What you should consider when choosing instrumentation cables

Aug 11, 2022 | Cables & connectors

Instrumentation cables are designed to allow the control room to communicate with other devices in a remote setting, within a factory environment. They run from the control room to the plant in various types of cables into a junction box. From the junction box the cables will typically run in single pairs to field measuring and/or actuating devices.

There are typically three types of instrumentation cables:

• Low-level signals, below 5V, which generally include wire types that compensate leads and leads elements of resistance.
• High-level signals, between 5V-60V, that include digital signals, alarm signals and high-level analogue signals.
• Instrument power supplies, usually above 50V.

When choosing which cables to specify you should always;

• Avoid areas where any potential spillage is likely to take place.
• Avoid any potential hot environments and/or fire hazards.
• Avoid causing any obstruction, limiting access to personnel or general traffic.
• Avoid areas where potential exists for escaping vapours or gases.
• Avoid interfering with accessibility and not hamper maintenance access.
• Ensure the cables are kept as short as possible.
When considering how to divide your instrumentation cables ensure that only signals of the same type are contained within a multicore cable. The cables should be separated into groups according to the signal level and segregated with ample spacing between cables.

Generally speaking, low-level signals with high-level signal cables in between should be installed furthest from instrumentation power supply cable. Cables used for high-integrity systems such as emergency shutdown systems or data transmission should be completely independent from other cables. Instrumentation cables should be operated without electrical power cables and avoid noise generating equipment as much as possible. Cable crossings should always be done at right angles.

These are some basic best practices to consider when planning your instrumentation cable routing and your plant floor layout. It is best to consider these items in the planning stage rather than learning the hard way once implementation has already taken place.

Mueller Electric’s M12, M8 & M5 instrumentation cables include one of the most reliable and efficient connection standards for industrial machinery and industrial automation applications. With a small footprint, high-performance capabilities and extremely low failure rate, this range is ideal for not only for sensor connections but also for various fieldbus systems.

With a high degree of mechanical and electrical stability, Mueller Electric cables provide a cost efficient and flexible plug-and-play connectivity solution for onsite installations. This decreases downtime in process control and industrial automation applications. Our M12, M8 & M5 key features include:

• Industry-standard screw-locking mechanism
• IP67 or higher degree of protection
• A, B, D & X-Coding options
• Field-installing cable and panel-mount options
• Moulded straight and right-angle variants
• Pin range – 3, 4, 5, 8 and 12 positions
• Shielded options PVC or PUR

You can view our range by visiting our on-line catalogue.

If you don’t see what you need or you have bespoke requirements please get in touch, we have developed and manufactured new solutions for a wide range of applications and industries.

 

Mueller Electric Europe

Tel: +44 (0) 1159 933300

Fax: +44 (0) 1159 933301

E-Mail: thearn@muellerelectric.com

Website: https://www.muellerelectric.com

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