Glossary

Glossary


µA. Microampere	One-millionth of an ampere (10-6).
AAR	Association of American Railroads .
Abrasion Resistance	Ability of a wire, cable or material to resist surface wear.
Absorption	Physical phenomenon that attenuates light traveling in fibers by converting it into heat, thereby raising the fiber's temperature. Absorption results from impurities and defects in the glass structure.
AC	Alternating Current. Current in which the charge-flow periodically reverses and is represented by 1 = 1 º cos (2 f + f) where, 1 is the current, 1 º is the amplitude, (f) the frequency, (f) the phase angle.
AC Alternating Current (AC)	Current in which the charge-flow periodically reverses.
AC Resistance	The total resistance offered by a device in an alternating current circuit due to inductive and capacitive effects, as well as the direct current resistance .
Accelerated Aging	A test in which voltage, temperature, etc., are increased above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration in a relatively short period of time. The plotted results give expected service life under normal conditions.
Accelerator	A chemical additive which hastens a chemical reaction under specific conditions.
Acceptance Angle	The half-angle of the cone within which all incident light is totally internally reflected by the fiber core. For graded index fibers, acceptance angle is a function of position on the entrance face of the core.
Accordian	(1) A retractile cable with a series of equally-spaced transverse folds. (2) A connector contact with a Z shaped flat spring to permit high deflection without overstress.
ACM	Aluminum conductor material.
Activator	A chemical additive used to initiate the chemical reaction in a specific chemical mixture .
Active Current	In an alternating current, a component in phase with the voltage. The working component as distinguished from the idle or wattless component.
Active Pressure	In an AC circuit, the pressure which produces a current, as distinguished from the voltage impressed upon the circuit.
Adapter	A device that enables any or all of the following a) different sizes or types of plugs to mate with one another or to fit into a telecommunications outlet/connector; b) the rearrangement of leads; c) large cables with numerous wires to fan out into smalle
Adapter-Fiber	A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors. Often referred to as a 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 Bonded	Cables bonded by adding an adhesive coating to the surface of the cable components, then joining and curing the adhesive to form a cable. See Bonded Cables.
Adjacent Conductor	Any conductor next to another conductor either in the same multi-conductor cable layer or in adjacent layers.
Administration	The method for labeling, identification, documentation and usage needed to implement moves, additions and changes of the telecommunications infrastructure.
Admittance	The measure of the ease with which an alternating current flows in a circuit. The reciprocal of impedance.
AEIC	Association of Edison Illuminating Companies
Aerial Cable	A cable suspended in the air on poles or other overhead structure
Aging	The change in properties of a material with time under specific conditions.
AIA	Aluminum Interlocked Armor.
Air Core	A 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 Coaxial Cable	One in which air is essentially the dielectric material. A spirally wound synthetic filament, beads, or braided filaments may be used to center the conductor.
Air-Handling Plenum	A designated area, closed or open, used for environmental air.
Alligator Clip	A mechanical device shaped like alligator jaws used as a temporary connection on the sod of interconnections wire.
Alloy	A combination of two or more metals to form a new or different metal having specific or desirable qualities.
All-Rubber Cable	A cable in which all interstices between conductors are filled with rubber compound.
ALPETH	Telephone cable sheath employing a corrugated aluminum shield and an outer polyethylene jacket.
ALS	A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous, closely fitting aluminum tube.
Alternating Current (AC)	Electric current that continually reverses its direction. It is expressed in cycles per second (hertz or Hz).
Alternating Voltage	The voltage developed a cross a resistance or impedance through which alternating current is flowing.
Aluminum Conductor	An aluminum wire or group of wires not suitably insulated to carry electrical current.
Aluminum-Steel Conductor	A composite conductor made up of a combination of aluminum and steel wires.
ALVYN	A cable sheath consisting of a coated corrugated aluminum (AL) shield and an outer polyvinyl chloride (VYN) jacket.
Ambient Temperature	The temperature of the medium surrounding an object. Generally a lower temperature than the temperature at which the cable is operating.
American Wire Gauge (AWG)	The standard system used for designating wire diameter. The lower the AWG number, the larger the diameter. Also called the Brown and Sharpe (B&S) wire gauges.
Ampacity	The maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations. (Same as Current Carrying Capacity.)
Ampere (AMP)	The unit of cur rent. One ampere is the current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential.
Ampere's Law	The magnetic intensity at any point near a current carrying conductor can be computed on the assumption that each infinitesimal length of the conductor produces at the point of an infinitesimal magnetic density. The resulting magnetic intensity at the poi
Amplitude	Height of a waveform that represents signal strength.
Analog	A signaling format that uses continuous physical variables such as voltage amplitude or frequency variations to transmit information.
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 to a reflecting surface.
Angle of Refraction	Angle formed between a refracted ray and the normal to the surface. This angle lies in a common plane with the angle of incidence.
Anneal (Soften)	To subject to high heat with subsequent cooling. When annealing copper, the act of softening the metal by means of heat to render it less brittle.
Annular Conductor	A number of wires stranded in three reversed concentric layers around a core.
Annunciator	A signaling device, usually electrically operated, that gives an audible or visual signal (or both) when energized.
Anode	The electrode through which a direct current enters the liquid, gas or other discrete part of an electrical circuit; the positively charged pole of an electro-chemical cell.
ANSI	The American National Standards Institute.
Anti-Oxidant	A substance which prevents or slows down oxygen decomposition (oxidation) of a material exposed to air.
