Power Cables: The Ultimate Custom Guide -Cloom

Power cables are a group of conductors. It can be fixed as a buried wire, installed in a building, exposed, or run overhead. The power cord is part of the electrical system.
What kind of power cord is there? What are the factors that affect quality? How to choose the right power cord?
There are Different power cord types on the market. The power cord you choose and the purpose of use depend on many factors. The most important factor is the technical specifications of the power cord. In our article INclude this detail.
Want to know about our power cable customization service? Click here.
In this guide, you will learn all about the power cord. Let’s start.

CHAPTER 1: What Is A Power Cable

1.1 Power cable definition

A power cable may be defined as the following:

Power cord connections otherwise known as a plug, connector or a cord is one or more wires covered in a plastic sheath that allows the transmission of data or power between devices.

The picture below is a sample of what power cord for the monitor or computer looks like. The power cord is an example of several hundreds of cables found within and around computers.

The computer has two main types of cables: a power cable and a data cable. A data cable sends data and information between devices.

For instance, VGI, HDMI, and DVI are all data cables that connect your computer to your monitor and also provide a visual display for your monitor. Other examples of data cables are the SATA, USB, CAT5, EIDE/IDE cables.

On the other hand, a power cable is any cable that transmits electricity or power a device. A notable example is the power cord that connects the Molex style cable in the computer to your computer.

You will find below the list of common cable types for electronics and computers, as well as the devices that use the cables.

1.2 Types of power cables

• AT cable – Used with the early generations of keyboards.
• ATA cable – Used with disc drives and hard drives.
• CAT5 cable – Used with network cards.
• Coaxial cable – Used with projectors and television.
• Composite (RCA) cable – Also used with projectors, television service, and consoles.
• DisplayPort cable – Used with monitors and computer.
• DVI cable – Used with projectors, monitors, and other display devices.
• e-SATA cable – Used with external hard drives
• Firewire (IEEE-1394) cable – Used with external hard drives and digital cameras.
• HDMI cable – Used with projectors, monitors, Blu-ray/DVD players, and other display devices.
• MIDI cable – Made for musical keyboards and other equipment.
• Mini-plug cable – Made for microphones, headphones, and speakers.
• Molex power cable – Made for use inside the computer.
• IDE/EIDE cable – Made for disc drives and hard drives.
• Parallel cable – Made for printers.
• PS/2 cable- Made for mice and keyboards.
• S-Video cable – Made for digital cameras, projectors, and other display devices.
• S/PDIF cable – Made for surround sound and DVD.
• SATA cable – Made for disc drives and hard drives.
• SCSI cable – Made for tape drives, disc drives, and hard drives.
• Serial (RS-232) cable – Used with a modem and a mouse.
• Thunderbolt cable – Used with Apply devices and displays.
• USB – Used with the mouse, MP3 players, keyboard, printer, and other devices.
• VGA/SVGA cable – Used with projectors and monitors.

A power cable, otherwise known as an electrical cable is used to transmit electricity or power. A power cable provides connection and transmits power to power stations, electricity-powered devices, telephones, televisions, and wired computer networks.

Power cables are available in many types, and they differ in size, configuration, and performance.

1.3 What are the components of power cables?

All power cables are composed of two or more conducting wires and an outer protective sheath. From low power to medium power and high power cables that transmit high voltages, the set of conductor pieces within the outer protective sheath may be wrapped individually with an insulating sheath. The Power conductors are mostly made of copper while the outer protective sheath is made with synthetic polymers.

Power cables come in a variety of materials, sizes, and types with each power cable type adapted to its use. The Power cables are sometimes called large single insulated conductors in the industry.

A power cable is made of three necessary components:

• Conductors,
• Insulation,
• Protective jacket.

The makeup of each cable type is dependent on its use and application.

Three primary factors determine the construction of a power cable as well as the materials used:

• Working voltage – which determines the thickness of the insulation;
• Current – carrying capacity – which determines the cross-sectional size of the conductors in the cable;
• Environmental conditions such as includes sunlight or chemical exposure, water, mechanical impact, and water which determines the form and what makes up the outer jacket of the cable.

Cables that are meant to be buried in the ground or installed in the open may include metal armor that is composed of wires arranged in spirals around the cable or a corrugated tape designed around it. While the metal armor is made of aluminum or steel and installed in the earth ground, it isn’t designed to bear the current load during normal operation.

