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Product

RS-485 / RS-422 & JIS Shipboard Communication CablesTIA/EIA-485-A & TIA/EIA-422-B120 Ω ± 12 Ω · ≤ 42 pF/m1P to 8P × 24 / 22 / 18 AWG

RS-422 / RS-485 RS-422/RS-485 Shielded Twisted-Pair CableTIA/EIA-485 & TIA/EIA-422 120 Ω ≤ 42 pF/m 1P to 8P × 24/22/18 AWG SF/UTP shielded

RS-422 / RS-485 Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable is a true 120 Ω ± 12 Ω low-capacitance (≈ 38–42 pF/m) differential serial communication cable engineered for Modbus RTU, BACnet MS/TP, DMX512, solar inverter telemetry, and incremental RS-422 encoders up to 1,200

Low-EMC design
EMC screen
Oil-resistant
Flame-retardant
Order designation
RS-422/485 2P×24 AWG (0.22 mm²) Foil+Braid (9842 eq.)
Outer Ø ≈
8.6 mm
Copper weight
36 kg/km
Total weight ≈
82 kg/km
Min. bend R (fixed)
52 mm
All sizes (7)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Impedance Z0
120 Ω ± 12 Ω
At 1 MHz (true RS-485 line match)
Capacitance
≈ 40 pF / m
Foamed PE (vs. 110 pF/m PVC audio)
Velocity (VoP)
76–78 %
Propagation delay ≈ 4.3 ns/m
Pair & gauge range
1P–8P · 24–18
Stranded tinned copper + drain
Shielding
100% Foil +
SF/UTP or S/FTP (PiMF) dual shield
Max. trunk reach
1,200 m (4,000
Up to 10 Mbps @ 15 m · 100 kbps @ 1200 m

Typical values for this cable type, based on TIA/EIA-485-A / TIA/EIA-422-B (120 Ω Low-Capacitance Bus) — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is RS-422 / RS-485 right for your machine?

Engineered for industrial Modbus RTU / ASCII trunks, BACnet MS/TP building risers, solar PV tracker/inverter arrays, VFDs, and RS-422 differential quadrature encoders.

Fixed installation

Suitable

Supports the full TIA/EIA-485 1,200 m (4,000 ft) repeaterless trunk length with minimal capacitive edge rounding.

Switchgear & control cabinet wiring

Suitable

24 AWG (9841/9842 eq.) and 22 AWG (3105A/3106A eq.) strip and terminate easily into PLC screw and spring terminals.

Energy chain / drag chain

Suitable

Drag-chain PUR variant with 19-strand tinned copper cores handles moving RS-422 encoder and sensor axes.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

UV-resistant outdoor PE and armoured direct-burial variants available for utility solar farms and water SCADA.

Typical machinesModbus RTU & PLC SCADA telemetrySolar PV inverter & tracker networksBACnet MS/TP HVAC & DMX512 lightingRS-422 servo & spindle encoders

Construction

Layer by layer

1, 2, 3, 4, or 8 twisted pairs of 7-strand or 19-strand tinned copper (24 AWG / 0.22 mm², 22 AWG / 0.34 mm², 20 AWG / 0.50 mm², or 18 AWG

12345
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1Stranded tinned copper conductors7-wire or 19-wire annealed tinned copper in 24 AWG (0.22 mm²), 22 AWG (0.34 mm²), or 18ASTM B33 / IEC 60228
2Cellular foamed polyethylene (FPE Low-permittivity nitrogen-foamed PE dielectric yielding Z0 = 120 Ω and C ≈ 40 pF/mTIA/EIA-485-A
3100 % Al/PET foil + drain wireAluminium-polyester tape screen (100 % coverage) with 24/22 AWG stranded tinned Cu drainUL 2919 / CM / PLTC
4High-coverage tinned copper braidTinned copper wire braid, optical coverage ≥ 90 %TIA/EIA-485 EMC
5Industrial outer sheathFlame-retardant PVC (CM/CL2/PLTC), halogen-free LSZH, outdoor UV-PE, or Drag-Chain PURUL 444 / UL 13 / IEC 60332

RS-485 1-Pair & 1.5-Pair (24 AWG 9841 eq. / 22 AWG 3105A eq.)

