Frequently Asked Questions

Watch this video for a brief walkthrough of how to use our FAQs section to quickly find the answer to any common question about our products.

To find answers to frequently asked questions, simply click on the product categories below for more information.

OSP – Central Office Cable

A common carrier switching center facility that is conveniently located in areas to serve subscriber homes and businesses. They provide telephony services (lines) that are connected on what is known as a local loop. The central office contains switching equipment that can switch calls locally or to long-distance carrier telephone offices.

A local loop is the wired connection from a telephone company’s central office. The system was originally designed for voice transmission only using analog transmission technology on a single voice channel. Today, computer modems make the conversion between analog signals and digital signals. With Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), the local loop can carry digital signals directly and at a much higher bandwidth than they do for voice only. Today, local loops may include a digital loop carrier system segment or a fiber optic transmission system referred to as fiber-in-the-loop.)

Historically, cable with tin copper conductors were selected and terminated in Central Offices by soldering the wire to a distribution frame terminal. As soldering has decreased, the tin copper conductor for this application has remained. Today tinned conductors are preferred to wire wrap onto tinned binding posts on various transmission pieces of equipment within central offices, remote terminals and premise telephone wire rooms. Tinned copper conductors with their associated insulation materials provide outstanding stripability, flexibility, and resistance to corrosion along with a gas–tight connection, which is electrically equivalent to a soldered connection from the past.

Yes, Superior Essex manufactures RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products. These cables can be easily identified by the appearance of a RoHS logo located near the standards compliance box of our print and online product specification sheets. (Keep in mind that the most current information is available online.)

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products and became effective July 1, 2006. RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE).

General information on RoHS compliance is available on our Web at RoHS Compliance as well as on the RoHS website.

To obtain a stand-alone documents for a specific part number(s), contact your inside sales manager. He or she can provide the documentation.

If you have other questions concerning RoHS compliant cables manufactured by Superior Essex, please contact Technical Support at 877.263.2818 or via email.

OSP – Copper Cable

Copper Premises and Outside Plant (OSP) cables from Superior Essex have a 300 volt working voltage capability when used in communication circuit applications.

Communications cables, commonly referred to as low voltage cables, are not required to be marked with a voltage rating or listed as such by any listing or testing organization.

Although not marked, our copper premises products have a 300-volt rating meeting the requirements of UL Standard 444, which states that wires listed as CMR or CMP are qualified for a 300-volt rating.

In OSP cables, the voltage capability is purposefully omitted from the cable jacket, replaced with a telephone handset to avoid confusion in the field with high voltage power cables.

The working capability of traditional 300-volt applies to OSP copper telecommunications cables manufactured in compliance to specifications including PE-39, PE-89, PE-86, Telcordia GR-421-CORE and GR-492-CORE as well as newer EnduraGain™ OSP Category 5, 5e, 6 and 6A designs.

As a rule of thumb, make sure the diameter of your duct is at least 1.15 times greater than the diameter of your cable, or one-half trade size larger in diameter than the diameter of the cable you plan to install.

When using pulling eyes, the diameter over the pulling eye becomes the most critical element to sizing conduit.

You can estimate the diameter over the pulling eye (de) to be: de < 1.1 x dc (dc equals the cable diameter). Keep in mind that multiple runs, grade changes and multiple bends can reduce the usable space.

ANSI/TIA/EIA-758, Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Cabling Standard, requires the use of a minimum 4 inch conduit.

The current designs and materials utilized in the manufacture of Superior Essex filled OSP copper cables, including our EnduraGain™ OSP (CAT 5e, CAT 6) designs, are suitable for use at temperatures of -55° C.

Excellent cold temperature performance is often taken for granted by users of Superior Essex cable products. Industry standards specify cold performance at -20° C, which is well above the low temperature in many parts of the Northern states and Canada. A cable that merely meets industry standards would manifest itself in extreme temperatures as a jacket/insulation crack or a voltage failure, both of which could result in service problems.

When installing self-supporting copper cables, determine the storm loading district where the installation will take place. Storm Loading districts are defined in the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) for the continental United States, but may be further defined by state and/or local codes and ordinances.

Once identified, the loading district along with the product / pair count and AWG can be used to access guidelines for span lengths, sag and tension data. Learn more about Sag and Tension Guidelines by clicking the link here.

Chemicals can degrade the cable jacket material, depending on both the jacket material and the chemical. Before choosing a cable with a standard jacket material in areas where chemicals are present, contact Superior Essex at 800.551.8948 for alternative jacketing options that are resistant to the specific chemical(s) in question.

For example, a jacket made of PVDF (fluoropolymer) or nylon (polyamide) will impart specific resistance to a number of classes of chemical compounds compared to standard materials of which cables are typically made.

This response addresses “noise” as indicated by test set measurements and primarily related to power influence. Keep in mind that moisture or water is absolutely the major cause of noise audible to the customer. Conductor deterioration from water in a cable, water on the faceplate of a terminal or condensation causing current flow between two splice connectors will cause noise. Water is public enemy number one when it comes to copper cables. That is why we go to the lengths that we do to fill, flood, encapsulate and generally seal the cables from water intrusion.

The primary cause of noise is proximity to electrical power cables. Proximity does not mean that the power and communications cables are touching. High voltage transmission lines can and do induce fields at great distances from their physical location. Transformers and some electrical equipment can generate “noise” in an improperly grounded cable. The electrical fields generated by these power cables induce unwanted harmonics into the cable that manifests itself in what is commonly referred to as “noise”.

The metallic shield of a cable, when properly grounded at each end, effectively cancels the effect of the power induced noise. In conjunction with surge protection devices it helps to protect the cable, associated terminals and customer equipment from damage caused by voltage surges as would be caused by lightening.

Other sources of noise are loose conductor splice connectors, improperly terminated conductors, loose or improperly installed shield bond connectors, proximity to a radio station transmitter. By code, communication cables, power neutrals, and metallic water pipes should have a common ground potential when all are present in a residence or commercial building. This is a safety measure as well as a “noise” prevention issue.

Removal of the filling compound can be achieved by simply wiping the conductors with a clean, soft cloth or paper towel. Suitable commercial cleansers are typically available from your local distributor. When choosing a commercial cleanser, care should be taken to insure that the cleanser is designed for use on telecom products. Other cleanser types may contain solvents which are not compatible with the cable insulation causing the insulation degradation.

The standard alligator-type bonding clamps are commonly referred to as cable bonding and grounding connectors or shield bond connectors. Throughout much of the telephone industry they are also called “B Bond Clamps” and are found in sizes 1, 2, or 3. They may be used for grounding both aerial and underground OSP cables and the clamp size is determined by the cable diameter. When selecting a shield bond connector the type of shield must be taken into consideration. There are three shield configurations currently being deployed.

Type one addresses the bare shield (aluminum, bronze, etc.) which is easily separated from the jacketing. With bare shield tapes, the shield bond connector attaches directly to the shielding without involvement of the jacket.

