TECHNOLOGY BRIEF

Industrial Ethernet (IE) Cable's Electrical and Mechanical Performance

Quabbin Wire's DataMax® Extreme polyurethane cable, designed for manufacturing industrial Ethernet cords, provides many benefits. The resulting cables are very flexible, have outstanding electrical performance, aging characteristics, resistance to oils, and survive mechanical abuse.

DataMax Extreme Polyurethane cable may be terminated with modular plugs, cylindrical metal M12 connectors, and molded strain-relief boots as required. The resulting cables assure reliable Ethernet transmission in tough industrial environments.

DataMax cords assembled with this new cable far exceed the electrical requirements (NEXT and return loss) as defined by TIA/EIA 568-B for Category 5e cords. This assures reliable 10Base-T or 100Base-T Ethernet transmission for plug-to-plug channels up to 70-meters. The following graphs and data illustrate typical performance for a 1-meter Polyurethane DataMax cord tested using Fluke Networks' DSP 4300 Cable Analyzer. Note the huge 12.3 dB NEXT margin over Cat 5e patch cord requirements.

The polyurethane cable jacket is pressure extruded over the 4-pair core, binding it in place and providing electrical stability during harsh usage (Note that 2-pair designs are also available). Therefore, DataMax Extreme cords will withstand mechanical abuse such as vibration, crushing, and impact; all at levels well above what cords experience in a normal office or commercial environment. The jacket also provides excellent cut-through, tear, and abrasion performance; combined with resistance to moisture, oils, and many industrial fluids.

DataMax IE polyurethane jacketing provides the following typical features:

  • Jacket binds core in place, stabilizing electrical performance
  • Low temperature flexibility performance better than PVC
  • Good resistance to humidity and moisture
  • Good resistance to weathering compared to PVC
  • Excellent flexibility and flex life
  • Tensile strength ~ 4000 psi (compared to ~ 2500 psi for PVC)
    • 1-week air oven @ 121 C ~ 3200 psi
    • 1-week air oven @ 140 C ~ 2000 psi
    • 2-weeks in ASTM fuel A @ room temp. ~ 3000 psi
    • 2-weeks in ASTM fuel B @ room temp. ~ 2000 psi
  • Elongation ~ 450% (compared to ~ 275% for PVC)
  • Tear resistance ~ 350 lbs/in (compared to ~ 100 lbs/in for PVC)
  • Abrasion and scuff resistance far superior to PVC

For a more detailed comparison of the differences between an Ethernet commercial versus an industrial installation, click here. You should also note that Quabbin Wire provides alternative IE patch cables jacketed with Industrial-Grade PVC or Flame Retardant Thermoplastic Elastomer (FR-TPE) compounds. These materials provide different mechanical and electrical properties compared to polyurethane.

Contact your local sales representative or Quabbin's Sales Service Department (800/368-3311) for a sample or more information on DataMax IE Industrial Ethernet cable or cords. Click here if you would like to review or print a product specification for Quabbin's DataMax IE cable part number 5700.

Tech Briefs

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