Anti-Ozonant	A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction.
Appliance Wire and Cable	Appliance wiring material is 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.
Aramid Yarn	Strength elements that provide tensile strength, support, and additional protection of fiber bundles. It is commonly referred to as Kevlar (a DuPont trademark).
Arc Resistance	The time required for an arc to establish a conductive path in a material.
Area of Conductor	The size of a conductor cross-section, measured in circular mils, square inches, etc.
Armor	A braid or wrapping of metal, usually steel or aluminum, used for additional mechanical protection in harsh environments.
ASA	The American Standards Association, former name of ANSI.
ASME	The 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 the American Society for Testing and Materials, a non-profit industry-wide organization which publishes standards, methods of test, recommended practices, definitions and other related materials.
Attenuation	The decrease in magnitude of the power of a signal in transmission between points. Attenuation is usually measured in decibels per unit length at a specific frequency.
Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio (ACR)	The difference between attenuation and crosstalk, measured in dB, at a given frequency. Important characteristic in networking transmission to assure that signal sent down a twisted pair is stronger at the receiving end, after being attenuated, than are a
Audio Frequency	The range of frequencies audible to the human ear. Usually 20-20,000 Hz.
AWG	Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge.
B & S Gauge	The same as American Wire Gauge (AWG).
Backbone	The main portion of network cabling, connecting equipment rooms or communications closets. These cables often have the largest number of fibers and/or the longest continuous cable runs.
Backbone Cable or Wire	Cable or wire found in the backbone, see Backbone.
Backscattering	The scattering of light in a direction opposite to the original one.
Balanced Circuit	A circuit so arranged that the impressed voltages on each conductor of the pair are equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity with respect to ground.
Balanced Line	A cable having two identical conductors which carry voltages opposite in polarity and equal in magnitude with respect to ground.
Balun	A device for matching an unbalanced coaxial transmission line to a balanced two-wire system.
Band Marking	Repeated circumferential bands applied to a conductor at regular intervals for identification.
Banded Cable	Two or more cables banded together by stainless steel strapping.
Bandmarking	A circumferential color band applied to an insulated conductor at regular intervals for identification.
Bandwidth	(1) The difference between the upper and lower limits of a given band of frequencies. Expressed in Hertz. (2) A measure of the maximum frequency range over which light intensity exiting a waveguide one kilometer in length can be varied before the attenua
Bank Wire	An insulated wire used for the interconnection of selector switches in automatic telephone exchanges.
Bare Conductor	A conductor not covered with insulating material.
Barrel-Packed	Method of coiling into a fiber drum for shipment.
Baseband	In data transmission, the use of a dedicated end-to-end connection to carry a single channel only.
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.
Basic Conductor Load	The limiting conductor-load per unit length assumed for the purposes of design.
Battery Cable	A single conductor cable, insulated or uninsulated, used for carrying current from batteries to the point power is needed.
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.
Beaded Coax	Coaxial cable with a dielectric consisting of beads made of various materials.
Bedding	A layer of material applied to a cable immediately below the armoring.
Bell Wire	Insulated copper wire for making doorbell and thermostat connections in homes.
Belt	Number of layers of insulation on a conductor, or number of layers of jacket on a cable.
Belted-Type Cable	Multiple conductor cable having a layer of insulation over the assembled insulated conductors.
Bend Loss	A form of increased attenuation caused by (a) having an optical fiber curved around a restrictive radius of curvature or (b) microbends caused by minute distortions in the fiber imposed by externally induced forces.
Bend Radius	Radius of curvature that a fiber optic or metallic cable can bend without any adverse effects.
Bifilar	A winding made non-inductive by winding together (as one wire) two wires carrying current in opposite directions.
Billion Conductor Feet (BCF)	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.
Bimetallic Wire	A wire formed of two different metals joined together (not alloyed). It 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	A device for clamping or holding electrical conductors in a rigid position.
Bit	One binary (0 or 1) digit.
Bit Rate	The rate at which binary or code information is transmitted over a communicating channel. Measured in bits per second.
Blown Jacket	Outer cable covering applied by controlled inflation of the cured jacket tube then pulling the cable through it.
Bond Strength	Amount of adhesion between bonded surfaces, e.g. in cemented ribbon cable.
Bondable Wire	An insulated wire treated to facilitate adherence to materials such as potting compounds. Also, magnet wires used in making coils when bonding the turns together is desired .
Bonded Cable	Cable consisting of pre-insulated conductors or multi-conductor components laid-in parallel and bonded into a flat cable. See Solvent-Bonded, Adhesive-Bonded and Film Bonded.
Bonded Construction	An insulation construction in which the glass braid and nylon jacket a re bonded together.
Bonded Flat Cable	Flat cable consisting of individually insulated conductors lying parallel and bonded together: application in electronics, telecommunications or computers.
Bonding	The permanent joining of metallic parts to form 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	An insulated or uninsulated conductor 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	A device inserted into a line (or cable) to increase the voltage.
Boot	(1) Protective covering over a cable, wire or connector in addition to the normal jacketing or insulation. (2) A form placed around wire termination of a multiple-contact connector to contain the liquid potting compound before it hardens.
BPF	Billion paired feet.
Braid	A fibrous or metallic group of filaments interwoven in cylindrical form to form a covering over one or more wires.
Braid Angle	The smaller of the two angles formed by the shielding strand and in the axis of the cable being shielded.
Braid Carrier	A spool or bobbin on a braider that holds one group of strands or filaments consisting of a specific number of ends. The carrier revolves during braiding operations.