Power cables

use aluminum conductors or stranded copper, though small power cables use solid conductors. Also, a power cable may come with an uninsulated conductor that serves as the contact for earth connection or the circuit neutral.

The overall set of conductor pieces in unison in a power cable may be flat or round. Strands of non – conducting fillers may be added to the set of conductor pieces to enable it to assume and maintain its structure.

The individual purpose cables used for vertical or overhead use may come with additional elements such as Kevlar or steel to provide structural support.

Besides, some power cables designed for outdoor overhead use may not come with an overall sheath, that is, the conductors are left open. Other power canes may come with a metal or plastic sheath that holds and encloses the conductors.

The materials used to make cable sheath are selected based on their resistance to oil, water, underground conditions, sunlight, impact, high temperatures and chemical vapors.

A power cable that is intended for use in a nuclear industry may have particular specifications that allow it to ionize radiation resistance. Power cable materials may be designed not to produce large a lungs of smoke when and if burned.
Power cables designed for direct burial in earth or underground use will often have metal, plastic or lead sheaths and may require to be constructed underground especially. In the event where cables must be exposed and prone to mechanical damage, they should be protected with wire armor or flexible steel tape and afterward covered with a water-resistant jacket.

Coaxial Cable

A typical coaxial power cable comes with a core plated with copper and encircled by a dielectric insulator. The insulating layer is encircled by an interlaced shield of copper which is finally enclosed with an outmost plastic covering. The Coaxial power cables vary in cost, power handling abilities, performance, size, and flexibility.

Coaxial power cables are used to connect home video and audio equipment, local area network components, and television networks. The Coaxial power cables are available in different types, such as leaky cable, hard-line, twin-axial, semi-rigid, RG/6, and biaxial power cables.

Ribbon Cable

A ribbon power cable, otherwise known as flat-twin cables or multi-wire planar electrical cable is composed of multiple insulated wires that run parallel to each other. The composition of parallel wiring in this cable allows various signals of data to transmit simultaneously.

According to “Optical Communications Essentials,” a typical ribbon power cable is made up of 4-12 wires, and it is mostly used to connect two network devices. Also, a ribbon power cable connects the motherboard of a computer with the other core central processing unit of a computer.

Twisted Pair Cable

A twisted pair power cable is made of color-coded pairs of insulated copper wires, which are interlaced. The diameter of each copper wire varies from 0.4 to 0.8mm, and the number of insulated copper wire pairs varies in different types of twisted pair power cables.

The number of insulated copper wire pairs in a twisted pair cable dyer jeans the resistivity of the cable, that is, a twisted pair power cable with a high number of couples will have high resistance to crosstalk and external noise. Twisted pair power cables are not costly, that are flexible and easy to install. Twisted pair power cables are used to wire local area networks and for telephone cabling.

Shielded Cable

A shielded power cable is composed of one or more insulated wires that are enclosed collectively by an aluminum Mylar foil or interlaced braid shielding.

The shielding protects the cable from the interference of power and external radio, thereby allowing the signal transmission to run effectively. Power cables that carry high voltage are common shielded.

CHAPTER 2: Power Cable Types

2.1 SATA Power Cable

SATA is the short form of Serial ATA, an abbreviation for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. SATA is of an IDE standard, and it first came into the market in 2001 and it is used for connecting devices like hard drives and optical drives to the motherboard.

The term SATA refers to the types of connections and power cables that follow the standard of IDE. Before the introduction of SATA in 2001, PATA (Parallel ATA) was the recommend IDE standard for connecting storage devices in a computer.

However, now, SATA is an excellent replacement for PATA and stands as the IDE standard for connecting storage devices in a network. SATA power cables are faster and useful than the PATA counterpart as they transmit data to and from the computer faster.

Note that PATA is sometimes referred to as IDE and should you see SATA being used in contrast with IDE, it shows that parallel ATA or Serial ATA power cables are being discussed.

2.1.1 SATA vs. PATA

Compared to PATA, Serial ATA also comes with the benefit of cheap cable costs with the capability to make devices hot swap. To make devices hot swap means to replace the equipment without having to turn off the entire system. PATA doesn’t provide the benefit of hot-swap as you have to shut down the whole system down to replace the hard drive.

