CAT5E and CAT6 Bulk Cable
Bulk Cat5e and Cat6 cable is primarily available in 3 different types, each type has a specific application. Bulk Solid cable, the most commonly used, is comprised of a Riser Rated (CMR) PVC jacket and solid core conductors. Stranded is comprised of a PVC jacket and stranded core conductors making it very flexible. This flexibility allows it to be flexed many times with no negative effects on performance making it perfect for building patch cables. Plenum (CMP) also has solid core conductors, but is built with a low smoke, fire retardant jacket that make it safe for use in plenum air spaces.
Category Shielding Types
There are basically two types of Category cable mechanical construction: Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and Shielded Twisted Pair (STP).
Category Cable Shielding Acronyms
The acronyms used to describe the cable shielding have changed over the last several years in order to avoid confusion of the different types of shielding found on Category cables today. The mechanical construction of the Category cables shielding is identified by specific abbreviations. These abbreviations or acronyms were established by the ISO/IEC 11801 standard and adopted by TIA/EIA.
Category Shielding Acronym Designations
| Acronym | Description | Cable Shielding | Pair Shielding |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTP or U/UTP | Unshielded Twisted Pair | None | None |
| F/UTP | Overall Foil Shield | AL Foil | None |
| U/FTP | Each Pair Shielded | None | AL Foil |
| S/FTP | Each Pair Shielded + Overall Braid Shield | TC Braid | AL Foil |
| SF/UTP | Overall Foil Shield + Overall Braid Shield | AL Foil + TC Braid | None |
| F/FTP | Overall Foil Shield + Each Pair Shielded | AL Foil | AL Foil |