quality of the end surfaces of a fiber optic cable. Commonly described as mirror, mist, hackle, chipped, cracked, or specified by final grit size used in polishing
Ends: Number of wires or threads on a braider carrier
Energize: Application of a rated voltage to a circuit or device in order to activate it
Energy: The capacity for performing work
Entrance Facility, Telecommunications: Building entrance for both public and private network service cables and antennae. Includes the entrance point at the building wall and continuing to the entrance room or space
Entrance Point, Telecommunications: Point of emergence of telecommunications conductors through the exterior wall, a concrete floor slab, or from a rigid metal conduit or intermediate metal conduit
Entrance Room or Space, Telecommunications: The joining of inter- or intra-building telecommunications backbone facilities takes place in this space. May also serve as an equipment room
EP: Abbreviation for Ethylene Propylene
EPDM: Abbreviation for Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer rubber. A chemically cross-linked elastomer that possesses excellent insulating properties and flexibility at extreme temperatures
EPN: Abbreviation for Extended Performance Network cable
Epoxy: A potting resin used in bonding. Assures that connectors are moisture proof when used.
EPR: Abbreviation for Ethylene-Propylene copolymer rubber. A material with good insulating properties that is chemically cross-linked and has properties similar to butyl rubber
Equal Load Sharing: Current evenly distributed between the parallel cables in a power circuit
Equilay: Multiple layers of helically laid wires with the same lay for each layer
Equipment Room, Telecommunications: Centralized space for telecommunications equipment that serves the occupants of the building. Distinct from a telecommunications closet because of the nature of complexity of the equipment
ESI: Abbreviation for Electrostatic Interference
ET: A UL cable type. Elevator lighting and control cable with thermoplastic insulation, three braids, flame-retardant and moisture-retardant finish
Etch: A chemical or plasma process in which the surface of a wire is roughened to assist in the bonding to or making of the wire
Etched Wire: A process applied to PTFE wire in which the wire is passed through a sodium bath to create a rough surface to allow epoxy resin to bond to the PTFE
Ethernet: A local area network configuration in which works as a broadcast network where when one station transmits a message, all stations will “hear” it but only the addressed statin will be able to “open” it
Ethylene: A colorless, flammable, gaseous, unsaturated hydrocarbon, C2H4, that is found in coal gas. Produced by pyrolysis of petroleum hydrocarbon
Ethylene Chlorotrifluoroethylene: High temperature fluoropolymer of high dielectric strength. Abbreviated as ECTFE
Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene: High temperature insulation of high dielectric strength. Abbreviated as ETFE
Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer: High temperature cross-linked fluoropolymer of high dielectric strength per MIL-C-17. Abbreviated as XLETFE
ETL: Abbreviation for Electrical Testing Laboratories
ETPC: Abbreviation for Electrolytic Tough Pitch Copper. Minimum conductivity of 99.9%
Exit Angle: Angle between the output radiation vectors and the axis of the fiber or fiber bundle
Expanded Diameter: Diameter of shrink tubing
External Interference: Noise caused by the effects of electrical waves or fields
External Wiring: Interconnecting subsystems within the system with electronic wiring
Extrude: The forcing of a material such as metal or plastic through a die
Extruded Cable: Cable with conductors that are uniformly insulated and formed at the same time through a continuous extrusion process
F
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F: Abbreviation for Frequency or Fahrenheit
F/S: Abbreviation for Foam Skin insulation
FAA: Abbreviation for Federal Aeronautics Administration
Fahrenheit: Scale for measuring temperature. Water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees
Farad: The standard unit of capacitance. Usually expressed in microfarads (μF) one-millionth (10-6) of a farad; or Pico farads (pf) one-trillionth (10-18) of a farad. A farad capacitor is one in which a coulomb charge produces a one volt potential difference between the plates
Fatigue Resistance: When conductors or wires break from flexing, the resistance to metal crystallization that occurs
Fault Current: Current that may flow through a circuit or device as a result of a fault, such as a defect in the insulation
F-Connector: Typically used on coaxial cable within Cable TV, VCRs, Security Systems, Satellite Systems and other video applications. Come with either a single or two piece set. Can either be crimped, soldered, or twisted on
FDDI: Abbreviation for Fiber Distributed Data Interface. A standard for 100 Mbs fiber optic area network
FDM: Abbreviation for Frequency Division Multiplexing. The process of combining many voice data channels for transmission of a single RF carrier. Channels are separated by frequency and carried on sub carriers
Feedback: Energy that is taken from a high level point in circuit and applied to a lower level
Feeder Cable: The transmission cable from the head end to the trunk amplifier in telecommunication and CATV systems
Feedthrough: 1) Also called an interfacial connection, a conductor that connects patterns on opposite sides of a PCB; 2) A connector or terminal block usually having double-ended terminals which permit simple distribution and bussing of electrical chassis
Feedthrough Insulators: Insulators that carry a metal conductor through the chassis while preventing the ‘hot’ lead from shorting to the ground chassis
FEP: Abbreviation for Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, a melt extrudable fluorocarbon resin formerly called X-100 or FEP-100
FEP-IX: Abbreviation for Extruded Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, type IX per MIL-C-17
FEP-XII: Abbreviation for Extruded Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, type XII per MIL-C-17
Ferrous: Composed of and/or containing iron. Exhibits magnetic characteristics
Ferrule: Used to make solderless connections to shielded or coaxial cable. Made of materials such as ceramic, stainless steel, polymer
FEU: Abbreviation for Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (same as two TEU)
FEXT: Abbreviation for Far End Crosstalk
FF: Two types, commercial and military. Commercial type is UL approved fixture wire. Stranded copper conductor, rubber insulation, cotton braid construction. Military type FF is MIL-W-16878D, 1,000 volt, 200° C, sizes 24 AWG to 4/0 AWG. Stranded tin copper conductor, silicone rubber insulation, with or without outer glass braid construction
FG: Abbreviation for Fiberglass
FG Braid-V: Abbreviation for fiberglass impregnated type V per MIL-C-17
FHPE: Abbreviation for Foamed High density Polyethylene
FI: Approval agency of Finland; Electrical Inspectorate
Fiber: A thin strand of glass or plastic optical fiber that transmits light impulses
Fiber Channel: High speed point-to-point, ANSI optical communications standard that supports data transfer rates up to 1,062.5 Mps (Gps)
Fiber Cleaving: A controlled fracture of an optical fiber along the crystalline plane, resulting in a smooth surface
Fiber Dispersion: Differing transit times of various modes causing pulse spreading in a fiber
Fiber Optics: Light wave or optical communications system in which information is converted to light energy and is transmitted through glass fibers.
Fiber Tubing: Loose, crush resistant cylinders applied over individual fibers to provide mechanical protection
Field: An area through which electric or magnetic lines of force pass through
Field Coil: A suitable insulated winding to be mounted on a field pole to magnetize
Figure 8 Cable: The conductors and steel supporting strand of an aerial cable are jacketed together in such a manner that a cross section of the cable approximated the figure eight
Filament: An extreme length of fiber
Filled Cable: The cable core of a telephone cable construction is filled with a material that will prevent moisture from entering or passing through the cable
Filled Strand: The interstices between the individual wires of a conductor in which are filled with a compound to prevent moisture migration along the conductor
Filler: 1) Used in multi-conductor cable to occupy large gaps formed by the assembled conductors. Done so that the resulting configuration will be round. 2) An inert substance added to a compound to improve properties or decrease cost
Film: Thin plastic sheets
Fine Stranded Wire: Stranded wire with component strands of 36 AWG or smaller
Fire Control Equipment: Equipment that automatically detects the firing of armament. Constructed in accordance with International Municipal Signal Association Standards. Recognize 9 AWG to 18 AWG wires and cables that may be insulated with rubber or polyethylene with lead alloy sheath
Firestop: Material, device, or assembly of parts installed in a cable system in a fire-rated wall or floor to prevent passage of flame, smoke, or gasses through the rated barrier
Fixture Wire: Designed for installation in lighting fixtures and in similar equipment where enclosed or protected and not subject to bending or twisting in use. Also used for connecting lighting fixtures
FL: Abbreviation for FL Ploy Tape
Flame Resistance: The ability of a material not to propagate once the source of heat is removed
Flame Retardant: Ability of a material to prevent the spread of combustion by a low rate of travel so the flame will not be conveyed
Flammability: The measure of the material’s ability to sustain combustion
Flammability Test: Test to determine the ability of a cable to resist ignition when placed near a source of heat or flame and to self-extinguish when removed from the source
Flashover: An arc or spark between two electrical conductors or between a conductor and earth. Disruptive discharge
Flashover Voltage: Voltage between two conductors at which flashover just occurs. Dry Flashover Voltage: voltage at which flashover occurs when the conductors are separated by a clean dry insulator. Wet Flashover Voltage: voltage at which flashover occurs when the clean insulator is wet
Flat Braid: Used as a ground strap, a woven braid that is rolled flat at time of manufacture to a specific width
Flat Cable: A cable that possesses two or more parallel conductors in the same plane covered by an insulating material. Also known as planar and/or ribbon cable
Flat Conductor: A conductor with a width-to-thickness ratio of 5:1 or greater; Wire having a rectangular cross section as opposed to round or square
Flat Conductor Cable: Flat cable with a plurality of flat conductors
Flat Under Carpet Cable: One or more cores in a cable, each formed by a group of wire with the diameters of the wires being sufficiently small to afford flexibility
Flex: Abbreviation for Flexible
Flex Life: The number of times a cable may bend before breaking
Flexibility: Ability of a cable to bend in a short radius
Flexible: The quality of a cable or cable component which allows for bending under the influence of outside force, as opposed to limpness which is bending due to the cable’s own weight
Flexoprene: Standard Wire & Cable Co trademark for flexible, oil resistant portable cord and cable
Floating: A circuit that has no connection to ground
Fluoro Copolymer: Generic term for PVDF
Fluorocarbon: Chemically inert compounds containing carbon and fluorine used as lubricants, refrigerants, nonstick coatings, and formerly aerosol propellants and in making resins and plastics
Flux: 1) Lines of force that make up an electrostatic field; 2) Rate of flow of energy across or through a surface; 3) A substance used to promote or facilitate fusion, especially when soldering
FM: Abbreviation for Frequency Modulation
FNC: Abbreviation for Federal Networking Council (formerly FRICC)
Foamed Plastics: Flexible or rigid sponge formed resins with a cellular structure. Foamed insulations provide low dielectric contestants and weight savings
Foamed Skin Cable: A solid polyolefin skin as the conductor insulator covering a foamed polyolefin inner layer
Foamskin: Polyethylene outer skin with polyethylene foam insulation
Foil: Thin, continuous sheet of metal
FOTP: Abbreviation for Fiber Optic Test Procedures
FP: Abbreviation for Fluorocarbon Polymer, modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
FPA: Abbreviation for polyethylene fused to aluminum for use as a cable shielding
FPL: Abbreviation for Fire Protective power-limited signaling circuit cable
FPLP: Abbreviation for Fire Protective power-limited signaling circuit plenum cable
FPLR: Abbreviation for Fire Protective power-limited signaling circuit riser cable
FR-1: Underwriters Laboratories flammability rating for wires and cables that pass a specially designed vertical flame test. This designation has been replaced by VW-1
Free Connector: Attachment to the free end of a wire or cable
Frequency: Number of times in one second an intermittent action occurs
Frequency Band: Particular range of frequencies that forms part of a larger continuous series of frequencies
Frequency Multiplexing: Technique of sharing a transmission channel wherein carrier signals of different frequencies are transmitted simultaneously
Frequency Response: The range of frequencies over which a device may be used effectively
FRHF: Abbreviation for Flame-Retardant and Halogen Free. Sheathing material which is flame-retardant, halogen free, non-corrosive, low-smoke, and non-fire propagating
FRPE: Abbreviation for Fire Retardant Polyethylene
FT-1: CSA flammability rating for wires and cables that pass specially a designed vertical flame test
FT-4: CSA flammability rating for multi-conductor cables that pass a specially designed vertical tray fire test
FT-6: CSA flammability rating for multi-conductor cables that pass a horizontal flame test and smoke test
Full Duplex: A signal or transmission where the transfer of data can go in both directions at the same time allowing more information to be transferred
Funnel Entry: Entrance to a terminal or connector wire barrel that is flared or widened
Furcation Tubing: Protective tubing placed over exposed fiber. Commonly used in terminating multi-fiber cable or “fan-out” situations
Fuse Wire: Wire made from an alloy that melts at a really low temperature
Fused Coating: A metallurgical bond to the base material with a metallic coating that has been melted and solidified
Fused Conductors: Individual strands of heavy tinned copper wire stranded together and then bonded together by induction heating
Fused Spiral Tape: PTFE insulated hook-up wire. The conductor is run through a taping head so that each successive wrap overlays the previous wrap and is then passed through a sintering oven where the overlaps are fused together
Fusion Splice: To form a continuous single fiber, a splice accomplished by the application of localized heat sufficient to fuse or melt the ends of two lengths of optical fiber
G H I J K
G
g: Abbreviation for gram
G: Industry designation for a 2kV portable power cable consisting of 2-4 insulated conductors with ground wires placed in the valleys for use in mines and similar applications
G. Cable: Type W or power cable with ground wires. The total CM area of the ground wires is approximately one-half to three-quarters of the CM area of one of the conductors
Gain: 1) Usually expressed in decibels, the increase of voltage, current, or power over a standard or previous reading; 2) Increase of voltage, current, or power over a standard reading
Galvanometer: Device used to detect or measure a small electrical current
Gang Strip: The act of stripping all conductors in a flat or ribbon cable simultaneously
Gas Filled Cable: A self-supervised alarm system in which the pressure medium is an inert gas having access to the insulation. May be installed in ducts, air, or directly in the ground
Gas Pressure Compensated: Saturated paper insulated cable containing tubes for the transmission of gas pressure along a cable and with external gas feed to the tubes
Gauge: Term used to denote the physical size of a wire
GC: Abbreviation for Ground Conductor
Gender Changer: An adapter that changes the gender of a connector that will have the same gender on both ends
GFI: Abbreviation for Ground Fault Interrupter. A protective device that detects abnormal current flowing to ground and then interrupts the circuit
G-GC: An industry standard for a 2kV portable power cable consisting of 3 insulated conductors with 2 ground wires, and a ground check conductor. Typically used for mining cable and similar applications
Giga: A prefix to a unit, denoting a multiple of one billion (109) of that unit
Gigabit: Transmission speed of 1 billion bits of information in one second. More commonly known as Gigbit or 1000 Mbps
Gigahertz (GHz): A term for one billion (109) cycles per second. Used to replace the more cumbersome term kilomegacycle
Gimmick: Short length of wire soldered onto a circuit component and used as a small adjustable capacitor
Glass Braid: Provides thermal and/or mechanical protection to the underlying insulation of certain types of conductors
Gold: Primarily used as a coating or plating material because of its electrical properties
GPIB: Abbreviation for General Purpose Interface Bus assembly, typically used for interconnecting measurement devices
GPU: Abbreviation for Ground Power Unit. A mobile power generator typically used at airports
Graded Index: The refractive index of the core of an optical fiber is in the form of a parabolic curve (non-uniform), decreasing from the center axis out. Provides high bandwidth capabilities and reduces modal dispersion
Grommet: A fastening, support, or reinforcement loop that is flexible; an eyelet of firm material to strengthen or protect an opening or to insulate or protect something that is passed through it
Gross Tonnage (GT): GT = (0.2+0.02*log10*V) * V where V is the volume in cubic meters of all enclosed spaces on board
Ground (GRND): An electrical connection between a circuit and the earth or other large connecting body
Ground Conductor: A conductor in a transmission cable or line that is grounded
Ground Fault: Failure of transmission involving insulation to shield or insulation to ground wire
Ground Insulation: Usually at ground potential, the insulation used between a winding and the magnetic core or other structural parts
Ground Loop: Generation of undesirable current flow within a ground conductor, owing to the circulation current which originate from a second source of voltage
Ground Plane: Expanded copper mesh that is laminated into flat cable constructions as a shield
Ground Potential: With respect to the earth or ground, zero potential
Ground Power Cable: Cable assembly with the applicable terminations to supply power to an aircraft from a ground power unit
Grounded Neutral: Wire that is neutral and metallically connected to the ground
GRS: Abbreviation for Government Rubber Synthetic. A government standard for Buna-S rubber for jacketing and insulating compounds for military wires and cables
GS: Abbreviation for Galvanized Steel
GTO: Abbreviation for Gas Tube, sign, and Oil burner ignition cable. Manufactured in 14 AWG for 5,000V - 15,000V service
gu: Abbreviation for gauge
GW: Abbreviation for Galvanized Wire
H
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H: Abbreviation for Henry, a unit of measure for inductance
Halar: A high temperature insulation made of ethylene Chlorotrifluoroethylene or ECTFE copolymer
Half Duplex: A signal or transmission where the transfer of data can go in both directions, although information can only be sent in one direction at a time
Halogen: Any of the elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine grouped together in the Periodic Table and exist in the free state normally as diatomic molecules
HAM: An amateur radio operator
Hard Drawn Copper Wire: Copper wire that is not annealed after being drawn
Harmonized: Products that meet the requirements of the CENELEC for use in the European Economic Community
