Engineers at Cicoil, Valencia, Calif., encased dual-shielded conducting pairs inside a flat cable housing for better protection against EMI/RF than that provided by shielded round cables and other types of flat shielded cables. The twisted 100-ohm conducting pairs are surrounded by a PFA jacketing that improves durability, flexibility, and resistance to temperature extremes, harsh chemicals, and abrasion. The cables withstand temperatures from -65°C to 165°C and are rated for 30 V dc. The pairs consist of flexible 40 AWG wire stranding, which is thinner than the standard 36 AWG and larger wires used in most other flexible cables. This gives the cables up to three times more strands and makes the cable more flexible. Each pair is surrounded by foil shielding with a drain wire that maintains low resistance and also included a tinned-copper braid. The foil and braid support each other during flexing and bending.
The pairs are then encased by a proprietary Flexx-Sil rubber jacket during an extrusion process. The process lets each dual-shielded pair be placed flat and parallel to each other with precise control over the spacing between inner components, jacket thickness, and overall cable shape. The jacket also ensures the pairs do not rub against each other or wear during operation. This helps prevent crosstalk and suppresses EMI/RF.
The cables are UL and cUL Recognized, CE Conforming, and RoHS and REACH compliant.