Aramco Specification

Materials System Specification
34-SAMSS-913 2 August 2017

Instrumentation and Thermocouple Cable
Document Responsibility: Instrumentation Standards Committee
Contents
1 Scope ................................................................ 2
2 Conflicts and Deviations ................................... 2
3 References........................................................ 2
4 Engineering Units.............................................. 4
5 Definitions ......................................................... 4
6 Cable Specifications ......................................... 4
7 Marking ........................................................... 19
8 Testing ............................................................ 20
9 Other Miscellaneous Requirements ................ 21
Revision Summary................................................. 21
Previous Issue 24 January 2012 Next Planned Update: 2 August 2020

Page 1 of 21
Contact: Balhareth, Hamad Salem (balhhs0e) on phone +966-13-8801893
©Saudi Aramco 2017. All rights reserved.

Document Responsibility: Instrumentation Standards Committee 34-SAMSS-913
Issue Date: 2 August 2017
Next Planned Update: 2 August 2020 Instrumentation and Thermocouple Cable
1 Scope
This specification defines the minimum requirements for instrumentation and

thermocouple extension cable for signaling and control purposes. Cables for data
highway applications are outside the scope of this specification.
2 Conflicts and Deviations
2.1 Any conflicts between this specification and other Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs) or referenced industry standards shall be
identified to the company or buyer representative who will request the Manager,
Process and Control Systems Department of Saudi Aramco, Dhahran to resolve
the conflict(s).
2.2 Direct all requests to deviate from this specification in writing to the company or
buyer representative, who shall follow internal company procedure and forward
Waiver Request to the Manager, Process and Control Systems Department of
Saudi Aramco, Dhahran requesting his approval.
2.3 It is recognized that continuing improvements and developments in the areas of

insulation materials and cable construction may impact this specification.
Materials and construction methods considered by the manufacturer to be
equivalent to or superior to that which is specified in this document may be
proposed by the supplier to the company or buyer representative, who shall
forward such proposals to the Supervisor, Instrumentation Unit, Process
Instrumentation Division, P&CSD for further processing.
3 References
Materials or equipment supplied to this specification shall comply with the latest edition
of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.
3.1 Saudi Aramco References
Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure

SAEP-302 Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a Mandatory
Saudi Aramco Engineering Requirement
Saudi Aramco Forms and Data Sheets

SA-8020-913 ISS-Instrumentation and Thermocouple Cables
SA-7930 Nonmaterial Requirements
175-347600 Instrumentation and Thermocouple Cable
Page 2 of 21
3.2 Industry Codes and Standards
American National Standards Institute

ANSI MC96.1 Temperature Measurement Thermocouples
American Society for Testing and Materials

ASTM B33 Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or
Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
Fieldbus Foundation
FF-844 H1 Cable Test Specification
British Standard
BS 6387 Performance Requirements for Cables Required to
Maintain Circuit Integrity under Fire Conditions
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEEE 383 Qualifying Electric Cables and Splices for Nuclear
Facilities
Insulated Cable Engineers Association

ICEA S-95-658 Standard for Non-shielded Power Cables Rated
2,000 Volts or Less for the Distribution of
Electrical Energy
International Electrotechnical Commission

IEC 61158 - 2 Fieldbus Standard for Use in Industrial Control
Systems - Part 2: Physical Layer Specification
and Service Definition
Military Specification
MIL-W-25038 General Specification for High Temp, Fire
Resistant, and Flight Critical Electrical Wire
National Fire Protection Association

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC)
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

UL 13 Power Limited Circuit Cables
UL 1277 Electrical Power and Control Tray Cables with
Optional Optical Fiber Members
Page 3 of 21
UL 1685 Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release

Test for Electrical and Optical-Fiber
UL 2196 Tests for Fire Resistive Cables
UL 2250 Instrumentation Tray Cable
4 Engineering Units
All dimensions and measurements shall be in English units, and may be followed by the
equivalent “International System of Units” (SI) bracketed in parentheses ( ). When not
critical, the equivalent dimensions and measurements may be rounded off to their
nearest practical value.
5 Definitions
Crosslink: A process in which chemical bonds are established between long chain
polymer molecules. When applied to polyolefin materials, the material properties
change from thermoplastic to thermoset plastic.
ITC: Instrumentation tray cable, per NFPA 70, NEC Article 727.
PLTC: Power-limited tray cable, per NFPA 70, NEC Article 725.
Polyolefin: In terms of wire insulation, a plastic formulation consisting of polyethylene

and additives such as flame retardants, antioxidants, stabilizers, and crosslinking
enhancers.
PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride.
TC: Tray cable, per NFPA 70, NEC Article 336.
XPLE: Crosslinked polyethylene. This term is generically used to describe a

crosslinked blend of polyethylene and performance enhancing additives, irrespective of
the polyethylene content (refer to Polyolefin, above).
XLPO: Crosslinked polyolefin. This name is technically given to a crosslinked

polyethylene/additive blend where the polyethylene content is less than 50%.
6 Cable Specifications
6.1 General
Instrumentation and thermocouple cable covered by this specification comprise

seven general groups as follows:
Group 1 - Single twisted pair/triad, unshielded
Page 4 of 21
Group 2 - Single twisted pair/triad, shielded

