Electrical Cable Types

Electrical cables, also called power cables, are used to connect two or more devices which enable the transfer of electrical signals or power from one device to the other. They provide connection and allow power stations, wired computer networks, televisions and telephones to work. There are different types of electrical cables that vary in configuration, size and performance.

The following are some of the most widely used electrical cables:

Ribbon cable: A ribbon cable is made up of multiple insulated wires that run parallel to each other. This cable is commonly used to interconnect network devices. It is also widely used to connect a motherboard with other core central processing unit components.

Coaxial cable: This cable is specifically designed for use in applications that require high quality, interference free, radio frequency signals. A woven copper shield surrounds the insulating layer of this cable, which is again covered by an outmost plastic sheath. Some common types of coaxial cable include hard line, leaky cable, RG/6, twin-axial, biaxial and semi-rigid.

Twisted pair cable: This cable is commonly used for telephone cabling and wiring of local area network. It is easy to install, flexible and inexpensive. It consists of numerous pairs of insulated copper wires which are twisted around each other.

Shielded cable: A shielded cable is made up of one or more insulated wires that are sealed together by an aluminum Mylar foil or a woven braid shielding. The woven braid shielding prevents the cable from external radio and power frequency interference, thereby allowing the signal transmission to proceed smoothly.