The cable and wiring world is full of jargon. Here are the terms you are most likely to meet, in plain English.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ampacity | The maximum current a conductor can carry continuously without overheating. |
| Armour | A metal layer (wire or tape) over a cable for mechanical protection. |
| AWG | American Wire Gauge – a US sizing system; a lower number means a thicker wire. |
| Bandwidth | The data-carrying capacity of a communication cable, in MHz or Mbps. |
| Bending radius | The tightest curve a cable can take without damage; quoted as a multiple of its diameter. |
| Conductor | The metal core (copper or aluminium) that actually carries the current. |
| Core | One insulated conductor inside a cable; a multicore cable has several. |
| Cross-section (sq mm) | The conductor’s cross-sectional area – the standard way wire size is stated in India. |
| Derating | Reducing a wire’s rated current for heat or grouping conditions. |
| Dielectric strength | The maximum voltage insulation can withstand before it breaks down. |
| Earthing | Connecting metal parts to ground so faults trip protection safely. |
| EMI / EMC | Electromagnetic interference / compatibility – noise and a cable’s resistance to it. |
| FR | Flame Retardant – insulation that resists the spread of flame. |
| FRLS | Flame Retardant Low Smoke – FR plus reduced smoke and acid gas. |
| HFFR / LSZH | Halogen-Free Flame Retardant / Low Smoke Zero Halogen – very low smoke, no toxic halogen gas. |
| HR-FR-LSH | Heat-Resistant Flame-Retardant Low-Smoke Halogen wire. |
| Impedance | A conductor’s total opposition to alternating current, in ohms. |
| Insulation | The non-conductive layer around a conductor that contains the current. |
| ISI mark | The BIS certification mark showing a product meets the relevant Indian Standard. |
| Multicore | A cable with two or more insulated cores under one sheath. |
| Ohm | The unit of electrical resistance / impedance. |
| PVC | Polyvinyl chloride – the most common house-wire insulation material. |
| Sheath | The overall outer protective jacket of a cable. |
| Short circuit | An unintended low-resistance path causing a large fault current. |
| Stranded conductor | A conductor made of many thin wires for flexibility. |
| Voltage grade | The maximum working voltage a cable is rated for, e.g. 1100 V. |
| Voltage drop | The loss of voltage along a cable run; kept within ~3% for good performance. |
| XLPE | Cross-linked polyethylene – a tough, heat-resistant insulation for power cables. |
Need a term that isn’t here? The FAQ section answers many of these in more depth.