Harness: An assembly of wires and cables with many breakouts that have been tied together or pulled in to a rubber or plastic sheath. Typically used to interconnect electric circuits
Hash Mark Stripe: Identification of a conductor through the application of a non-continuous helical stripe
Hazardous Location: Flammable vapors or fibers that may cause fire or explosion as defined by the NEC
HD: Abbreviation for High Density
HD15 (VGA): A 15 pin gender specific connector used for connecting PCs to PC monitors
HDA: Abbreviation for Horizontal Distribution Area. Includes the horizontal cross-connects and switches (LAN, SAN, KVM) for the equipment in the EDA and supports all cabling to the EDA
HDPE: Abbreviation for High Density Polyethylene. Has a higher abrasion resistance, higher weatherability, and lower flexibility at room and low temperature as compared to polyethylene (PE)
HDXLPE: Abbreviation for High Density Cross-Linked Polyethylene
Headset Cord: Usually a 24 AWG to 22 AWG multi-conductor cord used for communication equipment. Typically made with Buna insulation and a rubber or Neoprene jacket; sometimes the outer jacket is a cotton braid
Heat and Pressure Cure: Pressure, temperature, and time required for curing varies depending on the type of compound used (typically a rubber or rubber-like compound)
Heat Distortion: Due to the application of heat, a disruption of the flow of a material or configuration
Heat Endurance: The amount of heat aging that a material can withstand before failing a specific physical test
Heat Resistance: Under specified temperature conditions, the ability of a substance to retain its physical and chemical identity and electrical integrity
Heat Seal: Thermal fusion sealing of a tape-wrap jacket
Heat Shock: Determining the stability of a material by suddenly exposing it to high temperatures for a short period of time
Heat Shrink: Used for insulation, sealing, and protecting wire connections, terminations, and splices through a material that shrinks when heated
Heat Shrink Splice: Same as Fusion Splice except the splice is protected by heat shrink tubing
Heater Cord: Used indoors on household appliances such as flat irons, coffee pots, toasters, heaters, and soldering irons. It is a flexible copper conductor that is cotton wrapped with rubber insulation and has a high temperature roving
Hecto: A prefix to a unit, denoting a multiple of 100 (102) of that unit
Helical Stripe: A continuous spiral stripe applied to a conductor for circuit identification
Helix: 1) A spiral winding around a uniform tube; 2) A curve traced on a cylinder or cone by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle
Henry: Unit of inductance. It is the inductance of a circuit in which a counter electromotive force of one volt is generated when the current is changing at the rate of one ampere per second. Abbreviated as H
Hermetically Sealed: An enclosure that is gastight and has been completely sealed by fusion or other comparable means
Hertz: The term replacing cycles per second as an indication of frequency, Abbreviated as Hz
Heterogeneous Insulation: Insulating system composed of two or more layers of different insulating materials
HF: 1) Abbreviation for High Frequency; 2) Abbreviation for Heavy Formvar magnet wire. Soft Bare copper wire with baked synthetic insulation overall
HF/LS/LT: Abbreviation for Halogen-Free, Low Smoke, Low Toxicity
H-Film: High temperature polyimide Kapton film
High Frequency: The band from 3 to 30 MHz in the radio spectrum, designated by the Federal Communications Commission
High Strength Alloy Conductor: A conductor showing 20% increase maximum in resistance and 70% increase in breaking strength over the equivalent construction in pure copper while exhibiting a minimum elongation of 5% in 10 inches
High Temperature Wire and Cable: Operating characteristics of 150° C and higher for electrical wire and cable
High Tension Cables: High voltage ignition wires for combustion engines, gas, and oil igniters
High Voltage: An operating voltage of anything over 600 volts for wire and cable
Hi-Pot (High Pot): Determining the highest potential that can be applied to a conductor without breaking through the insulation
HL: Marking used by the CSA to identify cables which comply with the Hazardous Location performance requirement
HMWPE: Abbreviation for High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
Holding Strength: The ability of a connector to remain assembled to a cable in situations of extreme tension
Homogeneous Insulation: All layers of the wire or cables insulation are made of the same material
Hook Up Wire: A single insulated conductor wire that is used for low current, low voltage applications within enclosed electronic equipment
Horizontal Cabling: The wiring/cabling between the telecommunications outlet/connector and the horizontal cross-connect
Horizontal Cross-Connect: Cross-connection of horizontal cabling to other cabling
Horizontal Stripe: Used for identification in terms of a circuit, a colored stripe running horizontally with the axis of the conductor
Hot Dip: Covering a surface by means of dipping the surface to be coated into a molten bath of coating material
Hot Stamping: Identification markings through alphanumeric coding that are made through pressing heated type and marking foil into the surface of softened insulation
HPD: Heater cord with rubber and asbestos insulation with a cotton or rayon braid overall and a high temperature barrier
HPN: Two conductor heater cord in a parallel construction with neoprene insulation. Typically used in damp locations
HR: Abbreviation for High Resistance wire
hrs.: Abbreviation for hours
HS: 600V rated rubber insulated heater cord
HSJ: 300V rated rubber insulated heater cord
HT: 1) Abbreviation for High Tension; 2) Abbreviation for High Temperature
Hub: A network device that is used as a central location in a wired LAN. Controls, manages, and directs information through that section of the network connected through that hub
HUM: Describes 60 or 120 cycle sound present in the sound of some communication equipment. Usually the result of either undesired coupling to a 60 cycle source or defective filtering of a 120 cycle rectifier output
HW: Type designation for Heavy Wall, 2,500 volt electronic hook-up wire to MIL-W-76
Hybrid Cable: Assembly of two or more cables, both conductors and fiber optics, covered by an overall sheath
Hygroscopic: Readily able to absorb and retain moisture
Hypalon: A synthetic rubber that is resistant to oxidation by ozone, sun, weather, heat, and chemicals. Rated at 90° C
I
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I.D.: Abbreviation for Inside Diameter
IACS: Abbreviation for International Annealed Copper Standard. Refined copper for electrical conductors
IC: Abbreviation for Integrated Circuit
ICEA: Abbreviation for Insulated Cable Engineers Association, formerly IPCEA
ID: Abbreviation for Identification
IDA: Abbreviation for Intermediate Distribution Area. The area that contains the second-level backbone that connects to the MDA and an HAD
IEC: Abbreviation for International Electrotechnical Commission. Similar to the ISO, International Standards Organization
IEEE: Abbreviation for Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Sets most of the LAN standards through the 802 series
Ignition Cable: A cable designed specifically for automotive ignition systems
Impact Strength: Determination of the mechanical punishment a cable can withstand without physical or electrical breakdown by impacting a given weight dropped at a certain distance in a controlled environment
Impact Tool: A spring loaded device that is used to punch down on the conductor and into the block. Typically equipped with a cutting blade for either 66 or 110 blocks
Impedance: The total opposition offered by a circuit to the flow of an alternating current or any varying current at a specific frequency. Measured in ohms. Symbol Z. Given by the formula: Z = R + iX where R is the resistance, X is the reactance, and i = -1. With higher speed and bandwidth networks, the impedance of a cable plant as a whole can affect the performance of the network
Impedance Match: Occurs when the impedance of a particular circuit, cable or component is equal to the impedance of the circuit, cable or device to which it is connected
Impedance Matching Transformer: Designed to match the impedance of one circuit to that of another
Impedance, High: The area of 25,000 ohms or higher
Impedance, Low: The area of 1 through 600 ohms
Impregnate: Using a compound to fill the voids and interstices of a cable of the fabric of a cable
Impregnated Cable: Cable with paper insulation in which the insulating properties of the paper tapes are improved by impregnating them with an insulating compound
Impulse (or Pulse): Surge of unidirectional polarity
Impulse Strength: Microseconds of voltage surges that cause a voltage breakdown of insulation
Impulse Test: A test of the insulation of a wire or cable in which the voltage applied is the impulse voltage of specified wave shape
IMSA: Abbreviation for International Municipal Signal Association. Known for the specifications of fire alarm cable
in: Abbreviation for inches
INCL: Abbreviation for including
Incoherent Source: Wide, diffused beams of light of many wavelengths emitted by a light source
Index Matching Fluid: Used to fill the air gaps at the end of connectors between fibers, it is a fluid with a refractive index the same as the fiber core
Index of Refraction: Ratio of light velocity in a vacuum to its velocity in a given transmission medium
Indiv.: Abbreviation for Individual
Induced Current: An electric current that flows in a conductor as a result of electromagnetic induction, in which lines of magnetic flux intersect with the conductor
Inductance: A property of wire in which electrical current is stored in a magnetic field around the wire. Symbol L. Measured in henrys
Induction: The phenomenon of a voltage, magnetic field, or electrostatic charge being generated in an object from the source of such fields
Inductive Coupling: Crosstalk resulting from the action of the electromagnetic field of one conductor on the other
Inductive Loss: Crosstalk resulting from the electromagnetic field of one conductor on another
Infrastructure: Telecommunications components, excluding equipment, that together provide the basic support for the distribution of all information within a building or campus
Insertion Loss: Loss of signal power caused by inserting an optical component, such as a connector, splice, or adapter into the system
Insertion Tool: Small hand-held tool used to insert contacts into a connector
Inside Plant (ISP): All cable and equipment inside a central office of subscribers’ premises
Inside Wire: Designation of a wire to carry telephone circuit(s) through the customer’s premises
Insulated Wire: A conductor of electricity covered with a non-conducting material
Insulating Joint: A device that mechanically couples and electrically insulated the sheath and armor of contiguous lengths of cable
Insulation: The material that is used to separate close electrical components that has good dielectric properties
Insulation Adhesion: Degree of tightness of the insulation over the base conductor, measured in terms of the amount of force required to remove a specific length of insulation from the wire
Insulation Crimp: The part of the terminal, splice, or contact that has been formed around the insulation of the wire
Insulation Grip: Cylinders at the end of the crimp-type contacts that are designed to accept the bared wired and a small length of its insulation
Insulation Level: Designation used to identify the thickness of the insulation that is required to protect a high voltage cable underground fault conditions. Typically expressed as a percentage
Insulation Piercing: A way of crimping a wire such that lances break through the insulation of the wire and enter into the strands to make the electrical contact
Insulation Resistance: The resistance offered by an insulation to an impressed DC voltage, likely to produce a leakage current through the insulation
Insulation Shield (HV Cable): A non-metallic component and a metallic component that make up a two part shield
Insulation Stress: The molecule separation pressure caused by a potential difference across an insulator
Insulation System: All of the insulation materials used to insulate a particular electrical or electronic product
Insulation Thickness: The wall thickness of an applied insulation
Insulator: 1) A non-conducting substance such as porcelain, plastic, glass, rubber, etc.; 2) A device made of such material used for separating or supporting conductors to prevent undesired flow of electricity
Intensity: Brightly shining, Irradiance
Inter Building: Between buildings
Interaxial Spacing: Center to center conductor spacing in paired wire and flat cable
Intercom Wire: Wire that is used to connect communication instruments
Interconnect: The direct connection of individual cables to another cable or to an equipment cable without a patch cord
Interconnect Companies: Companies that sell, install, and maintain telephone systems for end users
Interconnecting Cable/Wire: The physical wiring components between modules, units, or the larger portions of a system
Interconnection: Mechanically joining devices together to complete an electrical circuit
Interface: Region where two systems can meet and interact with each other
Interference: Disturbances of an electrical or electromagnetic nature that introduce undesirable responses into other electronic equipment
Interlaced Tapes: Two or more different tapes applied simultaneously in such a manner that a portion of each tape overlays a portion of the other tape
Intermediate Cross-Connect: A connection between 1st level and 2nd level backbone cabling
Internal Wiring: Wiring that interconnects within a sealed subsystem
Interstice: A space or void between individual strands in a conductor or insulated conductors during extreme flexing
Intra Building: Within a building
Ionization: The dissociation of an atom or molecule into positive or negative ions or electrons. The state of an insulator whereby it facilitates the passage of current fur to the presence of charged particles usually induced artificially
Ionization Voltage (Corona Level): Minimum value of RMS voltage which sustains electrical discharge within the vacuous or gas filled spaces in the cable construction or insulation
IPCEA: Abbreviation for Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association. Now ICEA
IPE: Abbreviation for Irradiated Polyethylene tape
IR: Abbreviation for Infrared. The range of electromagnetic wavelengths between the visible part of the spectrum (750 nm) and microwaves (30μm)
IR Drop: The designation of a voltage drop in terms of current and resistance
IRE: Abbreviation for Institute of Radio Engineers. Now IEEE
Iron Constantan: Combinations of metals used in thermocouple, thermocouple wires, and thermocouple lead wires. Iron wire is positive while the constantan wire is negative
Irradiation: In insulations, the exposure of the material to high energy emissions to alter the molecular structure by cross-linking
ISA: Abbreviation for Instrument Society of America
ISDN: Abbreviation for Integrated Services Digital Network. An international standard for transmitting digital information. Provides full integration of data, voice, and video
ISO: Abbreviation for International Standards Organization
ISO 9000: An international quality assurance program
Isolation: The ability of a circuit or component to reject interference
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Jack: Plug-in terminals that are widely used in electronic apparatus for temporary connections
Jacket: The outer protective covering of wire or cable that may also present additional insulation. Typically nonmetallic and used for protection against the environment
JAN Specification: Joint Army-Navy specification. Replaced by the current Military specification
JAN-C-17A: Joint Army-Navy specifications covering coaxial cables used for high frequency applications in radio, television, radar, etc.
JAN-C-76A: Joint Army-Navy specifications covering radio hook-up wire. Superseded by MIL-W-76
J-Box: Abbreviation for Junction Box. A box for joining different runs of raceway or cable, plus space for connecting and branching the enclosed conductors
JIT: Abbreviation for Just In Time
Joint: The section of the conductor where the ends of groups of wires are joined by brazing, soldering, welding, or by mechanical means
Joule: Unit of measure for energy or work. Equal to the work required to maintain a current of one ampere for one second in a resistance of one ohm
Jumper: Assembly of twisted pairs without connectors used to join telecommunications circuits/links at the cross-connect
Jumper Cable: Usually a temporary connection. A short length of conductor or flat cable used to make a connection between terminals or around a break in a circuit or between circuit boards
Jute: Natural plant based fiber formed into rope-like strands. Usually used in cables for filling the interstices to give a round cross-section in the final shape
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K Band: A band of microwave frequencies
Kapton: Trade name for polyimide resin
Karma: Trade name for a resistance wire composed of 74.5% nickel, 20% chromium, 2.75% aluminum, and 2.5% copper. Abbreviated K
KEMA KEUR: Approval agency of the Netherlands
Kevlar: The registered trademark for a light, strong synthetic fiber. It is widely used as a protective outer sheath for fiber optic cable, protecting the cable from damage and kinking
Keying: Mechanical feature of a connector system that guaranteed the correct orientation of a connection, or prevents the connection to a jack, or to an optical fiber adapter of the same type intended for another purpose
kgs: Abbreviation for kilograms
Kilo: 1) A prefix to a unit, denoting a multiple of one thousand (1,000) of that unit; 2) A prefix used in computing to denote a multiple of one thousand, twenty four (210)
Kilohertz: One thousand (1,000) cycles per second. Abbreviated as kHz
Kilovolt: One thousand (1,000) volts. Abbreviated as kV
Kilovolt Ampere: One thousand (1,000) volts x amperes. Abbreviated as kVA
Kilowatt: A unit of measure of power equal to one thousand (1,000) watts. Abbreviated as kW
Kirchhoff’s Laws: The algebraic sum of the currents at any point in a circuit is zero also equal to the electromotive force in a circuit
km: Abbreviation for kilometer (1,000 meters)
Kovar: An alloy of iron, nickel, and cobalt
KPSI: Abbreviation used to denote a measurement unit of thousands of pounds per square inch. Commonly used in the fire proof test tensile strength measurement
KVM: Abbreviation for Keyboard/Video/Mouse
Kynar: North American trade name for polyvinylidene fluoride, a fluorocarbon material typically used as insulation for wire wrap
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L
L Band: A band of microwave frequencies
Lacing and Harnessing: Method of grouping wires by securing them in bundles of designated patterns
Lacquer: Term used to designate the liquid resin or compound that is applied to a fibrous braid to prevent fraying, wicking, moisture absorption, etc. in the braid
Lacquer Finish: A finish applied over a braided wire or cable for appearance for moisture proofing, friction reduction, and abrasion resistance
Laminated: A buildup of layers of material to increase thickness as in braid varnished cambric (VCB)
Laminated Cable: Insulated or uninsulated wires encapsulated by two sheets of laminate material to maintain a predetermined pitch
Laminated Flat Cable: Insulated conductors lying parallel in a flat cable, adjacent conductors joined by a web
Laminated Tape: Tape consisting of two or more layers of different materials bonded together
Lamp Cord: Rubber or plastic insulated flexible stranded conductor cord used in wiring lamps, household fans, and similar appliances. Not subject to hard usage
LAN: Abbreviation for Local Area Network. A data network connecting any number of users, intended to serve a small area
Lanemeter: Particularly used in connection with the transportation of trailers. One lanemeter is one meter of deck, with a width of 2.5 to 3.0 meters.