Type two addresses the coated shield which does not bond to the jacket. Designs which utilize coated shield tapes which do not bond to the jacket can be treated in a manner identical to the bare shield with one important consideration – the bond connector must have “prongs” which penetrate the coating and make contact with the underlying shield material.

Type three addresses the coated shield which “bonds” to the jacket. Designs which utilize coated shield tapes which “bond” to the jacket require a clamp which makes a sandwich of the jacket and coated shield. Clamps used for this design require prongs which penetrate the coating and attach securely. For these designs, there is no need to separate the shield from the jacket.

Manufacturers of these clamps include 3M, Electric Motion, Preformed Line Products and ABB Installation Products (formerly Thomas and Betts), and most if not all can be used in all three of the circumstances described above. The clamps are available from your cable distributor.

Outside plant cables are not rated for UL CMR or CMP listing and when used inside buildings the National Electrical Code* requires the cable be placed inside metal conduit (NEC article 800-50, exception 2). In addition to NEC regulations, special state, county and local building/fire codes may apply when engineering projects utilizing this type of cable.

The NEC allows OSP cable to be extended from the outside a maximum of 50 feet to allow a termination to be made.

The recommended minimum bend radii for corrugated single shield tape designs is 12 times the cable diameter.

The recommended minimum bend radii for corrugated dual shield tape designs is 15 times the cable diameter.

The recommended minimum bend radii for flat, single, shield tape designs is 15 times the cable diameter.

The Superior Essex OSP copper cables have a 300 volt working voltage capability when used in communication circuit applications.

Communications cables are not formally voltage rated or listed as such by any listing or testing organization. OSP designs are manufactured to industry specifications that require, without failure, voltage testing between conductors and between the conductors and shield. This information is included in the electrical specification portion of each products catalog sheet.

Outside plant (OSP) copper cables are designed based on a life expectancy of 30 years. Raw materials and finished cables are tested using life-cycle test procedures. OSP cable designs are available with many shielding options to accommodate a variety of installation environments. Choosing the appropriate shielding system for your environment will provide the greatest chance for 30+ years of trouble free service.

Standard gel-filled OSP copper cables are designed for water-prone areas, but for applications that require the cable to be under significant water pressure (e.g., ponds, lakes or rivers) we recommend additional mechanical protection for the cables. By specifying one or two additional steel shields along with an additional over-jacket, the cable can be used for water depths of 40 feet or more. Superior Essex designates cables with this extra protection as “+M” (for one additional steel armor) or “+2M” (for two additional steel armors).

Superior Essex also recommends that the span under water be no longer than one reel length so that the length of the cable under water does not require splices or a connection point close to the water edges.

Even with the added protection of additional steel armoring, caution must be taken during placement of the cable to protect it from external hazards such as rocks, boat anchors and boat propellers. This can be accomplished by placing the cable in a conduit. The added protection of steel armoring, plus a conduit, offers the maximum protection for short underwater crossings.

The cable should be placed and secured at the bottom of the body of water, to prevent the cable from floating to the surface.

Yes, Superior Essex manufactures RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products. These cables can be easily identified by the appearance of a RoHS logo located near the standards compliance box of our print and online product specification sheets. (Keep in mind that the most current information is available online.)

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products and became effective July 1, 2006. RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE).

General information on RoHS compliance is available on our Web at RoHS Compliance as well as on the RoHS website.

To obtain a stand-alone documents for a specific part number(s), contact your inside sales manager. He or she can provide the documentation.

If you have other questions concerning RoHS compliant cables manufactured by Superior Essex, please call Technical Support at 877.263.2818 or via email.

OSP – Fiber Cable

Yes; our composite optical fiber cables are manufactured with any combination of glass types. These custom-made cables require production lead time and minimum order quantities when ordered.

No; to prevent crushing the tight buffer cable, you would need to lash the cable by hand with lashing ties.

Zero Water Peak (ZWP) is an industry term for an optical fiber with improved attenuation over Reduced Water Peak (RWP) optical fiber at the 1383 nm wavelength and overall water peak band (1360 – 1460 nm).

There is no industry standard for ZWP optical fiber and both RWP and ZWP optical fibers meet the requirements of the ITU G.652.D full spectrum optical fiber specification.

There is no measurable impact to loss budgets for original and higher-performance networks.

Superior Essex offers ZWP optical fiber upon customer request.

While technically feasible, mixing 50 µm and 62.5 μm fibers is not recommended. Industry standards typically require uniform fiber types in each link, including patch cords and jumpers. In addition, linking 50 µm and 62.5 μm fibers typically results in higher coupling losses.

Although this fiber is offered by competitors at a premium, Superior Essex offers Teragain 10G/150 as a standard offering for 50 micron multimode requests. With the higher bandwidth available in the TeraGain 10G/150 fiber, customers have built-in future-proofing at no additional cost.

Superior Essex recommends that an armored cable is used in direct bury and underground applications. Armored cables provide superior protection against the rigors of direct burial during installation as well as the long-term hazards such as rodents, rock and the occasional fence or mailbox post. In addition, dielectric cables are not locatable post-installation unless a tone wire is installed along with the cable. This could make the cable more susceptible to excavation damage in the proximity.

An optical fiber is a thin piece of glass used for transmitting optical signals. A fiber is comprised of three layers: the core, cladding, and coating. The core is the area of the fiber where the light is transmitted. The larger the core, the more light that can be transmitted. The cladding is composed of a material with a different optical property than the core. The purpose of the cladding is to reflect the light back into the core so that the light is transmitted through the fiber. The coating is a layer applied to protect the fiber from stress.

The primary reason that optical fibers are specified for certain communications applications relates to the amount of information sent and the distances between sending and receiving points on the network. For most applications where high volumes of telephone voice circuits are to be supported SMF is specified. For moderated data transmission data rated and distances MMF is used. For short distance (< 300ft) and moderate bandwidth, copper is typically used.

Depending upon the application, either a singlemode or multimode fiber will be used. Singlemode fibers have a core diameter of 8.3 microns and are used for long distance transmissions typically in outside plant applications requiring high bandwidth. Multimode fibers are used for transmissions over short distances and are usually identified by their core and cladding diameters. The core/cladding diameter of a multimode fiber can be 50/125, 62.5/125, or 100/140 microns. Multimode fibers are widely used in premise cables and private networks. The size utilized most frequently in the United States is 62.5 micron, while 50 micron fibers are often used in military applications. There is also a type of singlemode fiber referred to as non-zero dispersion shifted fiber. This type of fiber is used in long distance and DWDM applications. Examples of this type of fiber are Corning ‘s LEAF or Lucent Technology’s TrueWave fiber. MetroCor Fiber is a new type of NZDS fiber used in metropolitan ring applications.