Braid Ends	The number of strands used to make up one carrier. The strands are wound side-by-side on the carrier bobbin and lie parallel in the finished braid.
Braiding Machine	Machine used to apply braids to wire and cable and to produce braided sleeving and braids for tying or lacing purposes. Braiding machines are identified by the number of carriers.
Brake Wire	Wire used in mobile-home, travel and truck trailers to supply current to the electrical braking system.
Breakdown (Puncture)	A disruptive discharge through the insulation.
Breakdown of Insulation	Failure of an insulation resulting in a flow of current through the insulation. It may be caused by the application of too high voltage or by defects or decay.
Breakdown Voltage	The voltage at which the insulation between two conductors breaks down.
Breakout	The point at which a conductor or group of conductors breaks out from a multi-conductor cable to complete circuits at various 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 applications for intra- or inter-building requirements.
Bridge	A device used to expand a local area network by forwarding frames between data link layers.
Bridged Tap	The 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	In data transmission, the use of a carrier signal, rather than direct modulation, to carry several simultaneous channels.
Buffer	Coating used to protect optical fiber from physical damage. Types include tight buffer (indoor) or loose tube (outdoor).
Buffing Stripper	A 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	A space in which the joining of inter- or intra-building telecommunications backbone facilities takes place. An entrance room may also serve as an equipment room.
Building Wire	Wire used for light and power in permanent installations utilizing 600 volts or less. Usually in an enclosure and which will not be exposed to outdoor environments .
Bunch Strand	Any number of conductor strands twisted together in one direction with the same lay length.
Bunched Stranding	A group of strands twisted together in a random manner and the same direction without regard to geometric arrangement of specific strands.
Buncher	A machine that twists wires together in random arrangement.
Bundle	Several individual fibers contained 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 Cable	A cable installed directly in the earth without use of underground round conduit. Also called Direct Burial Cable.
Buried Distribution and Service Wires	Telephone wires which are designed to provide buried service extensions from distribution cables to the subscriber's protector.
Bus	Wire used to connect two terminals inside of an electrical unit.
Bushing	A mechanical device used as a lining for an opening to prevent abrasion to wire and cable.
Butt	Joining of two conductors end-to-end, with no overlap and with the axes in line.
Butt Splice	A splice where two wires from opposite ends butt 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 Rubber	A synthetic rubber with good insulating properties (i.e. low voltage cords).
Byte	Typically a group of eight binary digits.
C.S.A.	An abbreviation for the Canadian Standard's Association. (The Canadian counterpart of Underwriters' Laboratories.)
Cable	A stranded conductor with or without insulation and other coverings (single-conductor cable) or a combination of conductors (multiple-conductor cable). In fiber optics, a jacketed fiber or jacketed bundle in a form which can be terminated.
Cable Assembly	Typically, the cable and associated connectors that is ready to install.
Cable Bend Radius	The radius that a fiber can be bent before risking increased attenuation or fiber breaks.
Cable Clamp	A device used to give mechanical support to the wire bundle or cable at the rear of a plug or receptacle.
Cable Clamp Adapter	A mechanical adapter that attaches to the rear of a plug or receptacle to allow the attachment of a cable clamp.
Cable Core	The portion of an insulated cable lying under a protective covering.
Cable Core Binder	A wrapping of tapes or cords around the conductors of a multiple-conductor cable used to hold them together.
Cable Filler	The material used in multiple conductor cables to occupy the spaces formed by the assembly of components forming a core of the desired shape (normally cylindrical).
Cable Rack	The vertical or horizontal open support (usually made of aluminum or steel) that is attached to a ceiling or wall.
Cable Sheath	The overall protective covering applied to cables.
Cable Tray	A ladder, trough, solid-bottom or channel raceway system intended for, but not limited to, the support of telecommunications media (i.e., cable).
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	A 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.
Cable-in-Duct	System for direct burial in which a flexible conduit is extruded over electrical cables for a single pre-assembled unit.
Cabling	(1) A combination of all cables, wire, cords and connecting hardware; (2) Twisting together two or more insulated conductors by machine to form a cable. In fiber optics, a method by which a group or bundle of fibers is mechanically assembled.
Cabling Factor	Used in the formula for calculating the diameter of an unshielded, unjacketed cable. D = Kd, where D is the cable diameter. K is the factor and d is the diameter of one insulated conductor.
Campus	The building and grounds of a complex (i.e. a university, college, industrial park or military establishment).
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)	A non-profit independent organization which operates a listing service for electrical and electronic materials and equipment. The Canadian counterpart of the Underwriters Laboratories.
Capacitance	The ratio of the electrostatic charge on a conductor to the potential difference between the conductors required to maintain that charge. Units expressed in Farads.
Capacitance Unbalance	The inequalities of the capacitances of the wires of a telephone circuit to other wires or to earth which will produce interference. Various forms of unbalance arise according to the circuits concerned in the measurement, hence side-to-side, pair-to-pair
Capacitance Unbalance to Ground	An inequality of capacitance between the g round capacitance of the conductors of a pair which results in a pickup of external source energy, usually from power transmission lines.
Capacitance, Direct	The capacitance measured directly with all other conductors, including shield, short circuited to ground.
Capacitance, Mutual	The capacitance between two conductors with all other conductors, including shield, short circuited to ground.
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.
Capillary Action	The phenomenon of liquid rising in a small interstice due to surface tension.
