(BS 5308)
While there are a whole variety of Control Cables on the market, in the field of process automation and control you are most likely to hear about BS 5308 Part 1 and 2, standard. This specification covers multipair cables used in the provision of voice and data services and the interconnection of electrical equipment and instruments, particularly in and around process plants, where transducer generated signals are transmitted through marshalled circuits to panels, controllers and associated devices. Cables to Part 1 are widely used throughout the petroleum industry, while Part 2 are more common to the chemical and petrochemical industries.
These cables are made in three types those are:
Type 1 unarmoured cables are generally for indoor applications.
Type 2 armoured cables are suitable for burial underground
Type 3 lead sheathed cables are recommended for burial underground where there is a high concentration of hydrocarbons in the soil.
These cables are designed for use in Group II intrinsically safe systems. However it must be noted that cables used when installing an intrinsically safe system are required to conform to any relevant requirement on the certication documents, either for the system or for the intrinsically safe and associated apparatus forming parts of the system. Cables should also be suitable for the environment in which they are going to be used.