How to read a cable datasheet and test report

PILONE CABLES TECHNICAL TEAM · UPDATED 22 OCTOBER 2026

A datasheet is what the maker declares. A test report is what a laboratory measured on a sample. Read the datasheet for the eight lines below, and treat a claim of compliance with a standard as a claim until you see evidence for it.

The lines that matter most are the conductor class, the nominal area, the maximum conductor resistance, the insulation material and its temperature, and the voltage rating. Strand codes such as 7/.029 are a construction, not a size; the size is the nominal mm², and that is defined by resistance.

The lines a cable datasheet should have

Layouts differ between makers, but a datasheet for building or power cable should let you answer each of these. A missing line is a question to ask, not necessarily a problem.

Datasheet fields and what each one tells you.
Field	Typical entry	What it tells you
Conductor material	Plain annealed copper, or aluminium	Copper and aluminium need different sizes for the same job
Conductor class	Class 1 solid, class 2 stranded, class 5 or 6 flexible	How flexible the cable is, and which resistance limit applies
Nominal cross-section	2.5 mm²	The size you are buying
Maximum conductor resistance at 20 °C	7.41 Ω/km for 2.5 mm² class 2	The number that actually defines the nominal size
Insulation and sheath material	PVC, XLPE; PVC sheath	Sets the maximum conductor temperature
Maximum conductor temperature	70 °C (PVC), 90 °C (XLPE)	Feeds into current rating, not a room temperature
Rated voltage U₀/U	300/500 V, 450/750 V, 0.6/1 kV	The systems the cable is designed for
Standard declared	IEC 60227, IEC 60502-1, BS 6004, EN 50618	The rules the maker says the cable is built to

Dimensions such as insulation thickness and overall diameter are useful for glands, conduit fill and connectors. Weight per kilometre is useful for transport. Neither tells you the conductor size on its own.

Nominal size, strand codes and resistance

IEC 60228 does not define a 2.5 mm² conductor by measuring its area. It defines it by a maximum resistance per kilometre at 20 °C, and for some classes a minimum number of wires. A conductor that meets the resistance limit is 2.5 mm² for the purposes of the standard; one that does not, is not, whatever the area on the label.

Strand codes used in Pakistan, such as 3/.029 or 7/.029, describe the build: the number of strands and each strand's diameter in inches. You can work out the geometric area from them, but that is a calculation, not the nominal size, and the resistance still has to be checked. The strand code guide converts each common code, and the product pages for 3/.029 and 7/.029 show how the two are described.

Conductor classes in IEC 60228, in brief.
Class	Build	Typical use
1	Solid, one wire	Fixed wiring in small sizes
2	Stranded, a few thicker wires	Fixed wiring and power cable
5	Flexible, many fine wires	Flexible cords, panel wiring, solar DC cable
6	Extra flexible, finer still	Welding and highly flexible leads

Voltage and temperature ratings

The rating U₀/U gives two voltages: U₀ between a conductor and earth, U between conductors. House wiring in PVC is commonly 450/750 V; light flexible cords 300/500 V; low-voltage power cable such as IEC 60502-1 types 0.6/1 kV. Solar DC cable to EN 50618 or IEC 62930 is rated for 1.5 kV DC. A rating higher than the system needs is fine; lower is not.

The temperature on a datasheet is the maximum the conductor may reach in normal service: about 70 °C for general PVC and 90 °C for XLPE. It is one input to a current rating, alongside the installation method, ambient temperature and grouping. A datasheet current figure is only valid under the conditions printed next to it. The PVC vs XLPE guide explains what the extra rating buys.

Declaration, test report and certificate: what each one is

Three different documents get called "the certificate". They carry very different weight.

Kinds of evidence for a cable, from weakest to strongest.
Document	Who produces it	What it shows	Questions to ask
Datasheet or catalogue	The maker	What the maker declares	Which standard? Which sizes does it cover?
Routine test record	The maker, on production	Checks run on each length, for example conductor resistance or a voltage test	Which tests, on which batch?
Type test report	A laboratory, on a sample	The full set of tests a standard requires, done once on a cable design	Which lab? Is it accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) for those tests? Which size and design, and when?
Product certification	A certification body	Ongoing surveillance of production against a standard	Is the certificate current, and does it name this product?

A test report covers the sample that was tested. It does not cover a different size, a later design change, or a coil it was never connected to. Check the report names the cable you are buying.

On Pilone cable specifically: this website does not publish third-party test reports or certificates for Pilone cable, and Pilone does not claim any. Each product page states the specification Pilone declares. What Pilone can and cannot measure on a coil is set out on cable testing: what can and cannot be checked. If your project or tender needs independent evidence, use an accredited laboratory.

An illustrative example

The extract below is invented for teaching. It is not a Pilone datasheet or test result and does not describe any real cable. It shows how to read the lines against each other.

Illustrative datasheet extract (not a real product).
Line on the sheet	Entry	How to read it
Construction	Cu / PVC / PVC, 3 core	Copper conductor, PVC insulation and sheath
Conductor	2.5 mm², class 2, 7 wires	Stranded fixed-wiring conductor
Max resistance at 20 °C	7.41 Ω/km	Matches the IEC 60228 class 2 limit for 2.5 mm²
Rated voltage	450/750 V	Suitable for 230/400 V building wiring
Max conductor temperature	70 °C	Consistent with general-purpose PVC
Current rating	"24 A"	Meaningless without the installation method and ambient temperature beside it: ask for them
Standard	"Conforms to IEC"	Too vague: ask which standard and part, and for the evidence

Frequently asked

What is the most important number on a cable datasheet?

The maximum conductor resistance at 20 °C, read together with the conductor class. IEC 60228 defines the nominal size by that resistance, so it is the figure that tells you whether a 2.5 mm² conductor is really 2.5 mm². It is also the one property you can measure on a sample.

Is a datasheet the same as a test certificate?

No. A datasheet is what the maker declares. A type test report records what a laboratory measured on a sample of one design, and a product certificate means a certification body checks production on an ongoing basis. Ask which of these you are being shown, and check that it names the cable you are buying.

Does 7/.029 mean 2.5 mm²?

7/.029 means seven strands of 0.029 inch. Multiplied out, that is about 3 mm² of geometric area, and in Pakistan it is commonly sold as a 2.5 mm² cable. The strand code describes the build; the nominal size is what the quotation and datasheet declare, and it is tested by resistance. Ask for the nominal mm² in writing.

What does 450/750 V on a cable mean?

The first figure, U0, is the voltage the insulation is designed for between a conductor and earth; the second, U, is between two conductors. 450/750 V is a common rating for PVC building wire and covers 230/400 V systems. It says nothing about current capacity.

Datasheet mein sab se zaroori cheez kya dekhein?

Conductor ka class aur 20 °C par maximum resistance (Ω/km). Size isi se tay hota hai, strand code se nahi. Phir insulation (PVC ya XLPE), voltage rating aur kaunsa standard likha hai. Agar sirf "IEC" likha ho, to poochein kaunsa standard aur us ka saboot kya hai.

Ask for the specification with the quotation

Send the size, cores and metres you need. We reply with the specification Pilone declares for that cable alongside the quotation, so you can read one against the other.

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