What is the difference between a wire and cable?

What is the difference between a wire and cable? This is one of the most basic questions
that still need to be answered. Wire is a single conductor and cable is a group of two or
more insulated conductors. If there was not any insulation on the two conductors then it
would not be a cable, it would still be a single conductor, which would classify as a wire.
There are four basic categories of wire and cable. These categories consist of singleconductor, multi-conductor, twisted pairs, and coaxial cable.
There are two types of wire. These are solid wire and stranded wire. Both types have
different uses depending on the level of resistance and flexibility required. Solid wire is a
single solid conductor that may be bare or insulated. This type of wire offers a little
lower resistance. Solid conductors are the key to better performance at higher
frequencies. Stranded wire is wire that is made up of several strands of bare conductor
to form a single conductor when all strands are put together. This type of wire has more
flexibility and a longer flex life before becoming unusable.
There are four basic cable types. These types are twisted pairs cable, multi-conductor
cable, coaxial cable, and fiber optics cable.
Multi-conductor cable is cable that is made up of many insulated conductors. This type
of cable is common in control applications but is almost never used in signal
applications.
Twisted pairs cable consists of pairs of conductors that are twisted together. This cable is
specifically intended for signal carrying. This type of cable was invented in the 1880's for
the specific intent of wiring up early telephone systems. Twisting the pairs of conductors
gives the cable some immunity to interference.
Cable types listed above are considered balanced line configurations. This means that
two conductors are kept very close together, normally by twisting them. Conductors
must be the same length, size, and have a constant distance between them.
Coaxial cable is the other popular configuration for cable. The signal on the two
conductors in coaxial cable is not the same because the shield carries the ground and
the signal. Since the signal is not the same on both conductors this configuration is an
unbalanced line. Coaxial cable does not have the immunity to interference that twisted
pairs cable does, but the performance may be far more stable with coaxial cable than
with twisted pairs cable because of the fact that various parts of the cable are knitted'
together.

There are six configurations of shields involved in cable. These are Unshielded, Braid
Shields, Serve/Spiral shields, French Braid Shields, Foil Shields, and Combination Shields.
Shields are added to prevent noise interference and radiation.
Unshielded cable may be used where there is no crosstalk or noise present. This
configuration can also be used if noise is not important or will not substantially affect the
cable signal. These cables are used prevalently for the data world where conductor pairs
have extremely tight twists or use conductors that have been bonded together. These
high performance pairs of conductors have great immunity to interference and radiation.
Serve/Spiral

Shields

are

manufactured

to

be

extremely

flexible.

Serve

Shield

effectiveness is compromised by the fact that every time the Serve Shield is flexed, it
opens up. A Spiral Shield has an effect on the inductance of the shield and so these
shield configurations are normally not used for video, only audio. People who choose this
type of cable usually are trading performance in exchange for flexibility.
Braid Shields are manufactured by spinning conductors or groups of wires around a
center core. The braiding process is very labor-intensive and slow to produce, which
makes it the most expensive step of the cable making process. The braiding can be
single or double braid, with double braiding being more effective. Since there are always
holes where the wires cross, braiding is never 100% effective. The higher the frequency
the less effective a Braid Shield is.
French Braid Shields are a combination of a Serve Shield and a Braid Shield. This shield
consists of two Serve Shields braided along a single axis. This shield gives excellent
flexibility and RF performance. The French Braid Shield takes the same effort and
material as a Braid Shield so the manufacturing process costs roughly the same for both.
Foil Shields are the cheapest and easiest shields to apply. They consist of two different
layers. One layer is metal and the other layer is a polyester substrate. This shield can be
applied just as quick as the cable can be run. These shields show poor-performance for
low frequency but excellent performance for high frequency. Since Foil Shields are made
with foil that has no holes, they can be 100% effective.
Combination Shields are shields that use a combination of braiding and foil. Sometimes,
there are multiple layers of each. Combination Shields are the most expensive of all
shields. These shields give the best broadband coverage because the foil works for high
frequencies and the braiding works for low frequencies.
Fiber optic cable is divided into three kinds: Plastic Fiber, Multi mode Fiber, and Single
mode Fiber. Plastic Fiber is the largest fiber in fiber optic cable, is made of plastic, and is
usually used in high-end audio signals. Multi mode fiber is made of glass, ranges in
diameter, and is used in the data world. Single mode fiber is considered the king, or the

best, because the fiber is too small to see without a microscope. This fiber gives the best
performance but is very difficult to connect because of fiber size and hardness.