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Standard Wire & Cable Co.GLOSSARY OFWIRE & CABLE TERMINOLOGYAABRASION - The destruction of a material caused byscraping or rubbing against a rough, hard surface.ABRASION MACHINE - A laboratory device fordetermining the abrasion resistance of wire andcable. The two standard types of machines are thesquirrel cage, with square steel bars, and the abrasive grit type.ABRASION RESISTANCE - The ability of a wire orcable jacket to resist surface wear.AC - Abbreviation for alternating current. See alternating current. Also abbreviated as ac.ACCELERATED LIFE TEST - A test in which a cableis subjected to extreme conditions to determine thelife of a cable.ACCELERATOR - Chemical additive which hastens a chemical reaction, e.g., a compound addedto rubber or Neoprene mixtures to reduce curingtime. Neoprene is a trademark of the DuPont deNemours Co.ACR - Designation for cable with corona resistinginsulation.ACRS - Aluminum conductor, steel reinforced. Aluminum wires stranded around a steel core. Usually usedfor high voltage cross-country transmission lines.ADAPTER - a) Device used for joining two fiber opticconnectors together. b) A device for connecting twoparts (of different diameters) of an apparatus.i equals. Since impedance, Z, is given by:where R and X are the resistance and reactance,respectively, then:AEC - Atomic Energy Commission. The governmentagency which oversees all atomic energy projects.AERIAL CABLE - A cable suspended in the air onpoles or other overhead structures.AIEE - Formerly American Institute of ElectricalEngineers. Now called the Institute of Electrical andElectronic Engineers (IEEE).AIR SPACED COAX - A coaxial cable in which air isbasically the dielectric material. The conductor maybe centered by means of a spirally wound syntheticfilament, beads, or braided filaments. This construction is also referred to as an air dielectric.AIRCRAFT IGNITION CABLE - A high tension cabledesigned for use in the ignition systems of internalcombustion aircraft engines.AIRCRAFT WIRE - An electrical wire primarily designed for the extreme conditions (temperature, altitude, solvents, fuels, etc.) of airborne equipment.AL - Abbreviation for aluminum.ADHESIVE - Usually a synthetic material which, whenapplied to tapes, potting operations, etc., permitsmaterials to be bonded together.ALKALI - A soluble salt obtained from the ashes ofplants and consisting largely of potassium or sodiumcarbonate.ADMITTANCE - Symbol Y. The reciprocal of impedance. Given by the formula:ALL RUBBER CABLE - A cable in which all voidsbetween conductors are filled with a rubber com-Rancho Dominguez208where G is the conductance, B the suscep tance, and2050 E. Vista Bella Way, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220(310) 609-1811(800) 326-0006FAX: (310) 609-1862E-Mail: salesrd@std-wire.comPhoenix3120 West Thomas Road, Bldg. #801, Phoenix, AZ 85017(602) 269-2501(800) 325-6478FAX: (602) 278-7134E-Mail: salesphx@std-wire.comWeb Page: www.std-wire.com

Standard Wire & Cable Co.pound. This construction gives greater resistance toimpact, adds strength, and reduces the tendency tokink. It also reduces flexibility.ALLOY - A metal made by the fusion of two or moremetals.AL/MY- Abbreviation for Aluminum Mylar . Sometimes called out as ALMY. Mylar is a trademark ofthe DuPont de Nemours Co.ALS - A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous, closely fittingaluminum tube.ALTERNATING CURRENT - An alternating currentis one where the direction of current is reversed atregular intervals. The rate at which reversals occuris expressed in cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).Abbreviated as AC or ac.ALUMEL - An alloy used for thermocouple andthermocouple extension wire. Alumel is a trademarkof the Hoskins Mfg. Co.ALUMINUM CONDUCTOR - A wire or group of wiresof aluminum, not insulated from each other, suitablefor carrying electrical current.am - Abbreviation for amplitude modulation. Alsoabbreviated as AM.AMBIENT TEMPERATURE - The temperature of amedium (gas or liquid) surrounding an object.signifies a wire size of No. 6 AWG.ANALOG - Being or relative to a mechanism in whichdata is represented by continuously varying physicalquantities. Opposite - digital.ANNEALED WIRE - Wire which has been softenedby heating and gradually cooling. Also called softdrawn wire.ANNULAR CONDUCTOR - An annular conductorconsists of a number of wires stranded in three reverseconcentric layers around a saturated hemp core.ANODE - Positive pole of an electric source. Opposite - cathode.ANSI - Abbreviation for American National StandardsInstitute. A federation of trade, technical, professionalorganizations, government agencies, and consumergroups. Coordinates standards development and publishes standards. Operates a voluntary certificationprogram. Used to be called the American StandardsAssociation (ASA).ANTENNA WIRE - A wire usually of high tensilestrength such as Copperweld , bronze, etc., with orwithout insulation used as an antenna for radio