Now, it’s important to note that while SATA power cable provides the benefit of hot swap, the device using it just like the operating system. SATA power cables are smaller when compared to the fat PATA ribbon power cables. It shows that SATA power cable isn’t space consuming and can be tied up when and if needed.

Thanks to the thinner design of SATA power cable, air can flow better inside the computer case. When it comes to transferring speed, SATA transfer speed is much higher than PATA. The highest transfer speed with PATA power cable is no more than 133 MB/s, whereas the transfer speed of SATA starts from 187.5 MB/s to 1,969 MB/s.

A PATA power cable is about 18 inches (1.5 feet) long. The cable length of SATA is as long as 1m (3.3 feet).

However, a SATA power cable can only take a device at a time, unlike the PATA power cable that can make two devices at a time. Also, the operating systems of some Windows such as Windows 95 and 98 do not support SATA power cables.

Fortunately, these windows are outdated. Therefore this isn’t much of a concern.

A downside of SATA power cable is that they sometimes require a particular device driver be plugged into the computer before the computer can start reading and sending data to the wire.

2.1.2 Features of SATA power cables

SATA power cables are long, described as 7-pin power cables. One end of the SATA power cable goes into a port labeled SATA on the motherboard, and the other end goes into the back of a storage device such as SATA hard drive.

External hard drives with a SATA connection can also be used along with SATA power cables. The relationship of SATA power cables with external hard drives is referred to as eSATA. The external hard drive attaches to the eSATA connection port behind the computer; the eSATA connection port is next to other connection ports for the monitor, USB and network cable.

The machine makes the same internal SATA connection with the motherboard like the hard drive were fixed in the case. Just like internal SATA drives, eSATA also provide the benefit of hot swap.

2.2 monitor power cable

A monitor power cable is used to establish a connection between the computer and the monitor to display the output of the network. This connection between the computer and the monitor can be analog or digital. Most laptops, computers and other portable devices come with a built-in hardware and monitor connector that allows the mounting of monitor power cable.

The connection between the computer and the monitor using a monitor power cable is required to get an output display. Here are some common types of monitor power cable:

Digital visual interface (DVI)

Video graphics array (VGA)

High-definition multimedia interface (HDMI)

DisplayPort

A VGA power cable is used to connect an analog PC monitor to a laptop or a PC. VGA power cable uses an HD15 connector to connect the monitor and the computer. Video graphics array is commonly used to produce analog signals whereas other types of monitor power cables are used to create digital signals.

2.3 Hard drive power cables

There are different types of hard drives, and each type requires different power cables. To make a connection between a hard drive and a computer, it’s vital that you have the ideal hard drive cable and plug in the wires in the appropriate port.

Hard drive power cables come in three types – IDE/PATA, SATA, and SCSI. Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) drives otherwise known as Parallel AT Attachment (PATA) drives are found in personal computers.

However, manufacturers have stopped installing IDE/PATA drives in new personal computers. As such, IDE/PATA drives are only found in older computers that were made before 2009.

The IDE/PATA technology was made in 1986, and the SATA technology now displays the technique. The SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) drives were created in 2003 and are found only in personal computers.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) drives are found only in mainframe/high-end computers. The SCSI technology has been introduced since 1981, and it has been in existence till today, though several revisions have been made to the drives.

2.3.1 IDE/PATA Cable

An IDE/PATA hard drive power cable is a ribbon cable that is made up of 40 pins. An IDE/PATA hard drive power cable allows one or two devices of the same or different types to be connected to it at the same time. For instance, an IDE/PATA hard drive power cable may combine with an IDE/PATA DVD-R drive.

2.3.2 SATA hard drive power cables.

A SATA hard drives power cable is made up of seven conductors and is smaller when compared to an IDE/PATA hard drive power cable. A SATA hard drive power cable connects a hard drive to one connector on the SATA controller usually found in the motherboard of a computer.

2.3.3 SCSI hard drive power cables

The SCSI hard drive cable is quite similar to an IDE/PATA cable as they both use ribbon cables. However, SCSI hard drives power cable to have more pins that IDE power cables through the number of pins in an SCSI power cable depends on the SCSI.

