A shielded conductor is an insulated conductor that has been shielded by a copper braid or tape, aluminum or copper foil, or a semiconductive material to reject interference.
A shielded conductor is an insulated conductor that has been surrounded by a shielding layer to protect its signal from interference. The shield may be a copper braid or tape, an aluminum or copper foil, or a semiconductive vinyl, each surrounding the insulated conductor with a barrier against electrostatic and electromagnetic interference. The purpose is to keep external interference out of the conductor and, in some cases, to contain energy radiating from it.
Shielding an individual conductor allows it to be protected even within a larger cable, which is valuable for sensitive signals that must be isolated from interference and from other conductors. The type of shield is chosen for the coverage, flexibility, and performance the application requires.
In commercial and industrial cable, shielded conductors carry sensitive signals where interference rejection is important, such as in audio, instrumentation, and data circuits. Recognizing the construction helps in understanding how individual signals are protected.
Because shielding an individual conductor protects it even within a larger cable, the construction is valuable for sensitive signals that must be isolated from interference and from other conductors, with the type of shield chosen for the coverage and flexibility the application requires.
At Windy City Wire, the focus on shielded low-voltage cable includes constructions with shielded conductors. Supplying cable that shields sensitive conductors helps keep signals clean in the electrically busy environments of commercial and industrial systems.