A Composite cable contains more than one fiber type in the same cable. For example, a private network application might call for both single-mode and multi-mode fibers. Placing both fiber types in the same cable would result in installation savings since there would be no need to install two separate cables.

A Hybrid cable may contain a combination of optical fibers, twisted pair/quad, coaxial and current-carrying electrical conductor elements as required, under a common outer sheath. 

A Telco Hybrid cable can contain more than one fiber type in the same cable as well as copper elements (typically twisted pairs).

In 5G applications, Hybrid cables offer flexibility for communication, data, or line powering of devices / antennas with all components under the same cable sheath.  Hybrid cables can provide installation and labor savings eliminating the need to install two separate cables.

Superior Essex has approved Corning, Sumitomo, OFS and LS as fiber vendors. These vendors were chosen because the proven quality of their optical fibers ensuring long-term performance and reliability. In addition, these fibers are optically and geometrically compatible because the fiber characteristics are strictly controlled so that each fiber can be spliced to any other fiber with extremely low splice loss.

Superior Essex offers a wide variety of cable core and sheath designs to match the needs of today’s fiber optic network. For indoor applications, a tight buffered design is available and features jackets suitable for riser or plenum applications. For outside plant cables, a loose tube or single tube cable is available for lashed aerial, duct, or direct burial applications. A loose tube riser cable is also offered for indoor/outdoor riser applications. This cable is especially useful in private networks for continuous runs between buildings since this cable may be placed more than 50 feet inside a building.

For premise cables, the jacket color is dependent upon the fiber type in the cable. For cables containing singlemode fibers, the jacket color is yellow. For cables containing multimode fibers, the jacket color is orange. For outside plant cables, the standard color is black, however other customer preferences can be accommodated as well.

Outside plant cables have traditionally utilized loose tube cable designs. In this cable design, the fibers are placed inside plastic buffer tubes having a diameter several times larger than the fiber. Because the fibers are “loose” in the buffer tubes, they can move freely and are protected from the effects of mechanical forces and temperature fluctuations. Also, to protect the fibers from sticking together and to prevent water from causing fiber stress, a gel filling compound is placed inside the buffer tubes. Tight buffer designs, on the other hand, are most prevalent in indoor applications. In this design, the plastic buffer is applied directly over the coating on the fiber to a diameter of 900 microns. Consequently, fibers in tight buffer cables cannot move freely and are not protected as well from the stresses of temperature variations. However, this cable is used for indoor applications where the temperature variations are not extreme. Also, because the fiber in tight buffer cables stretch with the cable, tight buffer cables exhibit great flexibility and ruggedness for frequent handling which is ideal for indoor cables.

Traditionally cable designs have utilized a jelly-flooding compound in the core. By filling the interstitial voids with this compound, the migration of water within the cable has been blocked preventing water ingress along the core. Technological improvements have been made and water migration is now typically prevented by placing dry, water reactive components (Super Absorbent Polymer materials) within the cable core. These SAP components work by forming a gel compound when in contact with water. The gel acts as a barrier by filling the interstices of the core and prevents water penetration. By using cables with a dry core, significant construction savings can be realized because cable access time is reduced by eliminating the step of cleaning the buffer tubes during installation and handling.

Generally speaking a cable can be all-dielectric (containing no metallic components) or armored. All-dielectric cables are typically used in lashed aerial or duct applications. For more strenuous environmental conditions or where rodents are a problem, steel armor and additional jackets can be added for mechanical protection. Armored cables utilize a corrugated electrolytically chrome coated steel (ECCS) tape. The armored cable design is intended primarily for direct buried applications.

Fiber optic cable is currently produced in Brownwood , TX. This facility manufactures fiber optic cables for different applications.

There are two types of self-supporting cable. A Figure 8 cable design features an extra high strength (EHS) stranded steel messenger as its support mechanism. An All-Dielectric Self-Supporting (ADSS) cable uses high modulus aramid yarns to provide high tensile strength and long term reliability. Both self-support cable designs are available from Superior Essex.

All fibers used in Superior Essex cables are color coded to facilitate individual identification. Unless otherwise specified, all cables employ the standard industry color code system in accordance with the Munsell color shades. Per EIA/TIA-598, Color Coding of Fiber Optic Cables, the individual fiber colors are listed below

  1. Blue (BL)
  2. Orange (OR)
  3. Green (GR)
  4. Brown (BR)
  5. Slate (SL)
  6. White (WH) 7 Red (RD)
  7. Black (BK)
  8. Yellow (YL)
  9. Violet (VI)
  10. Rose (RS)
  11. Aqua (AQ)

The Superior Essex standard is 12 fiber buffer tube. However other fiber configurations can be accommodated.

Cable tensile load ratings, also called cable pulling tensions or pulling forces, are specified under short term and long term conditions. The short-term condition represents a cable during installation and it is not recommended that this tension be exceeded. The long-term condition represents an installed cable subjected to a permanent load for the life of the cable. Superior Essex’s loose tube cable designs have a short term (during installation) tensile rating of 600 pounds (2700 N) and a long term (post installation) tensile rating of 200 pounds (890 N).

The minimum bending radius of a fiber optic cable is typically determined by the outside diameter of the cable. Because of this, the minimum bending radius will vary for different cable designs and fiber counts. Observe the following limits when determining the minimum bending radius:

The Minimum Bending Radius must be… Pulled under tension (short term) Twenty times the cable diameter Pulled not under tension (long term) Ten times the cable diameter.

Currently OSP loose tube cables are available in fiber counts up to 288 fibers, while the single loose tube design cables are available in fiber counts up to 96 fibers. For indoor/outdoor applications, the loose tube riser cable is available in fiber counts from 4 – 144 fibers. Depending upon the application, premise cables are available from 1 – 144 fibers.

We offer a stranded tube ribbon, up to 1008 fibers.

Outside Plant (OSP) optical fiber cables are tested to meet or exceed the requirements contained in Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) GR-20-CORE, Generic Requirements for Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable. Our OSP cables are also tested in accordance with the Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP), formerly RUS standard for fiber optic cables. For fiber optic cables intended for premises applications Telcordia GR-409-CORE, Generic Requirements for Premises Fiber Optic Cable and ICEA S-83-596, Standard for Optical Fiber Premises Distribution Cable are used as the qualification standards.

The 3rd edition of the BICSI CO-OSP Design Manual (page 4-22) states “Where the cable contains both single and multimode optical fibers, the singlemode fibers are typically contained within the first group of tubes”. The key word here is typically. Superior Essex will always place the singlemode fibers in the first tube (s) followed by the multimode fibers, unless the customer specifically asks us to do otherwise. Another way to tell is to look at the test results attached to each reel.

Before choosing a cable with a standard jacket material in areas where chemicals are present, contact Superior Essex at 800.551.8948 for alternative jacketing options that are resistant to the specific chemical(s) in question. For example, a jacket made of PVDF (fluoropolymer) or nylon (polyamide) will impart specific resistance to a number of classes of chemical compounds compared to standard materials of which cables are typically made.

