What are BS5308 Cables?

BS5308 is a British Standard, which covers the requirements for a range of instrumentation &
signal cables. It is divided into two parts. BS 5308 Part 1 covers polyethylene insulated cables
used mainly by the petroleum industry. It specifies requirements for and dimensions of
polyethylene insulated cables in pairs with or without screens optionally incorporating single
wire armour or a lead sheath with single wire armour. BS 5308 Part 2 covers PVC insulated
cables, used mainly in the chemical and petrochemical industries.

What is the difference between BS5308 cable, PAS 5308 cable and EN 50288-7 cable?

BS5308-1 BS5308-2 PAS5308-1 PAS5308-2 EN 50288-7

conductor:
solid stranded
stranded
kind of solid or stranded stranded solid or stranded multistranded
multistrand
conduct multistranded multistranded multistranded (BS (HD383=IEC
ed (BS EN
or (BS 6360) (BS 6360) EN 60228) 60288 (cl. 1, 2,
60228)
5))
plain
plain annealed plain annealed plain annealed plain annealed
copper annealed
copper copper copper or metal coated
copper
0.5; 0.75; 1.0;
dimensi 0.5; 0.75; 1.0; 0.5; 0.75; 1.5 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.5 0.5; 0.75;
1.3; 2.0; 2.5;
on 1.5 mm mm mm 1.5,2.5 mm
(4.0) mm
Insulation:
a) PVC to EN
50290-2-21
b) Polyethylene
to EN 50290-2-
23
thermoplastic c)
PE to PVC to Polypropylene
BS EN BS EN to EN 50290-2-
material PE type 03 acc. PVC type TI1
50290-2-23:2002, 50290-2- 25
s to BS 6234 acc. to BS 6746
grade L/MD or a 21:2002, d) Halogen free
cross-linked PE to grade TI51. f1ame
BS EN 50290-2-29. retardant
compound to
EN 50290-2-26
e) Cross-linked
polyethylen to
EN 50290-2-29
90V
range 300/500V 300/500V 300/500V 300/500V 300V
500V
thickne
LINK 1 LINK 1 LINK LINK link
ss
Cable elements:
core pair
(twisted)
core pair core pair
core pair (twisted) quad core pair
kind of (twisted) quad (twisted) quad
quad (around a (around a (twisted) triple
element (around a single (around a single
single dummy; only single (twisted) quad
s dummy; only for dummy; only for
for 2 pair) dummy; (twisted)
2 pair) 2 pair)
only for 2
pair)
reverse layer or reverse lay length
twisting reverse layer or reverse layer or
reciprocating lay layer or clearly defined;
of reciprocating lay reciprocating lay
technique 100mm reciprocatin depending on
element technique technique g lay conductor size
s 100mm 100mm technique and element;
100mm between 100
and 150 mm
laminated
tape
aluminium/
laminated tape laminated tape PET
aluminium/PET aluminium/PET aluminium
laminated tape
aluminium aluminium thickness laminated tape
aluminium/PET
thickness 8 thickness 8 8 m PET aluminium/PET
aluminium
m PET m PET thickness total thickness
thickness 8 m
thickness 10 thickness 10 10 24 m(metallic
PET thickness 10
m m m(metallic side down, in
m
(metallic side (metallic side side down, contact with
Individu (metallic side down,
down, in contact down, in contact in contact drain wire +
al pair in contact with drain
with drain wire + with drain wire + with drain wrapping
screens wire + wrapping
wrapping wrapping wire + consisting of
consisting of one
consisting of consisting of wrapping one layer of
layer tape (50%
one layer tape one layer tape consisting plastic tape
overlap) or two
(50% overlap) or (50% overlap) or of one layer under and
layers of tape
two layers of two layers of tape (50% above
( 23m) (each
tape tape overlap) or screen)<
25% overlap).)
( 23m) (each ( 23m) (each two layers
25% overlap).) 25% overlap).) of tape(
23m)
(each 25%
overlap).)
solid or
solid tinned
solid or solid or stranded,
copper drain
stranded, stranded, solid or stranded, tinned
wire
drain tinned annealed tinned annealed tinned annealed annealed
0.6mm ,
wire copper cross copper cross copper cross copper
under
section section section 0.5mm cross
individual
0.5mm 0.5mm section
screen
0.5mm
Colour code:
300V white
COLOR and black
Pairs COLOR LINK COLOR LINK COLOR LINK
LINK 500V blue and
black
300V white
and black and
Triples Not defined Not defined Not defined Not defined red 500V blue
and black and
red
Not defined 300V white and
Not defined Not defined Not defined (exception: black and red
(exception: 2 (exception: 2 (exception: 2 pair is
2 pair is a 1 and grey 500V
Quads
pair is a 1 quad pair is a 1 quad a 1 quad quad blue and black
construction) construction) construction) construction and red and
) grey
differentiation of differentiation of differentiati
differentiation the
the pairs is the pairs is on of the
pairs is defined 300V cables
defined through defined through pairs is
through different are
different colour different colour defined
Remark colour codes for continuously
codes for each codes for each through
: each pair; numbered on
pair; pair; different
alternatively white core; 500
alternatively alternatively colour
numbered PET foil V on blue core
numbered PET numbered PET codes for
around pairs
foil around pairs foil around pairs each pair;
 alternatively
numbered
PET foil
around
pairs