Carrier	The woven element of a braid consisting of one or more ends (strands) which creates the interlaced effect. Also, a spindle, spool, tube, or bobbin (on a braiding machine) containing yarn or wire, employed as a braid.
CATV	Acronym for Community Antenna Television.
CBO	Rubber insulated Brewery Cord.
CCITT	Abbreviation for Consultative Committee of International Telegraph and Telephone.
CCTV	Acronym for Closed-Circuit Television.
CE Code, CEC	Canadian Electrical Code
CEBEC	Belgium Approval Agency; Comite Electrotechnique Belge Service de la Marque.
CEE	European Standards Agency; International Commission on Rules for the Approval of Electrical Equipment.
Cellular Plastics	Expanded or foam, consists of individual closed cells of inert gas suspended in a plastic medium, resulting in a desirable reduction of the dielectric constant.
CENELEC	European Standards Agency; European Committee for Electrotechnical Norms.
Central Member	A material located in the middle of a cable that provides extra strength and anti-buckling properties.
Central Office	The place where communications common carriers terminate customer lines and locate switching equipment that interconnects those lines.
Certificate of Compliance (C of C)	A written statement; normally generated by a Quality Control Department, which states that the product being shipped meets customer's specifications.
Certified Test Report (CTR)	A report providing actual test data on a cable. Tests are normally conducted by the Quality Control Department to confirm that the product being shipped conforms to specifications.
Changing Current	The current produced when a D.C. voltage is first applied to conductors of an unterminated cable. It is caused by the capacitive reactance of the cable, and decreases exponentially with time.
Characteristic Impedance	The impedance that, when connected to the output terminals of a transmission line of any length, makes the line appear infinitely long. The ratio of voltage to current at every point along a transmission line on which there are no standing waves.
Charge	The quantity of electricity held statically in a condenser or an insulated conductor.
Chlorinated Polyethylene (CPE)	A polymerized ethylene resin that has been treated or combined with chlorine or a chlorine compound.
Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE)	A rubbery polymer used for insulations and jackets. Manufactured by Dupont under the tradename of Hypalon.
Chromatic Dispersion	Spreading of a light pulse caused by the difference in refractive indices at different lengths.
Cigarette Wrap	Tape insulation wrapped longitudinally instead of spirally over a conductor.
Circuit	A complete path over which electrons can flow from the negative terminals of a voltage source through parts and wires to the positive terminals of the same voltage source. When the continuity of the circuit is broken it is called an open circuit: when con
Circuit Sizes	A popular term for building wire sizes 14 through 10 AWG .
Circular Mil (cmil)	A measurement used for the are a of wire, calculated by squaring the diameter. 1 circular mil = (.001) 2 x 10 6
Cladding	A method of applying a layer of metal over another metal where the junction of the two metals is continuously welded. In fiber optics, a sheathing intimately in contact with the core of a higher refractive index material which serves to provide optical i
Clamping Voltage	Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rates the clamping voltage of surge protectors. The lower the rating, the better the protection.
Clorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE)	A rubbery polymer used for insulations and jackets. Manufactured by DuPont under the trade name of Hypalon.
Closed End Splice	An insulated splice in which two or more wires overlap and enter the splice from the same end of the barrel.
Closet, Telecommunications	An enclosed space for housing telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and cross-connect cabling. The closet is the recognized location of the cross-connect between the backbone and horizontal facilities.
Coating	A material applied to the surface of a conductor to prevent environmental deterioration, facilitate soldering or improve electrical performance.
Coaxial Cable	A cable consisting of two cylindrical conductors with a common axis, separated by a dielectric.
Coaxial Connector	A connector that has a coaxial construction and is used with coaxial cable.
Coherent Source	A light source which emits a very narrow, unidirectional beam of light of one wavelength (monochromatic).
Coil Effect	The inductive effect exhibited by a spiral-wrapped shield, especially above audio frequencies.
Cold Bend	A laboratory test procedure whereby a sample of wire or cable is wound around a mandrel of a specified size at a specified temperature for a given number of turns at a given rate of speed and examined for defects.
Cold Flow	Permanent deformation of the insulation due to mechanical force of pressure (not due to heat softening).
Cold Joint	A soldered joint made with insufficient heat.
Cold Test	Any test to determine the performance of cables during or after subjection to a specified low temperature for a specified time.
Cold Work	The hardening and embrittlement of a metal by repeated flexing action.
Color Code	A color system for circuit identification by use of solid colors, tracers, braids, surface printing, etc.
Commercial Building	A building or portion thereof, that is intended for office use.
Common Axis Cabling	In multiple cable constructions, a twisting of all conductors about a common axis with two conductor groups then selected as pairs. This practice yields smaller diameter constructions than does a separate axis construction, but tends to yield greater sus
Common Carrier	An organization that provides regulated telephone, telegraph, telex and data communications systems.
Common Mode	Noise caused by a difference in ground potential. By grounding at either end rather than both ends (usually grounded at source) one can reduce this interference.
Compact Conductor	Stranded conductor rolled to deform the round wires to fill the normal interstices between the wires in a strand.
Compatibility	The ability of dissimilar materials to exist in mutual proximity or contact without changing their physical or electrical properties.
Composite (Clad) Wire	A wire having a core of one metal with a fused outer shell of different metals.
Composite Cable	A cable containing more than one type or gauge size of conductors (I.e. power and control conductors in one assembly).
Composite Conductor	Two or more strands of different metals assembled and operated in parallel.
Compound	An insulating or jacketing material made by mixing two or more ingredients.