That is, an SCSI hard drive power cable may have 60 or 68 pins depending on the interface of the SCSI. Similar to IDE, SCSI hard drive power cable allows multiple devices to connect to a single channel. Depending on the interface of the SCSI, as many as 15 devices may be connected to the channel of just one SCSI.

2.4 USB power cables

The USB power cable was introduced to standardize the connection of peripherals such as video cameras, portable media players, keyboards, printers, pointing devices, network adapters, disk drives, and digital still to personal computers to supply electric power and communicate.

USB port has dramatically replaced parallel and serial ports and is now a commonplace on different devices. the abbreviated form of Universal Serial Bus was made to simplify and improve access between personal computers and other devices.

If you ask a computer user about USB, he/she will tell you that the USB interface has improved the ease of use in many ways. The USB interface can configure itself, that is, the user doesn’t need to make adjustments to the device settings, the interface for data or speed format, direct access memory channels or configure input/output addresses.

USB connectors

USB connectors are designed to conform to the standard of the host, as such, any peripheral device that the USB wants to connect to change using any available receptacle. The USB maximizes the advantage of the processing power put into peripheral devices, and this allows the USB to manage itself.

The USB interface is hot-pluggable, that is, devices can be exchanged freely without having to reboot the host computer.

Thanks to the fact that USB logos can only be used after compliance testing, the user can rest assured that a USB power cable will work as expected without much interaction with configuration and settings.

When a USB power cable is plugged into a device and connected to the port of a personal computer system in use, it’s either the system prompts that the device be configured automatically using the existing drivers on the device, or the system prompts the user to open a driver which is then installed and automatically configured.

One may ask, if USB is the abbreviated form of Universal Serial Bus and is meant to be universal, what are there several types of USB?

The various kinds of USB do not serve the same functions; they serve different roles with the important one being to maintain compatibility with new devices when nee devices with new specs are released.

Here are the common types of USB power cables.

2.4.1 Type-A:

Most USB power cables have a type – A connector on one end. Most peripheral devices such as mice and keyboards have a type-A connector. Personal computers have multiple type-A ports, power adapters and other accessories also use a type-A port for charging and data transfers.

2.4.2 Type-B:

The type-B USB power cables are mostly used for printers as well as other devices that connect to a computer. The type-B USB power cable connector is almost square in shape and not typical compared to the type-A cables.

2.4.3 Mini-USB:

Mini-USB was the standard connector for most mobile devices before the introduction of the micro-USB type. As its name implies, mini-USB is smaller than the regular USB, though it’s still used in cameras with non-standard connectors.

2.4.4 Type-C:

Type-C USB power cable is a reversible cable that is designed to transmit power and transfer data faster than the previous USB types. Phone and device manufacturers are starting to adopt this USB cable type for laptops, phones, and tablets.

2.4.5 USB-c:

The USB-c cable isn’t of a USB standard, but Apple adopts it as the connector for iPhones and iPads. The size of the cable’s connector is similar to that of micro-USB, and it works well with all Apple devices manufactured after September 2012. The Apple devices made before September 2012 use a different and large connector.

2.4.6 What About USB 3?

USB 3 is the latest standard for USB, and it offers fast transfer rates. The USB 3 power cable is backward compatible with the previous versions of USB. Though the USB 3 cable is backward compatible with other versions, the increased speed of the cable is only realized when the device is compatible with USB 3.

The USB power cables that you will use mostly and replace are micro-USB and USB-C.

2.5 micro USB power cables

Micro-USB is the current standard connector for most portable and mobile devices. Nearly all manufacturers have adopted the micro-USB connector except Apple.

If you own an android phone or a tablet, chances are you have a micro-USB power cable. Even the diehard Apple lovers cannot stay away from micro-USB since the cable is the most common type of connector for speakers, external power packs, and other devices.

If you are a regular buyer of gadgets, you will discover that you collect a bunch of micro-USB overtime and since the cable can be interchanged, you may not need to buy a separate one except you keep breaking them or losing them.

A quick question, when you go to the market to buy a new micro-USB cable, are you tempted to buy the cheapest one? Chances are you are tempted to buy a cheap micro-USB power cable when you go to the market; this is not a good idea.