Group 3 - Multipair/triad, unshielded with or without overall shield
Group 4 - Multipair/triad, individual and overall shields
Group 5 - Thermocouple extension wire
Group 6 - Fireproof cable
Group 7 FOUNDATION Fieldbus (FF) cables.
Due to differences in manufacturing and design, some cables will require fillers,
binders and separator tapes. These components shall be provided whenever they
comprise an integral part of the standard design of the cable. The utilization of
these components shall not constitute a deviation from this specification.
6.2 Group 1 - Single Twisted Pair/Triad, Unshielded
6.2.1 Conductor
Stranded, circular copper, per ASTM B3, 7 strands minimum; tinned,

per ASTM B33
6.2.2 Conductor Size
16 AWG or as specified on Form SA-8020-913, Line Item 13.
6.2.3 Primary Insulation Material
Flame retardant PVC, nylon- jacketed PVC (For Type TC cables only)
or thermoset crosslinked polyolefin or Polyethylene (XLPO or XLPE),
minimum temperature rating 90°C.
6.2.4 Primary Insulation Voltage Rating

300 V for Type PLTC and Type ITC Cable.
600 V for Type TC Cable.
6.2.5 Primary Insulation Thickness
0.38 mm (15 mils) minimum average thickness for Types PLTC and
ITC Cables.
0.76 mm (30 mils) minimum average thickness for PVC or

XLPO/XLPE Type TC Cable.
0.50 mm (20 mils) minimum average thickness for Nylon-jacketed

PVC Type TC Cable.
Page 5 of 21
6.2.6 Assembly
Two insulated conductors uniformly twisted into a pair or three

insulated conductors uniformly twisted into a triad.
6.2.7 Lay of Twist
As per UL 1277.
6.2.8 Color Code
One black wire, one white wire for pairs; one black wire, one white
wire, one red wire for triads; or as specified on Form SA-8020-913,
Line Item 14.
6.2.9 Jacket Material
Flame retardant PVC, limited smoke per UL 13 and UL 1277,

6.2.10 Jacket Thickness

 Minimum thickness per UL 13, paragraph 13.1 for Type PLTC
 Minimum thickness per UL 1277, paragraph 12.3 for Type TC
 Minimum thickness per UL 2250, paragraph 16.3 for Type ITC.
6.2.11 Jacket Application
Extruded over conductor assembly.
6.2.12 Jacket Color
Non-intrinsically safe applications: Manufacturer's standard other than

blue.
Intrinsically safe applications: Blue
6.3 Group 2 - Single Twisted Pair/Triad, Shielded
6.3.1 Conductor

per ASTM B33.
Page 6 of 21

ITC Cables.


PVC Type TC Cable.
6.3.6 Assembly

6.3.7 Lay of Twist
As per UL 1277.
6.3.8 Color Code
Line Item 14.
6.3.9 Shield Material
Aluminum foil bonded to non-hygroscopic polyester (Mylar) tape, either

foil free edge or equal-width foil and tape, per Manufacturer's standard.
6.3.10 Shield Thickness
0.022 mm (0.85 mil) minimum.
Page 7 of 21
6.3.11 Shield Application
Helical, minimum 25% overlap, to provide 100% coverage and

electrical isolation from conductors.
6.3.12 Shield Drain Wire Conductor
Stranded, circular tinned copper, per ASTM B33, 7 strands minimum.
6.3.13 Shield Drain Wire Size
Manufacturer's standard, with minimum size one even gauge size

smaller than conductor size.
6.3.14 Shield Drain Wire Application
In continuous contact with shield foil.
Flame retardant PVC, low smoke per UL 13 and UL 1277, minimum

temperature rating 90°C.

6.3.18 Jacket Color

blue.
6.4 Group 3 - Multipair/triad, Unshielded, with or without Overall Shield
6.4.1 Conductor

per ASTM B33.
Page 8 of 21

ITC Cables.