Lapel Mic Cable: Small O.D., flexible microphone cable
Laser: Acronym from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A narrow mean of light that can be either pulsed or continuous, transmitting light signals traveling along optical fibers
Laser Diode: A semiconductor diode that when pulsed, a laser diode emits coherent light
Latency: The total delay in a signal when going through a network or part of a network
Latex: A rubber material used for insulation of wire
Launch Angle: The angle between the propagation direction of the incident light and the optical axis of an optical waveguide
Launch Fiber: Optical fiber used to couple and condition light from an optical source into an optical fiber. Often used to create an equilibrium modal distribution in multi-mode fiber
Lay: The length calculated along the axis of a wire or cable required for a single strand (in stranded wire) or conductor (in cable) to make one complete turnaround the axis of the conductor or cable
Lay Direction: The direction of the spiral twist in a cable while looking along the axis of the cable away from the observer. Described as left hand or right hand
Layer: The consecutive turns of a coil lying in a single plane
lbs: Abbreviation for pounds
LDPE: Abbreviation for Low Density Polyethylene
Leaching and Non-Leaching: In leaching wire, the plasticizer will migrate or leave the vinyl compound when exposed to the heat of baking. The wire then becomes brittle and hard. A non-leaching wire will retain its plasticizer under extreme temperature conditions and remain flexible after baking. Non leaching wire is desirable for used as motor lead wire
Lead: A wire, with or without terminals, that connects two points in a circuit
Lead Cured: Cured or vulcanized in a metallic lead mold
Lead Dress: Placement or routing of wire and component leads in the electrical circuit
Lead-in: A cable providing the route for RF energy between the antenna and the receiver
Leakage (current): The undesirable passage of current over the surface of or through an insulator
LED: Abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode. A semiconductor device that emits incoherent light from a p-n junction (when biased with an electrical current)
Level 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5: Underwriters Laboratories’ performance designations for unshielded, twisted pair cables
Life Cycle: Determining the length of time before failure of a wire in a controlled, usually accelerated, environment
Light: The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be handled by the basic optical techniques used for the visible spectrum in the laser and optical communications fields
Light Commercial Building: A building or portion of a building that is intended for use with one to four nonresidential exchange access lines per tenant
Light Diffusion: The scattering of light by reflection or transmission
Light Intensity Ratio: Ratio of input light intensity to the output light intensity
Light Source: An object capable of emitting light
Light guide: Flexible bundle of fibers used to transmit light
Light Wave Communications: Using light waves to carry information in communications
Light Waves: Electromagnetic waves in the region of optical frequencies
Limits of Error: The maximum deviation of thermocouple or thermocouple extension wire from standard emf temperature to be measured. Expressed in degrees or percent
Limpness: The ability of a cable to bend in a short radius
Line Balance: Degree to which the conductors of a cable are alike in their electrical characteristics with respect to each other, to other conductors, and to ground
Line Cord: A cord terminating in a plug at one end used to connect equipment or appliances to a power outlet
Line Drop: Loss of voltage occurring between two points in either a transmission or power line
Line Loss: Total of the various energy losses occurring in a transmission line
Line Voltage: The voltage existing on a supply or power line
Link: Telecommunications facilities between two points not including terminal equipment
Listed: Equipment included in a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and maintains periodic inspection of production of the listed equipment.
Litz Wire: Short for litzendraht wire, German for bundled wire. Made from a number of fine, separately-insulated strands of wire specially braided or woven together to reduce skin effect and lower the resistance to high frequency currents
LOCA: Abbreviation for Loss Of Coolant Accident, a system malfunction associated with nuclear generating stations
Longitudinal Shield: A tape shield applied longitudinally with the axis of the core being shielded. Can be flat or corrugated
Longitudinal Shrinkage: A term most commonly applied to heat shrink tubing that specifies the axial length lost through heating in order to obtain the recovered diameter
Longitudinal Wrap: Tape applied longitudinally with the axis of the core being covered, as opposed to a helical, or spiral, tape wrapped core
Loop Resistance: Common term in the thermocouple industry, it is the total resistance of two conductors measured round-trip from one end
Looping In: A method of wiring which avoids t-joints by carrying the conductor to cable to and from the point to be supplied
Loose Tube (Buffer): A type of cable construction in which coated fibers are placed in a plastic tube with a diameter much larger than the fiber itself. It offers excellent fiber protection and segregation, isolating the fiber from exterior mechanical forces that can act on the cable. Mainly used in outdoor cable types and the space between the tube and fiber is often filled with a gel that serves to cushion the fiber
Loss: Energy or signal lost without accomplishing useful work
Loss Budget: Total acceptable loss for a given system from transmitter to receiver including cables, splices and connectors
Loss Factor: Product of the dissipation and the dielectric constant of an insulating material
Lossy Line: A cable having large attenuation per unit length
Low Frequency: International Telecommunications Union designation for 3 to 30 MHz band of frequencies
Low Loss: Having a small amount of power loss when extended over long lengths
Low Loss Dielectric: An insulating material that has a relatively low dielectric loss, such as polyethylene or Teflon
Low Noise: Cables constructed in such a manner as to reduce to a minimum any signals generated by the motion of the cable components in respect to each other. Commonly used to reduce the noise level in coaxial or microphone cable circuits
Low Smoke Zero Halogen: A type of cable jacketing composed of thermoplastic and thermoset compounds that emit limited smoke and no halogens when exposed to high sources of heat used in the manufacture of industrial and network cabling. Typically used in poorly ventilated areas to reduce the amount of toxic and corrosive gases emitted during combustion
Low Tension: Low voltage as applied to the ignition cable
LT: Abbreviation for Low Temperature non contaminating jacket, type II
Lug: A termination that is screwed on to the terminal and is usually crimped or soldered onto the terminal
LW: Abbreviation for Light Wall. 300V electronic hook-up wires to MIL-W-76
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mA: Abbreviation for milliampere, one-thousandth (10-3) of an ampere
Mac Address: A unique address for every network device, such as network cards and routers, that helps in identification. Each address is assigned by the IEEE and there are no duplicate addresses
Macrobending: Axial deviations of a fiber from a straight line that are macroscopic
Mag. Ox: Abbreviation for Magnesium Oxide
Magnet Wire: Insulated copper wire used for windings in motors, transformers, and other coils for electromagnetic devices
Magnetic Field: The region in which magnetic forces are impressed upon a body or current
Magnetic Flux: The rate of flow of either real or imaginary magnetic energy through a surface
Magnetic Noise: A magnetic field that is created around a cable that is caused by a change in current level
Main Cross-Connect: A cross-connect for first level backbone cables such as entrance and equipment cables
Mains: Source of domestic electrical power distributed nationally throughout the UK. The mains frequency is the frequency at which the electrical power is supplied. 50 hertz in the UK, 60 hertz in the US
Margin: The distance between the reference edge of a cable and the nearest edge or center of the first conductor
Marker Tape: Tape laid parallel to the conductors under the sheath in a cable. The manufacturer’s name and the specifications to which the wire was made are imprinted onto the cable
Marker Thread: A colored thread that is laid parallel to and adjacent to the strand in an insulated conductor which identifies the manufacturer and sometimes the specification to which the wire was made
Master Antenna Television (MATV): A series of components that provide multiple television receiver operations from one antenna to a building or a group of antennas on a single building
Mastic: Melt-cable coating used on the inside of some shrink products which flows when heated to fill the air voids
MAT: Abbreviation for material
Material Scattering Loss: Loss due to fluctuations in the refractive index and to inhomogeneities in material composition and temperature
Max: Abbreviation for Maximum
Mbps: Abbreviation for Megabits per Second
MC: Abbreviation for Megacycle
MCF: Abbreviation for Million Conductor Feet
MCM: Abbreviation for one thousand (1,000) circular mils
MDA: Abbreviation for Main Distribution Area. The central point of distribution with core routers, LAN/SAN switches, and PBX being located here. It is also the central point for the data center structured cabling system
Mechanical Splice: The splice of a fiber achieved by fixtures or materials rather than by thermal fusion
Media, Telecommunications: The wire, cable, or conductors used for telecommunications
Medium Voltage: Voltages in the range of 600 volts to 69 kV
Mega: A prefix to a unit, denoting a multiple of one million (1,000,000) of that unit
Megabit per Second (Mbps): Measurement of the transmission of speed of a piece of equipment or network equal to 1 million bits per second
Megabyte (MB): Typical unit of measurement for computer hard drive memory. Now that hard drives are becoming much larger in size, gigabytes (GB) are used to measure them
Megahertz: One million (1,000,000) cycles per second. Abbreviated as MHz
Megarad: Unit for measuring radiation dosage. Equal to one million (106) rads.
Megawatt: One million (1,000,000) watts. Abbreviated as MW
Melamine: A thermosetting resin that has excellent resistance to acids and alkalis and good resistance to water and solvents. Compared to plastics, has high strength and high insulation resistance
Member: A group of insulated wires to be cabled with other stranded groups into multi-membered cable
MESA: Abbreviation for Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration. Formerly known as PBM (Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines)
Messenger: The linear supporting member that is used as the supporting element of a suspended aerial cable. Usually a high strength steel wire. May be an integral part of the cable or exterior to it
Meter: The fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 centimeters or approximately 39.3701 inches. Abbreviated as m
MFG: Abbreviation for manufacturer/manufacturing
MFT: Abbreviation for one thousand (1,000) feet
MHD: Abbreviation for Medium Hard Drawn copper wire
Mho: The unit of conductivity. The reciprocal of an ohm
MI: Abbreviation for Mineral Insulated cable. A cable that is made with one or more conductors using a mineral for insulation and overall solid metal tube sheath
Mic/Microphone Cable: A generally shielded flexible cable that is used to connect the microphone to the amplifier
Mica: A transparent silicate that separates into layers and has a high insulation resistance, dielectric strength, and heat resistance
Micro: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-millionth (10-6) of that unit
Microbending Loss: The loss due to small geometrical irregularities along the core-clad interface of the fiber
Microbending: Resulting in light displacement and increased loss, minute by severe bends in the fiber of fiber optic cables. Can be avoided by selecting the right materials and using proper cabling, handling, and installation techniques
Microfarad: A unit of measure for capacitance. One-millionth (10-6) of a farad. Abbreviated as μF or Mfd
Micrometer: A unit of length equal to one-millionth (10-6) of a meter, formerly called a cicron. Abbreviated as μm
Microminim: The trade name of an ultra-flexible microminiature wire
Microphonics: The noise in a system that is caused by mechanical vibrations of the components within the system
Microsecond: One-millionth (10-6) of a second
Microwave Frequencies: 300 MHz to 300 GHz
Microwave: An electromagnetic wave with a wavelength in the range of 3 millimeters to 1-3 meters
Migration: The movement of non-resinous plasticizers in vinyl which takes place at elevated or lowered temperatures. The electrical characteristics of polyethylene core of a coaxial cable will thus be contaminated by the migrating plasticizer from the jacket
Mil Std: Abbreviation for Military Standard
MIL: 1) Abbreviation for one-thousandth (10-3) of an inch; 2) A unit used in measuring the diameter of a wire or thickness of the insulation; 3) Abbreviation for Military Specification (Mil Spec)
MIL-C: Specification for Military Cable
MIL-C-17: Specification for Military radio frequency cables
Milli: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-thousandth (10-3) of that unit
Millimeter: Unit of measure for linear distance. One millimeter equals one-thousandth (10-3) of a meter. Abbreviated as mm
Millisecond: One-thousandth (10-3) of a second. Abbreviated as ms
Mil-W: Specification for military wire
Min.: Abbreviation for minute
Mineral Insulated: A cable or thermocouple wire consisting of one or more conductors surrounded by magnesium oxide insulation and enclosed in a liquid- and gas-tight metallic sheathing
Miniature Wire: Insulated conductors that are approximately 20 AWG - 34 AWG with a small overall diameter as compared to normal conductors
Mining Cable: For use in the environment of a mine or tunnel, a flame retardant cable that is specially constructed to withstand extended immersion of exposure to moisture for use underground
MIP: Abbreviation for Mylene Irradiated Polymer
Mis-Match: A termination having a different impedance than that for which a circuit or cable is designed
Modal Dispersion: The spreading of a pulse due to multiple light rays traveling different distances and speeds through an optical fiber
Mode Field Diameter (MFD): The diameter of optical energy in which light propagates is larger than the glass core diameter of a single mode fiber. MFD is a practical parameter and is often listed as a requirement with core diameter in fiber specifications
Mode: The path of light through a fiber of a fiber optic cable
Modem: A device that places and receives data signals over a common carrier’s communication facility
Modular Plug: Per the part 68 rules, a telecommunications connector for wire or cores with 6 or 8 contact positions, but not all contact positions need to be equipped with contacts
Modulation: The process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform, called the carrier signal that contains information to be transmitted
Modulus of Elasticity: The ratio of stress to strain in an elastic material
Moisture Absorption: The amount of moisture, in percentage, which a material will absorb under certain conditions
Moisture Resistance: The ability of a material to resist absorbing moisture from the air or when immersed in water
Molded Cable: Cable assemblies that possess molded connectors on an end
Molded Plug: A male or female connector molded on either end of a cord or cable
Monochromatic: Consisting of a single wavelength
Monomer: Most basic chemical unit in building a polymer
Motor Lead Wire: An abrasion resistant, tough, flexible wire that connects to the fragile and easily damaged magnet wire found in coils, transformer, and stator or field windings
MP: Abbreviation for Multipurpose Cable. May be employed interchangeable in either a communications, power-limited, or fire protective application
MPa: Abbreviation for mega Pascal (106 pascals), the metric unit of pressure
MPF: Abbreviation for Million Paired Feet
MPG: Abbreviation for Multipurpose General purpose cable
MPP: Abbreviation for Multipurpose Plenum cable
MPR: Abbreviation for Multipurpose Rider cable
MSHA: Abbreviation for Mining Safety and Health Administration
MT: Abbreviation for Machine Tool wire used for internal wiring of appliances or tools
MTRJ Connector: The newer type of small fiber optic connectors
MTW: Abbreviation for thermoplastic insulated Machine Tool Wire
Multi-Conductor: A cable having more than one conductor within a single cable complex, either cabled or laid in a flat parallel construction with or without a common overall covering
Multimedia Cable: Single communication cable used for the transmission of audio, data and video signals
Multi-Mode Fiber: An optical fiber mostly used for communication over short distances with a large core diameter compared to the optical wavelength. Thus, it is able to contain a large number of modes
Multimode Optical Fiber: Graded-index or step-index fiber cables that allow many bound modes to propagate
Multiple Conductor Cable: Two or more conductors combined together and insulated from one another with a foam sheath or armor covering
Multiple Conductor Concentric Cable: A central conductor that is insulated with one or more tubular stranded conductors that are insulated from each other and laid over it concentrically
Multiplex: The ability of a system to transmit several messages/signals simultaneously across the same medium. This allows the amount of data throughput on each channel to be increased
Mutual Inductance: The ratio of voltage induced in one conductor to the rate of current change in the separate conductor causing this induction
MUX: Abbreviation for Multiplexer
MV: Abbreviation for millivolt, one-thousandth (10-3) of a volt
MW: 1) Abbreviation for Megawatt, one million (106) watts; 2) Abbreviation for Milliwatt, one-thousandth (10-3) of a watt; 3) Used in reference to one thousand (1,000) volt plastic insulated wire covered by MIL-W-76
Mylar: Trade name for the polyester material used in the form of a tape. A synthetic compound with high dielectric properties
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N: 1) Abbreviation for Newtons; 2) Abbreviation for Nichrome
N/A: Abbreviation for not applicable
Nano: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-billionth (10-9) of that unit
Nanometer: One-billionth (10-9) of a meter. Abbreviated as nm
Nanosecond: One-billionth (10-9) of a second
National Electrical Code (NEC): A publication of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) which outlines the requirements for electrical wiring and building construction. It is revised every three years and is incorporated into OSHA regulations
National Electrical Code Article 725: The NEC article which covers remote control signal and communication power limited circuits that are not an integral part of the device or appliance
National Electrical Code Article 760: The NEC article which covers fire and burglar alarms installation of wire
National Electrical Code Article 800: The NEC article which covers telephone, telegraph, as well as outside wiring for fire and burglar alarms
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): The organization whose primary mission is to maintain and publish the National Electrical Code
