Professional cable manufacturer
LiYCY equivalent · tinned copper braid screen · ≈85% optical coverage · Class 5 to IEC 60228
CY Industrial Flexible PVC Shielded Control Cable
Screened PVC control cable for signal and control circuits that share a route with drives, inverters and switching supplies — 0.14 to 2.5 mm², up to 50 cores, ≈85 % optical braid coverage.
≈ 85 %
Optical braid coverage
0.14–2.5 mm²
Cross-section range
Up to 50
Cores at 0.14–0.5 mm²
1200 V AC
Test, conductor to screen
↓ Download Datasheet (PDF)
Tinned copper braid over the core bundle
Class 5 copper to IEC 60228
MOQ 100 m — samples available
Grey RAL 7032 or black sheath
CY · TINNED COPPER BRAID SCREEN
≈ 85 %Optical braid coverage
2000 V ACTest voltage, core to core
1200 V ACTest voltage, core to screen
0.14 – 2.5 mm²Cross-section range
−10 … +80 °CFixed and flexible installation
Key Specifications
The essentials, at a glance
What an EMC-conscious machine builder checks first on a screened control cable — before reading the full specification below.
≈ 85 %
Optical braid coverage
Tinned Cu
Braid wire, over the core bundle
1200 V AC
Core-to-screen test voltage
0.5 mm²
Most-stocked size, 2–50 cores
−10…+80 °C
Fixed and flexible
10 × OD
Bending radius, fixed
Product Overview
Screening is a system, not a layer of braid
The CY construction — LiYCY in German catalogues — is a PVC insulated, PVC sheathed multi-core control cable with a tinned copper wire braid applied over the laid-up core bundle. Tinned copper rather than bare copper is the conventional choice for this product type: it keeps the braid solderable, which matters because a screen is only as good as the way it is terminated.
The braid is specified by optical coverage, the usual industry measure for a braided screen, and this construction runs at approximately 85 %. That number is worth reading carefully, because 60 % is the figure that appears on a lot of datasheets for this product class and it is the low end, not the typical one. Coverage is also not the whole story — the transfer impedance of the finished termination, meaning how the braid is connected at each end, usually decides whether a screened cable actually helps.
This cable family is a non-harmonised industrial control cable type: the YY/CY/SY designation follows British practice and LiYY/LiYCY follows German practice, and there is no CENELEC harmonised (HAR) part standard for it. EN 50525-2-11 is frequently quoted for these cables, but that part covers PVC insulated and PVC sheathed flexible cables intended for the connection of domestic appliances, at rated voltages up to 300/500 V and with maximum conductor temperatures of 70 °C — it does not cover multi-core control cables and it does not cover braided screens. We quote the parts that do apply — conductor to IEC 60228, flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2 and the general requirements of the EN 50525-1 family — instead of attaching a standard number that does not fit.
On the electrical side, the family gives a maximum operating voltage of 350 V with a test voltage of 2000 V AC conductor-to-conductor and 1200 V AC conductor-to-screen — the second figure is the one that tells you the insulation between the cores and the screen has been checked, and it is often missing from competitor tables. Temperature range is −10 °C to +80 °C for fixed and flexible installation, with −30 °C to +80 °C for transport and storage. Cross-sections run from 0.14 to 2.5 mm², with up to 50 cores at 0.14–0.5 mm².
A word on where this cable does not belong. CY is the right answer for control, encoder, analogue and communication signals routed near a drive. It is not the right answer for the motor output of a drive, where a symmetrical three-core-plus-PE drive cable exists for the job, and it is not a substitute for a data cable with defined impedance. For plant-wide signal cabling with defined characteristics see our Industrial Ethernet Cable; for the unscreened and steel-braided versions of this same family, see the YY/SY/CY Control Cable.
More about the manufacturer: About SORIVO →
Key Features
Eight things that matter on a screened installation
Tinned Copper Braid Screen
Applied over the laid-up core bundle, so the screen surrounds every core rather than a subset — the arrangement a multi-core signal cable needs.
≈ 85 % Optical Coverage
Quoted as optical coverage, the usual measure for a braided screen, and at the typical level for this product class rather than the 60% floor.
Solderable Screen
Tinned braid wire takes solder and crimps readily, which matters because termination quality decides how well a screen performs.