Overall screen:
laminated
tape
aluminium/
PET
laminated tape aluminium collective
laminated
aluminium/PET laminatedaluminiu thickness screen (24 m
aluminium/PET
aluminium m/PET 8 m PET aluminium/PET
aluminium
thickness 8 aluminium thickness ) tape + 7
thickness 8 m
m thickness 8m 10 m + stranded tinned
PET thickness
PET thickness PET thickness 10 drain wire copper drain
10 m+ drain
10 m+ drain m drain wire (optional) wire (0.5mm);
wire (optional)
Collecti wire (optional) (optional) consisting overlap of foil
consisting of
ve consisting of consisting of solid of solid or min 20%; drain
solid or
screen solid or or stranded, tinned stranded, wire in direct
stranded, tinned
stranded, tinned annealed copper tinned contact with
annealed copper
annealed copper cross section annealed metallic side of
cross section
cross section 0.5mm copper the foil
0.5mm
0.5mm Wrapping layer of cross Wrapping layer
Wrapping layer
Wrapping layer tape under section of tape under
of tape under
of tape under collective screen 0.5mm collective
collective screen
collective screen Wrapping screen
layer of
tape under
collective
screen
tinned copper
wires ( C ) wire
Metal diameter 0.3
not defined not defined not defined not defined
braid mm filling
factor 0.57
mm
Metallic protection/armouring:
galvanized SWA
round galvanized steel galvanized steel galvanized steel steel wire Min. thickness
steel wire armour wire armour wire armour armour of wires 0.9
wire 0.9, 1.25, 1.6, 0.9, 1.25, 1.6, 0.9, 1.25, 1.6, 2.0' 0.9, 1.25, mm
SWA 2.0' 2.5mm 2.0' 2.5mm 2.5mm 1.6, 2.0' (see next page
2.5mm for details)
F (flat
galvanised
flat
steel wire); G
steel
(counter helix)
wires
not defined not defined not defined not defined Only defined
with
for overall
counter
diameter under
helix
armour 15
mm
min. thickness
of tape;
brass: 0.075
steel or
mm steel: 0.20
brass not defined not defined not defined not defined
mm
tape
offered as
double layer
steel tape B
 galvanised
steel wires
( Q ) wire
Metal
not defined not defined not defined not defined diameter 0.3
braid
mm filling
factor 0.57
mm
Bedding/inner sheath:
extruded beddin
g of type 2C or
type 03 black extruded bedding of
polyethylene a PE compound extruded PVC (EN
compound in conforming to sheath of a 50290-2-22)
accordance with extruded BS EN 50290-2- PVC Polyethylene
BS 6234TYPE bedding of type 24:2002, grade compound (EN 50290-2-
material 2 TM1 black PVC LD(TYPE 2) conforming 24)
s extruded compound in extruded sheath of to Halogen free
bedding of type accordance with a PVC compound BS EN flame retardant
TM1 or type 6 BS 6746 conforming to 50290-2- compound
black PVC BS EN 50290-2- 22:2002, LSZH (EN
compound in 22:2002, grade grade TM51 50290-2-27)
accordance with TM51(TYPE 3)
BS 6746(TYPE
3)
Outer sheath:
extruded
bedding of type
TM1 or type 6
extruded PVC (EN
black PVC
sheath of a 50290-2-22)
compound in
extruded oversh extruded sheath of PVC Polyethylene
accordance with
eath of type a PVC compound compound (EN 50290-2-
BS 6746(TYPE
TM1 PVC conforming to conforming 24)
material 1)
compound in BS EN 50290-2- to Halogen free
extruded oversh
accordance with 22:2002, grade BS EN flame retardant
eath of type
BS 6746 TM51 50290-2- compound
TM1 PVC
22:2002, LSZH (EN
compound in
grade TM51 50290-2-27)
accordance with
BS 6746(TYPE
2)
Calculated acc.
to formular:
without metallic
protection
SRT = 0.04 x D
+0.7 (min. 0.8
mm)
thickne refer
refer standard refer standard refer standard with metallic
ss standard
protection
SRT = 0.028 x
D +1.1 (min 1.3
mm)
D = Diameter
under outer
sheath
Environmental and other protection:
1) Water
Moistur
swellable tape
e not defined not defined not defined not defined
2) Water
barriers
swellable non
 toxic powder
3) Filling
compound
4) Laminated
sheath of a
longitudinally
overlapped
metallic foil
(150m)
5) Combination
of 1) 4)
Multilayer
sheath
Laminated
Chemic
aluminium (Al)
al
foil with an
protecti
extruded layer
on
of HDPE +
Multilay
layer of
er not defined not defined not defined not defined
Polyamide
sheath
(PA)
(L)2Y4
Thickness of Al
Y
15 m
(ALNY
Thickness of
C)
PA 0.3 mm
(thickness at
any point)
Lead sheath:
M (Lead
sheath)
complying with
EN 50307 can
be apllied
The thickness
Chemic Part 1 type 3 Part 1 type 3
is calculated in
al cables cables
acc. to the
protecti extruded sheath extruded sheath of
none none diameter (D)
on of lead alloy lead alloy
underneath;
Lead conforming to conforming to BS
Formular: LRT
sheath BS 801 EN 50307
= 0.03 x
D+0.7mm
with a
thickness at
any point min.
0.66 mm

What are EN 50288-7 Cables?

Multi-element metallic cables used in analogue and digital communication and control - Part
7: Sectional specification for instrumentation and control cables (english version) (Austrian
Standard)

EN 50288-7 allows for many variations including different voltage & temperature ratings, braid
armours, fire barriers and chemical resistant beddings. If you cannot see the type required
please call us, we will be able to help.