5 Things to Consider When Choosing Industrial Ethernet Cables

As organizations and companies are striving to achieve high performance and reliability accompanied by the seamless reporting and access to data, industrial Ethernet cables are becoming more sophisticated. Flat networks are also evolving to become managed infrastructure. However, many new technologies accompany the systems such as the use of Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) to consider.

Basic principles, however, still apply in network cables. It is also important to use the correct industrial Ethernet cable to get the best performance outlet. Media and network components often cause over 70 percent of all network faults, with operating systems only account for 20 percent application program failures. When network cable failures occur, furthermore, they are often difficult to resolve and diagnose.

When you compare the cost of installing cables and the high cost associated with a network failure, it can amount to thousands of dollars in a minute. It is also clear that it makes sense to install the correct cable for that application.

Let’s use these five steps to select the correct industrial Ethernet cable.

1. Industrial Cable Selection: Environment and Flex factors

The initial step is to understand the environment and flex factors of that particular application.

• High-vibration and on-machine: For cables that can be used in machines, this is a consideration because they will be prone to high temperatures and vibrations. The need for highly-flexible cabling, in this case, should be resistant to torsion and corrosion.
• Moderate vibration/factory floors: For the work areas and factory floors, these cables are often imperative when there are raised levels of vibrations. These cables will also be exposed to the electronic noise, temperature vibrations, UV radiation, abrasion, chemicals, and rough handling.
• Low vibrations/cabinet or control rooms: These cables can be used where vibrations are limited and enclosed environments. In such applications, the right choice is a solid conductor. They can also be future-proofed with a higher bandwidth capability.

1. Industrial Ethernet Cable Selection: Data Rate Requirements

The correct cable and data transmission rates can be determined by:

The Belden Recommended Cable Category can be classified under Cat 5e with two or four pairs or Cat 7.

The Belden Recommended Patch Cord Category Cat 5e with two or four pairs or the Cat 6A category.

These are the main differences between the cables that are needed to achieve the different data transmission rates.

1. Industrial Ethernet Cable Selection: Jacket Options

Depending on the type of applications you chose, again, you can select the right jacket material for your cables to ensure that they perform with ultimate performance. You can choose from the oil-resistant cables, the abrasion resistant cables, the continuous flex cables. For all these types of cables, you can also choose their specific attributes such as the good mechanical strength, the general purposes, low some when burnt, flame redundant, very good resistance to coolants and oils, excellent for flexing and applications, high tolerance to solvents, high flex, and outstanding resistance to abrasion.

1. Industrial Ethernet Cable Selection: Shielded vs. Unshielded

In most environments, the unshielded cables can also be used. For the high-noise environments, the shielding can be applied. When a braid or foil is used to protect the signal’s integrity, shielding is often used. It can also be used to screen out noise or interference. For you to provide extra noise protection and durability, a braid or foil combination is used.

1. Industrial Ethernet Cable Selection: Bonded or Twisted-Pair Conductors

There are two aspects of such characteristic cables in this case. The first is the stranded versus solid conductors and the options coupled up with the considerations. The bonded versus the twisted pair construction is the second aspect. Bonded pairs provide resistance to the rigorous aspects of cable installations. The twisted pair is also susceptible to the pair gaping during the installation process.

The difference between success and failure in the system is always made in choosing the right cables. However, you will never get it right if you chose the wrong cable.