1200 V Core-to-Screen Test
The screen insulation is tested and recorded separately from the conductor-to-conductor test, so it is a documented value rather than an assumption.
Class 5 Flexible Copper
Stranded copper to IEC 60228 / DIN VDE 0295 class 5 for cables that have to be routed by hand inside a cabinet.
Up to 50 Cores
50 cores at 0.14–0.5 mm², 24 at 0.75 mm² and up to 6 at 1.0–2.5 mm², with the availability matrix published so you can plan the loom.
−10 °C to +80 °C
One range for fixed and flexible installation, with −30 °C to +80 °C for transport and storage and no unsupported flexing derating.
Flame Retardant PVC
PVC insulation and sheath to the EN 50363-3 and EN 50363-4-1 compound families, with flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2.
Applications
Where a screened control cable earns its cost
Anywhere a low-level signal shares a route, a duct or a cabinet with something that switches.
01
Variable-Speed Drive Cabinets
Control and status wiring inside a drive panel, where the screen is what keeps the drive’s switching field out of the logic.
02
Encoder and Feedback Circuits
Incremental and absolute encoder lines on machines where a single missed pulse shows up as a positioning fault.
03
Analogue Instrumentation
4–20 mA and 0–10 V loops where induced noise appears directly as a measurement error.
04
Load Cells and Weighing
Millivolt-level bridge signals, the most noise-sensitive wiring on most machines and the least tolerant of a poor screen termination.
05
Servo and Motion Control
Command and enable interlocks routed alongside servo power, where screened control pairs are the standard practice.
06
Process and Packaging Machinery
Multi-core screened looms from 12 to 50 cores carrying mixed discrete and analogue signals.
07
Network and Bus Wiring
Short screened control runs where no defined-impedance data cable is required, with the caveat that impedance-defined buses need their own cable type.
08
Retrofit Noise Fixes
Replacing unscreened cable on a machine that has an intermittent fault nobody can reproduce — the classic case for a screened control cable.
Technical Specifications
Full specification sheet
The complete parameter set — the same data our engineers quote from.
Table 1 Core count available at each cross-section
| Cross-section | Core counts normally offered | Typical maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 0.14 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 18, 25, 32, 50 | 50 cores |
| 0.25 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 18, 25, 32, 50 | 50 cores |
| 0.38 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 18, 25, 32 | 32 cores |
| 0.5 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 18, 25, 32, 50 | 50 cores |
| 0.75 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 18, 24 | 24 cores |
| 1.0 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 6 cores |
| 1.5 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 6 cores |
| 2.5 mm² | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 6 cores |
The core counts listed are the typical range offered at each cross-section, not a limit set by the conductor standard. Most panel and machine wiring uses 2–12 cores; 18–50 core constructions are common in plant wiring and are quoted individually. The 0.75 mm² row is highlighted because it is the size most often held in stock.
Table 2 Construction and performance parameters
| General Information | |
| Product Name | CY Industrial Flexible PVC Shielded Control Cable |
| Product Family | PVC insulated, PVC sheathed screened flexible control cable — German LiYCY equivalent; British CY designation |
| Reference Standards | Conductor to IEC 60228 (DIN VDE 0295 cl. 5); flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2 / EN 60332-1-2 (DIN VDE 0482-332-1-2); general requirements of the EN 50525-1 family. Non-harmonised industrial control cable type — no CENELEC harmonised (HAR) part standard applies. |
| Insulation Compound | PVC — from the EN 50363-3 PVC insulating compound family |
| Sheath Compound | PVC — from the EN 50363-4-1 PVC sheathing compound family |
| Screening | |
| Screen Type | Tinned copper wire braid applied over the laid-up core bundle |
| Optical Coverage | Approximately 85%. Optical coverage is the usual industry measure for a braided screen; 60% is the low end of the range quoted for this product class, not the typical value. |
| Screen Continuity | Checked on the finished cable as part of the release test |
| Termination | The screen is intended to be terminated at the gland or a screen clamp at both ends for EMC purposes; we supply the construction and the termination is a system decision — ask us for guidance on your specific installation |
| Electrical Ratings | |
