Fieldbus FoundationTM

Facts and Figures

about Cable and Wiring
Raymond Ng
Belden Singapore Pte Ltd

Agenda

Foundation Fieldbus Cable Standard

IEC 61158-2
FF-844

Cable Selection
Standard instrumentation cable vs- FF cable
AWG size, Shielding, Jacketing, Armor types

Cable Installation & Termination

Q&A

IEC 61158-2 Type A Cable Specification

Impedance: 100 Ohms

Attenuation: < 3 dB/km
Capacitance Unbalance:
4nF/km max.
Conductor DC
Resistance: 24 Ohms/km
max.
Maximum Propagation
Delay Change: 1.7 s/km
Wire Size: .8mm sq.
(18 AWG) nominally
Shield Coverage > 90%
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CcS

Drain wire

CcS

Jacket
Shield

Insulation

Conductor

Ccc

FF-844 Cable Test Specification

Builds on IEC Requirements to further qualify

cables
Addition to IEC requirements

Expands on shielding requirements

Specifies 10 to 22 pair twists/meter
Jacket Resistance
Required and optional cable ratings
Recommended connector characteristics

Cable registration is in process

Lay Length

Instrumentation vs- FF Cable

FF Cable
Polyolefin Insulation

Instrumentation Cable
PVC or XLPE Insulation

Electronic grade insulation

100 Ohm Impedance

66% Velocity of
Propagation
Designed with tolerances
necessary to meet FF
specifications

35-65 Ohm Impedance

55 to 60% Velocity of
Propagation
Designed to meet general
minimum instrumentation
cable requirements

Instrumentation vs- FF Cable

FF cable has lower Capacitance

FF cable is designed to a specific impedance to
reduce signal reflections and maximize network
length
FF cables are tested during production to meet
specific requirements:
Capacitance Unbalance
Impedance
Conductor D.C. resistance

Cable Selection

First consult with local authority having

Jurisdiction to ensure regulatory compliance
Selection Guide

Conductor Size
Shielding
Armor
Jackets

Cable Selection Conductor Size

Most common design is one pair 18 AWG

Larger AWG (16, 14) provide:
Improved pull strength
Electrical benefits, such as:
Less
Voltage
Drop

Longer
Distance

Reduced
Resistance

Greater
Current
Capacity

More Field
Instruments

Cable Selection Shielding

Most common design:

foil shield only
~ 35 dB of Shield effectiveness
Most effective at high frequencies
(>10 MHz)
Drain wire for easy termination

Combination shields
Foil in addition to braid
Shield effectiveness of ~ 80 dB
Effective from 60 Hz to GHz

Cable Selection Armoring

Interlock
Steel
Aluminum

SWA (Steel Wire Armor)

Protective Metal Tapes:
Smooth or Corrugated (Steel, Copper, Aluminum)

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Cable Selection Armoring

Why use Armor?

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Rodent protection
Physical integrity
Direct burial
Reduces cost of conduit
Hazardous Locations

Cable Selection Jacketing

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PVC most common jacketing material

CPE good chemical and abrasion resistance
LSZH low smoke zero halogen applications
HDPE direct burial applications
FEP high or low temperature applications (-70
to 200C)

Cable Installation

Follow manufacturers recommendations

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Bending radii: generally 10 to 12x cable diameter

Maximum pulling tension
Installation temperature
Pulling lubricant selection

Cable Termination

Ground shield at one end only The near or host end

Use provided drain wire or pigtail the braid
Grounding both ends results in ground loops
Required to prevent noise ingress, which could distort the signal

Shields should be trimmed back flush with jacket

Isolate shield using heat shrink tubing or tape
This keeps the shield from being inadvertently shorted to the (+)
or (-) wires or grounding at the device end

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Post Installation Verification

Follow FF Engineering Guide AG-181

Procedure for installing and commissioning fieldbus
segments
Use DMM for Resistance & Capacitance
measurements
Use Fieldbus Handheld tester to verify installation and
operation

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Common Installation Issues

Cable shield shorted to (+) or (-) wires

Cable shield grounded at both ends, increasing
noise susceptibility
Routing of cables in parallel with AC power lines
Minimum of 6 separation per IEEE 518
Minimize parallel runs
Cross power lines perpendicularly, when possible

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Summary

FF-844 created to clarify cable requirements &

register products
FF cable requirements are much more stringent
than Instrumentation cabling requirements
Select cable that is compatible with application
Consult manufacturer for installation &
termination recommendations
Follow AG-181 guidelines for testing FF
segments
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