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Product

Control & signal cableIMSA Spec 50-2600 V Shielded Lead-In18 / 16 / 14 / 12 AWG Pairs

IMSA 50-2 Loop Detector Lead-In Traffic Signal CableIMSA Spec 50-2 600 V foil-shielded PE twisted-pair traffic loop detector lead-in cable

IMSA 50-2 loop-detector lead-in traffic signal cable (IMSA Spec 50-2, 600 V, -40 to +80 °C) connecting roadway inductive vehicle loops to controller cabinets via 18–12 AWG tinned copper twisted pairs, PE insulation, 100 % Al/PET foil shield, and HDPE jacket.

EMC screen
Low-EMC design
Outdoor & humid
Water-resistant
Order designation
IMSA 50-2 1PR 14AWG
Outer Ø ≈
7.90 mm
Wall thickness
1.10 mm
Total weight ≈
79.0 kg/km
Min. bend R (fixed)
79 mm
All sizes (12)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Specification
IMSA Spec 50-2
Municipal traffic signal standard
Rated voltage
600 V RMS
Low-loss PE core insulation
Conductor
18–12 AWG Sn-Cu
ASTM B33 stranded tinned copper
Pair shield
100 % Al/PET
Foil screen + Sn-Cu drain wire
Outer jacket
Black HDPE
Direct burial & underground duct
Service temp.
-40…+80 °C
All-weather highway cabinet duty

Typical values for this cable type, based on IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In Cable — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is IMSA 50-2 right for your machine?

Select IMSA 50-2 as the shielded home-run lead-in feeder from roadside pull boxes to NEMA TS2 / 170 / ATC traffic signal cabinets, toll-plaza vehicle classifiers, and parking gate loop amplifiers.

Fixed installation

Suitable

Low-inductance twisted pairs (≥ 6 twists/ft) and PE insulation prevent 20–150 kHz loop detuning on 300+ m runs.

VFD inverter to AC motor screened feeder

Suitable

100 % Al/PET foil shield and Sn-Cu drain wire rejects 60 Hz AC street-lighting hum and adjacent loop crosstalk.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

Polyethylene core insulation and carbon-black HDPE outer jacket resist flooded roadside handholes, de-icing road salts, and wet conduits.

Typical machinesMunicipal Intersection Traffic ControlHighway Ramp-Metering & Vehicle CountingAutomated Toll-Plaza Loop ClassifiersAirport Taxiway & Parking Barrier LoopsWeigh-in-Motion (WIM) Roadside Cabinets

Construction

Layer by layer

IMSA 50-2 construction: 7- or 19-strand tinned copper conductors (18, 16, 14, or 12 AWG), PE insulation, tightly twisted pairs, 100 % aluminum-polyester foil shield + tinned copper drain wire, and UV-resistant black PE outer jacket.

1234
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1Stranded tinned copper pairsConcentric stranded tinned copper per ASTM B33 (18 AWG 7/19-strand, 16 AWG, 14 AWG, or 12 AWG)Tin coating prevents corrosion inside damp roadside splice boxes
2Low-capacitance PE insulationLow-density or high-molecular-weight polyethylene (color-coded per IMSA Table: Black/Red, Black/White, etc.)Low capacitance (~65–80 pF/ft) keeps loop resonant frequency stable
3100 % Al/PET shield + drain wireAluminum-polyester foil tape (100 % coverage) with 20–16 AWG stranded tinned copper drain wireBlocks electrostatic interference from 120/240 V traffic signal lamp conductors
4Black polyethylene outer jacketWeather- and moisture-resistant black polyethylene per ICEA S-61-402 / IMSA 50-2Smooth low-friction jacket for long underground conduit pulls and aerial lashings

IMSA 50-2 Single Pair (1PR 18–12 AWG)

1-pair overall foil-shielded loop detector lead-in cable for single intersection loops

IMSA 50-2 Multi-Pair (2PR–6PR 18–14 AWG)

2-pair, 3-pair, 4-pair, and 6-pair individually foil-shielded lead-in trunk cable for multi-lane approaches

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In Cable. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Rated voltage
600 V RMS
Conductor DC resistance
21.4 (18 AWG) · 13.5 (16) · 8.5 (14) · 5.4 Ω/km (12 AWG)
Mutual capacitance
Approx. 65–85 pF/ft (210–280 nF/km) shielded
Pair inductance
Approx. 0.18–0.22 µH/ft (0.60–0.72 µH/m)

Thermal

Operating temperature range
-40 °C to +80 °C
Cold-bend rating
-40 °C without cracking

Mechanical

Pair twist lay
Minimum 6 twists per foot (20 twists/m)
Shielding construction
100 % Al/PET tape + tinned Cu drain wire
Min. bending radius
10 × overall cable diameter

Resistance

Groundwater & salt resistance
PE core + HDPE outer jacket
Sunlight & UV resistance
Carbon-black UV-stabilised PE (≥ 2 %)

Reference standards

Primary standard
IMSA Specification No. 50-2
Conductor & jacket standards
ASTM B33 / B8 · ICEA S-61-402
RoHS & REACH
RoHS 3 & REACH compliant

Identification

Outer sheath colour
Black
Surface legend
TEBAOFLEX IMSA SPEC 50-2 [pairs/AWG] 600V
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.49

Sizes

12 standard configurations (IMSA 50-2)

Engineering dimensions, conductor stranding, mass and electrical ratings for IMSA 50-2 per IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In Cable.

