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Product

Marine seismic digital control & lead-in cableDIGICODE Series100/120 Ω DigitalMarine Seismic

DIGICODE Marine Seismic Digital Streamer & Gun Control CableSub-millisecond synchronised marine seismic digital gun-controller & streamer cable

DIGICODE marine seismic control and telemetry cable for digital airgun source controllers, RGPS tailbuoy positioning and streamer lead-ins, combining low-skew 100/120 Ω screened data quads, DC power feeders and tow armour.

Water-resistant
Anti-torsion braid
EMC screen
Oil-resistant
Order designation
DIGICODE-24P6C
Nominal OD
28.2 mm
Copper weight
595 kg/km
Weight in sea
450 kg/km
Breaking load
125 kN
All sizes (12)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Impedance
100 / 120 Ω
Low-skew digital telemetry pairs/quads
Power bus
300–1000 V DC
Auxiliary gun-module & bird power
Pair count
8 to 48 Pairs
Plus optional 4–12 SM optical fibres
Cross-talk
≥ 80 dB NEXT
Individually foil-screened pairs + braid
Breaking load
45–220 kN
Polyaramid braid or contra-helical GIPS
Timing skew
≤ 15 ns/100m
Sub-0.1 ms airgun shot synchronisation

Typical values for this cable type, based on ISO 13628-5 / IEC 60092-376 / EIA-485 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is DIGICODE right for your machine?

Purpose-built for digital source controllers (DigiSHOT / Seamap GunLink compatible), streamer depth birds, and tailbuoy telemetry links.

Trailing & towing

Suitable

High-strength polyaramid or contra-helical steel tow armour handles continuous 5–6 knot vessel towing and paravane loads.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

Water-blocked interstices and low-loss cellular/solid PE dielectric prevent capacitance drift during multi-month tow campaigns.

Offshore platform & shipboard deck trays

Suitable

Cut-resistant polyether PUR jacket withstands stern deck fairleads, deflectors and salt-spray weathering.

Cylindrical / multi-layer drum

Suitable

Torque-balanced core lay and flexible stranding spool cleanly onto seismic lead-in and gun-umbilical reels.

Energy chain / drag chain

Not suitable

Marine seismic tow cable is engineered for open-water towing rather than factory drag chains.

Use M12 Ethernet Assembly
Typical machines3D/4D Towed Streamer SeismicDigital Airgun Source ControlRGPS Tailbuoy & Deflector LinksStreamer Bird & Acoustic PositioningHigh-Resolution Marine Survey

Construction

Layer by layer

Representative DIGICODE-24P6C-FO build: 24 individually screened 100/120 Ω digital pairs + 6 × 2.5 mm² DC bus cores + 8FO FIMT + polyaramid tow braid + PUR jacket.

123456
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1Digital telemetry & DC bus conductorsStranded tinned copper (IEC 60228 Class 5): 0.5–0.75 mm² (20–18 AWG) precision twisted pairs/quads + 2.5–6.0 mm² DC bus feedersSupplies subsea gun-control modules, acoustic birds and streamer acquisition nodes
2Low-permittivity foam-skin PE dielectricFoam-skin polyethylene on digital pairs (≤ 42 pF/m mutual capacitance) & crosslinked polyolefin on DC power coresPreserves square-wave edges and sub-0.1 ms shot-timing accuracy over 1,000 m tow lengths
3Individual PiMF + overall copper braid100 % Al/PET foil with tinned copper drain wire on every pair/quad + ≥ 85 % tinned copper overall braid shieldAchieves ≥ 80 dB NEXT isolation between solenoid power and digital telemetry buses
4Water-blocked inner beddingHydrophobic gel/swellable tape water-blocked matrix with extruded TPU/PE inner beddingPrevents axial water propagation if outer jacket is nicked by marine life or debris
5Torque-balanced tow reinforcementHigh-tenacity polyaramid contra-helical braid (neutral/light tow) or double GIPS steel wire armour (heavy lead-in)Provides 45–220 kN breaking load with zero rotational torque
6Marine polyether PUR outer jacketAbrasion-, UV- and shark-bite-resistant polyether polyurethane outer sheath (yellow or black)Long service life across stern slipways and pinch-roller tensioners

DIGICODE-GC (Digital Gun Controller Cable)

Combines digital controller bus pairs, solenoid power feeders and hydrophone return pairs with polyaramid tow braid

DIGICODE-SL (Streamer Lead-In & Tailbuoy)

Hybrid electro-optical build adding laser-welded 316L FIMT (4–12 SM fibres) and heavy tow armour for streamer lead-in & RGPS tailbuoys

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on ISO 13628-5 / IEC 60092-376 / EIA-485. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Telemetry pair impedance
100 ± 6 Ω or 120 ± 6 Ω (100 kHz – 10 MHz)
Mutual capacitance
≤ 42 pF/m (digital pairs)
DC power bus rating
300/500 V (signal) · 600/1000 V (DC feeders)
Near-end cross-talk (NEXT)
≥ 80 dB at 1 MHz (PiMF screened pairs)
AC test voltage
2.0 kV AC (signal) / 3.5 kV AC (power)

Thermal

Operating seawater temperature
−5 °C to +50 °C
Deck storage & reeling
−30 °C to +75 °C
Max. conductor temperature
+80 °C

Mechanical

Min. breaking load (MBL)
45 kN to 220 kN
Safe working tow load
10 kN to 55 kN
Min. bend radius (dynamic)
10 × OD (polyaramid) · 15 × OD (steel armour)
Propagation delay skew
≤ 15 ns / 100 m within pair group

Resistance

Longitudinal water block
IEC 60794-1-22F1 water-penetration pass
Abrasion & cut resistance
DIN ISO 4649 ≤ 35 mm³ polyether PUR
Marine oil & diesel
IEC 60811-404 resistant

Reference standards

Subsea cable standard
ISO 13628-5 / IEC 60092-376
Digital bus compliance
EIA/TIA-485 / Fast Ethernet physical layer
Conductor standard
IEC 60228 Class 5 tinned copper

Identification

Outer sheath colour
Seismic Yellow or Black with metre markings
Pair numbering
TIA/EIA-598 colour code + numbered foil tapes
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.49 / 8544.70

Sizes

12 standard DIGICODE marine seismic gun-control & streamer cable builds

Typical configurations, outer diameters, copper content, weights in air/seawater, and tow breaking loads.

Dimensions, weights & tow ratings
Order designationDigital Pairs + DC Power + OpticalNominal OD
mm		Copper
kg/km		Weight in air
kg/km		Weight in sea
kg/km		MBL
kN		Min. bend R
mm		Enquiry
DIGICODE-GC Digital Gun Control & Tailbuoy Cables (Polyaramid Tow)
DIGICODE-8P2C8×2×0.5 PiMF + 2×2.5 mm²16.414534012045164
DIGICODE-12P4C12×2×0.5 PiMF + 4×2.5 mm²19.823551019065198
DIGICODE-16P4C16×2×0.5 PiMF + 4×4.0 mm²22.633068026085226
DIGICODE-20P6C20×2×0.75 PiMF + 6×2.5 mm²25.4460890350105254
DIGICODE-24P6C24×2×0.75 PiMF + 6×4.0 mm²28.25951,120450125282
DIGICODE-32P8C32×2×0.75 PiMF + 8×4.0 mm²32.07901,460590150320
DIGICODE-48P8C48×2×0.5 PiMF + 8×4.0 mm²35.58451,720680175355
DIGICODE-SL Hybrid Electro-Optical Streamer Lead-In Cables
DIGICODE-SL-12P4C-4FO12×2×0.5 PiMF + 4×4.0 + 4FO FIMT21.829064025595218
DIGICODE-SL-16P6C-8FO16×2×0.75 PiMF + 6×4.0 + 8FO FIMT26.5490980405130265
DIGICODE-SL-24P6C-8FO24×2×0.75 PiMF + 6×6.0 + 8FO FIMT30.87101,350570160308
DIGICODE-SL-24P8C-12FO-ARM24×2×0.75 + 8×6.0 + 12FO (Steel Armour)33.48252,4801,590200334
DIGICODE-SL-36P8C-12FO-ARM36×2×0.75 + 8×6.0 + 12FO (Steel Armour)37.61,0053,0501,930220376
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • PiMF = Pair in Metal Foil (individual 100 % Al/PET screen with tinned copper drain wire per telemetry pair).

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
100/120 Ω characteristic impedance, attenuation & NEXT sweepTDR/VNA verification from 10 kHz to 10 MHz, NEXT ≥ 80 dBEvery telemetry pair
DC conductor resistance & AC dielectric test2.0 kV AC (signal) / 3.5 kV AC (DC bus) for 5 min100 % of manufactured length
Sample tests
Longitudinal water-blocking penetration test3 m head / 24 h zero axial water migrationPer production batch
Tensile tow load & cyclic sheave flex testVerify MBL (45–220 kN) and impedance stability under tensionType approval

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

ISO 13628-5 Marine Seismic Control CompliantDigiSHOT / GunLink & Streamer Bus Compatible

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX DIGICODE MARINE SEISMIC DIGITAL STREAMER & GUN CONTROL [PART] [METRE]
Delivery form
Export marine steel reels
Standard tow lengths
150 m · 300 m · 500 m · 800 m · 1,200 m
Connectorisation
Available raw or terminated with waterproof deck or wet-mate subsea plugs
Lead time
4–6 weeks ex-works

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFDIGICODE Marine Seismic Digital Streamer & Gun Control Cable – technical datasheet12 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXDIGICODE spec data (Excel)All 12 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

How does DIGICODE differ from a conventional analogue airgun umbilical?
Analogue gun umbilicals carry one dedicated high-current solenoid pair and one sensor pair per individual airgun, requiring 40–60 pairs for a large sub-array. DIGICODE distributes DC bus power and high-speed 100/120 Ω digital telemetry (plus optional optical fibres) to subsea gun-control modules mounted directly on the gun plates, cutting cable diameter and drag while achieving ≤ 0.1 ms firing synchronisation.
Why are telemetry pairs insulated with foam-skin polyethylene and individually foil-screened (PiMF)?
Foam-skin PE lowers mutual capacitance below 42 pF/m so RS-485, CAN, and DSL carrier signals suffer minimal attenuation over 500–1,200 m tow lengths. Individual PiMF screens prevent DC-DC converter switching noise and solenoid discharge spikes from coupling into adjacent digital channels.
Can DIGICODE be used for RGPS tailbuoy and acoustic positioning links?
Yes. The 8-pair and 12-pair polyaramid-braided configurations (DIGICODE-8P2C and DIGICODE-12P4C) are widely used as tailbuoy umbilicals linking the streamer tail swivel to surface RGPS/radar transponders and generator batteries.
Is an electro-optical version available for high-channel-count digital streamers?
Yes. The DIGICODE-SL series incorporates a central laser-welded 316L stainless-steel FIMT containing 4, 8, or 12 single-mode optical fibres alongside copper DC power feeders and backup telemetry quads.

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DIGICODE Marine Seismic Digital Streamer & Gun Control Cable

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