Micro-USB cables that are cheap and made to poor quality tend to break easily, and a broken cable is useless when it comes to devising charging. So, the next time you are tempted to buy a cheap cable, save yourself a headache and consider purchasing a quality cable. The different is just the prove and it is worth it. 
Another thing to consider is the length of the cable. While short micro-USB power cables are portable, they can leave you sitting next to the power outlet while charging your device.

A longer cable on the flip side can be uneasy to carry about, tangle easily and even be a potential tripping hazard. Consider buying a micro-USB that is three feet long. A cable that is three feet long allows you to charge your device and use at the same time without having to sit beside the power outlet. A micro-USB cable of considerable length is ideal for charging your devices through the length of cable depends on circumstances and individual preferences.

CHAPTER 3: PC Power Cables

3.1 PC Power supply cables

There are different power supply cables in the market today. These power cables were designed in such a way that you cannot go wrong installing them, that is, each power cable is designed for a particular device.

So it’s safe to say that you’d know when you fix a specific power cable to the wrong device. Subsequently, this chapter will talk about different types of power supply cables as well as their uses.

3.1.1 P1 (PC Main / ATX connector)

This power supply cable was designed to provide power to the motherboard, and the mechanism of this power supply is done through the inbound 20-pins or 24 pins power supply cable. A 24-pin power supply cable works well with a motherboard that is 20-pins since the 24-pin power cable can be separated into 20- and 4-pins.

3.1.2 P4 (EPS Connector)

Over time, manufacturers discovered that the motherboard’s pins were not stringing enough to provide sufficient power needed by the processor, that is, the central processing unit. With the drawing of the overclocked CPU rising to 200W, there was a need to design a device that will supply power directly to the central processing unit. Now we have the P4 or EPS connector to provide sufficient power to the central processing unit.

Motherboards that are less expensive cones with a 4-pin connector while the more expensive ones come with 8-pin connectors. Since costly motherboards overclock, the function of the additional four pins is to supply enough power to the central processing unit when overclocking. Motherboards that are used for regular users do not require these extra pins.

Most power supply units (PSU) comes with two cables; 4-pins and 8-pins cable. You do not need to use both cables at a time, but you can always share your 8- pin cable into two 4- pins to make the cable compatible with less expensive motherboards.

3.1.3 PCI-E Connector (6-pin en 6+2 pin)

Through the PCI-E interface of a motherboard, a typical motherboard can provide as much as 75wattage. However, these power is not sufficient for the fast dedicated graphics card. As such, there was a need for manufacturers to design a device that would provide adequate control.

That is where the PCI-E connector comes into play. The PCI-E 6-pin connector is designed to provide extra 75wattage per cable. That is to say that if you have a graphics card with a 6-pin connector, the connector can draw a maximum power of 150wattage, that is 75wattage from the motherboard PCI-E interface and an extra 75wattage from the PCI-E cable.

Graphics cards that are more expensive require the use 6+2 pin PCI-E connector of to provide as much as 150wattage per cable with the 8pins. A typical graphics card with a 6+2 pin PCI-E connector can draw a maximum of 225wattage, that is 75wattage from the motherboard PCI-E interface and 150wattage from the PCI-E connector.

3.1.4 Molex (4 Pin Peripheral Connector)

Molex connectors can provide 5V (red) or 12V (Yellow) to hardware devices, and they are not new in the market. When the Molex connector was first introduced, it was used to connect CD-ROM players and Hard drives. It’s no surprise that graphics cards such as the GeForce 7800 GS were utilized with Molex.

Because the power draw of Molex connector is limited, it has almost gone extinct and is now being replaced by SATA and PCI-E cables. Molex connector is now being used to power case fans. As with all power cables, the Molex connector cannot be installed wrongly. However, you may experience difficulty detaching them.

3.1.5 SATA power supply cable

The SATA power supply cable is the big man that made the Molex supply cable obsolete. And it is now the power source for SSD’s hard disk drives, and DVD players. The L-shape of the SATA power supply cable allows for a secure connection to a peripheral device.

3.2 Computer power cables

3.2.1 4 Pin Peripheral Power cables

In the time past, the four pins peripheral power cable was used for hard disks and floppy disks. However, in recent times, the power cable is now used for several things, such as add-on fans, case lighting, supplemental motherboard power and extra video card power.

