Cable markings identify a cable’s type, номинальное напряжение, core arrangement and nominal conductor size; they may also provide manufacturer and production traceability. Read these as separate fields, not as one universal code. The same letter can mean different things in different designation systems, and a printed standard number is not, сам по себе, evidence of independent approval.
The useful first step is to copy one complete repeating legend, including spaces, slashes and any separate approval symbols. A fragment such as 3X70 cannot identify the complete cable or establish its suitability for a circuit.
Cable markings explained: a field-by-field lookup
| Field on the sheath or label | What it identifies | What still needs confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer name or traceability code | The identified source of the product | That the identity matches the drum label and accompanying records |
| Type designation, such as H05VV-F | A construction family within a particular designation system | The applicable product standard and actual datasheet |
| Voltage pair, такой как 300/500 В | Rated voltage references, normally expressed as U0/U in the relevant AC system | System conditions and installation suitability |
| Core and size notation, such as 3G1.5 | Core count, protective-core notation and nominal area within that system | Units, conductor class and actual core identification |
| Standard reference | The specification being declared | Which edition applies and what supporting conformity evidence exists |
| Approval mark, где это применимо | A claimed product approval under a specific scheme | Current scope and identity in the issuing body’s records |
| Batch, date or metre information, if present | A production or length reference | How that reference corresponds to the supplied drum and documents |
This is a reading aid, not a universal list of mandatory markings. Required wording and marking intervals depend on the applicable product standard and market requirements.
Read the two voltages as references, not a permitted range
In U0/U notation, U0 is the rated RMS voltage between a conductor and earth; U is the rated RMS voltage between phase conductors. Thus 300/500 В is not an adjustable range from 300 к 500 В. It identifies two different voltage references. In harmonized designations, 05 corresponds to 300/500 V and 07 к 450/750 В.
A higher printed number does not establish suitability for every lower-voltage application. Mechanical duty, environment and the applicable construction requirements still matter. Например, тот H05VV-F product specification addresses a particular flexible PVC cable family, rather than all cables carrying a 300/500 V rating.
Medium-voltage products need their own construction and system assessment; a sheath legend cannot replace that work. The medium-voltage cable range is the relevant starting point for product-level construction information, not an extension of a flexible-cord letter decoder.
3G1.5 has three cores, not three plus earth
Within harmonized core notation, 3G1.5 means three cores in total, including a green/yellow protective core, with nominal conductor area of 1.5 mm² each. 3X1.5 means three cores without that green/yellow core. G does not add an extra conductor.
Keep this interpretation inside its own notation system. An X used as a multiplication separator in another specification does not automatically carry the harmonized “without protective core” meaning. Capitalization, spacing and the surrounding designation should be retained rather than silently normalized.
In the featured sample photograph, the attached label reads YJLV22 12/20KV 3X70. That is a sample-identification label, not evidence of a production-line sheath-printing process. Its 3X70 size group must be checked against the matching specification; it must not be decoded using the G/X rule merely because an X appears.
Nominal area is not cable diameter
A size expressed in mm² describes nominal conductor cross-sectional area, not the outside diameter of the insulated core or complete cable. МЭК 60228:2023 covers nominal conductor areas together with wire and resistance requirements. It does not turn a printed size into an outside-diameter measurement.
This distinction matters when matching glands and accessories. Two cables with the same nominal conductor size can have different overall diameters because their construction differs. Confirm diameter from the actual construction data, and assess conductor conformity using the relevant requirements rather than a caliper reading across the sheath.
AWG and kcmil use a different size notation. The existing AWG, kcmil and metric mm² explanation covers those units; converting the area does not make two complete cable constructions interchangeable.
A standard number and an approval mark answer different questions
A standard reference identifies a specification. It does not name the party that assessed the product or establish the scope of that assessment. An approval mark belongs to a particular certification scheme and needs its own verification.
Например, BASEC explains that use of its product mark is licensed and accompanied by manufacturer traceability. That does not imply that every cable must carry BASEC, nor that an unrelated management-system certificate approves an individual cable model.
Where a VDE approval is claimed, тот official approval register provides a route to check the company, type designation, granted mark and technical details. A familiar symbol is a reason to verify the corresponding record, not a substitute for verification. No approval status for an XWA product is asserted here.
If the legend is incomplete, preserve the identity before interpreting it
A useful identification record contains one readable photograph of the complete legend, an image of the drum label and the associated document reference. Keep the original characters visible; an interpreted transcription can sit beside the photograph, not replace it.
If the print is damaged, do not fill in the missing voltage or size from appearance. If the drum label and sheath disagree, hold the identification question open until the manufacturer resolves it against production records. Colour, apparent thickness and a similar-looking code cannot establish equivalence.
A marking is an index to the cable’s specification and traceability records, not a complete suitability assessment. For an XWA identification enquiry, send the complete marking photograph and drum reference so that the supplied construction can be checked without guessing from a cropped code.