SM (single mode) is a form of optical transmission in which a single mode (path) of light travels down a fiber from one end to the other. Multimode is a form of transmission in which many modes of light travel down a fiber simultaneously.

We do not recommend the use of Zip ties for securing fiber optic cables. Due to the common tendency toward over-zealous cinching, zip ties may compromise attenuation performance or in extreme cases cause fiber breakage due to the high level of pressure exerted on the fiber.

Dark fiber is a term used to describe optical fiber that is installed, but not in service and not connected to any device. Dark fiber is usually installed to avoid the expense of having to go back and lay fiber again later.

Yes, Superior Essex manufactures RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products. These cables can be easily identified by the appearance of a RoHS logo located near the standards compliance box of our print and online product specification sheets. (Keep in mind that the most current information is available online.)

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products and became effective July 1, 2006. RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE).

General information on RoHS compliance is available on our Web at RoHS Compliance as well as on the RoHS website.

To obtain a stand-alone documents for a specific part number(s), contact your inside sales manager. He or she can provide the documentation.

If you have other questions concerning RoHS compliant cables manufactured by Superior Essex, please contact Technical Support at 877.263.2818 or via email.

Outside plant (OSP) fiber optic cables are designed based on a life expectancy of 30 years. Raw materials and finished cables are tested using life-cycle test procedures. OSP cable designs are available with shielding and non-shielding options to accommodate a variety of installation environments.

Choosing the appropriate system for your environment will provide the greatest chance for 30 or more years of trouble-free service.

Premises – Copper Cable

Category 6A cabling may be placed unbundled or in adjacent bundles within the same pathway as Category 5e and Category 6 cabling without adversely affecting application performance. Category 5e, 6 and 6A cables may also be placed in the same pathway as optical fiber and both RG-6 and RG-11 coaxial cabling. For additional information of this topic, see TIA TSB-190 Guidelines on Shared Pathways and Shared Sheaths.

Copper Premises and Outside Plant (OSP) cables from Superior Essex have a 300 volt working voltage capability when used in communication circuit applications.

Communications cables, commonly referred to as low voltage cables, are not required to be marked with a voltage rating or listed as such by any listing or testing organization.

Although not marked, our copper premises products have a 300-volt rating meeting the requirements of UL Standard 444, which states that wires listed as CMR or CMP are qualified for a 300-volt rating.

In OSP cables, the voltage capability is purposefully omitted from the cable jacket, replaced with a telephone handset to avoid confusion in the field with high voltage power cables.

The working capability of traditional 300-volt applies to OSP copper telecommunications cables manufactured in compliance to specifications including PE-39, PE-89, PE-86, Telcordia GR-421-CORE and GR-492-CORE as well as newer EnduraGain™ OSP Category 5, 5e, 6 and 6A designs.

Whenever possible, install premises copper cabling at temperatures above freezing. The minimum recommended temperature for installing copper premises cables is -0º C (32º F). At lower temperatures the insulation and jacketing materials may stiffen, become brittle and crack. Wind chill must be considered.

Should it be necessary to install in temperatures below 32F, adhere to the following best practice guidelines.

  • Prior to installation, warm cables in a heated building a minimum of 24 – 48 hours.
  • Remove only the amount of cable which can be installed within 3 – 4 hours.
  • Return cables that were not installed within 4 hours to the heated building for “re-warming”.
  • To avoid cracking of the jacket, service coils should measure a minimum of 10 inches.
  • Avoid terminating cables until the building is enclosed (and heated).

Ignoring these “best practice” recommendations may result in stressing/cracking or kinking of the cable jacket, compromised electrical characteristics, and will void the manufacturers’ warranty.

A plenum ceiling is one that uses the space between the top of the suspended ceiling and the bottom of the floor above to handle air for ventilation. All suspended ceilings are not plenums; some may use HVAC ductwork to move air to returns and diffusers located in the ceiling tiles (a ‘dead’ ceiling). Consult the local code authority to confirm that a suspended ceiling is a plenum. The NEC requires the use of plenum-rated cable (or cable in EMT, rigid or intermediate metal conduit) for plenum spaces but permits general purpose-rated cable in non-air handling ceilings and walls.

However, this requirement may be superseded by local codes; for example, conduit may be required even with plenum cable. Know the local code before installing, or even ordering, the cable.

There is a simple formula to help determine the minimum bend radius: multiply the cable Outer Diameter (OD) times 10 to obtain the minimum bend radius.

Chemicals can degrade the cable jacket material, depending on both the jacket material and the chemical. Before choosing a cable with a standard jacket material in areas where chemicals are present, contact Superior Essex at 800.551.8948 for alternative jacketing options that are resistant to the specific chemical(s) in question.

For example, a jacket made of PVDF (fluoropolymer) or nylon (polyamide) will impart specific resistance to a number of classes of chemical compounds compared to standard materials of which cables are typically made.

Avoid painting over any indoor telecom products. When you must paint near any telecom cabling, remember: the jacketing materials are “porous” and have little resistance to moisture; the paint could alter the flame and/or smoke characteristics of the cable; painting over them would likely obscure the flame rating designations, which are required to be printed on the jacket; and painting the cable voids the product warranty.

Briefly, Article 800.52 (A)(2) of the 2002 NEC code states “Communications wires and cables shall be separated at least 50 mm (2″) from conductors of any electric light, power, Class 1, non-power limited fire alarm, or medium power network-powered broadband communications circuits.” There are two exceptions 1) the use of specially designed and rated raceway having separate channels where “all the communications circuits are encased…” and 2) where the cables are “separated by a continuous and firmly fixed nonconductor, such as porcelain tubes or flexible tubing, in addition to the insulation on the wire.” In addition to the NEC code, your installation may be subject to state, county and local codes and ordinance.

TIA is the Telecommunications Industry Association and represents the Communications sector of the Electronics Industries Alliance (EIA). TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). TIA sponsored committees prepare and write many of the standards addressing performance and compatibility testing.

As of the August, 2011 publication of ANSI/TIA-568-C.2, Category 5 cabling is no longer recognized as an acceptable cable type for commercial and residential applications.

Yes; slack may be necessary to accommodate future cabling system changes. The recommended amount of slack is 10 feet, regardless of media, for the telecommunications closet. At the outlet, the recommended optical fiber slack is three feet, while one foot is recommended for twisted-pair cables.

Yes; Superior Essex offers lifetime warranties for both. Please visit the Warranties section of this website for details, including participating manufacturers.

Yes; Superior Essex offers the Campus Warranty Program- your assurance that the entire campus cabling infrastructure will work as designed, well into the future. Please visit the Warranties section of this website for complete details.

Yes. Superior Essex inclusion in the Graybar VIP 1000 and 2000 programs as well as our being the inaugural member of the ETL (a NRTL) channel verification program exhibits electrical conformance to industry specification.