Though the four pins peripheral power cable is as old as the Hill, it’s still very much in use. The four-pin external power cable is shaped in such a way that it fits in just one way. That is, it cannot be inserted the wrong way.

3.2.2 Floppy drive power cables

The four pin floppy drive was introduced when computers started including 3.5-inch floppy drives. This power cable often serves as an auxiliary power cable for AGP video cards that requires more power than the motherboard slot can supply.

The floppy drive power cable is shaped in such a way that it fits in just one way. That is, it cannot be inserted the wrong way. Also, the floppy drive power cables are made with 20 AWG wire and small connectors. Therefore, they are limited to low current uses.

3.2.3 SATA power cables

SATA power cable was introduced to upgrade the interface of ATA to more advanced design. SATA power cable includes both power and data cable.

The SATA cable is made in such a way that it fits just in one direction, that is, it cannot be inserted wrongly. When implemented fully, the SATA power cable adds support for 3.3 volts.

3.2.4 4 pin ATX +12 volt power cable

Older PCs put most of their load on 3.3 and 5 volts. Over time, computers drew most of their load from 12 volts. Before the introduction of this power cable, there was just one 12 volt line supplied to the motherboard.

Thanks to the cable, two more 12-volt lines have been added to allow more of the computer load shift to 12 bolts. The power supplied by the power cable powers the CPU and is also used to control other things.

CHAPTER 4: Extending Knowledge

4.1 Xbox one power cable

The Xbox one power supply comes with a DC and AC power supply cables. Xbox one power supply makes use of hardwired direct current power cord which connects directly into Xbox. The DC power cord is approximately 3 feet, 6 inches equivalent to 1.1 meters.

A central power connector is tightly fixed to the end of the direct current power cord. Meanwhile, the connector is engineered primarily for power sockets on Xbox One S and original Xbox One.

4.1.1 Xbox one AC power cables

The AC power cable is attached to the wall socket with the use of a detachable AC power cord. The AC power cord is approximately 5 feet, 9 inches equivalent to 1.2 meters long.

Ensure to use the right power cord designed for your power supply, if not, can get your power supply and your Xbox damaged. Also, the plug type to be connected to your electrical outlet is dependent where (country and region) your Xbox was purchased.

4.2 in-wall power cord and cable kit

In-wall power cord and cable kit is by far the easiest and energy efficient system to run television cables behind the wall. The cable kit allows the additional removal of cables without having to remove the cover plates or boxes with the built-in cable feeding tube.

The outlet power appears attached to a plastic tube which is placed behind the wall through two drilled holes. This plastic tubes houses your TV cords and the top outlet has a power plug through which you plug in the TV.

The tube is passed into the two holes drill in your preferred wall (one low on the wall, the other at the back of the TV). The kit comes with a power cable that you’ll plug into an existing wall electrical port which is low on the wall.

As soon as you mount your TV bracket, you need to find out where these holes are going such that one is hidden at the back of the TV and the other closer to the ground level and an existing wall outlet where the kits and the cords power source from the wall will be fixed into. These holes were bored using a circular drill bit.

Taking note of the kit’s directions, push the cord and tube through the top hole. This is very much easy to do. Can you notice the white cord along the black tube?

That’s the power cord part of the kit.

Are you confused about how you will get power to the TV? The upper part of the kits power cord comes with the outlet. All you have to do is plug the TV in there from behind. The next line of action is to plug in power to an existing wall outlet at the bottom.

As you proceed, you need assistance from a family member to help grab and pull out the cord as soon as it reaches the bored hole close to the ground level of the wall.

Make use of the kit’s screws to keep the outlet behind the TV while fixed to the wall; your TV should be plugged through this outlet while the rest of the cords go through the tube.

Be sure to station the lower holes close to an existing outlet as soon as you decide on where to drill the holes in the walls. Connect the plugs to the wall outlet after you are done pulling put the cords and tube out of the bottom hole. If you’ve got more than two plugs, plug in a multi-outlet power strip. Pretty easy.

NOTE:

The challenging part is deciding the exact point to station the holes on the wall. To ensure your cords are extensive enough to pass through the wall into the TV, consider buying a longer HDMI cord.

4.3 ac power cables

AC power cable, the abbreviated form of the power cable is a set of factory insulated conductor pieces in unison protected by a flexible metallic armor, otherwise known as a sheath. The metallic sheath may come in the form of steel or aluminum material. An AC power cable with an aluminum sheath should be used in alternating current circuits only.