Dimensions & weights
Order designationCross-section / sizeConductor buildWall ≈
mm		Outer Ø ≈
mm		Metal
kg/km		Weight ≈
kg/km		Min. bend R
fixed mm		Enquiry
Standard IMSA 50-2 configurations
IMSA 50-2 1PR 18AWG1 PR × 18 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.106.1018.943.061
IMSA 50-2 1PR 16AWG1 PR × 16 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.106.9025.558.069
IMSA 50-2 1PR 14AWG1 PR × 14 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.107.9034.879.079
IMSA 50-2 1PR 12AWG1 PR × 12 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.109.1049.3112.091
IMSA 50-2 2PR 18AWG2 PR × 18 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.109.4037.886.094
IMSA 50-2 2PR 16AWG2 PR × 16 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.1710.6050.6115.0106
IMSA 50-2 2PR 14AWG2 PR × 14 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.3111.9068.2155.0119
IMSA 50-2 3PR 18AWG3 PR × 18 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.1210.2049.3112.0102
IMSA 50-2 4PR 18AWG4 PR × 18 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.2311.2062.5142.0112
IMSA 50-2 6PR 18AWG6 PR × 18 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.4913.5090.2205.0135
IMSA 50-2 4PR 14AWG4 PR × 14 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.5614.20116.6265.0142
IMSA 50-2 6PR 14AWG6 PR × 14 AWGSolid / Stranded Cu1.9017.30169.4385.0173
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • Outer diameters and weights are nominal engineering values for IMSA 50-2 subject to standard manufacturing tolerances per IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In Cable.

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
Dielectric spark / high-voltage withstand test100 % in-line spark and AC/DC dielectric withstand per IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In CableEvery manufactured length
Conductor DC resistance & continuity checkWithin maximum 20 °C resistance limit specified for IMSA 50-2Every spool or drum length
Sample tests
Insulation resistance & dimensional verificationWall thickness, concentricity and insulation resistance per IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In CablePer production batch
Environmental, mechanical & EMC qualificationQualified to IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In Cable thermal, mechanical and environmental performance criteriaType qualification

Inspection certificate

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

Product approvals

IMSA Specification 50-2 (1984 / 2012) Shielded Loop-Detector Lead-In CableCE (2014/35/EU) & RoHS 3 (2015/863/EU) CompliantREACH SVHC Compliance Verified

Company certificates

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

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX IMSA SPEC 50-2 1PR 14AWG SHIELDED LOOP LEAD-IN 600V
Delivery form
Export wooden drums, tactical reels or coils
Standard lengths
100 m · 500 m · 1000 m (or custom cut lengths)
MOQ
100 m (stock sizes) · 300–500 m (custom build)
Lead time
2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFIMSA 50-2 Loop Detector Lead-In Traffic Signal Cable – technical datasheet12 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXIMSA 50-2 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 do IMSA 50-2 and IMSA 51-5 / 51-7 work together in a traffic intersection?
IMSA 51-5 or 51-7 is the single-conductor wire-in-tube installed directly inside the asphalt saw-cut slot to form the 3–5 turn inductive vehicle loop. Its two tail leads exit the curb into a roadside pull box, where they are waterproof-spliced to IMSA 50-2 shielded twisted-pair lead-in cable for the long conduit run back to the traffic controller cabinet.
Where should the drain wire of IMSA 50-2 be grounded?
Ground the tinned copper drain wire ONLY at the traffic controller cabinet earth busbar, and leave the pull-box end insulated and floating. Grounding one end prevents ground-loop currents while still draining electrostatic noise.
How do I choose between 18 AWG, 16 AWG, 14 AWG, and 12 AWG lead-in sizes?
18 AWG and 16 AWG are standard for lead-in runs up to 150 m (500 ft). Specify 14 AWG or 12 AWG when the distance between the roadside handhole and the controller cabinet exceeds 150–300 m so series loop resistance remains well below the loop detector's Q-factor threshold.
Are multi-pair IMSA 50-2 cables individually pair-shielded?
Yes. Multi-pair IMSA 50-2 cables (2, 3, 4, or 6 pairs) have an individual 100 % aluminum-polyester foil shield and drain wire around each twisted pair so multiple roadway loops can share one conduit trunk without inductive crosstalk.

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IMSA 50-2 Loop Detector Lead-In Traffic Signal Cable

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