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- Properties and types - Understand the basic construction, properties and application of low-, medium-, and high-voltage conductors.
- Conductor Resistance One of the principal reasons for having different size conductors is due to resistance.
- Conductor Coatings Metal coatings are often applied to the surface of individual wire strands in electrical conductors to improve solderability, reduce oxidation (corrosion) or improve electrical properties at high frequencies. Three of the most common coating (plating) materials used with copper conductors are tin, silver and nickel.
- Jacketing Material The cable jacket is the first line of mechanical, moisture, flame and chemical defense for a cable. More specifically, the jacket provides protection for the shielding and conductors. It protects the cable from mechanical damage during and after installation.
- Temperature Ratings The temperature ratings of wire and cable products are key operating parameters. The use of wire and cable products outside their design temperature range can result in premature and often expensive failures in service.
- Conductor Strand Types Compare wire and cable conductor strand types, quickly and easily with clear diagrams and simple explanations.
- American Wire Gauge Also known as Brown & Sharpe Gage, AWG is the United States' standard method for denoting the cross-sectional areas of round, solid conductors. The cross-sectional area is useful in determining a conductor's current-carrying capacity and resistivity.
- Wire and Cable Ampacity Ratings Ampacity is the maximum current (measured in amperes or more simply, amps) an insulated conductor can safely carry without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations.
- Insulation Levels Cable insulation is designed to withstand the voltage stresses a cable will experience over its expected lifetime. An insulation level defines various insulation thicknesses within a single voltage rating. The two most common levels are 100 percent and 133 percent.
- Cable Jacket Types 101 Almost every cable has a jacket and for good reason: jackets help mechanically protect the insulation and conductor core of the cable. Without a jacket, cables are susceptible to abrasion, heat damage and oxidation damage, as well as weather-related damage.
- Overview of Common Field Tests Field tests can be broadly grouped into three categories: acceptance, maintenance and fault location testing.
- Wire Wisdom TOC Providing answers to some of the most frequently asked electrical and electronic wire and cable technical questions.
- Basics of Fiber Optics [PDF] Fiber optics, which is the science of light transmission through very fine glass or plastic fibers, continues to be used in more and more applications due to its inherent advantages over copper conductors.
- ICEA Standards Be knowledgable of Insulated Cable Engineers Association Standards
- Power Cable Testing and Diagnostics Overview This article provides an overview into some of the commonly used maintenance and diagnostic techniques that are commercially available for performing tests in the field on medium- and high-voltage power cables.
�Getting Started