The flexible metallic sheath of an armored power cable provides mechanical protection for the electric parts conductors and also makes the cable bendable.
Armored power cable makes construction and remodeling work quite easy as it provides a fast way of wiring.

4.4 Xbox 360 power cables

The PSU or Xbox 360 comes with an alternating current (AC) power cable that is plugged into the wall socket and a hard-wired direct current (DC) power cable that is attached to the console.

4.4.1 Xbox 360 DC power cables

The DC power cord is permanently fixed to the PSU and linked to the Xbox 360 console. This power cord sometimes has two gray buttons that must be pushed to allow for the plug to release from the Xbox 360 console housing.

The DC power cord is 1.1 meter, that is, about 3 feet and, 6 inches long.

A central power connector is permanently fixed to the tip of the DC power cord. This central power connector is wired especially for the Xbox 360 console power socket.

The connector on the end of your PSU is designed to firmly fit into the Xbox 360 console through which the PSU is compatible. Ensure that the PSU the right type for your console even if the power cord seems to not fit into your Xbox 360 console.

4.4.2 Xbox 360 AC power cables

The AC power cord is 1.8 meters, which is about 5 feet and 9 inches long and can be detached from the power supply unit.

The edge of the power cord which connects into a PSU conventionally has two or three holes. The total number of holes have the number with the prongs on the PSU.

The two-prong PSU must be used together with the cord that connects using two holes while the three-prong PSU with the cord that connects with the use of three holes. Using a power cord that us different from the designed cord for your PSU may cause damage to your PSU or Xbox 360 console.

That plug that connects to your electrical outlets from the power cord can be found in varieties. The type of plug is dependent on where (country or region) you got it from. Check out the below table for more knowledge about the variety plug types.

4.5 porter cables power tool

Porter, cable power tool, is an American company that specializes in the manufacturing of power to tools. Favorite for manufactures power tools. Known for pioneering portable band saw, portable belt sander, and helical-drive circular saw, Porter Cable power tool is a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.

4.6 Power over Ethernet cable
(reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_over_Ethernet)

Power over Ethernet or PoE depicts any of various standard or ad-hoc systems that transfers electric power along with data on twisted pair Ethernet cabling. This enables a single cable to bring about both data connection and electrical power to gadgets gadget namely; IP cameras, wireless access points, and VoIP phones.

There are diverse common methods for transmitting power over Ethernet cabling. Back in 2003, two of these methods were standardized by IEEE 802.3 – Alternative A and Alternative B.

Alternative B differentiate the data and the power conductors, this makes troubleshooting stress-free. Alternative B also uses all four twisted pairs in a typical Cat 5 cable entirely. The positive voltage runs along pins 4 and 5, while the negative voltage along pins 7 and 8.

As for alternative A, it transports power through the same wires as data for 10 and 100 Mbit/s Ethernet variants. Just like the phantom power technique commonly utilized for putting on condenser microphones.

The data conductors transmit power by transmitting the same voltage to each pair. Since twisted-pair Ethernet makes use of differential signaling, data transmission isn’t disrupted. 
The common-mode voltage is extracted directly using the center tap of the standard Ethernet pulse transformer. All the four pairs are used for data transmission, to realize the faster Gigabit Ethernet, as such, both alternatives A and B sends power on wire and data pairs. 
Besides standardizing the practice for spare-pair (Alternative B) and common-mode data pair power (Alternative A) transmission that has been in existence, the IEEE power over Ethernet standards allows signals to be transmitted between the powered device and the power sourcing equipment. The signals transmitted enable the power source to detect the conformant device, thereby giving way for the cause and device to determine the amount of power available or required.

