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Data cables in electrical control panels

vantech

Hi, 

Almost all industrial control panels and others like lighting / automaton, have devices inside of them which have Ethernet ports, connected generally to network switches within the panels. 

BS7671 is quite strict when it comes to routing data and power cabling; in control panels, data cabling (so Ethernet over Cat5 or Cat6 or indeed RS232 etc) is generally in the same trunking as AC (single and three phase). The cables land into the panel separated from AC, but are then right on top of AC inside of the panel itself.

Obviously panel design standards are different. Does anyone know the exclusions / best practice for this?

There are also other subjects like Hybrid cables, for EV chargers, that I think come into question. 

Are there any special distances/creepages that need to be maintained in control panels between power and data? 

Thanks. 

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  • 0

    In practice the 50mm rule is a bit arbitrary and only really  makes sense in terms of avoiding EMC problems over long distances (metres of parallel runs). You can come a lot closer if the region is only short, but by how much and what else needs doing is highly specific to the situation. If in doubt earthed screens allow things to touch opposite sides of the screen and not see each other under most circumstances . Basically the design authority needs to be able to work out what is going to happen EMC wise. Inside the box the external wiring standards are not really applicable, but the geometry is understood, by someone at least. Voltage related spacing  is the really easy part of the question as insulation to hold off mains is less than 1mm of PVC. Understanding the nuances of EM takes half a lifetime ;-)
    Mike.

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Hi Mike,

    Makes sense. Thanks for your answer.

    As for perfect planning I’ve seen data cables whacked into control panels, twisted around mains cables like spaghetti, working flawlessly for years. Whenever I design systems like this, I try and ensure data and power are kept apart as much as possible. 

    When you have a LAN port 10mm away from a mains connection on a product, this is somewhat difficult ;-) 

    Thanks. 

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  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Hi Mike,

    Makes sense. Thanks for your answer.

    As for perfect planning I’ve seen data cables whacked into control panels, twisted around mains cables like spaghetti, working flawlessly for years. Whenever I design systems like this, I try and ensure data and power are kept apart as much as possible. 

    When you have a LAN port 10mm away from a mains connection on a product, this is somewhat difficult ;-) 

    Thanks. 

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