India's Widest Range
Instrumentation Cable
Shielded twisted pair, OSTP, IS+OS, armoured, FRLS and LSZH instrumentation cables — manufactured at our Bhiwadi, Rajasthan plant. Compliant with IS 1554, IS 8130 and IEC standards. Trusted by BPCL, NTPC, ONGC, BHEL and 500+ industrial plants across India.
What Makes an Instrumentation Cable Different — and Why It Matters
Instrumentation cables are the signal highways of any industrial plant. Unlike standard power cables that carry high current at elevated voltages, instrumentation cables are designed to transmit low-level signals–4–20 mA current loops, millivolt thermocouple outputs, RTD resistance signals, HART, Fieldbus, and Modbus data from field instruments to control rooms and DCS panels.
The fundamental engineering challenge is maintaining signal accuracy across long cable runs in environments full of electrical interference motors, VFDs, high-voltage switchgear, and RF sources. This is why every properly engineered instrumentation cable uses twisted pair or twisted triad construction combined with EMI shielding (Al-Mylar tape screen + tinned copper drain wire) to achieve reliable, noise-free signal transmission.
BMI Cables manufactures the complete range of industrial instrumentation cables from simple 2 core twisted pair cable for single-loop field instruments, to complex 50-pair individually and overall screened armoured cables for large DCS and SCADA installations all tested to IS, IEC, and BS 5308 standards before leaving our Bhiwadi manufacturing facility.
Types of Instrumentation Cables We Manufacture
From basic twisted cable for single-loop instruments to complex multi-triad IS+OS armoured designs — BMI supplies the complete spectrum of screened and shielded instrumentation cables, direct from our ISO-certified factory in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.
| Cable Type | Shielding Configuration | Armour | Insulation | Outer Sheath | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Screened Unarmoured OS/UA | Al-Mylar tape overall screen + tinned copper drain wire | None | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | General process control, indoor instrumentation runs |
| IS+OS Screened Unarmoured IS+OS/UA | Individual pair/triad screen + overall screen (Al-Mylar / Cu tape) | None | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | Multi-pair signal cables, low-noise instrument loops, DCS panels |
| Overall Screened Armoured OS/A | Al-Mylar tape / copper wire braid overall screen | GI Wire / Strip / Tape | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | Outdoor runs, underground trenches, mechanical protection |
| IS+OS Screened Armoured IS+OS/A | Individual + overall screen (Al-Mylar / Cu tape / braid) | GI Double Tape / Wire / Strip | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | Oil & Gas, refineries, hazardous areas (IS loops) |
| Shielded Twisted Pair Cables 2P–50P | Individual or overall screen (optional per spec) | Armoured / Unarmoured | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | Analog signal transmission, sensor-to-panel connections, SCADA |
| Triad Cables (3-Wire RTD) | Individual triad screen + overall screen (optional) | Armoured / Unarmoured | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | Three-wire RTD, thermocouple extension, 4–20mA loops |
| Multi-Pair / Multi-Triad Up to 50 Pairs | Individual pair/triad + overall screen (Al-Mylar + Cu braid) | Armoured / Unarmoured | PVC-GP / PVC-HR / PE / XLPE | PVC-GP / PVC-FR / FRLS-H / LSZH | DCS/SCADA systems, power plant control, marshalling cabinets |
Overall Screened Unarmoured OS/UA
IS+OS Screened Unarmoured IS+OS/UA
Overall Screened Armoured OS/A
IS+OS Screened Armoured IS+OS/A
Shielded Twisted Pair Cables 2P–50P
Triad Cables (3-Wire RTD)
Multi-Pair / Multi-Triad Up to 50 Pairs
Need a custom specification? We manufacture to your project datasheet, purchase order, or IS/IEC standard.
Instrumentation Cables for Every Critical Industry
Our shielded cables and screened signal cables are specified and installed in India’s most demanding industrial environments across five major sectors.
Oil & Gas - Refineries & Petrochemicals
BPCL, HPCL, ONGC, IOCL projects
Power Plants - Thermal, Nuclear & Hydro
NTPC, NPCIL, State DISCOMs
Steel & Metals Manufacturing
JSW, Tata Steel, SAIL projects
EPC & Infrastructure Projects
L&T, Tata Projects, Shapoorji
Fertilizers & Agrochemicals
Hazardous area IS loops
Railways & Metro Rail
Signalling & SCADA cables
Cement & Mining
Harsh-environment screened cables
Panel Manufacturers & OEMs
Control panels, MCC, VFD panels
Dedicated Support for OEM Manufacturers & Tender-Based Procurement
Understanding how a Instrumentation Cables is constructed and what the abbreviations in its designation mean ensures the correct cable is specified for every installation type and environment.