PVC Type TC Cable.
6.4.6 Assembly

6.4.7 Lay of Twist
As per UL 1277.
6.4.8 Color Code
Line Item 14.
6.4.9 Number of Pairs or Triads
Refer to Form SA-8020-913, line item 12. Manufacturer's standard

products, meeting or exceeding this number is acceptable upon
approval of Buyer.
Page 9 of 21
6.4.10 Pair/triad Identification
Number designation continuously stamped on white conductor.
6.4.11 Cable Assembly
Single grouped assembly, per Manufacturer's standard.
6.4.12 Communication Wire
Not required. If provided, shall be Manufacturer's standard size;

insulation same as primary insulation; orange color.
6.4.13 Overall Shield Material
When offered as Manufacturer's standard construction, aluminum foil

bonded to non-hygroscopic polyester (Mylar) tape, either: foil free-
edge or equal-width foil and tape, per Manufacturer's standard.
6.4.14 Overall Shield Thickness
6.4.15 Overall Shield Application

electrical isolation from conductors.
6.4.16 Overall Shield Drain Wire Conductor
6.4.17 Overall Shield Drain Wire Size

6.4.18 Overall Shield Drain Wire Application

Page 10 of 21

Extruded over assembly.
6.4.22 Jacket Color

blue.
6.5 Group 4 - Multipair/triad, Individual and Overall Shields
6.5.1 Conductor

per ASTM B33.

ITC Cables.

Page 11 of 21

PVC Type TC Cable.
6.5.6 Assembly

6.5.7 Lay of Twist
As per UL 1277.
6.5.8 Color Code
Line Item 14.
6.5.9 Number of Pairs or Triads

approval of Buyer.
6.5.10 Pair/triad Identification
Number designation continuously stamped on white conductor

6.5.13 Individual Shield Material
Aluminum foil bonded to non-hygroscopic polyester (Mylar) tape,

either: foil free-edge or equal-width foil and tape, per Manufacturer's
standard.
6.5.14 Individual Shield Thickness
Page 12 of 21
6.5.15 Individual Shield Application

electrical isolation from other shields and conductors.
6.5.16 Individual Shield Drain Wire Conductor
6.5.17 Individual Shield Drain Wire Size

6.5.18 Individual Shield Drain Wire Application

standard.

electrical isolation from conductors and other shields.

Page 13 of 21


6.5.28 Jacket Color

blue.
6.6 Group 5 - Thermocouple Extension Wire
6.6.1 Conductor
Solid thermocouple extension wire per ANSI MC96.1.
16 AWG for single pair; 18 AWG for multiple pair; or as specified on

Form SA-8020-913, Line Item 13.
Flame retardant PVC or thermoset crosslinked polyolefin or

Polyethylene (XLPO or XLPE), minimum temperature rating 90°C.
300 V.
0.38 mm (15 mils) minimum average thickness.
Page 14 of 21
6.6.6 Assembly
Two insulated conductors uniformly twisted into a pair.
6.6.7 Lay of Twist
As per UL 1277.
6.6.8 Color Code
Per ANSI MC96.1.
6.6.9 Number of Pairs

approval of Buyer.
6.6.10 Pair Identification
Number designation continuously stamped on conductor (Multiple pair

only).

6.6.13 Individual Shield Material

standard.
6.6.14 Individual Shield Thickness
6.6.15 Individual Shield Application

electrical isolation from other shields and conductors.
Page 15 of 21
6.6.16 Individual Shield Drain Wire Conductor
Solid or stranded (7 strands minimum), circular tinned copper, per

ASTM B33.
6.6.17 Individual Shield Drain Wire Size

6.6.18 Individual Shield Drain Wire Application

either: foil free-edge or equal-width foil and tape, per manufacturer's
standard.

electrical isolation from conductors and other shields.


Page 16 of 21
Minimum thickness per UL 13, paragraph 13.1 for Type PLTC.
6.6.28 Jacket Color
Per ANSI MC96.1.
6.7 Group 6 - Fireproof Cable
When the instrument installation is required to be fireproofed, cables which

maintain signal integrity for a duration of 20 minutes when tested in accordance
with UL 2196 with low smoke per UL 1685 may be specified in lieu of
externally fireproofing conventional cables. Silicon dioxide- and magnesium
oxide-insulated cables, as well as fire resistant polymer-alloy jacketed cables
meeting the above test criteria may be considered. Fireproof cable shall be
specified on Form SA-8020-913, Line Item 23.
Commentary Note:
Cable meeting MIL-W-25038 or BS 6387 is considered technically acceptable for

fireproof service.
6.8 Group 7 - FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus Cables
6.8.1 Trunk ( Homerun ) Cables
6.8.1.1 The trunk cables shall conform to parameters specified in