NAVAIR: Abbreviation for Naval Air Systems Command
NAVELEX: Abbreviation for Naval Electronics Systems Command
NAVFAC: Abbreviation for Naval Facilities Engineering Command
NAVORD: Abbreviation for Naval Ordnance Systems Command
NAVSEA: Abbreviation for Naval Sea Systems Command
NAVSHIPS: Abbreviation for Naval Ships Systems Command
NAVSUP: Abbreviation for Naval Supply Systems Command
NBFU: Abbreviation for National Board of Fire Underwriters
NBS: Abbreviation for National Bureau of Standards
NC: 1) Abbreviation for Nickel-plated Copper; 2) Abbreviation for Nickel-clad Copper; 3) Abbreviation for Nickel Conductor
NCCCS: Abbreviation for Nickel-Covered Copper-Clad Steel
Near End Crosstalk (NEXT): The measurement of noise interference that is transmitted from one cable pair to another pair on the near end
NEMA: Abbreviation for National Electrical Manufacturers Association. An organization that maintains standardization of electrical motors, gear reducers, and wire and cable specifications
NEMKO: Approval agency of Norway
Neoprene: A synthetic rubber made by the polymerization of chloroprene that is resistant to oil, chemicals, and flame
Net Loss: The difference between the attenuation and the gain in any circuit, device, network, or transmission line
Net Tonnage (NT): NT = (0.2 + 0.02 * log10(Vc) * Vc*(4d / 3D) 2, for passenger ships the following formula is added: 1.25 * (GT + 10000) / 10000 * (N1 + N2 / 10)), where V is the volume of the cargo holds, D is the distance between the ships bottom and the uppermost deck, d is the draught, N1 is the number of cabin passengers, and N2 is the number of deck passengers
Network: 1) A series of points connected by communications channels; 2) Network of telephone lines normally used for dialed telephone calls; 3) Network of communications channels connected to the use of one customer. For purposes of data communications applications
Network Interface Card (NIC): The point in which a computer is connected to the Local Area Network. Matched to the type and speed of the network
Neutral: 1) Having no net positive or negative electric charge at the earth potential; 2) Denoting the line that completes the domestic mains supply and is connected to earth at the power station
Newton: The metric unit of physical units of force that are of such size that under its influence, a body whose mass is one kilogram would experience an acceleration of one meter per second. Abbreviated as N
Nichrome: Trade name for an alloy of 60% nickel, 16% chromium, and the remaining steel. Most commonly used in wire wound resistors and heating elements
Nickel-Clad Copper Wire: Wire with a layer of nickel on a copper core where the area of the nickel is approximately 30% of the conductor area. Before being drawn, the nickel is rolled and fused to the copper. Very high resistivity and can operate at extremely high temperatures
nm: Abbreviation for Nanometer, one-billionth (10-9) of a meter
NMC: Abbreviation for Naval Material Command. A Central Navy agency for development, procurement, maintenance, supply, disposal, distribution, and storage of materials
No.: Abbreviation for Number
Noise: Any extraneous unwanted electrical or radio frequency signals that interfere with the signal normally present in or passing through the system, degrading the quality of the signal
Nom.: Abbreviation for Nominal
Non Contaminating: A type of PVC jacketing material in which the plasticizer will not migrate into the dielectric of a coaxial cable and avoids contaminating and destroying the dielectric
Non Hygroscopic: Material that does not absorb moisture
Non Migrating: Same as non-contaminating
Nonferrous: Not being made of iron. Refers to alloys that do not have iron or steel as ingredients
Non-Paired Cable: Cable having two or more cables conductors that are not in a paired configuration
Non-Plenum: A description for a cable that does not meet the requirements of UL 910 CMP flame test. A Non-Plenum cable cannot be installed in plenum air spaces
Notch: The removal of the web section between conductors of a flat cable to help in stripping, slitting, and termination
NPLF: Abbreviation for Non-Power-Limited Fire Protective signaling circuit cable
NPLFP: Abbreviation for Non-Power-Limited Fire Protective signaling circuit Plenum cable
NPLFR: Abbreviation for Non-Power-Limited Fire Protective signaling circuit Riser cable
NRC: Abbreviation for Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Numerical Aperture: A measure of the range of angles of incident light transmitted through a fiber. Greatly depends on the differences in the index of refraction between the core and the cladding. It is the number that expressed the light gathering ability of a fiber
NVP: Abbreviation for Nominal Velocity Propagation
Nylon: An abrasion-resistant thermoplastic with good chemical resistance used for wire and cable jacketing. Gives both mechanical and chemical protection to the wire
Nylon Jacketed: Refers to the outer covering of nylon on wire or cable that can either be an extruded layer or a braid of nylon filaments
O P Q R
O
OD: Abbreviation for Outside Diameter
OEM: Abbreviation for Original Equipment Manufacturer
OFC: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Conductive General Purpose Cable
OFCG: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Conductive Fire Resistant General Purpose Cable
OFCP: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Conductive Plenum Cable
OFCR: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Conductive Riser Cable
Off Center: A conductor that is displaced within the cross-section of its insulation
Off Gassing: The percentage of a specified gas released during the combustion of an insulating or jacketing material
OFHC: Abbreviation for Oxygen Free, High Conductivity Copper
OFN: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Non Conductive General Purpose Cable
OFNG: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Non Conductive Fire Resistant General Purpose Cable
OFNP: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Nonconductive Plenum Cable
OFNR: Abbreviation for Optical Fiber Nonconductive Riser Cable
Ohm: The unit of electrical resistance that is the value of resistance through which a potential difference of one volt will maintain a current of one ampere. Symbol Ω
Ohm (300) Lead Wire: Television lead-in wire that leads the signal in from the antenna to the set
Ohm’s Law: The electric current, I, flowing in a conductor or resistor is linearly proportional to the applied difference, V, across it. From the definition of resistance, R, Ohm’s Law can be written: V = IR or I = V/R or R = V/I
Oil Aging: Accelerated aging of a cable by placing it in an oil bath and heating it to a pre-set temperature for a stated amount of time
Oil Filled Cable: Saturating the paper insulation of the lead sheathed cable into which the high grade mineral oil is forces under pressure. The main intent of this is to prevent moisture and gases from entering the cable. Also makes fall and leakage detection easier since the oil is kept under constant pressure
Oil Filled Pipe Cable: Same as oil filled cable but instead of a lead sheath, it is inside of a rigid pipe
Oil Resistant: Performance characteristics of a material against exposure to a specific oil
Okocord: Trade name for portable power cables made by the Okonite Company
Okoprene: Trade name for Neoprene covered wire and cable made by Okonite
OM3: Optical multi-mode fibers that are laser optimized Aqua 50/125 multimode fiber for high bandwidth applications. OM3 fiber allows 10Gb data transmission over a distance up to 300m
OM4: Optical multi-mode fibers that are laser optimized, high bandwidth 50/125 multimode fiber. Has a significantly higher bandwidth than OM3. Also backward compatible with OM3
Opaque: Not permitting the passage of light
Open Cell: Foamed or cellular material with cells which are generally interconnected
Open Wire: A conductor that is not surrounded by insulation and is supported separately above ground. Synonymous with overhead line
Oper.: Abbreviation for Operating
Optical Communication Cable: Fiber with protective jacket
Optical Conductors: Materials that offer a low optical attenuation to transmission of light energy
Optical Fiber Cable: An assembly consisting of one or more optical fibers
Optical Fiber Duplex Adapter: Mechanical media termination device that was designed to align and join two duplex connectors
Optical Fiber Duplex Connector: Mechanical media termination device designed to transfer optical power between two pairs of optical fibers
Optical Receiver: The unit for converting optical signals into electrical signals
Optical Return Loss (ORL): The ratio of optical power reflected by a component or an assembly to the optical power incident on a component or assembly that is induced into a link or system. Usually expressed in decibels
Optical Time Domain Reflectometer: Instrument that measures transmission characteristics of fiber by sending a pulse of light down the fiber and measuring the light scattered across the length and reflected back from the end as a function of time. Used to measure attenuation, point discontinuities, and fiber lengths, as well as to find breaks
Optical Transmitter: The unit for converting electrical signals into optical signals
Optical Waveguide: Dielectric waveguide with a core consisting of optically transparent material of low attenuation and with cladding consisting of optically transparent material of lower reflective index than of the core
Oscillatory Surge: A surge containing both positive and negative polarity values
OSHA: Abbreviation for Occupational Safety and Health Act. Specifically the Williams-Steiger law passed in 1970 covering all factors relating to safety in places of employment
Outgassing: The percentage of gas released from a dielectric evidencing decomposition of insulation or jacketing material
Outlet Box, Telecommunications: Metallic or nonmetallic box mounted within a wall, floor, or ceiling and is used to hold telecommunications outlet/connectors or transition devices
Outlet/Connector, Telecommunications: A connecting device in the work area on which horizontal cable terminates
Output: The useful power or signal delivered by a circuit or device
Outside Plant (OSP): All wires and cables extending outward from the network protectors on the main distribution frame to connect the terminal equipment to the outside plant
OVE: Approval agency of West Germany; Österreichischer Verband für Elektrotechnik
Over Current: A excessive temperature rise in a conductor due to a current
Overall Diameter: The finished diameter over wire or cable
Overcoat: Individual strands of tin copper wire stranded together and then covered with a tin coating
Overcoat Conductor: Stranded conductor composed of individual strands of tin coated wire stranded together and then given an overall tin coat
Overhead Line: A conductor with no insulation and is supported separately above the ground. Synonymous with open wire
Overlap: The amount the trailing edge laps over the leading edge of a tape wrap
Overload: Any load delivered at the output of an electrical device, circuit, machine, or other apparatus that exceeds the rated output of the equipment
Overload Capacity: Before a device is damaged, the maximum level of current, voltage, or power it can withstand
Oxidize: The way in which a compound is changed by increasing the proportion of the electronegative part or charge from a lower to a higher positive valence; the removal of one or more electrons from an atom, ion, or molecule
Oxygen Bomb Test: Determining the aging effect, heat, tensile strength, and elongation of wire
Oxygen Index: The percentage of oxygen necessary to support combustion of a specified material. Materials that are flame retardant have a higher oxygen index
Oz.: Abbreviation for ounce
Ozone: Typically found around electrical discharges and present in the atmosphere in small quantities, a reactive form of oxygen, O2
Ozone Test: The exposure of materials to a high concentration of ozone to a given accelerated indication of oxidation in normal environments and in proximity to ozone producing apparatus
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P Band: A band of microwave frequencies
P/N: Abbreviation for Part Number
PA SP: Cable sheath consisting of an inner polyethylene (P) jacket, corrugated aluminum (A) shield, corrugated steel (S) and outer polyethylene (P) jacket
Pair: Also known as a balance transmission line, two insulated wires that are twisted or binded together under a common jacket to form a single circuit
Paired Cable: Cables with conductors cabled in groups of two
Pairing: The union of two insulated single conductors through twisting
Pan Cured: Coils of vulcanized insulated wire are coiled in pans and vulcanized under pressure with steam
PAP: Common term used for air core direct burial telephone cable with a corrugated aluminum shield
Paper Insulated: High dielectric strength insulation used for telephone cable, high voltage cable, and magnet wire. Pretty much passes at this point because of better insulations
PAR: Acronym for Precisions Approach Radar
Parallel: Cable construction in which two insulated conductors are laid in parallel and surrounded overall by an insulating material
Parallel Cable: Two or more cables used to share the current in heavily loaded power circuits which permits the use of smaller conductors
Parallel Pair: Duplex construction of two insulated conductors laid parallel and then covered overall with a braid or jacket
Parallel Stripe: A longitudinal stripe on a wire or cable parallel to the axis of the conductor
Patch Cable/Cord: Power cable with plugs or terminals on each end of the conductor or conductors used to connect equipment such as jacks or blocks in switchboards or analog programming systems
Patch Cord Cable: Bulk cable used in the manufacture of patch cords
Patch Panel: A cross-connect system of mate-able connectors that facilitates administration
Pathway: A facility for the placement of telecommunications cable
Pay-Off: Feeding a cable or wire from a bobbin, reel, or other package
PBM-109: Trailing mine cable with an outer sheath of flame-resistant Neoprene. This cable conforms to the requirements of Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines and the Federal Bureau of Mines
PBT: Abbreviation for Poly-Butylene Terephthalate. A type of plastic
PBX: Abbreviation for Private Branch Exchange
PC: Abbreviation for Physical Contact adaptor. The physical contact refers to connectors that provide back reflections of less than 30 dB
PCB: Abbreviation for Printed Circuit Board
PCP: Common term used for air core direct burial cable with a corrugated copper shield
PCTFE: Abbreviation for Polychlorotrifluorethylene. One of the fluoropolymers that has a high dielectric strength used at temperatures to 250° C
PE: Abbreviation for Polyethylene. A type of plastic that is commonly used as a jacketing material for outside plant cables that have excellent electrical and mechanical properties including good moisture resistance
PE FC: Abbreviation for Polyethylene Flooding Compound
Peak Voltage: Maximum voltage reached during an alternation of frequency
PEF: Abbreviation for Polyethylene foam
PE-III: Abbreviation for clear Polyethylene
PE-IIIA: Abbreviation for high molecular weight, black polyethylene type IIIA
Percent Conductivity: The ratio of the current density to the electric field strength
Percent Plating: The quantity of plating on a conductor expressed as a percentage by weight
Perfluoroalkoxy: A high temperature compound in the fluorocarbon family of dielectrics. Abbreviated as PFA
Periodicity: Evenly spaced cable impedance variations that result in addition of the reflections of a signal
Permittivity: The ratio of capacitance of a condenser with a dielectric between the electrodes to the capacitance when air is between the electrodes
Petrol Wire: A wire insulated to withstand immersion in gas and oil. Usually thermoplastic with or without a nylon jacket
Phase: A stage or point of advancement in an electrical system
Phase Shift: A change in the phase relationship between two alternating quantities
Photodetector (Receiver): Converts light energy into electrical energy
PIB: Abbreviation for Polyisobutylene, type B, per MIL-C-17
PIC: Abbreviation for Plastic Insulated Conductor. Conductors that are covered with an extruded coating of plastic
Pick: The distance between two adjacent crossover points of braid filaments
Picks per Inch: The number of times the carriers in a braid cross over each other in the same direction along the longitudinal axis for each inch of length. Indicates the degree of coverage
Pico: A prefix to a unit, denoting a submultiple of one-trillionth (10-12) of that unit
Picofarad: A unit of measure for capacitance; one-trillionth (10-12) of a farad. Abbreviated as pF
Pigtail: A short length of fine stranded, extra flexible, rope lay optical fiber that is attached to a shield for terminating purposes
Pipe Type Cable: Pressure cable. Pressure medium is a loose rigid metal pipe
Pitch: Nominal distance from center-to-center of adjacent conductors inside a cable
Pitch Diameter: The diameter of a circle passing through the center of the conductors in any layer of a multi-conductor cable
Plain Conductor: Conductor comprised of only one metal
Plain Enamel: A type of magnet wire in which the wire is dip coated with a varnish and then baked
Plain Weave: Woven cables with threads between the wires that act as binders and give the cable lateral stiffness and linear flexibility
Planar: Two-dimensional in quantity; of, relating to, or lying in a plane
Planar Cable: A cable with two or more parallel conductors in the same plane encapsulated by insulating material
Planetary Cabler/Twister: A cabling machine capable of laying down any number of shielded, over braided, jacketed single conductors or pairs in sequence. The spools are fixed and revolve around each other so the wire will not kink as it is twisted
Plastic: High polymeric substances, including both natural and synthetic products but excluding the rubbers that are capable of flowing under heat and pressure
Plastic Deformation: A change in the dimensions under load that is not recovered when the load is removed
Plasticizer: A chemical agent that is added to plastics to make them softer and more pliable
Plated: Mechanically, chemically, or electrically covered with an adherent layer
Plating: The application of one metal over another
Plenum: A compartment to which air ducts are connected and that forms part of the air distribution system
Plenum Cable: A cable that meets the most stringent flammability and smoke-generating tests and is approved by a recognized agency, such as UL, for installation in plenums without the need for conduit
PLSJ: Light duty, all rubber, two conductor cord for pendant or portable use in damp locations. 300V
PLT: Same as PLSJ except with thermoplastic insulation
PLTC: Abbreviation for Parallel Tray Cable
Plug: The part of the two mating halves of a connector which is movable when not fastened to the other mating half
Ply: The number of individual strands or filaments twisted together to form a single thread
PNR: Control cable using polyethylene and nylon on the conductors and PVC jacket
PO: Rayon parallel lamp cord with a stranded copper conductor, separator, rubber insulation, cotton braid, rayon braid overall. Used in small appliances in dry places
Point-to-Point Wiring: Wiring that consists of continuous conductors terminated at each end to circuit designation
Polarization: The orientation of a flat cable or a rectangular connector
Polishing: The act of smoothing ends of fibers to an optically smooth finish using an abrasive