| Rated Voltage (designation) | 300/500 V — the market designation for this family; see Max. operating voltage below |
| Max. Operating Voltage | 350 V — the value published for the LiYCY construction this cable is built to. Design against this figure. |
| Test Voltage | 2000 V AC conductor to conductor; 1200 V AC conductor to screen |
| Conductor | Class 5 flexible stranded copper to IEC 60228 (DIN VDE 0295 cl. 5) |
| Cross-sections | 0.14 / 0.25 / 0.38 / 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.0 / 1.5 / 2.5 mm² |
| Core Counts | Up to 50 cores at 0.14–0.5 mm², up to 24 at 0.75 mm², typically up to 6 at 1.0–2.5 mm² — see Table 1 |
| Core Identification | Colour-coded for small core counts, numbered cores for larger counts; confirmed on the drawing |
| Insulation Resistance | Manufacturer test value, confirmed against the test report for the selected construction |
| Construction | |
| Insulation / Sheath | PVC / PVC — compounds from the EN 50363-3 and EN 50363-4-1 families |
| Sheath Colour | Grey RAL 7032 as standard; black on request |
| Outer Diameter | Depends on core count and cross-section; confirmed on the drawing before production |
| Environment | |
| Temperature Range | −10 °C to +80 °C, both fixed and flexible installation |
| Transport and Storage | −30 °C to +80 °C |
| Bending Radius, Fixed Installation | 10 × outer diameter |
| Bending Radius, Flexible Installation | Not specified for this family — describe the movement and we will quote a construction suited to it |
| Flame Retardance | IEC 60332-1-2 / EN 60332-1-2 (DIN VDE 0482-332-1-2) |
| Certification & Logistics | |
| Compliance | RoHS 2011/65/EU declaration; Declaration of Performance under CPR (EU) 305/2011 for the construction supplied, with the Euroclass stated in it — Eca is the level a standard PVC control cable reaches. CE marking as applicable, which for cable is a manufacturer's declaration of conformity (DoC) and not a certificate. |
| Certification | No third-party certification is claimed for this non-harmonised industrial control cable type; the compliance documents that apply to the ordered construction are supplied with the shipment. |
| Standard Lengths | 100 m / 500 m / 1000 m per drum; cut lengths on request |
| MOQ | 100 m |
| Lead Time | 7–20 working days; stocked configurations 3–5 days |
Optical coverage, the two test voltages and the temperature range are the values that apply to this construction. The family has no CENELEC harmonised part standard, so the standard-based values are limited to the conductor class (IEC 60228), the flame test (IEC 60332-1-2) and the compound families (EN 50363-3 / EN 50363-4-1); 300/500 V is a market designation and the maximum operating voltage published for the construction is 350 V. Insulation resistance is a manufacturer test value confirmed against the report for the selected construction. Screening performance in service depends on the termination, so please describe the installation when you ask us to specify.
Certificates & Standards
Verify before you buy — we make it easy
Conductor to IEC 60228
Class 5 flexible stranded copper to IEC 60228 (DIN VDE 0295 cl. 5), with conductor resistance measured on the finished cable and recorded per batch — the one number a panel builder can verify against the datasheet with a resistance bridge.
Request test report →Flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2
Single-core vertical flame propagation to IEC 60332-1-2 / EN 60332-1-2 (DIN VDE 0482-332-1-2). This is a flame test on the cable itself, not a building-products reaction-to-fire classification — the two are different regimes and we keep them apart.
Request test report →RoHS and CPR documentation
RoHS 2011/65/EU compliance declaration, and a Declaration of Performance under CPR (EU) 305/2011 for the construction supplied — Euroclass Eca is the level a standard PVC control cable reaches. We do not use the phrase “CE certified”: there is no CE certification for cable, only a manufacturer’s declaration, and a DoC is provided on request where it applies.
Request documentation →
Transparency note: certification status and exact scope should always be confirmed against the certificate for the selected product configuration. We provide the certificate and test reports with every quotation — no blank promises.
Quality & Factory
Screen continuity and core-to-screen test on every drum
On a screened cable the checks that matter most are the ones an unscreened cable does not have.
- 1Incoming material control — copper conductor, PVC compound and braid wire are checked against specification before the cores are extruded.
- 2In-line process monitoring — conductor diameter, insulation and sheath thickness and the lay length of the core bundle are tracked during production.