Compression Cable	A pipe type cable in which the pressure medium is separated from the insulation by a membrane or sheath.
Concentric	A central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically wound strands in a fixed round geometric arrangement.
Concentric Strand	A strand that consists of a central wire or core surrounded by one or more layers of spirally laid wires.
Concentric Stranded Conductors	Manufactured to ASTM, ICEA, and CSA standards. The most common fixed installation type conductors are : 1) Round-no diameter reduction: 2) Compressed-approximately 3% diameter reduction; 3) Compact-approximately 10% diameter reduction.
Concentric Stranding	A group of uninsulated wires twisted so as to contain a center core with one or more distinct layers of spirally wrapped, uninsulated wires laid overall to form a single conductor.
Concentricity	In a wire or cable, the measurement of the location of the center of the conductor with respect to the geometric center of the circular insulation.
Concentric-Lay Cable	A concentric-lay conductor, or a multiple-conductor cable composed of a central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically laid insulated conductors.
Conductance	The ability of a conductor to carry and electric charge. The ratio of the current flow to the potential difference causing the flow. The reciprocal of resistance.
Conductivity	The capacity of a material to carry electrical current that is usually expressed as a percentage of copper conductivity (copper being 100%).
Conductor	A wire (or combination of wires not insulated from one another) suitable for carrying electric current.
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 (Electrical Raceway)	A rigid or flexible metallic or non-metallic raceway of circular cross section through which wire and cables can be pulled or housed.
Connecting Hardware	A device providing mechanical cable terminations.
Connector	A device used to physically and electrically connect two or more conductors. Also used to physically connect cable to equipment.
Connector Return Loss	Amount of power reflected from the connector to connector interface, typically expressed in decibels.
Contact	The part of a connector which actually carries the electrical current. Contacts are touched together or separated to control the flow of electricity.
Contact Inspection Hole	A hole in the cylindrical rear portion of contact used to check the depth to which a wire has been inserted.
Contact Size	The largest size wire which can be used with the specific contact. Also, the diameter of the engagement end of the pin.
Contacts	The parts of a connector which actually carry the electrical current, and are touched together or separated to control the flow.
Continuity Check	A test to determine whether electrical current flows continuously throughout the length of a single wire or individual wires in a cable.
Continuous Vulcanization	Simultaneous extrusion and vulcanization of rubber-like (thermoset) coating materials. Often referred to as CV.
Contrahelical	Cable spiraling in an opposite direction than the preceding layer within a wire or cable.
Control Cable	A multi-conductor cable made for operation in control or signal circuits.
Controlled Impedance Cable	Package of two or more insulated conductors where impedance measurements betweenrespective conductors are kept essentially constant throughout the entire length.
Copolymer	A compound resulting from the polymerization of two different monomers.
Copper Clad	Steel with a coating of copper welded to it before drawing as opposed to copper-plated. Synonymous with Copperweld.
Copperweld	The trade name of Flexo Wire Division (Copperweld Steel Corp.) for its copper-clad steel conductors.
Cord	A small, very flexible insulated cable constructed to withstand mechanical abuse. (Note: There is no sharp dividing line with respect to size between a cord and a cable, but generally, a cord is considered to be a size No. 10 and smaller )
Cord, Telecommunications	A cable using stranded conductors for flexibility as in distribution cords or line cords. Line cords can also use tinsel conductors.
Cordset	Portable cords fitted with a wiring device at one or both ends.
Core	In cables, a component or assembly of components over which other materials are applied, such as additional components, shield, sheath, or armor. In fiber optics, the transparent glass or plastic section with a high refractive index through which the ligh
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 of electricity which appears around a conductor when the potential gradient at the surface of the conductor exceeds a certain 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.
Corrosion	The process or result of a material being eaten or worn away, usually by chemical reaction.
Counterpoise	Bare copper, usually soft drawn, buried around the perimeter of a structure for grounding purposes. When grounding electrical transmission towers - usually running parallel to the overhead lines along the right-of-way. A grounding installation employed wh
Coupling Efficiency	Efficiency of optical power transfer between two components.
Coupling Loss	Signal losses 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	The calculated percentage which defines the completeness with which a metal braid covers the underlying surface. The higher percentage of coverage, the greater the protection against external interference .
Covering	Textile braid or jacket of rubber plastics, or other materials applied over wire and cable to provide mechanical protection and identification.
CPE	Chlorinated polyethylene can be used as either a thermoplastic or thermoset. It is a 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. Typi
Crazing	The minute cracks on the surface of plastic materials.
Creep	The dimensional change with time of a material under a mechanical 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 different 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 the termination of cable elements and their interconnection, and/or cross-connection, primarily by means of a patch cord or jumper.
Crosslinked	Inter-molecular bonds between long chain thermoplastic polymers by chemical or electron bombardment means. The properties of the resulting thermo-setting material are usually improved.
Cross-Sectional Area	The area of the cut surface of an object cut at right angles to the length of the object.
Crosstalk	Undesired electrical currents in conductors caused by electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling from other conductors or from external sources. Also, leakage of optical power from one optical conductor to another.
CSA	Abbreviation for Canadian Standards Association, a non-profit independent organization which operates a listing service for electrical and electronic materials and equipment. The Canadian counterpart of the Underwriters Laboratories.
C-SJ	Same as SJ except extra-flexible conductor.
C-SJO	Same as SJO except extra-flexible conductor.
CSPE	Insulating and jacketing compound based on chlorosulfonated polyethylene. Also known as Hypalon (DuPont registered trademark).
