Glossary of Terms in the Power and Data Industry

  • Length

    The lenght of the cable/cord. Check with your cord/cable source to see how they mesaure length. Some vendors include the plug and connector in the length, some do the measurements based on the exposed jacket. World Cord Sets meaures the length from the face of the plug to end of the connector.

  • Current (Amps)

    The official definition of Amperes is "Ampere, unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI), used by both scientists and technologists. In 2018 the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) agreed that on May 20, 2019, the ampere would henceforth be defined such that the elementary charge would be equal to 1.602176634 × 10−19 coulomb. Earlier the ampere was defined as the constant current which, if maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length of negligible circular cross section and placed one metre apart in a vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal to 2 × 10−7 newton per metre of length. Named for 19th-century French physicist André-Marie Ampère, it represents a flow of one coulomb of electricity per second. A flow of one ampere is produced in a resistance of one ohm by a potential difference of one volt." In terms of power cords, the ampere rating of a cord set determines how much electricity the cord can carry. The ampere rating of a cord set is determined by two things: 1. The max ratings of the connectors on the cord set by the different certification agencies. 2. The gauge of the wire used on the cord set.

  • Voltage (Volts)

    Voltage, electric potential difference, electric pressure or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points, which (in a static electric field) is defined as the work needed per unit of charge to move a test charge between the two points. In the International System of Units, the derived unit for voltage (potential difference) is named volt. When looking at the voltage of a power cord, you'll want to make sure the cord set is rated for the voltage of you application.

  • Connector (Female)

    The connector is the female end of the cord set. The female end of a cord set will have receptacles or sleeves for the pins of the male plug to connect to. A cord set can have multiple female ends.

  • Plug (Male)

    The Plug is the male side of a cord side. The male side of the cord set will have blades or pins. You can only have one male plug on a cord set, unless there is an automatic transfer switch present.

  • Cordage

    Cordage refers to the cabling used on a power cord. The cordage will have multiple properties that you need to check, including temperature rating, jacket type, insulation type, weater/oil resistance, wire gauge, and agency approvals.

  • Country of Origin

    The Country of Origin of an item is the country that an item was manufacturered, or at least substatially altered, in. Country of Origin is requried for exporting or importing products.

  • Reset Type

    AUTO or Manual Reset on GFCI RCD

  • Insertion Loss

    Insertion loss is the loss of signal power resulting from the insertion of a device in a transmission line or optical fiber and is usually expressed in decibels (dB).

  • Wavelength

    The wavelength of light used to transmit data, typically expressed in nm (nanometers).

  • Jacket Color

    The color of the outside jacket. Contact us if you require a different jacket color and we can generally create a custom product for you.

  • Attenuation at 850nm

    Attenuation is the reduction in power of the light signal as it is transmitted. Attenuation is caused by passive media components, such as cables, cable splices, and connectors. Although attenuation is significantly lower for optical fiber than for other media, it still occurs in both multimode and single-mode transmission. Attenuation at 850nm is the attenuation when using 850nm light signal. See your switch/transceiver to find the frequency of light your device is operating at.

  • Attenuation at 1300nm

    Attenuation is the reduction in power of the light signal as it is transmitted. Attenuation is caused by passive media components, such as cables, cable splices, and connectors. Although attenuation is significantly lower for optical fiber than for other media, it still occurs in both multimode and single-mode transmission. Attenuation at 1350nm is the attenuation when using 1350nm light signal. See your switch/transceiver to find the frequency of light your device is operating at.

  • Jacket Material

    Jacket Material is the exterior material used to insulate a cordage containing current carrying conductors.

  • Interface

    The type of connector used to mate the transciever with a patch cable.

  • TX Power

    TX Power is the transmission power the device is capable of outputting, typically expressed in dBm.

  • Protocols

    The protocols

  • Country of Certification

    The Country of Application is the region of the globe for which the configuration is intended for. Different Approval Agencies design the configuration which the plugs and power outlets are based off.

  • ROJ Length (inches)

    The amount of jacket to cut back

  • Strip Length (inches)

    The amount of jacket to strip on the conductors

  • Line Conductor Strip Length

    The amount to strip on the line conductor

  • Ground Conductor Strip Length

    The amount to strip on the ground conductor

  • Neutral Conductor Strip Length

    The amount to strip on the neutral conductor

  • Line Conductor Length

    The amount to strip on the line conductor

  • Ground Conductor Length

    The amount to strip on the ground conductor

  • Neutral Conductor Length

    The amount to strip on the neutral conductor

  • Line Conductor Termination

    The termination on the line conductor

  • Ground Conductor Termination

    The termination on the ground conductor

  • Neutral Conductor Termination

    The termination on the neutral conductor

  • Jacket Type

    Jacket Type's are the applicable Jacket Options for Cordages. They sheath the conductors and have various insulations, jacket materials, voltage ratings and applications.

  • Wire Gauge

    Wire Gauge comes in AWG and mm2

  • Jacket Insulation

    Jacket Insulation is the first layer of insulation on a cable jacket, this is the layer not exposed to the elements, but what has the first contact with the conductors.

  • Jacket Element Resistance

    Jackets are listed to be resistive to various elements such as oil and water.

  • Jacket Application

    Cable Jackets have various Applications based on their resistant properties

  • Jacket Classification

    Cable Jackets can be classified by their inherant make, for example some are made with a parralell conductor structure, or are vacummed when manufacturing to make a slim fit.

  • Termination Style

    How the individual wires are terminated to the receptacle

  • Commonly Found:

    An aggregate relationship created for outlets and inlets to easily list the location of the connections for plugs and connectors

  • Use Cases

    For listing intended use cases for product series on the website, keyword based.