Shielding of cables

In principle, any electrical cable can cause or suffer electronic magnetic interference due to the coupling effect. To ensure its electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), a cable must be electrically shielded. This protective effect is primarily expressed by the so-called optical coverage of the shield. This refers to the area that is optically covered by the shield. For example, if the cable has a copper foil as its shield, it can be said to have 100% coverage because it acts like a tube. If the shield is braided or wrapped with wires, this has the advantage that the shield is not affected by movement, unlike the foil. However, there is the disadvantage that the coverage area decreases because there is a small gap between each shield wire.

For cables in linear motion, it has been proven that a braided shield with high coverage and optimum braid angle is the best solution. If, on the other hand, a torsion cable is involved, the optimum solution is a folded shield that is bedded on a gliding material. The best shielding result is achieved with an optical coverage of 90%.