The maximum recommended pulling tension for 4/24 horizontal cables is 25 LBF and is based on the tensile strength of the copper conductors. Use of excessive force during installation may deteriorate transmission performance.

More commonly referred to as attenuation, insertion loss is the loss of signal power between two points. Items that lead to signal loss are excessive cable length, temperature, humidity, and excess return loss.

Return loss is the ratio of signal power transmitted into a system to the power reflected. An echo best describes return loss. Changes in or mismatched impedance causes signal reflection.

Cobra’s stringent electrical characteristics that far exceed industry specifications ensure this product is the performance leader in its class. With enough headroom to greatly exceed TIA/EIA 568-C specifications, Cobra cable is ideal for installations that require true “future proofing”.

Marathon LAN offers an exceptional value for jobs which require Category 5e compliance at a cost-effective price.

QuickCount is hailed by customers as a major time and money saver as it counts down the remaining cable from 1000 to 0 feet.

Band marking, longitudinal striping and Super Essex ColorTip Identification are all methods by which the conductors making up a pair may be positively identified.

Band marking consists of banding each insulated conductor with the color of the mating conductor. (In the blue/white pair, the blue conductor would have white bands and the white conductor would have blue bands.)

Longitudinal Striping consists of striping the length of the tip conductor with the color of its mating conductor. (In a blue/white pair, the white conductor would have a blue stripe.)

ColorTip is a unique method of pair identification where the pair colors are identified by using a primary color, matched with a pastel shade. (In the blue/white pair, the pairs are distinguished by bright blue matched with a pastel blue shade.) One advantage of this method is the ability to maintain pair integrity in low light environments.

SUPERIOR ESSEX manufactures several types of indoor premises copper cables, for temperature ratings please see Technical Guide TG29 on our website.

The recommended minimum bend radii for unshielded horizontal cables (6 pair or smaller) is 4 times the cable diameter.

The recommended minimum bend radii for unshielded backbone cables (greater than 6 pair) is 10 times the cable diameter. The recommended minimum bend radii for shielded backbone cables (Riser cable- type ArxM) is 12 times the cable diameter.

NEXT loss is a measure of the unwanted signal coupling from a transmitter at the near-end into neighboring pairs measured at the near-end. Faintly hearing the neighbor’s conversation during your own telephone call is an example of crosstalk. In a LAN, NEXT occurs when a strong signal on one pair is picked up by an adjacent pair.

Early LAN protocols only utilized two pairs essentially rendering the other two dormant. Because NEXT is measured by one pair’s effect onto one other pair, the NEXT measurement was adequate. Now, protocols such as Gigabit Ethernet utilize all four pairs in full duplex transmission. PS NEXT addresses this by measuring the individual NEXT effects on any one pair by the other three pairs when all pairs are operating simultaneously.

Propagation delay measures the time required for a signal to propagate from one end of the circuit or pair to the other. Delay is the principal reason for distance limitations for structured cabling.

Propagation delay skew is the propagation delay difference between the slowest and fastest cable pair. Skew is important because again, Gigabit Ethernet uses all four pairs in a cable. The packet of information may be sent over multiple pairs; thus, if one pair is significantly slower than the others, it may be impossible to recombine the original signal.

Bit-Error-Rate (BER) is the ratio of incorrectly transmitted bits to all transmitted bits, over a given time period, from one active device to another. In BER testing, real sample data is transmitted over the appropriate protocol (e.g., 100BASE-T, 10GBASE-T, etc.). The BER test will show the true real-world performance of the network, inclusive of the active components. In contrast, the standard electrical tests performed on the permanent link or channel will provide performance values for the cable and passive components, exclusive of the active equipment. The parameters included in standard permanent link or channel tests include Near-End Crosstalk, Attenuation, Return Loss, Delay, etc.

The advantage of the bit error rate test is that it will show how well your cable network really performs in combination with your active equipment. It is not unusual for a marginally passing cable network to exhibit bit errors when used in combination with lower quality active equipment. The electrical margin built into better performing cable and connectivity products helps overcome such factors.

In addition to being a cable flammability rating, a plenum is a compartment or chamber to which one or more air ducts are connected and that forms part of the air distribution system (i.e. often the space above the drop ceiling).

In addition to being a cable flammability rating, a riser is the pathway for indoor cables that pass between floors. It is normally a vertical shaft or space.

Yes, Superior Essex manufactures RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products. These cables can be easily identified by the appearance of a RoHS logo located near the standards compliance box of our print and online product specification sheets. (Keep in mind that the most current information is available online.)

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products and became effective July 1, 2006. RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE).

General information on RoHS compliance is available on our Web at RoHS Compliance as well as on the RoHS website.

To obtain a stand-alone documents for a specific part number(s), contact your inside sales manager. He or she can provide the documentation.

The minimum recommended bend radius for Augmented CAT 6 designs is 4 times the cable outer diameter (OD).

  • Any plenum-rated optical fiber or copper data cable used in communications applications other than emergency communications circuits,
  • Any riser-rated optical fiber or copper data cable used in communications applications with additional “ST-1” listing (such as HZA and HZD) other than emergency communications circuits,
  • If used within the emergency ventilation air distribution system, any cable meeting one of the two previous requirements and contained in EMT, IMC, or RMC,
  • If used within the emergency communications circuits requiring 1-hour fire rating, no offering.

Proper installation methods per NFPA-130 must be followed. Always check the latest NFPA-130 revision to confirm compliance and check with your AHJ (this information is based on the 2020 NFPA-130 code).

Indoor-rated communications cables are intended for dry locations and thus feature minimal moisture-blocking ability. Water and other liquid contaminants can soak into the cable materials, potentially altering the transmission properties of the cable, particularly those with metallic conductors. Effects may be immediately evident or exhibited later as the water or contaminant degrades the cable materials over time. In addition, the National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that indoor communications cables be “listed” for the application and marked with the listing. Exposure to liquid contaminants, including water, may alter the fire resistance and/or smoke generation properties of the cable, which are defined by the NEC listing.

Superior Essex premises copper and fiber communications cables do not contain UV stabilizers and therefore can fade when exposed to sources of UV light. Indirect sunlight, LED, and other light can be sources of UV. Fading effects can develop depending on the distance from the source, length of exposure, intensity of exposure, and quality of the bulbs, lamps, or LEDs. Typically, UV light penetrates 25-50 microns while Superior Essex jacketing thicknesses are magnitudes thicker. Considering this superficial UV penetration, fading is purely cosmetic and will not negatively impact the mechanical or electrical performance of the cables. However, if a premises cable is being used outside with direct sunlight exposure, an indoor/outdoor version with UV protection should be selected.

Premises – Fiber Cable

Aramid yarns are the strength elements of the cable and specifically used so optical fibers are not damaged during installation. They also provide the mechanism for safely pulling the cable during installation. Pulling a premises optical fiber cable via its jacket is not recommended and highly likely to cause serious damage to the optical fibers.