Polyalaklene: The primary insulation compound made from alkene monomer used in MIL-W-81044
Polyamide: 1) A compound characterized by more than one amide group; 2) A polymeric amide (nylon)
Polychloroprene: The chemical name for Neoprene. Used for jacketing wire and cable that will be subject to rough usage, moisture, oil, greases, solvents, and/or chemicals. Can also be used as a low voltage insulating material
Polyester: Any of a group of polymers that consists basically of repeated units of an ester and are used especially in making fibers or plastics
Polyethylene (PE): A thermoplastic material that has superior electrical properties, low dielectric constant, a stable dielectric constant over all frequencies, and high insulation resistance
Polyhalocarbon: Polymers containing halogen atoms. Halogens include fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine
Polyimide: A relatively high temperature plastic developed for use as a dielectric or jacketing material, Kapton. Does not burn and has a high abrasion resistance
Polymer: A substance made of many repeating chemical units or molecules
Polymerization: A chemical reaction in which low molecular weight molecules unite with each other to form molecules with higher molecular weights
Polyolefin: Any of the polymers and copolymers of the ethylene family of hydrocarbons, such as polyethylene and polypropylene which are created through the combination of the unsaturated hydrocarbons known as olefins with butylene or styrene polymers
Polyparaphenylene Terephthalamide: A synthetic with high tensile strength at low weight, low elongation to break, high structural rigidity, low electrical conductivity, high chemical resistance, low thermal shrinkage, high toughness, excellent dimensional stability, high cut resistance, flame resistant, and self-extinguishing properties
Polypropylene (PPE): A thermoplastic insulation material that is similar to polyethylene but stiffer with a higher softening point
Polystyrene: Rigid, transparent thermoplastic of good physical and electrical insulating properties used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials. Abbreviated as PS
Polysulfone: A polymer that is highly resistant to mineral, acid, alkali, and salt conditions with decent dielectric properties up to 350° F
Polytetrafluoroethylene: A copolymer of ethylene and Tetrafluoroethylene. The most thermally stable and chemically resistant carbonaceous insulating compound. Unaffected by sunlight, moisture, and almost all chemicals. Electrical properties are very constant over the temperature range of -90° C to 250° C
Polyurethane (PUR): A thermoplastic material that is used primarily as a cable jacketing. Has excellent moisture resistance, oxidation, oil, ozone and abrasion resistance, and winding properties as a magnet wire insulation
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): A thermoplastic material composed of polymers of vinyl chloride. Depending on the specific formulation, may be rigid or elastomeric and is used for insulations and jackets
Polyvinylidene Fluoride: VF2 vinylidene fluoride resin is a crystalline, high molecular weight polymer of VF2 having high dielectric strength as well as abrasion resistant characteristics. Characterized be good mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. Improved heat resistance comes from radiation cross-linking
Porosity: In an insulation or jacket wall, having multiple air voids
Portable Cord: A cable with two or more twisted conductors for flexible applications. Also known as flexible cord
Portable Power Cord: Super flexible, all rubber insulated to allow for hard usage. Some cables have additional protection of shielded conductors, either metallic or nonmetallic, and can have a Neoprene sheath overall
POS: Abbreviation for Point-Of-Sale
POSJ: All-rubber, parallel light duty rip-cord for use on lamps and small appliances
POT: Thermoplastic, parallel, light duty rip-cord
Potential Difference: The difference in electric potential between two points, equal to the line integral of the electric field strength between two points
Potting: The process of filling a complete electronic assembly with a compound for resistance to shock and vibration and to prevent moisture from entering the system. Also makes it air tight
Power: The rate at which energy is transferred
Power Cable: A cable of various sizes, constructions, and insulations used to supply primary power to a variety of types of equipment
Power Factor: The ratio of resistance, R, to impedance, Z. The ratio of actual power of an alternating current to apparent power
Power Frequency: The frequency at which domestic and industrial mains electricity is supplied and distributed
Power Loss: The difference between the total power delivered to a cable and the power delivered by that device to a load
Power Rating: AC voltage that can be applied between adjacent conductors
Power Ratio: The ratio of power appearing at the load to the input power
PPE: Abbreviation for Polypropylene Ethylene
Pre-Bond: Stranded wire that has been fused, topcoat tinned, or overcoat tinned
Preform: A glass structure from which an optical fiber waveguide can be drawn
Pressure Cable: Conductors with paper insulation that are oil impregnated. Positive pressure is constantly maintained in a lead or steel pipe outer covering. High dielectric strength, large insulation stability, increased current-carrying capacity, and saves space
Pressurization: The use of pressurized gas or dry air inside Air Core cables to prevent the entry of water at faulty splices or minor sheath cracks. Can also trigger an alarm when major faults occur and can assist in locating the damaged areas
Pre-Wiring: The process of installing wire or cable into the walls of a building as it is being built
Price’s Guard Wire: Wire conductor used to prevent surface leakage current associated with an insulator from reaching the measuring instrument during determination of insulation resistance, particularly of cables
Primary: The transformer winding which receives the energy from a supply circuit
Primary Coating: Plastic coating applied directly to the cladding surface of the fiber during manufacture to preserve the integrity of the surface
Primary Insulation: The first layer of non-conductive material over a conductor, whose main purpose is to act as an electric barrier
Primary Protection: Minimum amount of protection required on all exposed facilities to comply with NEC requirements
Primary Voltage: Initial or main voltage
Primary Wiring: A printed circuit intended to provide point-to-point electrical connections
Programming: The ability to select various circuit patterns by interconnecting appropriate contacts on one side of a connector plug or panel
Prop: Abbreviation for Propagation
Propagation: Time delay required for an electrical wave to travel between two points on a transmission line
Propagation Delay: The amount of time required for a signal to pass from the input to the output of a device
Propagation Time: The amount of time required for an electrical wave to travel between two points on a transmission line
Propylene: Obtained by cracking petroleum hydrocarbons, the flammable gaseous hydrocarbon C3H6
Protocol: A set of rules for communicating
Proximity Effect: A non-uniform current distribution over the cross-section of a conductor caused by the variation of the current in a neighboring conductor
PS Tape: Very flexible nonmetallic shielding. Remains in positive contact with insulation at all times and prevents the formation of air gaps between the conductor and insulation
Psi: Abbreviation for pounds per square inch
PTFE: Abbreviation for Polytetrafluoroethylene
Pull Box: A device to access a raceway used to facilitate the placing of wires or cables
Pull Cord / Pull Wire: A cord or wire placed within a raceway and used to pull wire and cable through the raceway
Pull Strength: The maximum pulling force that can be safely applied to a cable without damage
Pulling Eye: A device fastened to a cable to which a hook may be attached in order to pull the cable into or from a duct
Pulse: Abrupt changes in current or voltage from one value to another and back to the original in a finite length of time
Pulse Cable: A type of coaxial cable with or without a magnetic core constructed to transmit repeated high voltage pulses without degradation
Pulse Communications: Telecommunications involving the transmission of information by means of pulse modulation. Used in systems that operate by means of time-division multiplexing
Punch Down: A special tool is used to connect wires into a 110 block or patch panel firmly and properly by pushing them down into the connector
Puncture Voltage: The value of the voltage that causes an insulator to be punctured when it is subjected to a gradually increasing voltage
Put-Up: The packaging of finished wire or cable by size and length
PVC-105°C: High temperature, specially compounded polyvinyl chloride
PVC-I: Abbreviation for black polyvinylchloride, contaminating, type I, per MIL-C-17
PVC-II: Abbreviation for gray polyvinylchloride, contaminating, type II, per MIL-C-17
PVC-IIA: Abbreviation for black polyvinylchloride, contaminating, type IIA, per MIL-C-17
PVC-IV: Abbreviation for black polyvinylchloride, contaminating, type IV, per MIL-C-17
PVD/PVDF: Abbreviation for Polyvinylidene Fluoride, Kynar. Often used as a jacket in plenum cables, especially in large fiber count cables
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Q Band: A band of microwave frequencies
QPL: Abbreviation for Qualified Products List issued by a United States Government agency
Quad: A series of four separately insulated conductors generally twisted together into pairs
Quadders: Machines with three-bays that can twist four wires together and cable braided and shielded wires with varying lay lengths
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R: 1) Symbol for resistance or resistor; 2) Abbreviation for Riser; 3) A 600 volt copper conductor that is stranded or solid with a rubber insulation or cotton braid. The cotton braid is saturated with moisture resisting, flame-retarding compounds that are smoothly finished
Raceway: Any channel designed for holding wires or cables, i.e. conduit, electrical metallic tubing, sleeves, slots, etc.
Rack: The vertical or horizontal open support that is attached to a ceiling or wall and is usually made of aluminum or steel
Rad: Unit of measure for a radiation dose which is absorbed, equal to one joule per kilogram
Radar: Acronym for radio detecting and ranging. A system that measures distances and usually the direction to an object by determining the amount of time required for electromagnetic energy to travel to and return from the object
Radio Frequency (RF): A band of frequencies that are used to transmit information from point to point over the airwaves or cable
Radio: An adjective applied to the use of electromagnetic waves between 10 KHz and 3 GHz and in particular, their transmission through space
Ram Extruder: Wire making machinery for pressure and heat extruding PTFE insulation over a conductor. A predetermined amount of cylindrical shaped molded PTFE powder is placed in a cylinder chamber. A ram is pushed through the cylinder by a jack screw, forcing the PTFE through an orifice or tip through which the conductor is moving and forms a homogeneous tube of insulation around the conductor. The unsintered insulated wire is then passed through a curing oven to complete the process. The limitation of a ram extruder is the size of the slug of preformed PTFE powder. Since it is of constant size, when the slug is exhausted it is the end of the run. It cannot be continuously fed. As the diameter increases, the maximum length of wire to be covered decreases
Random Winding: A winding in rotating equipment where the wires do not lie in an even pattern
Rated Temperature: The maximum temperature at which an electric component can operate for extended periods without loss of its basis properties
Rated Voltage: The maximum voltage at which an electric component can operate for extended periods without loss of its basic properties or safety hazard
Ratio between Gross Tonnage/Net Tonnage/ Deadweight: Approximate conversion figures: 1 NT = 1.7 GT 1 GT = 1.5 dwt These figures are applicable for tankers and dry cargo vessels up to approximately 25,000 dwt, but not for reefers, ro-ro-ships, passenger ships, etc. For large tank - and bulk ships (approximately 100,000 dwt and above) 1 GT is approximately 2 dwt
RBOC: Abbreviation for Regional Bell Operating Company. A holding company formed by the divestiture of AT&T to provide both regulated and non-regulated telephone wires
REA: Abbreviation for Rural Electrification Administration. A branch of the US Department of Agriculture that established specifications and provides approval for telephone station wire and power cables for independent telephone companies in the US
Reactance Drop: Within Alternating Current, the component of the voltage drop which is in quadrature with the current and equals the current in amperes multiplied by the reactance in ohms between the two points
Reactance: The part of the total impedance of a circuit not due to pure resistance, measured in ohms. Symbol X. It is the imaginary part of the complex impedance, Z given by: Z = R + iX where R is resistance, X is reactance and i = -1. Reactance is due to the presence of capacitance or inductance in a circuit. The effect of reactance is to cause the voltage and current to become out-of-phase
Receiver: A detector and electronic circuitry to change optical signals to electrical signals
Recovered Diameter: The diameter of heat shrink tubing after heating has caused it to return to its extruded diameter
Red Plague: A brown-red oxide of silver formed with water or rocket fuel fumes found on silver-coated copper conductors and shield braids. Highly conductive and can flake off and cause shorts in electrical equipment
Redraw: To reach a desired wire size, the drawing of wire which has already been drawn to an intermediate size through a series of dies
Reducing Joint: A joint between two lengths of cable where the conductors are not the same size
Reel Drum Diameter: Diameter of the drum of the reel
Reel Flange Diameter: Diameter of the reel flanges (Height of the reel)
Reel Traverse: Width of space between reel flanges
Reel Width: Overall width of the reel
Reel: Usually made of wood or metal, a circular container on which wire is wound for storage or transit
Reference Edge: The edge of the cable or conductor from which measurements are made
Reference Junction: Usually located at the emf measuring device, it is the junction of a thermocouple which is at a known reference temperature. Also known as the “cold” junction
Reflection Loss: The part of a signal that is lost due to reflection of power at a line of discontinuity
Reflection: An abrupt change in the direction of a light beam at an interface between two different media so that the light beam returns into the media from which it originated
Reflow Soldering: Connecting two solder-coated conductive surfaces by re-melting the solder to cause fusion
Refraction: The bending of a beam of light from one medium into another whose refractive index is a continuous function of position
Refractive Index: The ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a material
Register Ton: Old term for measuring ships. One register ton is 100 cubic feet or 2.93 cubic meters
Registration: The alignment of one object with relation to another
Reinforced Sheath: Outermost covering of a cable that has a cable sheath construction in layers with a reinforcing material. Usually a braided or double spiral fiber, molded in place between layers
Reinforcement: A material that is used to reinforce, strengthen, or give dimensional stability to another material
Remanence: The magnetic induction that remains in a magnetic circuit after the removal of an applied external magnetic force
Repeater: A device that consists of a transmitter and a receiver that receives signals in one circuit and automatically delivers corresponding signals to one or more other circuits, usually amplifying the signal. Also used to regenerate a signal to increase the system transmission length
Resin: A synthetic organic material characterized by being polymeric in structure and predominantly amorphous. May be clear, yellowish, or brown ranging from transparent to translucent. Typically a non-conductor of electricity and soluble in organic solvents but not in water
Resistance Wire: Wire constructed from a material that has a high resistivity and low temperature coefficient of resistance. It is used for accurate wire-wound resistors
Resistance: A measure of the complexity in moving electrical current through a medium when voltage is applied. Measured in ohms. Converts electrical energy into heat energy. Symbol R. If the current is an alternating current, the resistance is the real part of electrical impedance
Resistive Conductor: A conductor with high electric resistance
Resistivity: An intrinsic property of a material equal to the resistance per unit length and unit cross sectional area. Reciprocal of conductivity
Respool: To rerun a material from one package spool to another for various purposes, such as to verify lengths, inspect for defects, or to a specified packaging by customer
Retractile Cord/Cable: A cord having specially treated insulation or jacket in order that it will retract like a spring
Return Loss: Backward reflected energies from imperfections in an electrical or optical communications link. Necessary for bi-directional applications. Usually expressed in decibels. Describes the reduction in the amplitude of the reflected energy, as compared to the forward energy
Return Wire: A ground wire or the negative wire in a direct current circuit
Rev: Abbreviation for revision
RF Connector: Connector used for connecting or terminating coaxial cable
RF: 1) Abbreviation for radio frequency; 2) Tinned copper conductors, rubber insulation, cotton braid saturated with moisture resisting, flame-retarding compound, smoothly finished in white, black, red, green, blue, and yellow for identification. The lubricated surface finish of the wire permits easy pulling through conduits
RFI: Abbreviation for Radio Frequency Interference
RG 58: A 50 ohm coaxial cable used with Cable TV and BNC environments
RG 59: A 75 ohm coaxial cables used with Cable TV. The old standard for home installations
RG 6 - Quad Shield: A 75 ohm coaxial cable used with Cable TV, Satellite and High Definition TV. Becoming the minimal standard for home installations due to its full frequency capacity. Quad shielded which helps prevent line interference and noise
RG 6: A 75 ohm coaxial cables used with Cable TV, Satellite and High Definition TV. Becoming the minimal standard for home installations due to its full frequency capacity
RG 62: A 93 ohm coaxial cable
RG/U: Abbreviation for Radio Government, Universal. A military designation for a coaxial cable
RG: Abbreviation for Radio Frequency (Government). Prefix for many coaxial cables
RGB: Abbreviation for three parts of color video signal: red, green and blue. Also refers to multi-coaxial cables carrying these signals
RHH: Rubber insulated, heat resistant building wire, 90° C, dry locations
RHH-2: Same as RHH, except can be used in wet or dry locations
RHRW: Tinned copper conductors, rubber insulation, saturated braid, flame and moisture resistant finish for moist locations
RHW: Rubber-insulated building wire, heat and moisture resistant, moisture resistant flame-retardant nonmetallic covering, 75° C, wet or dry
Ribbon Cable: A flat cable made with parallel round conductors in the same plane with individually insulated conductors processed together. Conductors may all be in one color, or each individual conductor may be of a different color