2-wire half-duplex RS-485 (D+, D-) plus optional 3rd reference conductor (Signal GND) and drain.

RS-422 / RS-485 2-Pair to 8-Pair (24 AWG 9842/9844 eq. / 22 AWG 3107A eq.)

4-wire full-duplex RS-422/485 (TX+/TX-, RX+/RX-) and multi-channel encoder/serial trunk cables.

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on TIA/EIA-485-A / TIA/EIA-422-B (120 Ω Low-Capacitance Bus). Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Characteristic impedance Z0
120 Ω ± 12 Ω at 1 MHz
Mutual capacitance @ 1 kHz
≈ 38–42 pF/m (core-to-core) · ≈ 72 pF/m
DC conductor resistance @ 20 °C
≤ 78.7 Ω/km (24 AWG) · ≤ 48.2 Ω/km (22 AWG)
Velocity of propagation (VoP)
76–78 % (0.76–0.78 c) · delay ≈ 4.3 ns/m
Attenuation @ 1 MHz
1.97 dB/100m (24 AWG) · 1.64 dB/100m (22
Operating / test voltage
300 V (UL CM / CL2 / PLTC) · 1.5 kV AC

Thermal

Operating temp. (fixed / flex)
-40 °C to +80 °C fixed · -30 °C to +75 °C
Storage temperature
-40 °C to +80 °C

Mechanical

Min. bending radius
6 × D fixed · 10 × D flexing / drag-chain
Shield coverage
100 % Al/PET foil + ≥ 90 % tinned copper

Resistance

Oil, sunlight & moisture resistance
UL Sunlight Resistant · Oil Res I/II · PE
Flame retardancy
UL 1685 CM / FT4 / PLTC · IEC 60332-1-2 &

Reference standards

Primary specification
TIA/EIA-485-A & TIA/EIA-422-B balanced
UL / NEC approvals
UL AWM Style 2919 (30V/80°C) · CL2 / CM

Identification

Core colour code
Pair 1: White/Blue + Blue/White · Pair 2
Outer sheath colour
Chrome Grey (RAL 7001), Matte Black (UV

Sizes

7 standard configurations (RS-422 / RS-485)

Nominal dimensions, copper weights, impedance and transmission parameters for RS-422 / RS-485 per TIA/EIA-485-A / TIA/EIA-422-B (120 Ω Low-Capacitance Bus).

Dimensions & weights
Order designationConfigurationConductor sizeOuter Ø ≈
mm		Copper
kg/km		Weight ≈
kg/km		Min. bend R
fixed mm		Enquiry
Standard RS-422 / RS-485 configurations
RS-485 1P×24 AWG (0.22 mm²) Foil+Braid (9841 eq.)1×2×24 AWG + Drain24 AWG (0.22 mm²)5.9225035
RS-422/485 2P×24 AWG (0.22 mm²) Foil+Braid (9842 eq.)2×2×24 AWG + Drain24 AWG (0.22 mm²)8.6368252
RS-422/485 4P×24 AWG (0.22 mm²) Foil+Braid (9844 eq.)4×2×24 AWG + Drain24 AWG (0.22 mm²)9.95611859
RS-485 1P×22 AWG (0.34 mm²) PLTC (3105A eq.)1×2×22 AWG + Drain22 AWG (0.34 mm²)7.2286643
RS-485 1.5P (1P + 1C GND) × 22 AWG (3106A eq.)1×2 + 1×22 AWG + Drain22 AWG (0.34 mm²)7.6337446
RS-422/485 2P×22 AWG (0.34 mm²) PLTC (3107A eq.)2×2×22 AWG + Drain22 AWG (0.34 mm²)9.0449654
RS-485 Heavy-Trunk 1P×18 AWG (0.80 mm²) Outdoor PE1×2×18 AWG + Drain18 AWG (0.80 mm²)8.8489853
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • Outer diameters and weights are nominal factory values subject to ±5 % manufacturing tolerance per TIA/EIA-485-A / TIA/EIA-422-B (120 Ω Low-Capacitance Bus).