Cure	To change the physical properties of a material by chemical reaction, by the action of heat and catalysts, alone or in combination, with or without pressure.
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 transfer of electricity. Practical unit is the ampere which re presents the transfer of one coulomb per second. In a simple circuit, current (I) produced by a cell or electromotive force (E) when there is an external resistance (R) and intern
Current Carrying Capacity (Ampacity)	The maximum current an insulated conductor can safely carry without exceeding its insulation and jacket temperature limitations.
Current Penetration	The depth a current of a given frequency will penetrate into the surface of a conductor carrying the current
Current, Alternating (AC)	An electric current that periodically reverses direction of electron flow. The number of full cycles occurring in a given unit of time (one second) is called the frequency of the current.
Current, Direct (DC)	Electrical current whose electrons flow in one direction only; it may be constant or pulsating as long as their movement is in the same direction.
Customer Premises	Building(s) with grounds and appurtenances (belongings) under the control of the customer.
Cut-Through Resistance	The ability of a material to withstand mechanical pressure, usually a sharp edge of prescribed radius, without separation.
CV	Abbreviation for continuous vulcanization.
Cycle	The complete sequence of alternation or reversal of the flow of an alternating electric current. (See Hertz.)
D.C.	Abbreviation for Direct Current.
Decibel (dB)	A unit to express differences of power level. Used to express power gain in amplifiers or power loss in passive circuits or cables.
Delay Line	A cable made to provide very low velocity of propagation with long electrical delay for transmitted signals.
Demarcation Point	A point where the operational control or ownership changes.
DEMKO	Approval agency of Denmark.
Depth of Crimp	Thickness of the crimped portion of a connector measured between two opposite points on the crimped surface.
Derating Factor	A factor used to reduce the current carrying capacity of a wire when used in environments other than that for which the value was established.
Detector	A device that picks up light from fiber and converts the information into an electrical signal.
Device, As Related to a Work Station	An item such as a telephone, personal computer, or graphic or video terminal.
Device, As Related to Protection	A protector, a protector mount, a protector unit or a protectomodule.
Dielectric	1) Any insulating medium which intervenes between two conductors and permits electrostatic attraction and repulsion to take place across it; 2) A material having the property that energy required to establish an electric field is recoverable in whole or
Dielectric Absorption	That property of an imperfect dielectric whereby there is an accumulation of electric charges within the body of the material when it is placed in an electric field.
Dielectric Breakdown	The voltage at which a dielectric material is punctured, which is divisible by thickness to give dielectric strength.
Dielectric Constant (K)	The ratio of the capacitance of a condenser with dielectric between the electrodes to the capacitance when air is between the electrodes. Also called Permittivity and Specific Inductive Capacity (SIC).
Dielectric Loss	Power dissipated in an insulating medium as the result of the friction caused by molecular motion when an AC Electric field is applied.
Dielectric Strength	The voltage which an insulation can withstand before breakdown occurs. Usually expressed as a voltage gradient (such as volts per mil).
Dielectric Test	A test in which a voltage higher than the rated voltage is applied for a specified time to determine the adequacy of the insulation under normal conditions. Sometimes called a "Hi-Pot" test (high potential).
Diffraction	Phenomenon that results when light passes by an opaque edge or through an opening, generating weaker secondary wavefronts. These secondary wavefronts interfere with the primary wavefronts as well as with each other to form various patterns.
Digital	A data format that uses discrete or separate physical levels to contain information.
Digital Signal	A signal in which the data is represented by a series of discrete steps or pulses.
Dip Coating	An insulating coating applied to the conductor by passing the conductor through an applicator containing liquid insulating medium.
Direct Burial Cable	A cable installed directly in the earth.
Direct Capacitance	The capacitance measured directly from conductor to conductor through a single insulating layer.
Direct Current (DC)	An electric current which flows in only one direction.
Direct Current Resistance (DCR)	The resistance offered by any circuit to the flow of direct current.
Direction of Lay	The lateral direction in which the strands of a conductor run over the top of the cable conductor as they recede from an observer looking along the axis of the conductor or cable. Also applies to twisted cable.
Discrete Wiring	Wire or wires having distinct identity and purpose.
Dispersion	Spread of the signal delay in an optical waveguide. It consists of various components: 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 signa
Disruptive Discharge	A sudden, large increase in current through an insulation medium due to the complete failure of the medium under the electrostatic stress.
Dissipation Factor	The tangent of the loss angle of the insulating material. (Also referred to as loss tangent, tand and approximate power factor.)
Distribution Cable	In telecommunications and CATV systems, the transmission cable between the distribution amplifier and the drop wire .
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.
Disturbed Conductor	A conductor that receives energy generated by the field of another conductor or an external source such as a transformer.
Drain Wire	The uninsulated wire in contact with an electrostatic shield throughout its length, in an instrumentation or control cable, used to discharge unwanted signals. Also provides a means of terminating laminated shields. Sometimes used to describe the metalli
Draw Feed Stock	Rod or wire that is subsequently drawn to a smaller size.
Drawing	In the manufacturing of wire, pulling the metal through a die or series of dies for reduction of diameter to a specified size.
Drop Ceiling	A ceiling that creates an area or space between the ceiling material and the structure above the material. Synonym: False Ceiling, Suspended Ceiling.
Drop Wire	A telephone cable, usually consisting of one insulated telephone pair, which is used to connect a subscribers premises to open wire lines on poles.
DRT	Plastic range and dryer cord (CSA).
