Cables

Practical guides for selecting, sizing, bending, and installing power cables, from low-voltage wiring to MV, HV, and EHV underground circuits. Use the size charts and calculators to choose a conductor, then check the bending radius and installation guides before you pull cable. Browse every article underneath.

Cable Size Charts and Sizing Methods

Cable Size Calculators

More tools are in our Cables Tools calculators.

Sizing Cables for Specific Applications

Cable Bending Radius

Underground and High-Voltage Cable Installation

Cable Glands

How to Choose the Right Cable Size

A cable has to pass four checks: current capacity (ampacity for the load, after derating for grouping, ambient temperature, and burial depth), voltage drop over the full run length, short-circuit withstand for the protective device clearing time, and installation method. Codes differ by region, so check whether your project follows NEC/NFPA 70, IEC 60364, or BS 7671, and always confirm values against the manufacturer’s datasheet. Minimum bending radius is expressed as a multiple of the cable’s overall diameter and varies with cable construction and voltage, so use the datasheet figure rather than a generic one.

All Cable Articles