Cables for Industrial Networks, Ethernet and Fieldbus Systems
Industrial network cable is specified by impedance and shielding rather than by current. A fieldbus or Ethernet cable is a transmission line, and its characteristic impedance, capacitance and shield coverage determine whether the link stays reliable at the required data rate over the required distance. Substituting a general-purpose shielded cable usually works on a bench and fails on a machine.
The second requirement in automation is flex. Network cable frequently runs through a cable carrier to a moving axis, so it has to be drag chain rated as well as electrically correct. Continuous flex network cable with a defined flex cycle rating is a distinct product from fixed installation cable.
What decides the cable in this application
Four factors do most of the work. Getting these right narrows the choice to a small number of constructions, and each one appears in the specification table of the cable type you select.
Impedance and capacitance define the link budget
Each protocol specifies a characteristic impedance, typically 100 to 120 Ω for the common industrial buses. A cable outside that tolerance degrades the signal and reduces achievable distance.
Shielding has to survive a moving application
Where network cable runs in a carrier, the shield and drain wire are subject to flex fatigue along with the conductors. Shield construction and a defined flex rating both matter.
Continuous flex is a separate rating from electrical performance
A cable that meets the electrical specification may still fail in a drag chain within weeks. That is why network cable for moving axes is specified with a flex cycle rating and a bend radius for continuous flexing.
EMC conditions on a machine are not those of an office
Drive switching, contactors and welding equipment all generate noise that a data cable has to reject. Coverage of the braid, foil on the pairs, and correct earthing of the shield determine the result.
Cable types for industrial networks
12 constructions from the catalogue that suit this duty. Each links to its own page with the full specification table.
What we need to quote accurately
Send these six items and we can confirm a construction and price without a follow-up round. Both the contact page and every product page carry a form that accepts them, and you can attach a drawing or specification sheet directly.
- 1 Protocol PROFINET, EtherCAT, CAN bus, PROFIBUS, or general Ethernet
- 2 Required data rate 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, or the specific bus rate
- 3 Cable length Total run length, including the moving section
- 4 Fixed or flexing Whether the cable runs in a carrier, and the flex cycle requirement
- 5 Environment Oil, coolant, weld spatter, temperature range, outdoor exposure
- 6 Connector type What the cable terminates into at each end
Frequently asked questions
Can I use standard Ethernet cable in a cable carrier?
Only if it is explicitly rated for continuous flexing. A fixed-installation Ethernet cable that meets the electrical specification can still fail in a carrier within weeks, because the shield and drain wire are subject to fatigue along with the conductors.
What determines usable cable length for a fieldbus?
The protocol, the data rate and the cable characteristics together. Characteristic impedance and capacitance set the attenuation, and the protocol sets the maximum permitted loss. Give us the protocol and the run length and we will confirm the cable.
Why does impedance matter more than conductor size in data cable?
Because the cable is a transmission line. Conductor size is chosen to keep attenuation within the protocol budget, but if the characteristic impedance falls outside the specified tolerance the link degrades regardless of cross-section.
When should fibre replace copper in an industrial network?
Where the run is longer than copper can support at the required rate, where galvanic isolation is needed between drive and control, or where electromagnetic noise on the route is severe. Fibre also answers long reeling runs, which is why fibre optic reeling cable exists.
Other applications
Need the cable confirmed against your machine?
Send the duty, the environment and the electrical data. Our engineering team will confirm the construction, the standards it meets, and the price — including custom builds where a catalogue type does not fit.