Electrical Distance
Technical Information
Screened Cable and Data Cable Segregation
Can an armoured power cable be considered a screened cable and
how does this relate to power and data cable segregation?
The short answer is yes; albeit not a very good screened cable. This
question is mostly seen when installers consider the separation
distances required between power and data cables as described in
BS EN 50174-2 and BS 6701.
A screened power cable can be located closer to a data cable than an
unscreened one; see the tables below.
Perhaps we should start by asking what is the definition of a screened,
or shielded cable: there doesn’t seem to be one. One cable
Data cable in tray with power cable running diagonally across the room.
manufacturer has written that, ‘by definition a screened cable has a
metallic element completely surrounding it’. But that is not really the
case. If, for example, we look at the definition in EN 50288-1:
“Multi-element metallic cables used in analogue and digital
communication and control.”
We have the definition, Screening of cabling elements;
“When required by the relevant sectional specification the cabling
elements shall be screened by one or any combination of the
following:
• a metal tape
• a metal tape laminated to a plastic tape
• a plain or coated metal braid
• a helical wrap of parallel copper wires
• a semi-conducting layer.”
Galvanised steel wire armour is not seenas a screen but then neither
do braids or helical copper wires form a complete metallic enclosure
of the cable.
Data cable in tray with power cable running diagonally across the room.
How to measure the screening effectiveness of a cable is defined by
some rather complex parameters e.g. EN 50289-1-6.
“Two important properties in characterising screening effectiveness So screening performance can be defined and measured, but what is
of cables are transfer impedance and capacitive coupling (admittance the limiting factor, below which a cable couldn’t be described as
and impedance). These properties can be used to calculate the screened is not defined. Cable armour is considered as part of the
normalised screening attenuation in dB.” protective earth circuit.
In BS 7671, IEE Wiring Regulations 16th edition, we have:
543-02-07 “Where the protective conductor is formed by conduit,
trunking, ducting or the metal sheath and/or armour of a cable, the
earthing terminal of each accessory shall be connected by a
separate protective conductor to an earthing terminal incorporated
in the associated box or other enclosure.”
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Electrical Distance
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The wiring regulations refer to BS 6701:2004 Telecommunications From Table 1 below we can see that the worst case, unscreened power
equipment and telecommunications cabling – Specification for cable next to unscreened I.T. cable, is 200mm. The standard makes no
installation, operation and maintenance, when it comes to segregation distinction between Category 5 or 6 etc., or what kind of screening is
between power and telecommunications circuits. used. It is either a screened or an unscreened I.T. cable.
From this Standard we have the requirement to maintain a distance The table is mostly self-explanatory but some extra clarification is
of not less than 50 mm between power cables and communications required:
cables, unless:
• The metallic dividers are presumed to be earthed.
• There is a non metallic divider between them • The I.T. cables are balanced and working with a balanced trans-
• The power cables are themselves in an earthed mission circuit.
metallic conduit • The power cables are standard 50 to 60 Hz operation with no
• The power cables are mineral insulated unusual transients or high frequency or high voltage components.
• The power cables are flexible double insulated • I.T. cables are expected to be at least 130 mm from any kind of
• The power cables are of an earthed armoured fluorescent lamps.
construction • For backbone cabling the separation distances must be
maintained end-toend. For the horizontal cabling there is the
So the two relevant standards in the UK are B6701:2004, which is practical problem of maintaining separations of up to 200-mm in
safety standard, and BS EN 50174-2 Information technology - Cabling the shared trunking that is encountered around the walls of every
installation - Part 2: Installation planning and practices inside buildings. office. To overcome this problem the standard adopts a more
BS EN 50174-2 is more concerned about the electromagnetic pragmatic approach.
compatibility issues (interference) between power and data cables, • If the cable is screened and less than 35 metres in length then
rather than safety, but does state that safety issues take precedence no separation is required.
over EMC issues. • If the cable is longer than 35 metres then the separation shall
be maintained except for the last 15 metres.
Table 1: Cable separation rules from EN 50174-2:2000
Type of Installation Separation Distance
Without a divider or a
Aluminium divider Steel divider
non-metallic divider
Unscreened power cable and
200mm 100mm 50mm
unscreened IT cable
Unscreened power cable and
50mm 20mm 5mm
screened IT cable
Screened power cable and
30mm 10mm 2mm
unscreened IT cable
Screened power cable and
0mm 0mm 0mm
screened IT cable
Note that EN 50174 permits no separation for the final 15 metre of the horizontal cable run.
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Electrical Distance
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The above two statements do not make it clear what happens to TIA-569 and ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568- 2001 also give separation
unscreened cable shorter than 35 metres. distances between power and data cables. This is summarised in Table
The best interpretation of this clause (section 6.5.2 of EN50174-2) 2 below.
is that for the last 15 metres of the horizontal cable run no
separation is required between the data and power cables (apart from BS 6701 says that for power cable voltages not exceeding 600 volts
any other over-riding safety standard). Thus traditional office trunking a.c. there must be a separation of at least 50-mm or else a
can still be used. If we presume that we need around three metres of non-conducting divider must be placed between them ([Link]). For
cable to drop down the wall into the horizontal trunking system then a voltages above 600 volts a.c. the requirement is 150-mm. Table 3
twelve-metre run is achievable. This actually equates to 24 metres of overlays EN50174 and BS 6701 to show all the requirements tabulated
wall if the cable run extends to twelve metres in each direction away together.
from the original cable drop.
Table 3 shows the worst case conditions of EN 50174 and BS 6701
overlaid on each other.
Table 2: ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568-2001 separation distances between power and data cables
Condition Minimum Separation Distance
<2kVA 2-5kVA >5kVA
Unshielded power lines or electrical equipment in
127mm 305mm 610mm
proximity to open or nonmetal pathways
Unshielded power lines or electrical equipment in
64mm 152mm 305mm
proximity toa grounded medtal conduit pathway
Power lines enclosed in a grounded metal conduit
(or equivalent shielding) in proximity to a - 76mm 152mm
grounded metal conduit pathway
Electrical motors and transformers - - 1220mm
Table 3: Worst case conditions of EN 50174 and BS 6701 overlaid on each other
Type of Installation Separation Distance
Without a Non-Metallic Aluminium Steel
Divider Divider Divider Divider
Unscreened power cable and
200-mm 200-mm 100-mm 50-mm
unscreened IT cable
Unscreened power cable and
50-mm 50-mm 50-mm 50-mm
screened IT cable
Screened power cable and
50-mm 30-mm 50-mm 50-mm
unscreened IT cable
Screened power cable and
50-mm 0-mm 50-mm 50-mm
screened IT cable
Note that EN 50174 permits no separation for the final 15 metres of the horizontal cable run but BS6701 always requires the
separation, regardless of lenght except in the two highlighted cases seen in the table above.
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Electrical Distance
Technical Information
And finally from TIA 942 we have Table 4: TIA 942 cable segregation The side or the bottom of the metal tray shall separate the power
if the power cables are unshielded, then the separation distances cables from the twisted-pair cables, this separation surface should be
provided in Table 4 shall be doubled. solid metal.
However, these distances can apply to unshielded power cables if
either the power cables or data cables are installed in bonded and
grounded metal tray.
Table 4: TIA 942 cable segregation
Separation Separation
Quantity of Circuits Electrical Circuit Type
Distance (mm) Distance (in)
20A 110/240V
Shielded or Refer to 569B Refer to 569B
1 - 15 1-phase
unshielded annex C annex C
unshielded
16 - 30 20A 110/240V 1-phase shielded 50mm 2in
31 - 60 20A 110/240V 1-phase shielded 100mm 4in
61 - 90 20A 110/240V 1-phase shielded 150mm 6in
91+ 20A 110/240V 1-phase shielded 300mm 12in
1+ 100A 415V 3-phase shielded feeder 300mm 12in
Screened Cable and Data Cable Segregation
Connectix recommends that:
• Power and data cables are installed with a 200mm separation
wherever possible
• A 600mm separation should be maintained between data and
three phase power cables
• Where 200mm separation isn’t possible then the reduced
distances of Table 3 may be used
• A 50mm separation must be included as defined in BS 6701
• A suitably earthed armoured power cable may be considered as
‘screened’ for the purposes of cable segregation
• Failure to observe the above rules may lead to non compliance
with The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the EMC
Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/3418) July 2007
• Failure to observe the above rules may lead Connectix to
withdraw any terms of Warranty associated with their cabling
products Final phase of installation. IEC 309 16A and 32A sockets
positioned on steel trunking with preterminated data cables in
tray work
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