andelectronic equipment. Copperweld is a trademarkof the Copperweld Steel Company.ANTIOXIDANT - A substance which prevents or slowsdown oxidation of material exposed to air.APPROX. - Abbreviation for approximate.AMERICAN WIRE GAUGE - Abbreviated AWG.See AWG.AMP - Abbreviation for ampere. See Ampere.AMPACITY - See current carrying capacity.AMPERE - The unit expressing the rate of flow of anelectrical current. One ampere is the current flowingthrough one ohm resistance with one volt potential.Abbreviated as amp.AMPLIFIER - A device usually employing electrontubes or transistors to obtain amplification of voltage,current, or power.AN - Literally “aircraft number”. For example, AN-6Rancho Dominguez2050 E. Vista Bella Way, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220(310) 609-1811(800) 326-0006FAX: (310) 609-1862E-Mail: salesrd@std-wire.comARAMID - A lightweight strong heat-resistant aromatic polyamide material used in fiber optic strengthmembers.ARMATURE WIRE - Stranded annealed copper wire,straight lay, soft loose white cotton braid. It is usedfor low voltage, high current rotor winding motors andgenerators. Straight lay permits forming in armatureslots and compressibility.ARMOR - An outer braid of metal or spiral steel tapes,primarily for the purpose of mechanical protection.Generally placed over the outer sheath.AROMATIC - An organic material composed ofbenzene in a ring structure.Phoenix3120 West Thomas Road, Bldg. #801, Phoenix, AZ 85017(602) 269-2501(800) 325-6478FAX: (602) 278-7134E-Mail: salesphx@std-wire.comWeb Page: www.std-wire.com209

Standard Wire & Cable Co.BARTOS STRIPPER - A machine that will automatically measure to a predetermined length, cut, strip,count, and tie wire in bundles.ASA - Abbreviation for American Standards Association. Former name of the American NationalStandards Institute (ANSI). See ANSI.ASESA - Abbreviation for Armed Services ElectroStandards Agency.ASG - Abbreviation for Aeronautical StandardsGroup.ASME - Abbreviation for American Society of Mechanical Engineers.ASTM - Abbreviation for American Society for Testing Materials. An organization that tests materialsand attempts to set standards on various materialsfor industry.ATTENUATION - The loss of power or signal in acircuit, generally expressed in decibels (dB) per unitlength, usually one thousand (1,000) feet. In opticalfiber cables, attenuation is the ratio of input power vs.output power, measured in decibels per unit length,usually dB/km. Abbreviated as attn.ATTN. - Abbreviation for attenuation. See attenuation.AUDIO FREQUENCY - The range of frequenciesaudible to the human ear, approximately 20 to20,000 Hz.AUTO PRIMARY WIRE - A single or multi-conductorwire used for original equipment or replacement onautomotive products. Normally low voltage, resistantto oil, acid, and weather.AWG - Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge. Thesystem most commonly used in the United States fordescribing the size of copper wire. It is based on thecircular mil system. One (1) mil equals 0.001 inch.Also referred to as the Brown and Sharpe (B&S)wire gauge.AWM - Designation for appliance wiring material.Rancho Dominguez2102050 E. Vista Bella Way, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220(310) 609-1811(800) 326-0006FAX: (310) 609-1862E-Mail: salesrd@std-wire.comB - Symbol for susceptance. See susceptance.B & S GAUGE - Brown and Sharpe wire gauge usedfor describing different sizes of copper conductors.It is the same as AWG (American Wire Gauge). SeeAWG.BACKBONE - A transmission network that carriesinformation in a fiber optic system. Mainly for indoorapplications between floors and areas with differenttypes of cables.BACKSHELL MOLD - An aluminum mold used tomold a rubber or Neoprene covering over the back shell of a conductor or plug after it is connected toa cable. The compound is usually chemically cured.Neoprene is a trademark of the DuPont de NemoursCo.BALCO - An alloy of 70% nickel and 30% iron. It isused in devices where self-regulation by temperatureis required. Wilbur Driver Company trademark for aresistance wire.BAND MARKING - A circular band applied at regular intervals to the insulation of a conductor for thepurpose of color coding or circuit identification.BANDED CABLE - Two or more cables which havebeen banded together by stainless steel strapping.BANDWIDTH - The frequency range of transmittedelectrical or optical signals, expressed in Hertz. Thegreater or higher the bandwidth, the greater theinformation carrying capacity.BARE CONDUCTOR - A conductor not covered withany insulating material.BASE BAND - The frequency band occupied by allthe transmitted modulating signals.BASE PRICE - The price of copper per pound beforeany adders are applied. To this base price, addersare used to determine price for drawing the copperinto a wire and for tinning or insulating the barecopper wire.Phoenix3120 West Thomas Road, Bldg. #801, Phoenix, AZ 85017(602) 269-2501(800) 325-6478FAX: (602) 278-7134E-Mail: salesphx@std-wire.comWeb Page: www.std-wire.com