Ethernet cable

In common terms, the Ethernet cable is often referred to as an Ethernet line, Ethernet patch cable, LAN cable or even network cable. The latter designations are usually given in combination with assembled cables and patch cables. 

We have compiled important facts for you to ensure that you always find the right cable for your application.

How is an Ethernet cable constructed?

Depending on the application, the structure of an Ethernet cable varies in terms of the number of core pairs, the cable cross-section, the sheath materials and a few other features. 

The basic structure of all these Ethernet cables, apart from the number of pairs of wires, is however similar for all Ethernet cables. Below, we have outlined two common structures as an example.

Some of these properties, such as the FC inner sheath or aluminium-laminated plastic foil, are optional and are not available for every ETHERNET cable depending on the requirements.

What types of stranding are used for ethernet cables?

Data cables often need to be flexible and elastic, while also providing protection against electromagnetic interference. To guarantee these properties, cables are stranded in cable production.

Four or eight-core cables are usually used for data transmission in Ethernet networks. To meet the requirements in this area of application, the twisted pair stranding and the star quad stranding are often used.

What are the requirements for Ethernet cables in the office and industrial sector?

An Ethernet cable should primarily be able to transmit data quickly and reliably. Particularly in industrial environments, it should simultaneously remain resistant to disturbances and external interference and provide the data in real time.

The requirements differ between Ethernet cables for home or office wiring and those you need for a reliable Industrial Ethernet network.

In home and office networks, pre-assembled Ethernet cables are usually better suited to the flexible connection options and the frequent "switching" of a network cable. In the industrial Ethernet network, however, harsh environments, lack of space and individual cable length requirements require Ethernet cables to be individually assembled directly on site. This enables them to be optimally adapted to the environmental conditions.

What should you keep in mind when selecting an Ethernet cable?

The quality and reliability of your data transmission in the network largely depend on the selection of the right Ethernet cable. You should therefore select the right Ethernet cable well before starting the wiring of all components in your network. The following should be kept in mind when selecting: 

Which transmission protocols are available for Industrial Ethernet?

Special protocols such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT or CC-Link IE are used in the industrial sector. These protocols extend the classic Ethernet to cover the high requirements in factories or production facilities in particular. Important advantages include: 

• Similar to Fieldbus systems, industrial Ethernet can detect and process faults in factory environments better.
• Industrial Ethernet better meets the requirements of factories and is therefore particularly suitable for use in harsh environments. 
• Industrial Ethernet offers faster and better reaction times within factories in the event of data collisions.

Depending on the sector or application, LAPP offers the right solution with its ETHERLINE® Industrial Ethernet portfolio for goods sold by the metre. Different protocols such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT or CC-Link IE are supported by our ETHERLINE® Ethernet cables.

To ensure that you have the perfect Ethernet cable for your application, we offer you the following standards, among other things:

• CC-Link IE
• EtherCAT®
• EtherNet/IP®
• Modbus TCP
• Powerlink®
• PROFINET

What cable categories are there?

Depending on the transmission rate, copper-based Ethernet cables use 2 or 4 pairs of wires. They are divided into categories (CAT), according to the standards DIN EN 50173 and ISO/IEC 11801. 

A typical distinction is made between Cat. 5/Cat. 5e, Cat. 6/Cat.6A and Cat.7/Cat.7A, whose transmission performance ranges from 10/100 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s.

These Ethernet cables are used to transmit analogue and digital signals in a frequency range of up to 1000 MHz (depending on connector compatibility) and, similar to their performance class, are protected against electromagnetic interference in various ways.

Which conductor class should be selected for Ethernet cables?

Particularly in the industrial sector, where Ethernet cables are not only wiring the building infrastructure, but also in linear moving applications, industrial robots, control cabinets, laid on cable trays and used in cable chains, you should ensure a suitable conductor class is chosen. 

The conductor classes are divided into three main categories, which are attached to the conductor cross-section in the short designations /1, /7 or /19 (e.g. AWG24/1). This short designation can be attributed to the number of individual conductors in the cable. Our overview shows you the conductor classes:

At this point, we would like to highlight the PROFINET system in particular. In addition to the transmission protocol, PROFINET also specifies internationally the type specification for cabling within and between production islands. The system thus provides a solution for all industrial communication systems. In addition to copper-based transmission media, the standard also standardises optical connection systems.

The type specification according to the PROFINET guideline defines three Ethernet cable types, on the basis of which the structure and the mechanical and electrical requirements are precisely defined.

Which sheath materials are available for Ethernet cables?

Depending on the use or application, you will require a suitable cable with suitable core insulation and sheath materials. Four typical sheath materials for Ethernet cables are: 

• Polyurethane (PUR)
• Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
• FRNC sheath materials (flame-retardant non-corrosive)
• Polyethylene (PE)

Each sheath material has special properties, such as low smoke gas emission, which is particularly advantageous in the event of fires in buildings, when people have to be evacuated from buildings. Oil-resistant sheath materials are, on the other hand, very well suited for use in production lines with high contact with cooling or lubricating oils. The materials used for a LAPP ETHERLINE® cable can be found in the product descriptions in our e-shop. 

How are Ethernet cables protected against electromagnetic interference?

There are essentially three different screening types for Ethernet cables. However, as there are also Ethernet cables that do not have EMC screening altogether, four designations in the product features can be attributed to the EMC screening. 

• Unshielded or unfoiled, "U" (Unsheathed) or /"U" (Unfoiled)
• Tin-plated copper braiding or copper wrapping, "S" (sheathed)
• Aluminium-laminated plastic foil, "F" (foiled)
• Twisted pairs, "TP" (twisted pair)

For this reason, you will find information such as S/FTP in the product properties. If you take the above table into account, this is due to the fact that this is a screened/foiled Twisted Pair Ethernet cable. This is therefore a cable with copper braiding and twisted pairs of conductors, sheathed in pairs with aluminium-laminated plastic foil. 

The slant stripe separates the overall screening from the wire pair screening. In other words, all information to the left of the forward slash refers to the overall screening, while the information to the right of the forward slash refers to the screening of the individual pairs of wires. 

Which Ethernet cables are available at LAPP?

With our ETHERLINE® cables at LAPP, we offer you the right product for almost every industrial application that requires fast, interference-free and robust data transmission. If everything needs to go quickly and you need some initial guidance, we have a rough overview for you here: