| B. & S. |
Abbreviation for "Brown & Sharpe Wire Gauge" - same as American Wire Gauge |
| Balanced Circuit |
A circuit so arranged that the impressed voltages on each conductor of the pair are equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity with respect to ground |
| Band Marking |
A continuous circumferential band supplied to a conductor at regular intervals for identification |
| Band Width |
The frequency range of transmitted electrical signals (expressed in Hertz) |
| Bare Conductor |
A conductor having no covering, coating or cladding |
| Bare Copper (BC) |
A highly conductive, abundant and easily shaped or formed conductor material; usually used in the Building Wire, Industrial and Sound & Security industries |
| BCF |
Abbreviation for Billion Conductor Feet; a quantity derived by multiplying the number of conductors in a cable by the amount of cable (usually used to indicate plant capacity or an annual requirement) |
| Binder |
A spirally served tape or thread used for holding assembled cable components in place awaiting subsequent manufacturing operations. |
| Bond |
The attachment at an interface between an adhesive and an adherent, or between materials attached together by adhesive |
| Bond Strength |
Amount of adhesion between surfaces, e.g., in bonded ribbon cable |
| Boot |
A protective covering over any portion of a cable or conductor in addition to its jacket or insulation |
| Braid |
A fibrous or metallic group of filaments interwoven in cylindrical form to create a covering over one or more wires |
| Braid Angle |
The smaller of the two angles formed by the shielding strand and the axis of the cable being shielded |
| Braid Carrier |
A spool or bobbin on a braider which holds one group of strands or filaments consisting of a specific number of ends. The carrier revolves during braiding operations. |
| Braid Ends |
The number of strands used to make up one carrier. The strands are wound side by side on the carrier bobbin and lie parallel in the finished braid. |
| Braid Shields |
A woven pattern made up of small braid gauges, mostly bare copper, tinned copper, silver-plated copper, aluminum or steel. Typically have a nominal coverage of 55% to 95%. |
| Brazing |
The joining of ends of two wires, rods or groups of wires with a non-ferrous filler metal at temperatures above 800F (427C). |
| Breakdown (Puncture) |
A disruptive discharge through insulation |
| Breakdown of Insulation |
Failure of an insulation resulting in a flow of current through the insulation. It may be caused by high voltage, defects or decay. |
| Breakdown Voltage |
The voltage at which the insulation between two conductors breaks down |
| Breakout |
The point at which a conductor or group of conductors breaks out from a multi-conductor cable to complete circuits at various points along the main cable |
| Building Wire |
Wire used for light and power (600 volts or less) usually not exposed to outdoor environments |
| Bunch Stranding |
A group of wires of the same diameter twisted together without a predetermined pattern |
| Buried Cable |
A cable installed directly in the Earth without use of underground conduit; also called "direct burial cable." |