Ridge Marker: One or more ridges running laterally along the outer surface of plastic wire for purposes of identification
Rigid Bay: Cabling equipment that maintains component sequence, and can produce cables with distinct layers
Rigid Coaxial Cable: A non-flexible coaxial cable, usually with a metal tube armor
Rigid Waveguide: A type of coaxial cable with a metal form using air as a dielectric. Usually an extrusion
RIM Helix: Abbreviation for resin insulated magnet wire
Ring Banding: A color band applied to an insulated conductor at regular intervals on the circumference of the wire for identification
Ring Tongue: A solderless terminal that connects wire to a stud
Ringing Out: Locating or identifying specific conductive paths by means of passing current through selected conductors
Rip Cord: 1) A parallel construction of two or more insulated conductors which may be separated to leave the insulation for each conductor intact; 2) A small filament cord used to rip through the outer cable sheath
Riser Cable: Vertical section of a building cable extending from one floor to another
Riser: UL designation for cable approved to be run between floors in non-plenum areas. Normally a vertical shaft or space. Rating indicated good flammability characteristics, but not necessarily low smoke as in a plenum type. Plenum can always replace riser, but riser cannot replace plenum in plenum spaces
Roentgen: The amount of radiation that will produce one electrostatic unit of ions per cubic centimeter volume
RoHS: Acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. Also known as Directive 2002/95/EC. Originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products
Root Mean Square (RMS): The effective value of an alternating current or voltage. A means of expressing AC voltage in terms of DC
Rope Concentric: A group of stranded conductors assembled in a concentric layer
Rope Lay Strand/Conductor: A conductor made of multiple groups of filaments around a central core that are helically laid. A 7 x 19 rope lay strand has 19 wires laid into a group and then 7 such groups cabled into a conductor
Rope Strand: A conductor composed of groups of twisted strands
Rope Unilay: A group of stranded conductors assembled in a unilay manner
Round Conductor Flat Cable: A cable made with parallel round conductors in the same plane
Round Conductor: A conductor whose cross-section is substantially circular
Round Wire Shields: Shields constructed from bare, tinned or silver plated copper wire that include braided, spiral, and reverse spiral
Routers: Device that determines how to forward a packet toward its destination, based on tables that indicate the costs, congestion status, and other factors associated with possible routes
Routing: The path followed by a cable or conductor
RR: All rubber nonmetallic underground cable suitable for direct burial in the earth or in conduit. Has heat and moisture resistant insulation and an outer neoprene jacket
RS-232: Serial connection used with computers, data terminals (printers), and modems. Good to about 50 feet at a 20 Kbps transmission speed, using a 25 pin cable
Rubber Mold: A metal mold containing a cavity that will give the desired form or part. The part is made by placing uncured rubber or synthetic compound in the cavity and curing under heat and pressure
Rubber Wire Insulation: A general term used to describe wire insulations made of thermosetting elastomers, such as natural or synthetic rubbers, neoprene, and others
Rubber: General term used to describe wire insulations made of thermosetting elastomers, such as natural or synthetic rubbers, ERP, neoprene, Hypalon, butyl rubber and others
Rupture: The point at which a material physically comes apart in both the breaking strength and tensile strength tests
RUS: Abbreviation for Rural Utilities Service
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S: 1) Abbreviation for silver-plated copper; 2) Heavy duty, rubber insulated portable cord. Standard copper conductors with separator and individual rubber insulation. Two or more color-coded conductors cables with filler, wrapped with separator and rubber jacketed overall 600V. 18 AWG two conductor through 6 AWG four conductor
2S: Abbreviation for silver-plated copper double shield
2SC: Abbreviation for two Silver-Plated Copper shields
S Band: A band of microwave frequencies
SA: 1) Abbreviation for silver-covered alloy; 2) Nomenclature for silicone rubber insulation with high temperature barrier or glass overall for use up to 125° C
SAE: Abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers
SAN: Abbreviation for Storage Area Network. A high-speed network of shared storage devices. Permits storage devices attached to the SAN to be used by servers attached to the SAN
SANZ: Abbreviation for Standards Association of New Zealand
SBC: Abbreviation for Soft Bare Copper
SBR: A copolymer of Styrene and Butadiene. Most commonly used type of synthetic Rubber
SC: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Copper
SC Connector: Type of fiber optic connector that uses a push to snap on/push to snap off connector. Used with both single mode and multimode conductors
Scattering: A property of glass that causes light to deflect from the fiber and contributes to optical attenuation
SCB: Abbreviation for Silver-Plated Cadmium Bronze
SCBerC: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Beryllium Copper Alloy
SCCA: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Copper-Clad Aluminum
SCCS: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Copper-Clad Steel
SCHSCA: Abbreviation for Silver-Coated High Strength Copper Alloy
SCPE: Abbreviation for Semi-Conducting Polyethylene
Screen: A shield that is placed over the entire core
Screened Cables: Cable core design where an aluminum shield divides the cable core into two electrically separate compartments
SCW: Abbreviation for Silver-Plated Copperweld Conductor
SD: Abbreviation for Soft Drawn (Annealed)
Secondary Insulation: A non-conductive high resistance dielectric material that is placed over the primary insulation, creating a second electrical battier and protects the conductor against abrasion
Sector Strand: A group of wires laid in a triangular shape with rounded corners. Used as one conductor for a three conductor cable with 120° angle between faces and with 90° angle for a four conductor cable
Segmental Conductor: In conductor cables one million (1,000,000) CM or more, the conductors are divided into three or more segments that are then insulated from each other by paper tapes to reduce the current resistance in AC circuits
Selenium Cure: The process used in curing Neoprene and rubber jacketed wires and cables
Self-Extinguishing: The characteristic of a material that extinguished its own flame after the igniting flame is removed
Self-Supporting Aerial Cable: A cable consisting of one or more insulated conductors assembled or cabled with a messenger to support the assemblage and with a steel core or attached to a separate steel cable to help in supporting the weight of the cable, which may or may not form a part of the electrical circuit. It may be from pole to pole or in a vertical position on a tower
Self-Supporting Cable: A cable with a steel support strand capable of supporting the cable weight across spans
Semi-Conducting Jacket: A jacket having a sufficiently low resistance so that its outer surface can be kept at substantially ground potential by a grounded conductor in contact with it at frequent intervals
Semi-Conducting Tape: A tape of such resistance that when applied between two elements of a cable, the adjacent surfaces of the two elements will maintain substantially the same potential. Commonly used for conductor shielding and in conjunction with metallic shielding over the insulation
Semiconductor: A material possessing electrical conductivity that falls somewhere between that of conductors and insulators
Semi-Rigid: A cable containing a flexible inner-core and relatively flexible sheathing material, such as metallic tube, but which can be bent for coiling or spooling and placing in a duct or cable run
Semi-Rigid PVC: A hard semi-flexible polyvinyl chloride compound with low plasticizer compound
Semi-Solid: A cross-section of insulation having a partially open space between the conductor and the insulation perimeter
Semi-Tight Buffer: A type of optical fiber cable construction where each fiber is loosely surrounded by a protective coating to a diameter of 900 microns
SEMKO: Approval agency for Sweden
SEO: Same construction as STO, except insulation and jacket are made of Thermoplastic Elastomer Rubber (TPE) 600V
SEOOW: Same construction as SEOW, except with oil resistant insulation
SEOW: Same construction as SEO, except suitable for outdoor use
Separator: A layer of insulating material that is placed between a conductor and its dielectric, between a cable jacket and the components it covers, or between various components of a multiple-conductor cable
Series Circuit: A circuit in which the components are arranged end-to-end to form a single path for current
Serve: A filament or group of filaments such as fibers or wires, wound around a central core
Served Wire Armor (SWA): Spiral wrap of soft galvanized steel wires wrapped around a cable to afford mechanical protection and increase the cable pulling tension characteristics
Serving: A wrapping applied over the core of a cable or over a wire
Serving of a Cable: A serve is a separator applied directly over the conductor. The serve may consist of one or a combination of materials such as paper, cotton, silk, nylon, or rayon and may be applied spirally or laterally
SEW: Abbreviation for Silicone rubber insulated Equipment Wire
SF: Abbreviation for Silicone rubber insulated Fixture wire. Can be coiled or stranded
SFF: Same as SF but in flexible grade stranding
SH-A: Abbreviation for Shovel cable. A portable power cable with a neoprene jacket and usually three or four individually shielded conductors. Cable rated 5 kV
SH-B: Similar to SH-A except shield over all conductors
SH-C: Similar to SH-B except with grounds
SH-D: Similar to SH-A except with grounds
Sheath: The outer protective covering which may provide additional insulation on a wire or cable
SHF: Abbreviation for Super High Frequency
Shield: 1) A tape, serve or braid placed around a conductor or group of conductors to prevent electrostatic interference between the enclosed wires and external fields; 2) A metallic layer placed around a conductor or group of conductors to prevent electrostatic interference between the enclosed wires and external fields
Shield Coverage (Percentage): The physical area of a cable covered by shielding material and is expressed in percent
Shield Effectiveness: The ability of a shield to screen out undesirable interference to prevent signal leakage out of the cable
Shielded Conductor: An insulated conductor that has been shielded by a copper braid or tape, aluminum foil, copper foil, or a semi-conductive vinyl, confining the electrical field
Shielded Line: Transmission line whose elements confine propagated radio waves to an essentially finite space inside a tabular conducting surface called the sheath preventing the line from radiating radio waves
Shielded Multi-Conductor Cable: A cable with a multiplicity of conductors with a metallic or nonmetallic shield over the cable core
Shielded Type Cable: A cable in which the surface of the insulation is at ground potential
Shock Test: Determines the ability of a cable to withstand a violent physical concussion such as might occur during handling or use
Shorts: Lengths of wire and cable that are less than standard which are generated by making cuts for special orders
Shrink Temperature: The temperature which affects complete recovery of a heat shrink tubing product from the expanded state
Shrink Tubing: Tubing that has been extruded, cross-linked and non-cross-linked, and mechanically expanded which when reheated will return to its original diameter
Shrinkage Ratio: The ratio between the expanded diameter and recovered diameter of heat shrink tubing
Shunt Wire: A conductor that joins two parts of an electric circuit to divert part of the current
SIA: Abbreviation for Shield Interlocked Armor
SIC: Abbreviation for Shield Inductive Capacity
Side Wall Bearing Pressure (SWBP): Used in reference to the pressure on a cable which is being pulled around a curved surface under tension. If excessive, SWBP can damage cable components and reduce the life of a cable
Signal: Current used to convey digital, analog, audio, or video information
Signal Cable: A cable that is engineered to carry current that is usually less than one ampere per conductor to operate signal circuit devices
Signal Generator: The device used to furnish current at a known frequency, modulated, and to deliver a measured voltage only at the terminals of the generator without appreciable radiation at any other point
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: The ratio of one parameter of a desired signal to the same or corresponding parameter of the noise in an electronic circuit, device, or transmission system at any time
SIL/DAC-VI: Abbreviation for Dacron braid over silicone rubber, Type VI, per MIL-C-17
Silicone: A thermoplastic elastomer insulation with excellent heat resistance
Silicone Impregnated: The complete saturation of insulating tapes or braids with a silicone varnish compound. The process may be performed under a vacuum and the compound serves as a heat and flame-retardant as well as a binder
Silicone Treating: A liquid silicone treatment applied to insulated conductors to allow for easy jacket stripping
Silver: Similar to gold in corrosion resistance. Costs less than other precious metals. Very soft when fully annealed but work hardens during fabrication. Provides very good conductivity and solderability. Widely used a plating or coating
Simplex: A mode of data transmission in only one direction usually with a two-wire facility
Simplex Cable: A single fiber optic cable
Sine Wave: A wave that can be expressed as the sine of a linear function of time, or space, or both
Single Ended: Unbalanced, such as grounding one side of a circuit or transmission line
Single Faced Tape: A fabric tape that is finished on one side with a rubber or synthetic compound
Single-Mode Fiber: An optical waveguide in which only one mode will propagate due to its small core diameter of approximately 9 microns. Permits signal transmission at extremely high bandwidths and is generally used for laser diodes
Sintered: To cause to become a coherent mass by heating without melting. Usually refers to the curing of PTFE
Sintering: Fusion of a spirally applied tape wrap jacket by the use of high heat to a homogeneous continuum. Usually employed for fluorocarbon, non-extrudable materials
SIS: Switchboard wiring that is made with cross-linked polyethylene insulation
Sizing: The process of applying a material to a surface to fill pores
SJ: Junior hard service rubber insulated pendant or portable coed. 18 AWG two conductor through 16 AWG four conductor
SJE: Same construction as SJT except the insulation and jacket are made of Thermoplastic Elastomer Rubber 300V
SJEO: Same construction as SJO except the insulation and jacket are made of Thermoplastic Elastomer Rubber
SJEOW: Same construction as SEOW except 300 volt rated; hard service thermoplastic or rubber-insulated conductors and oil resistant thermoplastic outer jacket. All elastomer construction. Weather resistant
SJEW: Hard service thermoplastic or rubber-insulated conductors and overall thermoplastic jacket. All elastomer construction. Weather resistant
SJO: Same as SJ portable cord but with an oil-resistant outer jacket
SJOO: Same as SJO portable cord but with oil-resistant insulation as well as an oil-resistant jacket
SJOOW: Same as SOOW except 300 volt rated
SJT: Junior hard service thermoplastic or rubber-insulated conductors with overall thermoplastic jacket
SJTO: Same as SJT portable cord but with oil-resistant thermoplastic outer jacket
SJTOO: Same as SJTO portable cord but with oil-resistant insulation
SJTW: Hard usage thermoplastic or rubber-insulated conductors and overall thermoplastic jacket. Weather resistant for outdoor use
Skeleton Braid: A widely separated braid of fiber, copper, or steel may be used to hold the core together, also used as a reinforcing jacket or for shielding
Skew Rays: A ray that does not intersect the fiber axis. Generally, a light ray that enters the fiber core at a very high angle
Skim Tape: Filled tape coated on one or both sides with a thin film of uncured rubber or synthetic compound to produce a coating suitable for vulcanization
Skin Effect: A phenomenon that occurs as frequencies increase which causes an increase in resistance of the conductor causing the outer skin to carry most of the current. Through this, the depth of the penetration of electric currents into a conductor decreases
SLC: Abbreviation for Stage Lighting Cable. A 600 volt single conductor cable for use with indoor and outdoor stages, fairs and carnivals
Sleeving: A braided, extruded or woven tube
SNCCS: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Nickel-Covered Copper-Clad Steel
SNM: A cable that was designed for use in hazardous locations consisting of insulated conductors in an extruded non-metallic jacket which is then covered with an overlapping spiral metal tape and wire shield and jacketed with an extruded moisture, flame, oil corrosion, fungus and sunlight-resistant non-metallic material
SO: Hard service cord with oil-resistant thermoset jacket, same construction as Type S except oil-resistant Carolprene jacket
Solder: A metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces; an alloy of lead and tin are commonly used
Solderable Nylon Litz: Litz wire made up of soldereze strands with a nylon sleeve overall
Soldereze: Magnet wire that is insulated with a polyurethane base enamel
Soldering Sleeves: Shrinkable tubing with a solder preform used for the highest reliability soldering connections or shield grounding
Solid Conductor: A conductor consisting of a single wire
Sonar: Acronym for Sound Navigation Ranging. A method used to detect and locate underwater objects by transmitting a pulse of sound energy, usually ultrasonic, then measuring the return “reflected” echo
SOO: Same as SO portable cord except with oil-resistant insulation
SOOW: Same as SOW portable cord except with oil-resistant insulation
Source: A light emitter in a fiber optic link, either an LED or laser diode; a device that when properly driven will produce information carrying optical signals
Source Coupling Loss: The loss of light intensity as light from the source passes into the fiber
SOW: Same as SO except with a water resistant thermoset jacket suitable for outdoor use
SP Shield: Abbreviation for Silver-Plated shield
SP-1: All thermoset parallel-jacketed, two conductor light duty cord for pendant or portable cord used in damp locations
SP-2: Similar to SP-1 except heavier insulation
SP-3: Similar to SP-2 except heavier construction for refrigerators or room air conditioners
Space Factor: Given values in coil winding for amount of space available
Space, Telecommunications: An area used for housing the installation and termination of telecommunications equipment and cable
Spacing: The distance between the closest edges of two adjacent conductors
Span: The distance between the center of the first conductor and the center of the last conductor in a flat cable
Spark Test: Designed to locate imperfections in the insulation of a wire or cable by applying a voltage for a very short period of time while the wire is being drawn through the electrode field
