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Fieldbus Foundation
TM
Facts and Figures
about Cable and Wiring
Raymond Ng
Belden Singapore Pte Ltd
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Agenda
Foundation Fieldbus Cable Standard
IEC 61158-2
FF-844
Cable Selection
Standard instrumentation cable vs- FF cable
AWG size, Shielding, Jacketing, Armor types
Cable Installation & Termination
Q & A
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IEC 61158-2 Type A Cable Specification
Impedance: 100 Ohms
Attenuation: < 3 dB/km
Capacitance Unbalance:
4nF/km max.
Conductor DC
Resistance: 24 Ohms/km
max.
Maximum Propagation
Delay Change: 1.7 s/km
Wire Size: .8mm sq.
(18 AWG) nominally
Shield Coverage > 90%
CcS
Ccc
Insulation
Drain wire
Shield
CcS
Conductor
J acket
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FF-844 Cable Test Specification
Builds on IEC Requirements to further qualify
cables
Addition to IEC requirements
Expands on shielding requirements
Specifies 10 to 22 pair twists/meter
Jacket Resistance
Required and optional cable ratings
Recommended connector characteristics
Cable registration is in process
Lay Length
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Instrumentation vs- FF Cable
FF Cable
Polyolefin Insulation
Electronic grade insulation
100 Ohm Impedance
66% Velocity of
Propagation
Designed with tolerances
necessary to meet FF
specifications
Instrumentation Cable
PVC or XLPE Insulation
35-65 Ohm Impedance
55 to 60% Velocity of
Propagation
Designed to meet general
minimum instrumentation
cable requirements
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Instrumentation vs- FF Cable
FF cable has lower Capacitance
FF cable is designed to a specific impedance to
reduce signal reflections and maximize network
length
FF cables are tested during production to meet
specific requirements:
Capacitance Unbalance
Impedance
Conductor D.C. resistance
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Cable Selection
First consult with local authority having
Jurisdiction to ensure regulatory compliance
Selection Guide
Conductor Size
Shielding
Armor
Jackets
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Cable Selection Conductor Size
Most common design is one pair 18 AWG
Larger AWG (16, 14) provide:
Improved pull strength
Electrical benefits, such as:
Greater
Current
Capacity
More Field
Instruments
Less
Voltage
Drop
Longer
Distance
Reduced
Resistance
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Cable Selection Shielding
Most common design:
foil shield only
~ 35 dB of Shield effectiveness
Most effective at high frequencies
(>10 MHz)
Drain wire for easy termination
Combination shields
Foil in addition to braid
Shield effectiveness of ~ 80 dB
Effective from 60 Hz to GHz
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Cable Selection Armoring
Interlock
Steel
Aluminum
SWA (Steel Wire Armor)
Protective Metal Tapes:
Smooth or Corrugated (Steel, Copper, Aluminum)
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Cable Selection Armoring
Why use Armor?
Rodent protection
Physical integrity
Direct burial
Reduces cost of conduit
Hazardous Locations
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Cable Selection Jacketing
PVC most common jacketing material
CPE good chemical and abrasion resistance
LSZH low smoke zero halogen applications
HDPE direct burial applications
FEP high or low temperature applications (-70
to 200C)
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Cable Installation
Follow manufacturers recommendations
Bending radii: generally 10 to 12x cable diameter
Maximum pulling tension
Installation temperature
Pulling lubricant selection
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Cable Termination
Ground shield at one end only The near or host end
Use provided drain wire or pigtail the braid
Grounding both ends results in ground loops
Required to prevent noise ingress, which could distort the signal
Shields should be trimmed back flush with jacket
Isolate shield using heat shrink tubing or tape
This keeps the shield from being inadvertently shorted to the (+)
or (-) wires or grounding at the device end
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Post Installation Verification
Follow FF Engineering Guide AG-181
Procedure for installing and commissioning fieldbus
segments
Use DMM for Resistance & Capacitance
measurements
Use Fieldbus Handheld tester to verify installation and
operation
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Common Installation Issues
Cable shield shorted to (+) or (-) wires
Cable shield grounded at both ends, increasing
noise susceptibility
Routing of cables in parallel with AC power lines
Minimum of 6 separation per IEEE 518
Minimize parallel runs
Cross power lines perpendicularly, when possible
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Summary
FF-844 created to clarify cable requirements &
register products
FF cable requirements are much more stringent
than Instrumentation cabling requirements
Select cable that is compatible with application
Consult manufacturer for installation &
termination recommendations
Follow AG-181 guidelines for testing FF
segments
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