If a premises optical fiber cable has multiple jackets and aramid yarn layers, remove approximately 12” of each jacket to expose the aramid yarns and then knot all of the yarns together. Attach the pulling line to the yarns and pull the cable using industry standard pulling techniques.

Yes; our composite optical fiber cables are manufactured with any combination of glass types. These custom-made cables require production lead time and minimum order quantities when ordered.

Since there are multiple types of singlemode and multimode glass types available, Superior Essex offers a comprehensive chart, called the Optical Fiber Specifications. This chart lists all of the different glass types and all of the performance parameters for each.

A plenum ceiling is one that uses the space between the top of the suspended ceiling and the bottom of the floor above to handle air for ventilation. All suspended ceilings are not plenums; some may use HVAC ductwork to move air to returns and diffusers located in the ceiling tiles (a ‘dead’ ceiling). Consult the local code authority to confirm that a suspended ceiling is a plenum. The NEC requires the use of plenum-rated cable (or cable in rigid or intermediate metal conduit) for plenum spaces but permits general purpose-rated cable in non-air handling ceilings and walls.

However, this requirement may be superseded by local codes; for example, conduit may be required even with plenum cable. Know the local code before installing, or even ordering, the cable.

Yes; slack may be necessary to accommodate future cabling system changes. The recommended amount of slack is 10 feet, regardless of media, for the telecommunications closet. At the outlet, the recommended optical fiber slack is three feet, while one foot is recommended for twisted-pair cables.

While technically feasible, mixing 50 µm and 62.5 μm fibers is not recommended. Industry standards typically require uniform fiber types in each link, including patch cords and jumpers. In addition, linking 50 µm and 62.5 μm fibers typically results in higher coupling losses.

Although this fiber is offered by competitors at a premium, Superior Essex offers TeraGain 10G/150 as a standard offering for 50 micron multimode requests. With the higher bandwidth available in the TeraGain 10G/150 fiber, customers have built-in future-proofing at no additional cost.

There actually many specific types of optical fibers that have been developed over the years. However, there are three main types of optical fiber used today for standard communications applications.

There are two (2) multimode fibers (MMF): used for relatively short links (< 1.6 miles) or low data rate transmission typically < 1 gigabits per second
a. 50/125 micron
b. 62.6/125 micron

The third type is called singlemode fiber (SMF): used for long distance links, usually well over 2 miles and data rates that are typically in excess of 1 gigabit per second.

The physical differences between these fibers are fairly small with respect to construction. The core area of the fiber, either 50 microns or 62.5 microns, is where the difference lies. Because of the nature of how laser light or light-emitting-diode (LED) light travels down these fibers, the smaller the core usually means a greater ability of the fiber to care information over a given distance. Or the reverse being, the smaller the core the greater the distance a given amount of information (data rate) can be transported. This is the most critical aspect of how optical fibers are specified and where the most activity is spent developing newer and better multimode fibers.

First, it is helpful to understand that loose-tube and loose-buffer are one and the same. The same goes for tight buffer and tight tube. The tight versus loose desciption decribes how the basic fiber is packaged within the finished cable. The names actually describe how the fiber is placed within the overall cable. Loose buffer means that the fibers are placed loosely within a larger plastic tube. Usually 6 to 12 fibers are placed within a single tube. These tubes are filled with a gel-like compound that protects the fibers from moisture or physical stresses that may be experienced by the overall cable. These designed are typically specified and used for outside plant (OSP) applications such as directly buried in the ground, lashed or self-supporting aerial installations and other outside-the-building applications. These cables require addition work when the fibers are to be terminated. The addition work involves cleaning the water-blocking compounds from the cable and fibers as well as the use of “break-out” kits when the individual fibers are to be terminated.

For tight buffer designs, each fiber is coated with a plastic, usually with an outside diameter of 900 micron. Cables that are used inside buildings (ISP) will usually use this design. Tight buffer cables can be manufactured with up to 144, 900 micron fibers and have cable ratings of OFNP or OFNR.

The primary reason that optical fibers are specified for certain communications applications primarily related to the amount of information to be sent and the distances between sending and receiving points on the network. For most applications where high volumes of telephone voice circuits are to be supported SMF is specified. For moderated data transmission data rated and distances MMF is used. For short distance (<300ft) and moderate bandwidth, copper is typically used.

There are many items to consider when determining which cable design is best suited for a specific application.

In a nutshell, fiber optic cable designs types are specified based on where the cable will be installed, the transmission applications that need to be supported, building code requirement, etc.

The basic questions to consider when defining what cable type include:

  1. Is the cable to be installed within a building vs. outside, between buildings?
  2. What are the applications (Ethernet, ATM, etc.) will be supported?
  3. Will the cable be installed vertically between floors and/or horizontally between rooms on a single floor?

Once you determine the answers to the above questions, you can decide which cable will work best with your application.

A composite cable contains more than one fiber type in the same cable. For example, a private network application might call for both singlemode and multimode fibers. Placing both fiber types in the same cable would result in installation savings since there would be no need to install two separate cables.

For premise cables, the jacket color is dependent upon the fiber type in the cable. For cables containing single mode fibers, the jacket color is yellow. For cables containing 62.5 micron multimode fibers the jacket color is orange while cables containing 50 micron multimode fibers will be aqua. For outside plant cables, the standard color is black, however other customer preferences can be accommodated as well.

Traditionally, cable designs have utilized a jelly-flooding compound in the core. By filling the interstitial voids with this compound, the migration of water within the cable has been blocked preventing water ingress along the core. Technological improvements have been made and water migration is now typically prevented by placing dry, water reactive components (Super Absorbent Polymer materials) within the cable core. These SAP components work by forming a gel compound when in contact with water. The gel acts as a barrier by filling the interstices of the core and prevents water penetration. By using cables with a dry core, significant construction savings can be realized because cable access time is reduced by eliminating the step of cleaning the buffer tubes during installation and handling.

Superior Essex OSP fiber optic cables are tested to meet or exceed all of the specifications of Bellcore GR-20-CORE, Generic Requirements for Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable. Superior Essex’ OSP cables also test in accordance to the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), formerly REA, standard for fiber optic cable. For fiber optic cables intended for premise applications, Bellcore GR-409-CORE, Generic Requirements for Premises Fiber Optic Cable, was used as the qualification standard.

SM (single mode) is a form of optical transmission in which a single mode (path) of light travels down a fiber from one end to the other. Multimode is a form of transmission in which many modes of light travel down a fiber simultaneously.

We do not recommend the use of Zip ties for securing fiber optic cables. Due to the common tendency toward over-zealous cinching, zip ties may compromise attenuation performance or in extreme cases cause fiber breakage due to the high level of pressure exerted on the fiber.

