1. The difference between wire and cable
In fact, there is no strict boundary between “wire” and “cable”. Generally, the products with a small number of cores, small product diameter and simple structure are called wires, those without insulation are called bare wires, and others are called cables. The conductor with a larger cross-sectional area (greater than 6 square millimeters) is called a large wire, the smaller (less than or equal to 6 square millimeters) is called a small wire, and the insulated wire is also called a cloth wire.
The wire is composed of one or several soft wires with a light and soft protective layer; A cable consists of one or more insulated conductors wrapped in a tough outer layer of metal or rubber. Cables and wires are generally composed of three components: core wire, insulating sheath and protective sheath.
Common cable features are as follows:
CEF — ethylene propylene rubber insulated neoprene sheathed, Marine flame retardant power cable.
CVV – PVC insulated, PVC sheathed Marine flame retardant power cable.
Oxygen chamber wires are often used BV, BX, RV, RVV series wires, of which: BV – copper core PVC insulated wires, long-term allowable temperature 65℃, minimum temperature -15℃, working voltage AC 500V, DC 1000V, fixed laying indoors, outside, can be open or dark.
BX — copper core rubber insulated wire, maximum operating temperature 65℃, applied indoors. RV — PVC insulated single core flexible wire, maximum operating temperature 65℃, minimum operating temperature -15℃, operating voltage AC 250V, DC 500V, used as the internal wiring of instruments and equipment.
RVV – copper core PVC insulated and sheathed soft wire, allowing long-term working temperature 105℃, working voltage AC 500V, DC 1000V, for wet, high mechanical protection requirements, often moving and bending occasions. In fact, there is no strict boundary between “wire” and “cable”.
Generally, the products with a small number of cores, small product diameter and simple structure are called wires, those without insulation are called bare wires, and others are called cables. The cross-sectional area of the conductor is larger (greater than 6 square millimeters) is called a large wire, the smaller (less than or equal to 6 square millimeters) is called a small wire, and the insulated wire is also called a cloth wire, which is relatively simple and easy to understand! The cable generally has more than 2 layers of insulation, most of which are multi-core structures, wrapped around the cable tray, and the length is generally greater than 100 meters. The wire is generally single-layer insulation, single core, 100 meters a roll, wireless disk.
Cable common models: VV means: PVC insulation (first V), PVC sheathing (second V) YJV22 means: cross-connected PVC insulation (YJ), PVC sheathing (V), steel strip fitting (22) model plus “ZR” or “FR” for flame retardant cable (wire).
The model with “L” for aluminum wire is relatively simple: BVV– PVC insulated and sheathed copper core wire, BV– PVC insulated copper core wire, BYJ– copper core crosslinked polyolefin insulated wire, BVR– PVC insulated copper core wire, BX– rubber insulated copper core wire, RHF– neoprene rubber covered copper core wire.
(2) The small diameter is called “line”; The larger diameter is called “cable”.
(3) The simple structure is called “line”; Complex structures are called “cables”.
However, with the expansion of the scope of use, many varieties have “cables in the line” and “cables in the line”. So there’s no need to make a strict distinction.
In daily habits, people call home cloth wires wires, and power cables are referred to as cables.
Wires and cables mainly include bare wires, winding wires, power cables, communication cables and optical cables, and electrical equipment.
2. Differences between cables and optical cables
Cable: When the phone converts an acoustic signal into an electrical signal, the phone transmits the electrical signal to the switch through the line, and then the switch directly transmits the electrical signal to another phone. This line is called a cable. The cable is mainly copper core wire. The core wire diameter is 0.32mm, 0.4mm and 0.5mm, and the larger the diameter, the stronger the communication ability; There are also points according to the number of cores, there are: 5 pairs, 10 pairs, 20 pairs, 50 pairs, 100 pairs, 200 pairs, etc. The logarithm mentioned here refers to the maximum number of users accommodated by the cable; And by package. I don’t know about that.
Cable: its volume, weight, poor communication ability, can only be used for short distance communication.
Optical cable: When the phone converts the acoustic signal into an electrical signal, it is transmitted to the switch through the line, and then the switch transmits the electrical signal to the photoelectric conversion device (converts the electrical signal into an optical signal) through the line to another photoelectric conversion device (converts the optical signal into an electrical signal), and then to the switching device and to another phone for answering. The line between the two photoelectric conversion devices is the optical cable. It is said that it only has the number of cores, the number of cores is: 4, 6, 8, 12 pairs and so on.
Optical cable: its size, weight is small, low cost, large communication capacity, strong communication ability and other advantages.
Due to many factors, it is currently only used for long-distance and point-to-point (that is, two switching rooms) communication transmission. Their difference: inside the cable is a copper core wire; The fiber optic cable is made of glass.
Optical cable Communication cable is a certain number of optical fibers in accordance with a certain way to form the cable core, the outer sheath, and some are also covered with an outer sheath, to achieve optical signal transmission of a communication line. Field tests have been carried out in Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and other places. Soon after, it was tested as an inter-office trunk line in the local telephone network, and after 1984, it was gradually used for long-distance lines and began to use single-mode optical fiber. Communication cable than copper cable has a larger transmission capacity, trunk distance is long, small size, light weight, no electromagnetic interference, since 1976 has developed into long-distance trunk, city trunk, offshore and trans-ocean submarine communication, as well as LAN, private network and other wired transmission line backbone, and began to develop to the field of urban user loop distribution network. Provides transmission lines for fiber to the home, wide generation integrated services digital network.
Cable is usually composed of several or several groups of wires [each group of at least two] twisted into a cord-like cable, each group of wires are insulated from each other, and often twisted around a center, the whole outer breaded with a highly insulated covering layer; First, there is a difference in material. Cable with metal material (mostly copper, aluminum) as conductor; The fiber optic cable uses the vitreous fiber as the conductor. Second: there is a difference in the transmission signal. Cables carry electrical signals. Optical cables carry optical signals. Third: There is a difference in the scope of application. Cables are now mostly used for energy transmission and low-end data and information transmission (such as telephone). Optical cables are mostly used for data transmission.
3. Differences between cables and optical fibers
Cable is generally considered to be a wire made of one or more mutually insulated conductors with an insulating and protective layer to transmit power or information from one place to another. In a broad sense, it refers to a device that transmits electrical signals using metal as a medium.
By definition, cables are used to conduct electricity. Generally made of the following metals:
The conductivity of copper is second only to silver, and the thermal conductivity is second only to gold and silver. Corrosion resistance, non-magnetic, good plasticity, easy to weld, a wide range of uses. Copper alloy is mainly used to improve the wear resistance, corrosion resistance and mechanical and physical properties of copper.
Silver, the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of metal, with good corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance, easy to weld; Mainly used for coating and coating layer;
Gold, nickel, used as high temperature resistant wire.
Iron (steel), often used as a strengthening material for composite conductors, such as steel core aluminum wire, copper clad steel, aluminum clad steel wire, etc.
Zinc, used as a coating of steel wire/steel strip/iron conductor for corrosion protection.
Tin, used as a coating of steel wire/copper wire, to prevent corrosion, and to facilitate the welding of copper wire.
Post time: Nov-22-2023