Habia Cable GmbH

Conductors

The central component of any cable: the conductor is the term used for the metallic wire or wires that carry the signal and/or power through the cable.

Metals

A wide range of metals can be used as a conductor. Copper (Cu) is by far the most common due to its relative low cost and availability. Other options include aluminium, steel or tinsel wire(mixed strands of copper and cotton). While these may offer advantages in weight, strength or flex-life, they almost always come at the cost of reduced conductivity. Plated copper such as Tin Plated Copper (TPC), Silver Plated Copper (SPC) and Nickel Plated Copper (NPC) offer additional benefits like improved temperature resistance, conductivity or solderability. Purer conductors such as Oxygen Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper can improve the signal performance and are often used for audio frequencies, whilst High Strength Copper Alloy (HSA) can improve flex-life compared to standard copper conductors. A variety of other alloys are often used for their unique conducting properties when exposed to heat. Known as resistance wires, they are used in thermocouple cables where they can detect variations in temperature. The most commonly used are NickelChromium (NiCr), Copper-Nickel (CuNi) and Iron (Fe).