April 2, 2007 -- Belden recently announced the availability of its New Generation Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) plenum-rated cables, a series of low capacitance, 2- and 3-pair cables featuring a smaller OD and low smoke insulation and jacketing.

Designed for management systems and commercial audio applications, such as room-to-room audio, intercoms and public address systems, the cables are also suitable for use in diverse building applications, including instrumentation and control equipment, fire/burglar alarms, and access control devices (e.g., card readers and biometric scanners), according to the company.

The 2-pair (#1325A) and 3-pair (#1326A) STP cables are constructed with 22 AWG stranded tinned copper conductors and a common 24 AWG stranded tinned copper drain wire. Both are NEC and CEC CMP rated and are available in 500- and 1,000-ft. lengths, with white or blue jackets.

Belden says the new cables feature a smaller OD (approximately 15 percent smaller) than similar cables in the marketplace, thereby providing easier routing through tight openings for optimal space utilization.

The cables also feature the company's highly flexible Low Smoke Flammarest PVC insulation and jacket, making them a more economical choice than traditional STP cable constructions, which typically employ difficult-to-use, expensive fluoropolymer insulation, according to the company.

To achieve 100 percent coverage, the cables' pairs are individually shielded with Belden's Beldfoil aluminum/polyester foil shield, featuring an isolation/shorting fold construction called Z-Fold. The shorting fold reduces the potential for noise ingress or egress by providing foil-to-foil contact where the shield's tape edges overlap.