Dual Coaxial Cable	Two individually insulated conductors laid parallel or twisted and placed within an overall shield and sheath.
Duct	(1) A single enclosed raceway for wires or cables. Also Conduit, Raceway; (2) a single enclosed raceway for wires or cables usually used in soil or concrete, (3) an enclosure in which air is moved. Generally part of the HVAC system of a building.
Ductile	Capable of being drawn out or hammered thin, or of being flexed or bent without failure.
Duplex	Referring to a type of data transmission, either half or full. Half duplex permits only one-way communication. Full duplex allows simultaneous two-way transmission.
Duplex Cable	(1) A cable composed of two insulated single conductor cables twisted together. (2) A cable composed of two fibers typically 62.5/125 mm Multi-Mode, placed in parallel under a thermoplastic sheath.
Duplex Parallel	Typically used in the thermo-couple industry to denote two parallel conductors of dissimilar metals insulated in parallel without twist and jacketed. Commonly applied to thermo-couple grades and extension wires.
Durometer	A measure of hard n e s s .
E	A symbol for voltage. Usually used to represent direct voltage or the effective (root-mean-square) value of an alternating voltage.
Earth	British terminology for zero reference ground.
Eccentricity	Like concentricity, a measure of the center of a conductor's location with respect to the circular cross section of the insulation. Expressed as a percentage of displacement of one circle within the other.
Eddy Current	Circulating currents induced in conducting materials by varying magnetic fields.
EEMAC	Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association of Canada (U.S. counterpart is NEMA).
EFTS	Abbreviation for Electronic Funds Transfer System.
EIA	Abbreviation for Electronic Industries Association.
Elastomer	A rubber or rubber-like material which will stretch repeatedly to 200 percent or more and return rapidly and with force to its approximate original shape.
Electrode	A conductor through which a current enters or leaves a nonmetallic conductor.
Electrolysis	The production of chemical changes by passage of current through an electrolyte.
Electrolytic Tough Pitch	A term describing the method of raw copper preparation to ensure a good physical and electrical grade copper finished product containing less than 1/10 of 1% impurities. (ASTM B5.)
Electromagnetic	Pertaining to the combined electric and magnetic fields associated with movements of electrons through conductors.
Electromagnetic Coupling	Energy transfer by means of a varying magnetic field.
Electromagnetic Field	A rapidly moving electric field and its associated moving magnetic field.
Electromagnetic Induction	The production of a voltage in a coil due to a change in the number of magnetic lines of force (flux linkages) passing through the coil.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)	Flowing currents generate magnetic fields. Depending on the strength and proximity, these magnetic fields can induce unwanted current in nearby conductive media, negatively affecting signal transfer.
Electromotive Force (E.M.F)	Pressure or voltage. The force which causes current to flow in a circuit.
Electronic Wire and Cable	A length of conductive or semiconductive material used in an electronic application.
Electrostatic	Pertaining to static electricity or electricity at rest. A constant intensity electric charge .
Electrostatic Shield	A copper or laminated aluminum/mylar tape wrap around a signal or instrumentation circuit (pair, triad, etc.) to protect from the electric field radiated by a voltage source. The grounded shield intercepts static interference and carries it off to ground.
Electro-Tinned	Electrolytic process of tinning wire using pure tin.
Elongation	The fractional increase in the length of a material stressed in tension.
Elongation at Break	The tensile strain in a test piece stretched to breaking point, the conditions being such that the stress is substantially uniform over the cross - section.
Embossing	A marker identification by means of thermal indentation leaving raised lettering on the sheath material of cable.
Emergency Overloads	Loads which occur when larger than normal currents are carried through a cable or wire over a short period of time.
EMI	Abbreviation for electromagnetic interference.
EMRC	Energy Mines and Resources Canada
Enameled Wire	A conductor with a baked-on enamel film insulation. In addition to magnet wire, enameled insulation is used on thermocouple type wires and other wires.
End Finish	Quality of the surface at an optic-fiber's end, commonly described as mirror, mist, hackle, chipped, cracked, or specified by final grit size used in polishing.
Ends	In braiding, the number of essentially parallel wires of threads on a carrier.
Energize	To apply rated voltage to a circuit or device in order to activate.
Entrance Facility, Telecommunications	An entrance to a building for both public and private network service cables (including antennae) including the entrance point at the building wall and continuing to the entrance room or space.
Entrance Point, Telecommunications	The point of emergence of telecommunications conductors through an exterior wall, a concrete floor slab, or from a rigid metal conduit or intermediate metal conduit.
Entrance Room or Space, Telecommunications	A space in which the joining of inter- or intra-building telecommunications backbone facilities takes place. An entrance room may also serve as an equipment room.
EPDM	Ethylene-propylene-dene monomer rubber. A material with good electrical insulating properties.
EPR	Ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber. A material with good electrical insulating properties.
Equal Load Sharing	An even distribution of current between the parallel cables in a power circuit.
Equilay	More than one layer of helically laid wires with the direction of lay reversed for successive layers, but with the length of lay the same for each layer.
Equipment Room, Telecommunications	A centralized space for telecommunications equipment that serves the occupants of the building. An equipment room is considered distinct from a telecommunications closet because of the nature of complexity or the equipment.
ESTA	Australian approval agency, Electricity Trust of South Australia.
Etched Wire	A process applied to fluoro plastic wire in which the wire is passed through a sodium bath to create a rough surface to allow epoxy resin to bond the fluoro plastic.