SPC: Abbreviation for Silver Plated Copper
SPE: Same construction as SP-1 except insulation and jacket made of Thermoplastic Elastomer Rubber (TPE)
Specific Gravity: The ratio of weight of any volume of substance to a weight of an equal volume of some substance taken as standard
Specific Inductive Capacity: The dielectric constant of insulating material
Spectral Bandwidth: The difference between wavelengths at which the radiant intensity of illumination is half its peak intensity
Spectral Response: The response of a detector, or a system, over different wavelengths
Spectrum: Frequencies that exist in a continuous range and have a common characteristic
Speed of Light: 186,000 miles per second
Sphincter: High ratio heat shrinkable strain relief grommet that can be placed over the cable assembly after the assembly is fabricated
Spiral Marking: A continuous spiral mark applied to a conductor for identification
Spiral Shield: Metallic shield of fine stranded wires applied spirally rather than braided
Spiral Stripe: A color coding stripe applied helically to the surface of an insulated wire or cable
Spiral Wrap: The helical wrap of a material over a core
Splice: A connection of two or more conductors or cables to provide good mechanical strength as well as good conductivity
Splice Closure: Device used to protect a cable or wire splice
Spool: A circular container on which wire is wound for storage or transit usually made of plastic, paper, or metal
Spread Spectrum: Modulation technique for multiple access or for increasing immunity to noise and interference
SPT-1: Same as SP-1 except all thermoplastic. With or without third conductor for grounding. 300V
SPT-2: Same as SP-2 except all thermoplastic. With or without third conductor for grounding. 300V
SPT-3: Same as SP-3 except all thermoplastic. With or without third conductor for grounding. 300V
sq.: Abbreviation for square
Square Mil: The area of a square one mil by one mil
SR: Abbreviation for Silicone Rubber insulate cable, 600 volt
SRAW: Abbreviation for Silicone Rubber insulated, overall glass braid with nickel-plated copper conductor and flexible stranding. 600V
SRD: Portable range or dryer cable with three or four rubber insulated conductors with rubber or neoprene jacket in a flat or round construction
SRDT: Same as SRD except all thermoplastic with a maximum temperature of 90° C
SRL: Abbreviation for Structural Return Loss
SRML: Abbreviation for Silicone Rubber Motor Lead
SS: Abbreviation for Stainless Steel
SSC: Abbreviation for Silver-Covered Strip
SSPE: Abbreviation for Semi-Solid Polyethylene
SSPS: Abbreviation for Semi-Solid Polystyrene
SSTFE: Abbreviation for Semi-Solid Tetrafluoroethylene
SSTUBE: Abbreviation for Stainless Steel Tube
ST: 1) Same as SJT except 600 volts; 2) Jacketed hard service cord. Same as Type S except all plastic construction
ST Connector: A type of fiber optic connector that uses a spring loaded twist and lock coupling
Stability Factor: The difference between the percentage power factor at 80 volts/mil and at 40 volts/mil measured on wire immersed in water at 75° C for a specified time
STALPETH: A cable sheath consisting of a corrugated steel (ST) shield applied over a corrugated aluminum (AL) shield and an outer polyethylene (PETH) jacket
Stancote: Trade name for plastic insulated wire from Standard Wire & Cable Co
Standard Track: A closure track used on some zipper tubing products which allows such tubing to be readily opened or closed at any point along the installed length
Standing Wave: A stationary pattern of waves produced by two waves of the same transmission line. Voltage and current maxima and minima along a transmission line is a result of the reflected energy from an impedance mismatch
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR): A figure of merit used to express the efficiency of a system in transmitting power, specifically taking into account the mismatch between source, line, and load. The Standing Wave Ratio, S, is given by S = Vmax/Vmin = Imax/Imin. In an ideally matched system, S = 1 indicating the presence of a pure traveling wave and no reflected power. As the proportion of power reflected increases, S approaches infinity which would indicate a pure standing wave
Stanflex: Trade name for rubber jacketed portable cords and cables from Standard Wire & Cable
Star Topology: A topology in which each telecommunications outlet/connector is directly cabled to the distribution device
Static: Disturbing effects produced in a radio, telephone, or television receiver by atmospheric or various natural or man-made electrical disturbances
Static Condition: A way of denoting the environmental conditions of an installed cable rather than the conditions existing during cable installation
Station Wire: Specially designed wire that is PVC jacketed for use in ducts or stapled to surfaces for direct connection to a subscriber’s phone
Step Index: The refractive index profile characterized by a uniform refractive index within the core and a sharp decrease at the core cladding interface
Step Index Fiber: A fiber having a uniform refractive index within the core and a sharp decrease in refractive index at the core/cladding interface
STO: All thermoset parallel jacketed light duty cord with two conductors for pendant or portable cord used in damp locations. Same as ST except with oil resistant thermoplastic outer jacket
STOO: Same as STO portable cord with oil-resistant insulation
STP: Abbreviation for Shielded Twist Pair
Strand: 1) A single uninsulated wire; 2) One of the wires of any stranded conductor
Strand Conductor Shield: Layer of semiconducting material or tape applied directly over the stranded conductor of cables rated at 2000 volts and higher. Reduces the possibility of high stress points occurring between the conductor and insulation
Strand Lay: The distance of advance of one strand of a spirally stranded conductor in one turn, measured axially
Stranded Conductor: A conductor composed of several strands or groups of uninsulated wires to form an entire unit
Strap: A square or rectangular section of bare conductor that is manufactured and used in coil form
Strength Member: The part of a fiber optic cable that is included in a cable configuration for purposes of adding tensile strength only. It does not conduct any power or signal and is typically composed of aramid yarn, steel strands, or fiberglass filaments
Strip: To remove insulation from a wire or cable
Strip Force: The amount of force required to remove a small section of insulating material from the conductor it covers
Strip Insulations: Consists of one or more longitudinal strips of unvulcanized thermosetting material folded around a conductor and vulcanized after application
Structural Return Loss: The backward reflected energies from uneven parts of the cable structure that cause impedance variations
Structured Cabling: A building or campus telecommunications cabling infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized elements. Properly designed and installed structured cabling systems provide a cabling infrastructure that delivers predictable performance as well as having the flexibility to accommodate moves, adds and changes. Maximizes system availability and provides redundancy
STW: Extra hard usage cord that is jacketed and weather resistant for outdoor use
Submarine Cable: Cable that is used underwater from one point to another for power or communication. Has a lead sheath and/or rubber jacket covering
Substrate: An insulating material of a printed circuit
Suggested Working Voltage: The AC voltage that can be applied between adjacent conductors
Surface Resistivity: The resistance of a material between two opposite sides of a unit square of its surface when there is a temporary and relatively large increase in the voltage or current in an electric circuit or cable
Surge: A temporary and relatively large increase in the voltage or current in an electric circuit or cable
Susceptance: Symbol B. The imaginary part of the admittance, Y, which is given by Y = G + iB where G is the conductance and i = -1. For a circuit containing both resistance, R, and reactance, X, the susceptance is given by B = -X / (R2 + X2)
Suspended Ceiling: A ceiling that creates an area or space between the ceiling material and the structure above it
SV: Vacuum cleaner cord with two or three conductors. Light duty overall rubber jacket that is portable for use in damp locations
SVE: Same construction as SV except the insulation and jacket are made of Thermoplastic Elastomer
SVO: Same as SV portable cord except with oil resistant neoprene jacket
SVT: Same as SV portable cord except with non-marking thermoplastic jacket. With or without third conductor for grounding purposes only
SVTO: Same as SVT portable cord except with oil-resistant thermoplastic jacket
SW: Rubber jacketed power supply cable
Sweep Test: Determines the frequency response of a cable by generating an RF voltage whose frequency is varied at a rapid constant rate over a given range
Swept Coax: A coaxial cable that has been checked by the sweep test and certified by the manufacturer
Switchboard Cable: A cable used within and between the central office mainframes and the switchboard
Switchboard Wire: A high temperature insulated wire used to wire switchboards and control apparatus. Heat, flame, and corrosive vapor resistant
SWO: Same as SW except neoprene jacketed
SWT: Plastic jacketed power supply cable
Syn. Rub.: Abbreviation for Synthetic conductive Rubber
Synth: Abbreviation for Synthetic
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T: The old UL designation for switchboard wire insulated with thermoplastic lead wire
T1: Common carrier circuit leased which is in the standard method of interconnecting digital communications systems in North America for private lines
TA: UL designation for switchboard wire insulated with thermoplastic and a high temperature barrier
TAGT: Abbreviation for Stranded Nickel-Clad Copper Conductor insulated with fused PTFE tape having a high temperature barrier and a PTFE impregnated glass braid
Take-Up: 1) The process of accumulating wire or cable onto a reel, bobbin, or some other type of pack; 2) Device used for pulling wire or cable through a piece of equipment or machine
Tank Test: Voltage dielectric test in which the sample is submerged in water and voltage is applied between the conductor and water as ground
Tape: Narrow woven or cut strip of fabric, paper, or film material
Tape Wrap: Spirally applied tape over a wire that is either insulated or uninsulated
Taped Insulation: Tape applied over a conductor or an assembled group of insulated conductors in a helical pattern
Taping: The process of insulating continuous lengths of large diameter wires with tape of non-extrudable materials
Tarnish: Describes a discolored or stained conductor or shield wire that is caused by exposure to the atmosphere
TB: Abbreviation for Terminal Block
TC: 1) Abbreviation for Tinned Copper; 2) Type TC power and control tray table. Multi-conductor cable specifically approved for use installed in cable trays
2TC: Abbreviation for tinned copper double shield
3TC: Abbreviation for tinned copper triple shield
4TC: Abbreviation for tinned copper quadruple shield
T-Carrier (AT&T): Hierarchy of digital systems designed to carry speech and other signals in digital form
TCCS: Abbreviation for Tinned Copper-Clad Steel
TCW: Abbreviation for Tinned Copperweld
TDM: Abbreviation for Time Division Multiplexing
Tear Strength: The force required to initiate or continue a tear in a material under specified conditions
Teflon: Trade name for the family of fluorocarbon resins including Teflon Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), Teflon Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) and Teflon Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) by DuPont de Nemours Co
Teflon FEP: Abbreviation for Teflon Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene. A 200° C rated Fluoropolymer that can be used for insulation and jacket materials.
Teflon Impregnated: The saturation of a heat resistant fibrous glass braid with Teflon suspension and is cured after saturation
Teflon PFA: Abbreviation for Teflon Perfluoroalkoxy. A 250° C rated Fluoropolymer that can be used for insulation and jacket applications
Teflon TFE: Abbreviation for Teflon Tetrafluoroethylene. A 260° C rated Fluoropolymer that can be used for insulation and jacket applications
Tefzel: Abbreviation for Ethylene Tetrapluoroethylene (ETFE). A 150° C rated Fluoropolymer that can be used for insulation and jacket applications
Telecommunications: Communication of information over some distance, including inter-building and intra building distances
Telecommunications Grounding Bus bar: Common point of connection for telecommunications systems and for bonding to ground. Located in the telecommunications closet or equipment room
Telecommunications Infrastructure: Collection of telecommunications components, excluding equipment, they provide the basic support for the distribution of all information within a building or campus
Telemetry Cable: Used for the transmission of information from instruments to the peripheral recording equipment
Telephone Wire: A general term referring to many different types of communication wire. A class of wires and cables rather than a specific type
Tellurium Cure: Curing process similar to selenium cure, except a different element is used
Temp: Abbreviation for Temperature
Temperature Coefficient of Resistance: Amount of resistance change of material per degree of temperature change
Temperature Rating: The maximum and minimum temperatures at which an insulating material may be used in continuous operation without loss of its basic properties. The minimum temperature is for safe handling
Tempest: Complex measurement of the combined reduction of all electromagnetic emissions from specified equipment used in high data security areas
Tensile-Flex: 135 high strength copper alloy
Tensile Strength: The amount of pull stress necessary to break a given specimen. Measured in pounds per square inch
Tension Member: A member included in a fiber cable to add tensile strength
Terminal: 1) Any fitting used for making a convenient electrical connection; 2) A point at which information may enter or leave a communications network; 3) Input-Output associated equipment; 4) Metal wire termination devices designed to handle one or more conductors, and to be attached to a board bus or block with mechanical fasteners or clipped on
Terminating Cable: Multi-paired cable usually with tinned conductors and fire resistant insulation that is primarily used between the cable vault and the main distributing frame
Test Lead: Flexible insulated lead wire that usually has a test probe on one end. Typically used for making temporary electrical connections and connecting instruments to a circuit temporarily. Strand colors are normally red and black with rubber insulation
Test Reports: Permanent records made by a wire manufacturer of the test performed on a batch of wire to a specification
Tetrafluoroethylene: A fluorocarbon resin. Abbreviated as TFE
TEU: Abbreviation for Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit. The container carrying capacity of a vessel
TEW: Canadian Standard Association type of appliance wires that are plastic insulated with a solid or stranded single conductor
Textile Braid: Any braid made from threads of cotton, silk, or synthetic fibers
TF: UL designation for fixture wire with a solid soft copper conductor that is insulated with a thermoplastic lead wire
TFF: Same as TF except with a stranded copper conductor
TG: PTFE tape with an overall glass braid and a stranded nickel-clad copper conductor
TGGT: A flexible stranded nickel-coated copper conductor with PTFE tapes covered by wrapped fiberglass yarns and a fiberglass braid jacket applied over insulation and is treated with high-temperature saturant
Thermal Aging: Being exposed to a thermal condition or a programmed series of conditions for pre-described periods of time
Thermal Rating: The maximum and/or minimum temperature at which a material will perform its function without undue degradation
Thermal Resistance: Resistance of a substance to conductivity of heat
Thermal Shock: Test to determine the ability of a material to withstand heat and cold by subjecting it to rapid and wide changes in temperature
Thermocouple: A device consisting of two dissimilar metals in physical contact, which when heated will develop an emf output
Thermocouple Element: Thermocouple designed to be used as a part of an assembly, but without associated parts such as the terminal block, connecting head, or protecting tube
Thermocouple Extension Cable: A cable comprised of one or more twisted thermocouple extension wires under a common sheath
Thermocouple Extension Wire: Pairs of wires of dissimilar alloys having such EMF-temperature characteristics complimenting the thermocouple which is intended to be used, that when properly connected allows the EMF to be faithfully transmitted to the reference junction
Thermocouple Lead Wire: An insulated pair of wires used from the couple to a junction box or to the recording instrument
Thermocouple Wire (Grade): Pair of wires of dissimilar alloys having EMG-temperature characteristics calibrated to higher levels than the extension type of thermocouple wire
Thermoplastic: A material that softens when heated or reheated and becomes firm upon cooling
Thermoset: Material that hardens or sets by heat, chemical or radiation cross-linking techniques and which once set cannot be re-softened by heating
Thermoset Wire: Single or multi bare soft solid copper conductor wire that is usually PVC insulated. May be twisted and/or jacketed and may have enameled or nylon covered conductors or a metal armor covering. Could also have a high temperature barrier insulation. Used to transmit electrical signals between the thermostat and the heating or cooling unit
Thermosetting: The term describing insulation that will not re-soften or distort from its formed shape by heating until a destructive temperature is reached
THHN: Nylon jacketed, plastic insulated building wire used in dry locations
THINNET: RG58 type coaxial cable used in local area network configurations
Three Conductor Cable: Three insulated conductors that are assembled with other necessary cable components to form a core and is protected by an overall jacket
Three-Phase Current: A current delivered through three wires, with each wire serving as a return for the other two
Three-Phase Three-Wire System: An alternating current supply system comprising three conductors over which three-phase power is sent
Three-Wire System: A DC or single-phase AC system comprising three conductors, one of which is maintained at a potential midway between the potential of the other two
THW: Plastic insulated, heat, flame, and moisture resistant building wire used in wet and dry locations
THWN: Same as THW except with an overall nylon jacket
THWN-2: Nylon jacketed building wire for wet and dry locations
TIA-569: The standards document governing the design and installation of pathways and spaces for cable used in those pathways and spaces as they relate to commercial buildings
TIA-942: A structured cabling standard developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) to define a guideline for designing, planning and building data centers, particularly with regard to the cabling systems and network design. Standards deal with copper and fiber cabling infrastructure, site space and layout, and environmental considerations including power and cooling
TIA/EIA-568-B: Attempts to define standards that will enable the design and implementation of structured cabling systems for commercial buildings, and between buildings in campus environments