OEM Supply Capability
- Custom cable configurations to your product BOM and datasheet
- Short-run and high-volume manufacturing on single platform
- Consistent quality lot-to-lot with documented MTC for every batch
- Colour-coded, numbered, or printed cores per OEM specification
- Drums, coils, or cut-to-length per project requirement
- Pan-India door delivery to your manufacturing or assembly site
- Priority dispatch for production-line emergencies
Cable Designation Abbreviations
- Approved vendor registration support for BPCL, HPCL, NTPC, GAIL
- Complete tender documentation — MTC, test certificates, COC
- Third-party inspection (TPI) support — CEIL, RITES, Bureau Veritas
- IS / IEC / BS 5308 compliance certificates for every drum/coil
- MSME registration available for preferential tender eligibility
- Manufacturer's test reports and type test certificates on request
Why Engineers & Procurement Managers Specify BMI Instrumentation Cables
✓ Direct Manufacturer — Zero Distributor Markup
✓ Complete MTC & Third-Party Inspection Support
✓ Engineering Support — Cable Selection Assistance
✓ Approved Vendor — PSU & Private Sector
5 Critical Mistakes in Instrumentation Cable Selection and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced electrical engineers make costly specification errors. Our team has seen these five mistakes repeatedly across projects in refineries, power plants, and process industries.
Instrumentation Cable — Technical & Commercial FAQs
Instrumentation cables carry low-level analogue or digital signals (4–20mA, 0–10V, RTD, thermocouple) and must have twisted pairs/triads with EMI shielding (Al-Mylar screen + drain wire) to prevent signal distortion from electrical interference.
Control cables carry switching signals at higher voltages (110V, 230V, 415V) and do not require shielding. Using a control cable in a DCS instrumentation loop causes signal noise, measurement errors, and loop calibration failures.
Individual Screened (IS): Each pair has its own Al-Mylar screen and drain wire. Eliminates cross-talk between signal loops in a multi-pair cable. Essential for DCS multi-loop systems.
Overall Screened (OS): One screen covers all pairs. More economical. Adequate for single-loop or where all pairs carry signals from the same instrument.
IS + OS: Double layer protection — required in high-EMI environments like refineries and near HV transformers.
0.5 sq mm — Short-distance wiring inside panels and marshalling cabinets (under 50m)
0.75 sq mm — Standard field runs up to 200–250m for 4–20mA loops
1.0 sq mm — General purpose field runs, medium distance
1.5 sq mm — Long-distance field wiring (300m+), intrinsically safe circuits
2.5 sq mm — Solenoid valve power, high-current field devices, very long runs
We can calculate the exact conductor size based on your loop resistance requirement. Contact us with your transmitter model and cable run length.
Yes. Every batch from our Bhiwadi factory comes with a Mill Test Certificate (MTC) covering conductor resistance, insulation resistance, spark test, and dimensional data as per the applicable IS/IEC standard.
For EPC and government project orders, we support third-party inspection by agencies such as RITES, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, TÜV, or any client-nominated inspector. Pre-dispatch inspection can be arranged at our factory with advance notice.
Yes, we regularly manufacture custom OEM configurations including:
Non-standard core counts (e.g. 7-pair, 15-triad, mixed pair+triad)
Special insulation colour codes as per customer BOM or IEC standard
Custom reel lengths (100m, 250m, 500m, 1000m drums)
Private labelling with your brand/project name printed on sheath
Special sheath colours (grey, blue, black, red, orange)
Combined pair + triad cables in a single design
Standard PVC: Most economical. Adequate for general industrial use. Releases halogen gases when burned — not suitable for enclosed spaces.
FRLS-H: Flame Retardant Low Smoke — self-extinguishing, low smoke density. Required for buildings, metros, hospitals. Still contains halogens.
LSZH / ZHFR: Zero halogen gas emission. Mandatory in tunnels, ships, offshore platforms, pharma cleanrooms, nuclear facilities. Higher cost but critical for personnel safety in enclosed spaces.
A twisted pair cable simply twists two conductors together to cancel common-mode electromagnetic interference through balanced transmission — effective for low-noise environments. A shielded twisted pair (STP) cable adds an Al-Mylar tape or copper braid shield around the twisted pair, with a drain wire for grounding the shield. STP cables provide superior noise rejection in industrial environments where power cables, VFDs, and heavy machinery generate strong EMI fields. For most industrial plant instrumentation, shielded twisted pair cables are the correct specification.