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
1 MHz characteristic impedance & mutual capacitanceZ0 = 120 ± 12 Ω; mutual capacitance ≤ 42 pF/m100 % of reels
DC conductor resistance & 1.5 kV AC dielectricASTM B33 / IEC 60228 limits; 1.5 kV AC core-to-core/shield100 % of reels
Sample tests
1–10 MHz insertion loss & NEXT (multi-pair)TIA/EIA-485 attenuation & crosstalk compliancePer production batch
UL 1685 CM/PLTC FT4 flame & UV weatherometerPass vertical tray flame & 720 h UV exposureType approval

Inspection certificate

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

Product approvals

TIA/EIA-485-A / 422-BUL AWM 2919 / CM / PLTCIEC 60332-1-2 / CE

Company certificates

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

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX RS-422/RS-485 120 OHM LOW-CAP
Delivery form
Non-returnable plywood reels or export drums
Standard reel lengths
100 m · 305 m · 500 m · 1000 m
MOQ
100 m (stock variants) · 500 m (custom)
Lead time
2–3 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFRS-422 / RS-485 RS-422/RS-485 Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable – technical datasheet7 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXRS-422 / RS-485 spec data (Excel)All 7 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.

Why do Modbus RTU and RS-485 networks fail when wired with standard PVC control or audio cable?
Standard PVC-insulated twisted pairs have a characteristic impedance of only 50–75 Ω and a high mutual capacitance of 110–160 pF/m. On a 120 Ω RS-485 bus, that mismatch causes severe signal reflections at 120 Ω termination resistors and capacitive RC slew-rate rounding. Our foamed-PE (O2YS) dielectric matches 120 Ω ± 12 Ω and cuts capacitance below 42 pF/m.
When should I specify a 1.5-pair (3-conductor) RS-485 cable instead of a 1-pair (2-conductor) cable?
Although RS-485 is often called a '2-wire' bus, TIA/EIA-485 requires a common signal reference ground (SC/SGND) between all transceiver ICs to keep common-mode voltage within -7 V to +12 V. A 1.5-pair cable provides the 120 Ω twisted pair (D+/D-) plus an insulated 3rd conductor for Signal Ground, leaving the Foil+Braid shield dedicated strictly to EMC earthing.
What is the difference between 1-pair RS-485 cable and 2-pair / 4-pair RS-422 cable?
Half-duplex RS-485 shares one differential pair (A/B) for both transmit and receive. Full-duplex RS-485 and RS-422 require two separate 120 Ω twisted pairs (TX+/TX- and RX+/RX-), while RS-422 incremental rotary encoders require 3 or 4 pairs (A/A/, B/B/, Z/Z/, plus 5 V power). Each production reel undergoes 100 % characteristic impedance verification, mutual capacitance and DC loop resistance testing, and dielectric spark/withstand inspection before dispatch with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate.
When should I step up from 24 AWG to 22 AWG or 18 AWG RS-485 cable?
Use 24 AWG (0.22 mm²) for indoor equipment links up to 300–600 m; 22 AWG (0.34 mm², 3105A/3106A class) for industrial plant trunks up to 1,200 m; and 18 AWG (0.80 mm²) for solar-farm strings and multi-drop buses where low DC resistance (21 Ω/km) or co-carried 24 V sensor power is needed.

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RS-422 / RS-485 RS-422/RS-485 Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable

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