Tight Buffer: A type of fiber optic cable in which each glass fiber is tightly buffered by a protective thermoplastic coating to a diameter of 900 microns
Time-Division Multiplex (TDM): A process or device that can send more than one signal of a single channel by using different time intervals for each signal. Can be done by varying the pulse duration, amplitude, and position
Tin Overcoat (TOC): Stranded tinned copper wire that is coated with tin
Tinned Copper: A tin coating that is added to copper to help in soldering and to slow down corrosion
Tinned Wire: A copper wire that has been coated with a layer of tin or solder to facilitate soldering
Tinsel: An electrical conductor made up of a number of tiny threads, each thread having a fine, flat ribbon of copper or other metal closely spiraled about it. Typically used for small size cables that require limpness and extra-long flex life
Tinsel Cord: Used mostly in the communications field on headsets, handsets, and anywhere that repeated flexibility is needed, an extra flexible cord that is made with tinsel conductors to give the ultimate flexibility
Tinsel Wire: A low voltage, stranded wire where each strand is a very thin conductor ribbon spirally wrapped around a textile yarn
Token Ring: A star-wired ring architecture used from computer LAN data communications
Tolerance: 1) The allowable deviation from a standard especially the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece; 2) The variance between the quantity ordered and the quantity shipped, generally accepted in the wire industry to be plus or minus 10%
Tonkilometer: The transportation of one ton cargo over a distance of one kilometer
Top Coat: Bare (untinned) copper wire, stranded then coated with pure tin
Topology: The physical or logical arrangement of a telecommunications systems
Total Internal Reflection: Total reflection that occurs when light strikes an interface at angles of incidence greater than the critical angle
TPDDI: Abbreviation for Twisted Pair Distributed Data Interface
TPE: Abbreviation for Thermoplastic Elastomer. A highly flexible jacket material
TP-PMD: Abbreviation for Twisted Pair Physical Medium Dependent
Tracer Stripe: When more than one color coded stripe per wire is necessary, the first stripe, usually the widest, is called the base stripe while the remaining thinner stripes are called tracer stripes
Transducer: A device that is used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy
Transfer Impedance: Defined as the ratio of internal longitude in a voltage to external current flow on the cable shield for a specified cable length. It is used to determine shield effectiveness against both the ingress and egress of the current
Transfer Mold: A type of rubber mold. The method of moving the compound into the cavity of the mold. The compound is forced or transferred by pressure, from a cavity in the top of the mold trough sprues into the lower section
Transformer: A device used for transferring electrical energy in an AC current by means of electromagnetic induction
Transition Point: A position in the horizontal cabling where flat under carpet cable connects to round cable
Transmission: The transfer of electric energy from one location to another through conductors or by radiation or induction fields
Transmission Cable: Two or more transmission lines cabled together
Transmission Line: A signal-carrying circuit with one or more insulated conductors arranged to control high-frequency or narrow-pulse electrical energy signals from one locality to another. Synonymous with power line
Transmission Loss: A decrease or loss in power during transmission of energy from one point to another
Transmission Media: Various types of wire and optical fiber cable used for transmitting voice or data signals. Wire cable typically includes twisted pair, coaxial, and twinaxial. Optical fiber cable includes single, dual, quad stranded, and ribbon
Transmitter: A device that changes electrical signals to optical signals over the transmission medium
Transparent: Transmitting rays of light so that objects can be seen through the material
Transposition: Interchanging the relative positions of wires to neutralize the effects of induction to or from other circuits or, to minimize interference pickup by the lead-in during reception
Trap Wire: Low voltage wire that is used at hinge points where severe flexing occurs in burglar alarm systems. Made with tinsel conductors to withstand the repeated flexing
Tray: A unit or assembly of units or sections and associated fittings made of non-combustible materials shaping a rigid structural system used to support cables
Tray Cable: A multi-conductor or multi-pair control, signal or power cable explicitly approved under the National Electrical Code for installation in trays
Triad: A group of three insulated conductors of a single circuit forming a unit that is twisted together with or without an overall sheath. Usually color coded for identification
Triaxial: A three conductor cable with one conductor in the center, a second circular conductor concentric to the first, and a third circular conductor insulated from and concentric with the first and second, usually with insulation and a braid or impenetrable sheath overall
Triaxial Cable: Cable construction having three coincident axes, such as conductor, first shield and second shield all insulated from one another
Triboelectric Noise: Noise generated in a shielded cable due to variations in capacitance between shielding and conductor as the cable is flexed
Triple: A cable possessing three insulated single conductors twisted together. Also called a triplex
True Concentric: Stranded wire or twisted cable in which each successive layer has a reversed direction of lay from the preceding layer
Trunk Cable: Transmission cable from the headend (signal pickup) to the trunk amplifier used in telecommunication or CATV systems
Tubing: A tube of extruded non-supported plastic or metallic material
TV: Abbreviation for Television. The transmission of images by means of radio waves or wires
TV Camera Cable: A portable, flexible cable consisting of several coaxial cables and other conductors cabled together with an overall shield and Neoprene jacketed. Used to carry signals between the camera and transmitter and plates and heater currents to the camera
TW: Designation of thermoplastic insulated wire for use in conduit, underground, and wet locations. A common building wire having a bare soft copper conductor that is either solid or stranded
Twinaxial: A shielded coaxial cable with two central conductors. Often used for short-range, high-speed signaling
Twin Cable: A pair of insulated conductors twisted or laid parallel and/or sheathed or held together mechanically and not identifiable from each other under a common covering
Twin Coaxial Cable: Coaxial configuration containing two completely separate cables laid in parallel or twisted around each other in one complex
Twin Line: Transmission line that has a solid insulating material in which the two conductors are placed in parallel to each other
Twinner: Device used to twist two conductors together
Twin Wire: Pair of insulated conductors that are twisted or bonded together and are not identifiable from each other
Twisted Pair: Two lengths of insulated conductors twisted together without a common covering
Twisted Pair Cable: Cable consisting of individual conductors twisted in pairs around each other. Twisting the conductors around each other reduces the effects of crosstalk
Twisted Triad: Three individually insulated conductors that are twisted together
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U
UF: Thermoplastic single or multi-conductor, with or without ground, used for direct burial underground feeders and branch circuits between buildings, yard lights, floodlights, and similar installations
UG: Abbreviation for Universal Government. Two letter designation that proceeds the number on connectors for coaxial cable
UHF: Abbreviation for Ultra High Frequency. 300 to 3,000 MHz
UL: Abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories. A non-profit independent organization that operates a listing service for electrical and electronic materials and equipment
UL Approved: A product that has been tested and approved to Underwriters Laboratories standards
Unbalanced Circuit/Line: Transmission line in which the voltage on the two conductors are unequal with respect to ground
Unidirectional Concentric Stranding: Stranding in which each successive layer has a different lay length, thereby retaining a circular form without migration of strands from one layer to another
Unidirectional Stranding: All layers of a stranded conductor have the same direction of lay
Unilay: Conductor with more than one layer of helically laid wires with the direction of lay and length of lay the same for all layers
Unilay Conductor: Central core surrounded by one or more concentric layers of helically wound strands in a fixed geometrical arrangement with the direction of lay the same for each layer and the central core
Unilay Strand: A conductor constructed with a central core surrounded by more than one layer of helically laid wires, with all layers having a common length and direction of lay
Unilay Stranding: A bunched construction having 19, 27, 37, or any number of strands that might be found in concentric stranding
Unsintered: Uncured. Usually used to differentiate between cured and uncured PTFE tape
Unswept: A coaxial cable that has not had an attenuation check
URC: Nomenclature for waterproof wire
USASI: Abbreviation for United States of American Standards Institute. Superseded ASA and in turn was superseded by ANSI
USE: Abbreviation for neoprene jacketed Underground Service Entrance cable
UTE: Approval Agency for France; Union Technique de L’Electricite
UTP: Abbreviation for Unshielded Twisted Pair cable
UV: Abbreviation for Ultraviolet
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VA: Abbreviation for Volt-Ampere. A designation of power in terms of volts and amperes
V Band: A band of microwave frequencies
Valley: Any void between the insulated conductors of a cable or between a cable core and its covering
VDE: German Society of Engineers that establishes standards and testing requirements
Vel: Abbreviation for Velocity
Velcro: A set of nylon strips of interlocking barbs on one strip and hooks on another that can be fastened and unfastened repeatedly
Velocity of Propagation (VP): The transmission of speed of an electrical signal to travel down a length of cable compared to speed in air. Usually expressed as a percentage. It is the reciprocal of the square root of the dielectric constant of the cable insulation
Vertical Riser Cable: Power cable for vertical runs in a building with a steel wire armor
VHF: Abbreviation for Very High Frequency. 30 to 300 MHz
Video Pair Cable: Transmission cable containing low loss pairs with an impedance of 125 ohms. Typically used for TV pick-ups, closed circuit TV, telephone carrier circuits, etc.
Virtualization: Lets a single physical source appear as multiple resources; or lets multiple physical sources to appear as a single source. When partitioning one physical server into several virtual machines, you can operate and manage multiple operating systems at once on that single server. Helps to reduce the number of physical servers that a company needs. Also cuts down on energy consumption
Viton: Synthetic family of elastomer for high performance jacketing material. Possesses very good resistance to chemicals, heat, fire, and good mechanical properties
Voice Frequency: Any of the frequencies that are audible to the human ear. Generally ranges from 300 to 3,400 Hz for telephone transmission
Volt: A unit of electromotive force or electrical pressure
Voltage: Term most often used in place of electromotive force, potential or potential difference to denote the electric pressure existing between two points
Voltage Breakdown: Determines the maximum voltage of insulated wire before electrical current leakage through insulation occurs
Voltage Drop: The voltage generated across a component or conductor by the current flow through the resistance or impedance of the component or conductor
Voltage Rating: 1) The system voltage printed on the wire or cable; 2) the highest voltage that can be continuously applied to a wire in conformance with standards or specifications
Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR): The maximum effective voltage measures along the length of a mismatched radio frequency transmission line
Volume Resistivity: Electrical resistance between opposite faces of a one centimeter cube of insulating material. Expressed in ohms per centimeter
vs.: Abbreviation for versus
Vulcanization: Chemical reaction in which the physical properties of an elastomer are changed by reacting it with sulfur or other crosslinking agents
Vutron: Trade name for a rubber compound with specific performance characteristics from General Cable-Carol Cable
VW-1: A flammability rating created by UL for wire and cable that pass a specially designed vertical flame test
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W: 1) Abbreviation for watt; 2) A heavy duty portable power cord in single or multiple conductors with a neoprene jacket; 3) UL designation for a 2kV portable power cable for use outdoors and is tested for sunlight and water requirements for use in mines and similar severe duty applications
W Band: A band of microwave frequencies
Wall Thickness: The thickness of an insulation or jacket
WAN: Abbreviation for Wide Area Network. A network spanning a broad geographical area, providing data communications between computers and peripherals and switching equipment
Water Absorption: The ratio of the weight of water absorbed by a material to the weight of the dry material after a given immersion period
Water Blocked Cable: A multi-conductor cable constructed to have no internal voids in order to prevent water flow or wicking under a given pressure
Water Resistant: A UL designation for cords that have an insulation on the individual conductors that pass specific UL requirements
Watertight Cable: Specially constructed cable with no internal voids in order to allow no longitudinal water passage under a given pressure
Watt: A unit of measure of electric power. It is the power required to do work at the rate of one joule per second
Waveform: Graphical representation of a varying quantity. Horizontal axis is the time while the vertical axis represents the current or voltage value
Waveguide: A transmission line that consists of a suitably shaped hollow conductor that may be filled with a dielectric material and that is used to guide ultra-high frequency electromagnetic waves propagated along its length. The most common waveguide shape are rectangular and cylindrical; the most common dielectric is air. A cylindrical waveguide is sometimes known as a wave duct; one that contains a solid rod of dielectric is a uni-conductor waveguide. If a wide range of frequencies is to be transmitted, a rigid waveguide may be used. The presence of the ridges extends the possible range of frequencies that may be propagated in a particular transmission mode but the transmission is greater than in the equivalent rectangular waveguide
Waveguide Dispersion: Distribution caused by the fact that light travels at different speeds in the core and cladding of single-mode fibers
Wavelength: Distance, measured in the direction of propagation, of a repetitive electrical pulse or waveform between two subsequent points that are characterized by the same phase of vibration
Welding: The process of joining the ends of two wires or groups of wires
Wetting: The ability of a material to absorb moisture
Wicking: The longitudinal flow of a liquid in a wire or cable due to capillary action
Wire: A slender rod or filament of drawn metal
Wire and Cable Marker: The identification marking of wire and cable
Wire and Cable Tying, Clamping, and Harnessing Devices: Tying tapes, lacing cords, and flexible sleevings that are used for wire and cable bundling, harnessing, and holding. Other devices include plastic ties or clamps, or spiral cut plastic tubing and plastic u-shaped trays or ducts
Wire and Lead Cutters: Tools for cutting ranging from plier type cutters to semi-automatic or fully automatic machines integrated with other wire processing operations such as stripping, forming, and terminating
Wire Braid: A flexible wire that is constructed of small size strands woven together in tubular form. Usually used for shielding or connections where constant flexing is required
Wire Gauge: A measure of the diameter sizes of wires starting with the lowest numbers for the largest sizes
Wire Nut: A closed end splice that is screwed on instead of crimped
Wire Wrapped Connection: Solderless connections made by wrapping bare wire around a square or rectangular terminal either by hand or with tools
Wire Wrapping Tools: Portable electric tools and automatic stationary machines used to make solderless wrapped connections of wires to terminals
Wiring Closet: Enclosed space for housing telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and cross-connect cabling. The recognized location of the cross-connect between the backbone and horizontal facilities
Wollaston Wire: An extremely fine platinum wire that is used for electroscope wires, micro fuses, and hot-wire instruments. Produced by coating platinum wire with a sheath of silver, drawing them together into a relatively fine uniform diameter wire, and then dissolving the silver with a suitable acid
Work Area (Work Station): Building space where the occupants interact with telecommunications terminal equipment
Working Voltage: 1) The highest voltage that can be continuously applied to a wire in conformance with the standard or specification; 2) The system voltage printed on the wire or cable
Woven Cables: Method of producing a flat or ribbon type cable by holding the conductors together with thread as a result of a weaving process
Wrapper: Insulating barrier applied as a sheet or tape wrapped around a coil periphery
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X Band: A band of microwave frequencies
X Guide: Transmission line that is used for the propagation of surface waves and consists of a length of dielectric material with an X-shaped cross section
XHHW: High temperature cross-linked polyethylene jacketed small diameter building wire that is heat and moisture resistant
XHHW-2: Heat and moisture resistant cross-linked polyethylene insulated building wire
XL: Abbreviation for Cross-Linked polyolefin
XLP: Abbreviation for Cross-Linked Polyethylene
XLPA: Abbreviation for Cross-Linked extruded Polyalkene
XLPVF: Abbreviation for Cross-Linked extruded Polyvinylidene Fluoride
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Yield Strength: The lowest stress at which a material will start to physically deform without increase in load. Below this stress, the material is elastic; above it, viscous
yrs: Abbreviation for years
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ZDA: Abbreviation for Zone Distribution Area. Acts as a consolidation point for high-fiber-count cabling from the main distribution area or horizontal distribution area to regional areas or zones within the data center. Allows for a one time installation of the backbone cabling and provides flexibility to accommodate frequent reconfigurations at the zone required for moves, adds and changes
Zero-Dispersion Wavelength: A wavelength at which the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber is zero. Occurs when waveguide dispersion cancels out material dispersion
Zip Cord: A parallel cable that can be easily separated by pulling apart