Dark fiber is a term used to describe optical fiber that is installed, but not in service and not connected to any device. Dark fiber is usually installed to avoid the expense of having to go back and lay fiber again later.

Although the IEEE 802.3ba standards for 40 Gb and 100 Gb Ethernet are still being formulated, several optical fiber types have already been targeted for use in these standards.

Not surprisingly, single mode fiber is being considered for lengths up to 40 fkm using 10 parallel single mode fiber channels running at 10 Gb/s each. For multimode fiber, the only types in consideration are laser-optimized 50 micron OM3 or the soon-to-be-standardized OM4 fiber with minimum 850 nm Effective Modal Bandwidths of 2000 and 4700 MHz-km, respectively.

Currently, both fibers are used for 10 GbE serial applications for up to 300 and 550 meters, respectively. Unfortunately, no consideration is being given to 62.5 micron multimode fiber at any wavelength and for any length. If you have 62.5 micron fiber installed in your data center, Superior Essex TeraGain 50 micron 10G/300 or 10G/550 should be considered for any upgrade or new installation.

Yes, Superior Essex manufactures RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products. These cables can be easily identified by the appearance of a RoHS logo located near the standards compliance box of our print and online product specification sheets. (Keep in mind that the most current information is available online.)

The Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products and became effective July 1, 2006. RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE).

General information on RoHS compliance is available on our Web at RoHS Compliance as well as on the RoHS website.

To obtain a stand-alone documents for a specific part number(s), contact your inside sales manager. He or she can provide the documentation.

If you have other questions concerning RoHS compliant cables manufactured by Superior Essex, please call Technical Support at 877.263.2818 or via email.

No. In a plenum space, not only does the entire interlock armored cable need to be plenum rated, but the inner component cable(s) must also be plenum rated. The NFPA does not allow the entire cable to be plenum rated – even if it passes the test at a nationally recognized test laboratory (NRTL) – if it has a riser cable on the inside. Further, the cable can’t be considered plenum rated because if the interlock armor is ever removed in a plenum space, the remaining component riser cable would be in violation of the NEC code.

If you have other questions concerning cable ratings, please call Technical Support at 877.263.2818 or via email.

Series 6 (or RG6) refers to the transmission performance of 75-Ohm coaxial cables. Quad shielding indicates that the cable has 4 layers of shielding, providing excellent immunity from noise. (The more layers of shielding, the better the immunity to electromagnetic interference.)

Series 6 Quad coaxial cables are capable of bandwidths exceeding 2 GHz. These cables support technologies such as extended bandwidth satellite service, video distribution, CATV, HDTV, and 2-way modems. These cables are flame rated for indoor installations. Additionally, they are designed to exceed the requirements of TIA/EIA 570-B Residential Telecommunications Standard.

Superior Essex offers a wide variety of cable core and sheath designs to match the needs of today’s fiber optic network. For indoor applications, a tight buffered design is available and features jackets suitable for riser or plenum applications. For outside plant cables, a loose tube or single tube cable is available for lashed aerial, duct, or direct burial applications. A loose tube riser cable is also offered for indoor/outdoor riser applications. This cable is especially useful in private networks for continuous runs between buildings since this cable may be placed more than 50 feet inside a building.

Riser cables, which are OFNR listed (UL 1666), are typically used in vertical applications such as elevator shafts or between floors in a building. Plenum cables, which are OFNP listed (UL 910), are typically used in horizontal applications such as in the air return spaces above ceilings and under structural floors in buildings since they generate little smoke.

For premise cables, the jacket color is dependent upon the fiber type in the cable. For cables containing singlemode fibers, the jacket color is yellow. For cables containing multimode fibers, the jacket color is orange. For outside plant cables, the standard color is black, however other customer preferences can be accommodated as well.

Outside plant cables have traditionally utilized loose tube cable designs. In this cable design, the fibers are placed inside plastic buffer tubes having a diameter several times larger than the fiber. Because the fibers are “loose” in the buffer tubes, they can move freely and are protected from the effects of mechanical forces and temperature fluctuations. Also, to protect the fibers from sticking together and to prevent water from causing fiber stress, a gel filling compound is placed inside the buffer tubes. Tight buffer designs, on the other hand, are most prevalent in indoor applications. In this design, the plastic buffer is applied directly over the coating on the fiber to a diameter of 900 microns. Consequently, fibers in tight buffer cables cannot move freely and are not protected as well from the stresses of temperature variations. However, this cable is used for indoor applications where the temperature variations are not extreme. Also, because the fiber in tight buffer cables stretch with the cable, tight buffer cables exhibit great flexibility and ruggedness for frequent handling which is ideal for indoor cables.

Avoid painting over any indoor telecom products. When you must paint near any telecom cabling, remember: the jacketing materials are “porous” and have little resistance to moisture; the paint could alter the flame and/or smoke characteristics of the cable; painting over them would likely obscure the flame rating designations, which are required to be printed on the jacket; and painting the cable voids the product warranty.

  • Any plenum-rated optical fiber or copper data cable used in communications applications other than emergency communications circuits,
  • Any riser-rated optical fiber or copper data cable used in communications applications with additional “ST-1” listing (such as HZA and HZD) other than emergency communications circuits,
  • If used within the emergency ventilation air distribution system, any cable meeting one of the two previous requirements and contained in EMT, IMC, or RMC,
  • If used within the emergency communications circuits requiring 1-hour fire rating, no offering.

Proper installation methods per NFPA-130 must be followed. Always check the latest NFPA-130 revision to confirm compliance and check with your AHJ (this information is based on the 2020 NFPA-130 code).

Indoor-rated communications cables are intended for dry locations and thus feature minimal moisture-blocking ability. Water and other liquid contaminants can soak into the cable materials, potentially altering the transmission properties of the cable, particularly those with metallic conductors. Effects may be immediately evident or exhibited later as the water or contaminant degrades the cable materials over time. In addition, the National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that indoor communications cables be “listed” for the application and marked with the listing. Exposure to liquid contaminants, including water, may alter the fire resistance and/or smoke generation properties of the cable, which are defined by the NEC listing.

Superior Essex premises copper and fiber communications cables do not contain UV stabilizers and therefore can fade when exposed to sources of UV light. Indirect sunlight, LED, and other light can be sources of UV. Fading effects can develop depending on the distance from the source, length of exposure, intensity of exposure, and quality of the bulbs, lamps, or LEDs. Typically, UV light penetrates 25-50 microns while Superior Essex jacketing thicknesses are magnitudes thicker. Considering this superficial UV penetration, fading is purely cosmetic and will not negatively impact the mechanical or electrical performance of the cables. However, if a premises cable is being used outside with direct sunlight exposure, an indoor/outdoor version with UV protection should be selected.

Premises – Fire Alarm and Security Control Cable

Superior Essex manufactures three types of power-limited fire alarm cables: FPL, FPLR and FPLP.

