Contents

What is cable termination? 

What is a termination?
 How is cable termination done?
 Why is cable termination required?
 How do I prepare for a cable termination?
 When should you use a straight-through cable?
 What is the most commonly used method of wire termination?
 Why is it critical to follow termination standards?
 What is the difference between indoor and outdoor termination?
 What is cable laying and termination?
 Which type of wiring is best for underground cables?
 What is XLPE cable?
 When should I use XLPE?
 Can XLPE cable be buried?
 How would you check if the cable you made is functional?
 What causes cable problems?
 How do I know if my cable is broken?
What is cable termination?
Electrical power cable terminations
The electrical cable termination is the physical and
electrical connection of a cable end that connects to
another cable, or to the terminal of the equipment.
The cable terminations are often designed to enable
the physical and electrical interconnecting of two
cable ends, or a cable end and a terminal on the
equipment.

The electrical connection requirements relate to the voltage drop, current carrying capacity,
compatibility of the materials, etc. The physical requirements relate to the environmental
protection as well mechanical security.

The methods used to terminate the cables vary according to the type of cable, type of connector
and application. The common type of terminations are crimp connection, soldered connection,
compression termination, and wire-wrapping connection, direct connection, loop or eye
connection. Some of the factors that determine the type are:

 Outdoor or indoor use

 Voltage
 Current
 Overhead, or underground
 Type of Connector on the equipment where the cable will be connected.

Here at Murowa we have 33 to 11 kV lines and 11kv to 400V lines that have been terminated.
What is a termination?
A termination is the electrical and physical connection of a cable end to a piece of equipment or
another cable or conductor.

How is cable termination done?

It’s a simple process. You snip off the insulation from the end of the cable to reveal the live, neutral and
earth wired, revolving around 11 mm of insulation exposing the copper wires.
You can then place each wire in the terminal and screw it down tight to make a good connection.
You can also use Wago connectors to slide the exposed 11 mm copper
wire into the Wago and then push the lever down to lock the wire in place.
Both are methods of termination that are used daily by electricians.

Why is cable termination required?

If cables were not terminated, you would have wires connected to appliances in their raw form, increasing
the possibility of electrocution.
Terminating the end of cables is essential for good connections, be it with electricity or fiber cables.
Overhead and underground cables are terminated with crimps. The steel or copper Ferrule is placed over
the cable ends, and pressure is applied to make an unbreakable connection between the two cables.

How do I prepare for a cable termination?

 Strip back the cable’s insulation to expose the copper cable beneath. For household cables, you
will reveal the earth, live and neutral.
 Once the copper is exposed, make sure it is clean and snipped neatly without stray wires.
 Before installing components of the joint or termination.
 If your cable has a conductive screen, ensure it’s free from dirt and debris. If you clean the outer
insulation sheath, wipe towards the open end of the cable.
 When should you use a straight-through cable?
 When working with electricity cable, terminations that are not solid and the impedance does not
match when terminating with like for like cables.
However, in the case of running data cables, the cable should always be one piece or a straight-through
cable to avoid signal interference and signal corruption for other EMF emitting infrastructure.

What is the most commonly used method of wire termination?

Crimping is commonly used for cable termination. It’s the most efficient way of getting through a volume
of cables that need termination.

Why is it critical to follow termination standards?

If you are running communication cables in a data center or office block, there must be a common
standard that the installer works to.
Cables need to be defined by standard colors and diameters for easy identification. Working to standards
helps to reduce the installation time and reduce installation costs and dangers of connecting in opposite
phases,
This is also done in order to reduce the time of troubleshooting the origins of an error to be short

What is the difference between indoor and outdoor termination?

Its straightforward, outdoor kits provide greater cable protection from UV light and the elements in
general.
If you work in a country where the sunlight is a constant headache in degrading insulation, the need for
insulation that can repel or dissipate the UV rays is essential.
The problem has decreased over the recent years with the use of more direct data links rather than using a
cable to span 100s of meters.

What is cable laying and termination?

Communication cables and electricity caves are frequently run underground or in trenches in protective
conduit.
A selection of termination methods are incorporated for terminating the cables, such as clamps, saddles
and spacers with termination or straight joints.
Which type of wiring is best for underground cables?
Copper in general, but the further you run a cable, the more the resistance builds, so choosing the correct
cable is essential to a successful outcome.

What is XLPE cable?

XPLE is an acronym that describes the type of

insulation cross-linked polyethene cable.
XPLE has some unique properties, such as a 3D
molecular structure and shape memory
characteristics.

When should I use XLPE?

Because of the unique structure of XLPE and the tightness of the molecular bonds the XLPE is perfect for
the following:

 High voltage electricity insulation

 XLPE is extremely resilient to abrasion and stress fracturing
 Extreme temperature fluctuations
 Water and other liquids
 When dealing with chemicals or hazardous materials

Can XLPE cable be buried?

Yes, the XPLE is suitable for direct placement under the soil. Its structure is perfect for underground use
without using a conduit.
It has armor wire that ensures that it can take any rough beating or terrain without being affected

What causes cable problems?

There is rarely one reason only for a cable to become problematic. Sheathing degrades overtime
throughout the cable, causing earth leakage or signal corruption.
Extreme temperature fluctuations damaged cables, and UV light causes the insulation to perish and
become brittle.
Weather conditions, in general, are a cause of faulty cables with water ingress. Abrasion to the insulation
causes cables to lose their protective sheathing.
There are several reasons why the sheathing material may degrade, including 

How to detect if the cable is broken?

Connect your tester or a multimeter and perform a continuity test, if the cable is broken, you will not hear
the buzzer, and nothing will show on the screen.
Without a full circuit, your appliance or router will not work, which indicates you have a problem.