Ethernet	A local area network (LAN) which uses the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) access method on a bus topography.
ETPC	Abbreviation for electrolytic tough pitch copper. It has a minimum conductivity of 99.9%.
Exit Angle	The angle between the output radiation vectors and the axis of the fiber or fiber bundle.
External Interference	The effects of electrical waves or fields which cause sounds other than the desired signal; static.
External Wiring	Electronic wiring which interconnects subsystems within the system.
Extruded Cable	Cable with conductors which a re uniformly insulated and formed by applying a homogeneous insulation material in a continuous extrusion process.
Extrusion	The process of continuously forcing a plastic or elastomer and a conductor core through a die, thereby applying a continuous coating of insulation or jacket to the core or conductor.
F.P.A.	General Cable's trademark for polyethylene fused to aluminum for use as cable shielding.
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration.
False Ceiling	A ceiling that creates an area or space between the ceiling material and the structure above the material. Synonym: Drop Ceiling, Suspended Ceiling.
Farad	The standard unit of capacitance. A one farad capacitor is one in which a one coulomb charge produces a one volt potential difference between the plates.
Fatigue Resistance	Resistance to metal crystallization which leads to conductors or wires breaking from flexing.
FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface)	A standard for a 100 Mbs fiber optic area network.
Feedback	Energy that is extracted from a high-level point in a circuit and applied to a lower level. Positive feedback reduces the stability of a device and is used to increase the sensitivity or produce oscillation in a system. Negative feedback, also called inv
Feeder Cable	In telecommunication or CATV systems, the transmission cable from the head end (signal pickup) to the trunk amplifier. Also called a Trunk Cable.
Feedthrough	(1) A conductor that connects patterns on opposite sides of a PCB. Also called Interfacial Connection; (2) A connector or terminal block, usually having double-ended terminals which permit simple distribution and bussing of electrical circuits.
Feed-Through Insulators	Insulators that carry a metal conductor through the chassis while preventing the 'hot' lead from shorting to the ground chassis.
FEP	Fluorinated ethylene propylene, a melt extrudable fluorocarbon resin. Teflon is a DuPont registered trademark.
Ferrous	Composed of and/or containing iron. A ferrous metal exhibits magnetic characteristics (i.e. steel armor).
Ferrule	A short tube used to make solderless connections to shielded or coaxial cable.
Fext	Far end crosstalk.
FI	Approval agency of Finland; Electrical Inspectorate.
Fiber	A single, separate optical transmission element characterized by core and cladding.
Fiber Channel	A high speed point-to-point, ANSI Optical Communications Standard that supports data transfer rates up to 1,062.5 Mbs (1 Gps).
Fiber Cleaving	Controlled fracture of an optical fiber along a crystalline plane which results in a smooth surface.
Fiber Dispersion	Pulse spreading in a fiber caused by differing transit times of various modes.
Fiber Optics	A lightwave or optical communications system in which electrical information is converted to light energy transmitted to another location through optical fibers, and is there converted back into electrical information.
Fiber Tubing	A loose, crush-resistant cylinder applied over individual fibers to provide mechanical protection.
Field	An area of influence around a magnet or electric charge.
Field Coil	A suitable insulated winding to be mounted on a field pole to magnetize.
Figure 8 Cable	An aerial cable configuration in which the conductors and the strand which supports the cable are integrally jacketed. A cross-section of the finished cable approximates the figure eight.
Filament	Fiber characterized by extreme length.
Filled Cable	A telephone cable construction in which the cable core is filled with a material that will prevent moisture from entering or passing through the cable.
Filler	(1) A material used in the cable to fill large interstices between electrical components; (2) A substance, often inert, added to a compound to improve properties and/or decrease cost.
Film	A thin plastic sheet.
Fine Stranded Wire	Stranded wire with component strands of 36 AWG or smaller.
Firestop	A 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	Fixture wires according to the National Electrical Code are designed for installation in lighting fixtures and in similar equipment where enclosed or protected and not subject to bending or twisting in use. They also are used for connecting lighting fixtu
Flame Resistance	The ability of a material not to propagate flame once the heat source is removed.
Flame Retardance	Ability of a material to p revent 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 support combustion.
Flammability Test	A 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 this source.
Flashover	A disruptive discharge around or over the surface of a solid or liquid insulator.
Flat Braid	A woven braid of tinned copper strands rolled flat at time of manufacture to a specified width.
Flat Cable	A cable with two smooth or corrugated but essentially flat surfaces.
Flat Conductor	A wire having a rectangular cross section as opposed to round or square conductors.
Flat Conductor Cable	A cable with a plurality of flat conductors.
Flat Under Carpet Cable	A cable containing one or more cores, each formed of a group of wires, the diameters of the wires being sufficiently small to afford flexibility.
Flex Life	The measurement of the ability of a conductor or cable to withstand repeated bending before breaking.
Flexibility	The ease with which a cable may be bent without sustaining damage.
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.
Flexible Cable	A cable containing one or more cores, each formed of a group of wires, the diameters of the wires being sufficiently small to afford flexibility.
Floating	Referring to a circuit which has no connection to ground.
Flux	(1) The lines of force which make up an electrostatic field; (2) The rate of flow of energy across or through a surface; (3) A substance used to promote or facilitate fusion .
FNC	Federal Networking Council (formerly FRICC).
Foam Skin Cable	A cable utilizing a foamed polyolefin inner layer covered by a solid polyolefin skin as the conductor insulation.
Foamed Plastics	Plastic insulations having a cellular structure.