Belden security and alarm cables rest on a history that stretches back for well over 100 years. With a history that stretches back nearly 120 years, Belden stands not only on the virtue of longevity but also on innovation and dedication to quality and reliability.

Belden security and alarm cables, which are the quintessential products delivered by the organization, are received by some as industry-defining for their class. Belden has achieved a level of brand recognition that puts it at the forefront of its industry - to some, the term “Belden,” despite being the name for a specific producer of instrumentation and monitoring cables and equipment, serves as a generic brand for these products.

As a result, manufacturers have sought tirelessly to attain and maintain the Belden standard, with a focus on producing “Belden equivalents” or “industry equivalent” cables to Belden products. This is one of the reasons that you will see so many of our products listed as Belden Equivalents or Industry Equivalents - our aim is to give our customers confidence in our alarm and instrumentation cable.

But what are some traits you can look for in Belden equivalents so you can be better assured of their capabilities? Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Protecting Security and Alarm Cables Against Electromagnetic Interference

Instrumentation and alarm cables are predominantly used in low voltage circuits where they are used to communicate information and not power. This differentiates them significantly from other types of electrical cables such as general-purpose building wire, the principal purpose of which is to distribute power to appliances and systems across a building.

While typically only low voltage is required to provide power to alarm systems, the fidelity of the signals carried and transmitted by security and alarm cable is crucial to the operation of the system. It is vital that security cables and other cables used to service audio systems, security systems, intercom, and PA systems are able to faithfully transmit the data they carry. When the data they carry is interrupted, a whole host of issues could arise.

For example, when the signal carried along the cable that services an announcement system is interrupted, it can cripple the system or make it possible to distribute important announcements. Only a little bit of extrapolation is needed to understand how dangerous that can be in public settings, or if security or fire alarm systems were to suffer the same fate.

For that reason, Belden and other cable manufacturers have been judicious about protecting their security and alarm systems’ cable with more than just the PVC jacket that you might see covering them. Many of them contain high-quality foil-faced shielding, such as in Belden Equivalents to 8719, 8723, 8760 and 8770 instrumentation and control cables.

This foil-faced shielding is intended to prevent electromagnetic interference, or EMI, from adversely impacting the operation of these systems, ensuring that the copper conductors contained within are able to carry their signals to the nodes on the system faithfully and in a timely and efficient manner.

Resistance to High Heat and More

Some Belden security and alarm cables are devoted to wiring fire alarm systems, which means that they have other concerns about transmitting data in addition to electromagnetic interference. In the case of fire alarm cables, it is crucial that the cables perform faithfully, even in the case of, notably, a fire.

For this reason, fire alarm cables are specifically engineered with special insulation that is resistant to the high heat that will be present, either in the riser or plenum space of a building, in the event that there is actually a fire. Specifications to high heat and fire will vary according to the rating of the cable, but Belden has been an industry leader for reliability and quality on this front for many years. Some cables that are dedicated to fire alarm wiring are even made with insulation that is self-extinguishing when exposed to high heat.

The flame retardant characteristics of the insulation used with many fire alarm cables are also intended to be safer when introduced to high heat as well. It is a well-known fact that one of the most dangerous elements in a building fire is smoke. It is often smoke inhalation that is the deadliest component of these unfortunate situations. For this reason, many fire alarm cables are made with insulation that produces little smoke - and no toxic fumes - when it melts or is burned.

Contact Us for Additional Details

Here at EWCS Wire, we sell a wide range of Belden equivalent security and alarm cables. If you’re interested in learning more about the specifications of our many wires and cables, check out our collection of instrumentation and alarm cables, or contact us directly at sales@ewcswire.com or by calling us at 1-800-262-1598.