Type FPL power-limited fire alarm cable is listed by the NEC as suitable for general purpose fire alarm use. All FPL cables are listed as being resistant to the spread of fire and must pass both UL test 1424 and vertical flame test UL 1581.

Type FPLR power-limited fire alarm riser cable is listed as suitable for use in a vertical run in a shaft or from floor to floor. All FPLR cables are listed as having fire-resistant characteristics capable of preventing fire from traveling floor to floor. Riser cables must pass both UL test 1424 and the vertical riser flame test UL 1666.

Type FPLP power-limited fire alarm plenum cable is listed by the NEC as suitable for use in ducts, plenums and other space used for environmental air. All FPLP cables are listed as having adequate fire-resistant and low smoke-producing characteristics and must pass both UL test 1424 and
UL tunnel test 910.

Superior Essex has combined FPL and FPLR into a single category, non-plenum. By utilizing the high-grade product (FPLR for both categories), this eliminates a category and offers the highest rating for both. The second category offered by Superior Essex is the plenum rate group.

Riser rated cable is required when cable is run vertically between multi-story buildings in floor-to-floor wiring riser.

Plenum rated cable is required for jobs where cable is run in return air space. In most buildings this area is above drop ceilings or under raised floors. The materials required to pass plenum standards are much more expensive than non-plenum rated designs.

The difference between power limited cables and non-power limited cables is based on NEC compliance. Non-power limited cables is a fire alarm circuit powered by a source that complies with NEC sections 760-21 and 760-23. Power limited cables is a fire alarm circuit powered by a source that complies with section 760-41. Superior Essex offers Power Limited Fire Alarm cables (300 Volts Maximum).

Fire alarm cables are placed into two broad categories: plenum, and non-plenum. Each corresponds to the application. Plenum cable, to be used in ducts or other enclosed air spaces, is called FPLP; non-plenum cable, to be used in applications such as surface wiring or general use wiring FPL; cable, which can be used in applications that go vertically from floor to floor, FPLR. All names reflect where the fire alarm cable can be installed safely. Once you know where you will install the cable, you know in which category plenum or non-plenum, to make your selection.

Superior Essex CategoryNEC / UL ListingSuitable ApplicationsSubstitutions
Non-PlenumFPLR and FPLVertical runs in a shaft or from floor to floor and general purpose useCM, CMR, CL3R, CMP
PlenumFPLPDucts, plenums and other space used for environmental airCMP, CL3P

In the US, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plays an important role in standards because it publishes the National Electrical Code (NEC). This document regulates the installation of electric wiring and equipment and should definitely be considered before starting a project.

ASTM International and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) also design tests and standards for a wide variety of wire and cable, including those used for fire alarm and security applications. In Canada, CSA International does work similar to the UL in the US and can help ensure compliance with the Canadian Electrical Code. A cable with multiple listings (FPLR/CL3R/CMR) is an optimum choice.

There are many safety precautions such as voltage, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, etc., that should be considered in choosing any kind of electrical cable, including fire alarm and security control cables. However, there are some notable fire-related safety precautions to consider as well. First is the fire resistance of the cable (i.e. will it burn and/or how long will it burn?) Another is smoke propagation (i.e. how much will it give off if it comes in contact with fire?). These considerations should be made when choosing any type of electrical cable, but they are especially important in the case of fire alarm and security control cable, which must function in emergency situations and under extreme conditions.

Most safety concerns (including these fire-related ones) are regulated by the UL, NEC, and other standards organizations and guidelines. The NEC outlines acceptable limits for burning and smoke emissions while the UL and other organizations are responsible for the development of various flame tests cables must pass in order to be considered safe for use.

ListingProtection Level
FPLGood fire and smoke protection
FPLRBetter fire and smoke protection
FPLPBest fire and smoke protection

All installations must follow guidelines established by the National Electric Code (NEC). Below are some basic practices to remember when installing power-limited fire alarm systems. For a more in-depth review of requirements and installation guidelines, refer to the NEC.

  1. All cables must be UL listed. Check all cables for the proper markings. Refer to NEC Article 760.
  2. All cables must comply with local wiring requirements.
  3. Only use conductors made of copper.
  4. Test wiring for grounds, short circuits and open faults before the system is placed in operation.
  5. Always use the proper gauge of wire to avoid line loss.
  6. Avoid interference when routing wiring.
  7. Installation shall be made to prevent the spread of fire from floor to floor.
  8. A minimum of 6 inches of free conductor is required in each electrical box to facilitate termination.
  9. All wiring must be terminated with UL listed devices.
  10. Consider local codes. Most states and cities adopt the NEC. A few states and cities amend the NEC recommendations regarding cable requirements. Any variances in code are easy to obtain through local officials. Check the local codes to determine if the NEC has been adopted in your area.

Addressable fire alarm systems using advanced electronics allow the fire alarm panel to communicate with each base individually using a sophisticated polling process. In some instances, more than 100 devices can be located on a single pair of wires. Due to this need for faster and clearer signal transfer, the capacitance of the cable has become a concern.

Yes, our non-plenum series has sunlight resistant, UV protection. Plenum has its own rating.

All cables are available on 1,000 foot premium black plastic ribbed spools. Other packages such as Reel-In-Box or poly-bagged coil packs and smaller quantities are available upon request. All packaging is tangle free.

The NEC (National Electrical Code) is a highly regarded handbook resources and considered the most comprehensive document on electrical safety. The NEC explains current code requirements and discusses pertinent code changes. Articles of the NEC are specific to certain wire applications.

Article 725 pertains to power limited circuit cables and used for low voltage security purposes.

Article 760 pertains to fire cables used for fire alarms.

Article 800 pertains to communication circuits, voice, and data cables used for communication of video, data, or voice.

Superior Essex Fire Alarm and Security Control cables are offered with a one year Warranty.

Indoor-rated communications cables are intended for dry locations and thus feature minimal moisture-blocking ability. Water and other liquid contaminants can soak into the cable materials, potentially altering the transmission properties of the cable, particularly those with metallic conductors. Effects may be immediately evident or exhibited later as the water or contaminant degrades the cable materials over time. In addition, the National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that indoor communications cables be “listed” for the application and marked with the listing. Exposure to liquid contaminants, including water, may alter the fire resistance and/or smoke generation properties of the cable, which are defined by the NEC listing.

Superior Essex premises copper and fiber communications cables do not contain UV stabilizers and therefore can fade when exposed to sources of UV light. Indirect sunlight, LED, and other light can be sources of UV. Fading effects can develop depending on the distance from the source, length of exposure, intensity of exposure, and quality of the bulbs, lamps, or LEDs. Typically, UV light penetrates 25-50 microns while Superior Essex jacketing thicknesses are magnitudes thicker. Considering this superficial UV penetration, fading is purely cosmetic and will not negatively impact the mechanical or electrical performance of the cables. However, if a premises cable is being used outside with direct sunlight exposure, an indoor/outdoor version with UV protection should be selected.

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