- 3Electrical routine tests — conductor resistance, insulation resistance and the withstand voltage test between conductors — and between conductor and screen on the screened versions — are measured on the finished cable and recorded.
- 4Screen and braid check — for CY and SY constructions the braid is checked for wire diameter, coverage and continuity, and the completed drum is measured against the ordered outer diameter.
19+
countries served
60+
industrial & panel projects
100%
routine test before shipment
How to Order
From inquiry to loaded carton in 5 steps
Send Inquiry
Tell us the core count and cross-section, the screen requirement, the sheath colour and the quantity.
Confirm Configuration
We confirm core count, cross-section, screening option and quotation within one working day.
Sample Evaluation
Sample for qualification — stocked configurations within a few working days.
Bulk Production
7–20 working days; stocked configurations within 3–5 days.
Delivery & Support
Drum packing, shipping documents and guidance on screen termination and gland selection for the installation.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Both are PVC control cables with a braid, but the braid does a different job. CY has a tinned copper braid, which is an EMC screen — it carries induced interference current away from the signal. SY has a galvanised steel braid, which is armour — it protects against pulling, abrasion and impact and does almost nothing for EMC. Datasheets sometimes blur the two; for anything involving a drive or a low-level signal, choose CY.
Properly, at the gland, with a 360° connection — a screen picked up by a single wire tail loses most of its benefit above a few megahertz, which is exactly the range where drives cause trouble. In most industrial installations both ends are terminated to the enclosure earth through the gland, because that is what gives the interference current a return path. Tell us the gland you intend to use and we will confirm the outer diameter so the screen actually lands on the gland cone.
We would not recommend it. A general multi-core control cable does not control common-mode current the way a symmetrical drive cable does, and the screen capacitance on a long motor lead can make things worse rather than better. For the motor output, use a drive cable with three power cores and a concentric PE. For the control and feedback wiring in the same panel, CY is exactly the right product.
Approximately, and quoted as optical coverage — the standard way braid coverage is measured, by examination rather than by calculation. Note that 60% appears on a great many datasheets for this product class; 60% is the low end of what is offered, not the typical figure. If your EMC requirement is tight, the termination matters more than the last few percent of coverage.
Neither applies, and it is worth saying so plainly. EN 50525-2-11 covers PVC insulated and sheathed flexible cables for connecting domestic appliances, up to 300/500 V at 70 °C — not multi-core screened control cable. EN 50288-7 is the sectional specification for instrumentation and control cables of the multi-element metallic type, which is the LiYCY TP family with screened pairs, not this construction. We quote IEC 60228 for the conductor, IEC 60332-1-2 for the flame test and the EN 50363-3 / -4-1 compound families.
This is an indoor control cable. The PVC sheath is not UV-stabilised for permanent outdoor exposure, and the construction is not rated for wet or buried installation. Where a black sheath is supplied it is chosen for appearance and marking rather than as an outdoor rating. Tell us the environment — UV, oil, coolant, washdown — and we will quote a compound and construction that suits it rather than letting a standard PVC cable be used where it will not last.
Stocked configurations are typically 2 to 12 cores at 0.5 and 0.75 mm², shipped within 3–5 days. Higher core counts and larger sections are made to order in 7–20 working days. Because the core identification code and the outer diameter change with the core count, we issue a construction drawing for approval before production on anything above the standard range.
Yes. Sample lengths are available for machine qualification, and conductor resistance, insulation resistance and the withstand voltage tests — conductor to conductor and conductor to screen — are recorded per batch and provided with the shipment. Documentation is matched to the exact construction quoted, because a 4-core 0.75 mm² and a 25-core 0.5 mm² share a product name and nothing else.
Have a noisy machine or a drive panel to wire?
Tell us the core count, cross-section and the interference source — we reply within one working day.
Get a Free Quote
Send your screened control cable requirement
The more detail you give, the faster and more accurate our quotation. Our engineers reply within one working day.
- Core count and cross-section, or the drawing reference
- What the cable runs next to — drive, inverter, servos or power cable
- Installation: fixed, or movement that needs a flexible construction
- Sheath colour, cut lengths and whether customer marking is needed
- Gland type you intend to use, so we can confirm the outer diameter
- Quantity for the first order and expected annual volume
Inquiry received
Thanks — our engineers will reply within one working day.
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