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Power Cables and Communication Cable Distance Code Reference 1

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cjcoronel21

Electrical
Jan 27, 2014
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Hey everyone,

This is my first post on this forum so hello to all! I have read a ton about the separation of power cables and communication with various "rule of thumbs" on the distance between for optimal reliability. Can anyone point me to the code reference for this rule of thumb? Is it NEC, IEEE or...

Thanks in advance,
Chris
 
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If there were a code reference, what would be the point of a rule of thumb? Particularly when the answer typically is, "it depends." It depends on shielding, signal levels, noise levels, distance, etc.

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NEC 70 is a good reference for power cables. The voltage defines the required separation distance.

For communication cables you have to trade off speed for distance. Check the communication standard (usually Google is a good start) and it will give you a starting point for speed vs distance limitations.

Z
 
Also, one rule in the NEC is that if the conductors occupy the same space, the insulation rating must equal or exceed the highest voltage insulation rating. That's often problematic for comm cables because it generally means 600V insulation, and often that isn't the case if nobody has paid attention.


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