Here are some examples of devices that are powered by PoE:

• IP cameras, such as the pan-tilt-zoom cameras
• Voice over Internet protocol phones
• Wireless access points
• Internet protocol television decoders
• Inline Ethernet extenders
• Network routers
• Mini network switches installed in distant rooms to provide backup to small ports from unlink cables.
• Public address, paging, intercom systems, and hallway speaker amplifiers.
• Outdoor radios erected on roofs with integrated antennas, 4G/LTE, 802.11 or 802.16 based wireless customer premise equipment used by wireless Internet service providers.
• Remote point of sale kiosks
• Wall clocks with time set using the standard of Network Time Protocol.
• Millimeter wave radios, Outdoor point to point microwave as well as some free space optics that features exclusive power over ethernet.
• Access control components such as entry cards, intercoms, and keyless entry.
• Components of the Industrial control system such as meters, sensors, and controllers.
• LED lighting fixtures and Intelligent lighting controllers.
• Theatrical and stage devices such as routing boxes and Networked audio breakout.

CHAPTER 5: Where To Buy Power Cables

5.1 Tips to consider when purchasing power cables

While you may be very familiar with power cables, there are quite some things about power cable that is strange to you, and there are some tips you need to consider when buying power cables.

Here are some tips you need to know about power cables. These tips will guide you the next time you want to buy power cables.

As opposed to popular belief, aluminum is a better conductor than copper.

Many people believe copper to be a better conductor of electricity. That is, many people think that copper can transmit power better than aluminum at all times. This is not accurate.

When it comes down to the matter of conductivity between copper and aluminum, several factors come into play. Electricity transmission in cable wires isn’t just a function of the degree to which a metal resists the flow of electricity, but a unique combination of the type of insulation material used and the cable size. As such, in the event where you have to use extra high voltage over the long distance, it’s economical to use aluminum power cables as opposed to copper cables.

The current capacity of a power cables isn’t stable as it is affected by different factors.

You might have heard people talk about the possibility of their current cable capacity not fluctuating. It is not accurate; as a matter of fact, this is a common misconception that people hold about power cables. The truth about power cables is that the current capacity of a power cable is unstable, it changes every time over the lifespan of wires.

The changes to the current function of power cables are driven by factors such as air temperature, steady ground temperature, the manner in which the cable is laid and the depth at which the cable is laid.

Contrary to popular conception, new power cables do not last.

There are quite many reasons why new power cables do not last as long as you expect them to. The first reason is the manufacturer; there are different types of power cables, and there are several manufacturers of power cables. So, it’s highly unlikely that a new power cable will last for the specific period the old one lasted since the manufacturer of the old power cable is different from the new one.

As mentioned earlier, there are several types of power cables and each distinct type is defined regarding its durability, capacity, industry-specific characteristics and usage. Also, the longevity of a high cable dramatically rests on the style of installation. A poorly installed power cable may not last for a long time.

The cable sheath isn’t designed always to protect the cable from possible physical impacts

Though a power cable is held together by a sheath, the sheath isn’t designed to protect the case against any form of physical impact. Contrastingly, if a power cable is exposed to any form of physical impact, chances are the damage posed by the physical impact will be heightened by the sheath.

Why? The cable sheath that holds the set of conductor pieces in a cable is made up of steel wire or steel tape. The materials are intended to make the power cable capable of being stretched and not to shield the cable from physical impact.

The cable sheath isn’t designed always to protect power cables

The common conception by people is that the cable sheath functions as a shield that protects the cable from moisture, that is, the cable can be freely used in moisture areas. Let me emphasize again that the sheath isn’t designed to be used in moist areas; though the sheath is designed to protect the cable. However, exposing power cables to water will not only destroy the sheath, but it will also expose the cables over time.

The most important thing that you should consider is safety. Keep in mind that a wrong installation of power cable can result in an accident. Hence, ensure that you buy the right power cable for the right device.

5.2 Looking to buy a new power cables?

The next time you want to buy a new power cable, don’t go to Best Buy or Walmart, or any other physical outlets. The power cables sold in physical outlets are almost overpriced, instead, consider buying from us. We accept and custom the cables according to your requirements! Buying your power cables from us affords you through the chance to take a closer look at our user reviews and specifications.

A closer look at the user reviews and specs will help you stay far away from low-quality power cables. We are here to serve you with durable and quality power cables, talk to us today!

Conclusion

 Thank you for reading this book – Power cables. We hope that you are well versed with power cables and the different power cable types as well as their uses. As a lover of gadgets and devices, you are always in need of a power cable.

Have you been buying power cables at physical outlets, only to find that the cables do not last as much as you want? Do you want a durable and long lasting power cable for your devices? Waste no time to buy from us today.

Thank you once again.