IEC 61158 - 2 (i.e., Type A) Section 12.8.2.
6.8.1.2 All the applicable sections in Group 4 shall also be met

except the color coding shall be as specified in section 6.8.3.
6.8.1.3 All FF cables shall be compliant to FF-844, H1 Cable Test

Specification and shall be registered by Fieldbus Foundation.
6.8.2 Spur Cables
6.8.2.1 Spur cables shall meet sections 6.8.1.1 and 6.8.1.3 above.
6.8.2.2 Spur cables shall also meet the applicable cable specifications
in Group 2 above.
Page 17 of 21
Exceptions:
1) The color coding shall be as specified in Section 6.8.3.
2) The spur conductor size shall be 18 AWG as specified in

IEC-61158-2.
6.8.3 Color Coding
6.8.3.1 For all FF cables, spur and trunk, the outer jacket color shall
be orange.
6.8.3.2 For all armored FF cables, spur and trunk, the inner, and outer
jacket color of the armored cable shall be orange.
6.8.3.3 For all FF cables, spur and trunk, the conductor color code
shall be black and white with bare tinned copper conductor
for the drain/shield arrangement.
6.9 Options
The following options, when required, will be shown on Form SA-8020-913,

Line Items 27 through 36.
6.9.1 Direct Burial Cable
Cable intended for direct burial service shall be so designated on Form

SA-8020-913, Line Item 27. The Manufacturer shall certify that the
cable is suitable for direct burial service and is moisture and abrasion
resistant.
6.9.2 Oil Resistant Cable
Cable intended for applications where it may be exposed to

hydrocarbon oil shall be so designated on Form SA-8020-913,
Line Item 28. The manufacturer shall certify that the cable is resistant
to hydrocarbon oil or as indicated on the specification sheet.
6.9.3 Armored Cable
Armored cable shall have served steel wire or interlocked steel armor
under an extruded PVC outer jacket. Steel armor shall be galvanized.
Exception:
UL listed Type MC cable with corrugated aluminum armor may be used

in offshore applications. The aluminum armor shall be covered with an
outer PVC jacket.
Page 18 of 21
6.9.4 Capacitance, Inductance, Resistance, L/R Ratio
Cables for applications which require mutual capacitance, conductor-

to-ground capacitance, resistance, and/or L/R (inductance-to-
resistance) ratio to be within specified limits shall comply with the
values listed on Form SA-8020-913, Line Items 31 through 36.
7 Marking
7.1 Outer Jacket Marking
The following information shall be clearly marked on the outer jacket of the
cable, in no specific order:
a) Manufacturer's name, trade name, catalog or type number
b) Number of pairs/triads
c) Conductor size AWG (with mm² in parenthesis)
d) Voltage rating (600 V) for TC cables only.
e) Type of cable (PLTC, TC or equivalent)
f) Approval mark of listing authority (UL, IEC, or as applicable)
g) “Sunlight resistant” designation, in Manufacturer's standard nomenclature,
for Type TC cable (Optional for Type PLTC cable)
h) “Direct burial” designation, if applicable per UL 13 or UL 1277, in
Manufacturer's standard nomenclature
i) “Oil resistant” designation, in manufacturer's standard nomenclature, for
Type TC Cable (preferred for Types ITC and PLTC Cable)
j) For FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus cables, “TYPE A” shall be marked.
In addition, all FF cables shall be listed as PLTC or ITC and shall bear any
other mandatory marking specified in FF-844.
7.2 Cable Reel Marking
Each reel shall have a weatherproof (metal or plastic) tag, securely attached to a
flange of the reel and plainly stating:
a) Manufacturer's trade name
b) Date of manufacture
c) Conductor size
d) Cable rating
e) Type of cable
Page 19 of 21
f) Temperature designation
g) Minimum bend radius
h) Maximum pulling tension
i) Shipping length and diameter of cable
j) Saudi Aramco Purchase Order number
8 Testing
Type Tests: Each cable type shall be type tested, with the test conducted and certified
by an approved third party testing authority.
8.1 Physical Type Tests

a) Physical Properties Test for aged and unaged samples per UL 13, UL 1277,
UL 2250 Section, or equivalent.
b) Cold Bend Test per UL 13, UL 1277, UL 2250 Section, or equivalent.
c) Flame Retardance Vertical Tray Test of 20.5 kW (70,000 Btu/h) per
IEEE 383, UL 13, UL 1277, UL 2250, or equivalent.
d) Crushing and water absorption tests for cables marked for direct burial per
UL 13, UL 1277, UL 2250, or equivalent.
8.2 Electrical Performance Tests
8.2.1 Spark Test
The insulation on cable conductors shall be spark tested in accordance

with UL 13 or equivalent for power limited tray cable (Type PLTC), or
UL 1277 or equivalent for tray cable (Type TC), or UL 2250 or
equivalent for instrumentation tray cable (Type ITC).
8.2.2 Insulation Resistance
Insulation resistance of finished cables shall be tested in accordance with

dielectric withstand tests in UL 13, UL 1277, UL 2250, or equivalent.
8.2.3 Conductor Resistance
Nominal DC resistance of copper conductor instrumentation cable

shall be in accordance with UL 13, ICEA S-95-658 or equivalent.
Thermocouple extension cable is excluded from this test.
Page 20 of 21
8.2.4 All Foundation Fieldbus (FF) cables shall be tested to ensure full
compliance to IEC 61158-2 Section 12.8.2 and FF-844 and shall be
registered by Fieldbus Foundation.
9 Other Miscellaneous Requirements
9.1 Inspection
Items manufactured to this specification are subject to the minimum inspection

requirements as specified in Saudi Aramco Inspection Requirements Form
175-347600.
9.2 Nonmaterial Requirements
The supplier shall provide nonmaterial items as shown on Form SA-7930.
Revision Summary
24 January 2012 Revised the “Next Planned Update.” Reaffirmed the content of the document, and reissued
with minor revision to clarify the requirement to specify “tinned” copper conductors if the
primary insulation is corrosive or otherwise specified in the data sheet.
2 August 2017 Major revision, this document is an important specification document which we use to
purchase instrumentation cables. Therefore, it is essential to keep this document up-to-date
and in line with recent changes to its references.
Page 21 of 21

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Materials System Specification

34-SAMSS-913 2 August 2017

Previous Issue 24 January 2012 Next Planned Update: 2 August 2020

©Saudi Aramco 2017. All rights reserved.

This specification defines the minimum requirements for instrumentation and

2 Conflicts and Deviations

2.3 It is recognized that continuing improvements and developments in the areas of

3.1 Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure

Saudi Aramco Forms and Data Sheets

3.2 Industry Codes and Standards

American National Standards Institute

American Society for Testing and Materials

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Insulated Cable Engineers Association

International Electrotechnical Commission

National Fire Protection Association

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

UL 1685 Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release

Polyolefin: In terms of wire insulation, a plastic formulation consisting of polyethylene

PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride.

TC: Tray cable, per NFPA 70, NEC Article 336.

XPLE: Crosslinked polyethylene. This term is generically used to describe a

XLPO: Crosslinked polyolefin. This name is technically given to a crosslinked

Instrumentation and thermocouple cable covered by this specification comprise

Group 2 - Single twisted pair/triad, shielded

6.2 Group 1 - Single Twisted Pair/Triad, Unshielded

Stranded, circular copper, per ASTM B3, 7 strands minimum; tinned,

6.2.2 Conductor Size

16 AWG or as specified on Form SA-8020-913, Line Item 13.

6.2.3 Primary Insulation Material

6.2.4 Primary Insulation Voltage Rating

6.2.5 Primary Insulation Thickness

0.76 mm (30 mils) minimum average thickness for PVC or

0.50 mm (20 mils) minimum average thickness for Nylon-jacketed

Two insulated conductors uniformly twisted into a pair or three

6.2.7 Lay of Twist

6.2.8 Color Code

6.2.9 Jacket Material

Flame retardant PVC, limited smoke per UL 13 and UL 1277,

6.2.10 Jacket Thickness

6.2.11 Jacket Application

Extruded over conductor assembly.

6.2.12 Jacket Color

Non-intrinsically safe applications: Manufacturer's standard other than

Intrinsically safe applications: Blue

6.3 Group 2 - Single Twisted Pair/Triad, Shielded

Stranded, circular copper, per ASTM B3, 7 strands minimum; tinned,

6.3.2 Conductor Size

16 AWG or as specified on Form SA-8020-913, Line Item 13.

6.3.3 Primary Insulation Material

6.3.4 Primary Insulation Voltage Rating

6.3.5 Primary Insulation Thickness

0.76 mm (30 mils) minimum average thickness for PVC or

0.50 mm (20 mils) minimum average thickness for Nylon-jacketed

Two insulated conductors uniformly twisted into a pair or three

6.3.7 Lay of Twist

6.3.8 Color Code

6.3.9 Shield Material

Aluminum foil bonded to non-hygroscopic polyester (Mylar) tape, either

6.3.10 Shield Thickness

0.022 mm (0.85 mil) minimum.

6.3.11 Shield Application