Copper Clad Aluminum vs Copper: The Ultimate Test on a Fluke Versiv DSX CableAnalyzer

Written by Don Schultz, Senior Technical Specialist, BICSI TECH, INSTC, INSTF, Fluke Networks CCTT

Many customers are confused by the availability of cheap, lightweight twisted-pair cable made using copper clad aluminum (CCA). Why doesn’t trueCABLE sell it? Because in most areas of the United States, installation of communications cable containing CCA in structures occupied by people is flatly illegal. But even if it wasn’t prohibited by code, we still wouldn’t sell it, because it doesn’t even work. In this blog, I will produce actual test results that demonstrate the failure of CCA “communications cable.” Take a look at the following video to see the tests being performed, then read on for further analysis.

What is Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA)?

CCA cable appears to be the same as solid or stranded copper cable from the outside. Even when stripping back the cable jacket to expose the twisted pairs you still cannot tell the difference. The difference between CCA vs. solid copper lies in how the conductor wire itself is constructed. A CCA cable conductor is an aluminum wire coated on the outside with a thin layer of copper.

Why is CCA a Problem?

If you read my previous blog, “Check Your Specs, CCA is Different from Solid Copper,” then you know that Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) is bad...very bad. To recap some of the elemental (pun intended!) reasons:

• CCA is specifically excluded from ANSI/TIA standards for use in Ethernet cable applications due to poor data and PoE transmission characteristics.
• CCA is prohibited by the National Electric Code (NEC) for communications cabling due to it being a fire hazard.
• CCA is not approved by UL or ETL due to it being a fire hazard.

These industry and regulatory bodies only approve of solid or stranded copper, even for Ethernet cable. Many people think Ethernet somehow is not electrical in nature. It is just ultra-low voltage if operating without PoE. If it is running PoE then it is considered low voltage.

Yet, there are manufacturers still making it and sellers selling it. Why? Here are some reasons:

• YOU. Yes, you heard it right. Not you specifically, but people in general. If there was no one buying it, there would not be a market for it. Some people knowingly buy CCA, which leads us to the next possible reason...
• Taking advantage of people who don’t know any better. Folks shop for price alone quite often, and if the product seems legitimate then why not pay less?
• Straight up dishonesty. The manufacturer and seller know it is CCA, but label it as copper anyway or don’t disclose what it is made out of. This is the worst case scenario but it does happen. In fact, recent information even indicates that these folks will go as far as putting weights into the box to make them heavier. Copper weighs more, you see.

So how do you tell? Well, the blog I referenced earlier goes into detail. For now, know that the easiest way to tell the difference is by weight. Aluminum has one-third the density of copper, so a sample of CCA cable will feel ridiculously lightweight compared to an equivalent sample of copper cable.

How We Tested: CCA vs Copper on the Fluke Versiv DSX

So let’s see how this CCA stuff performs next to our solid copper cable. Here are the test conditions:

• I picked a Brand X Cat5e CCA cable from Amazon, 245 foot length.
• I then compared it to our Cat5e Riser U/UTP solid copper (Part Number: 5ECMR), and cut it to 245 feet.
• Both cables were terminated to identical unshielded Cat5e punch-down keystone jacks.
• A Fluke DSX-8000 Versiv CableAnalyzer from Fluke Networks was used to test in a Category 5e Permanent Link configuration with +PoE for additional test results added on. LinkWare PC was used to generate the results I am presenting.

Here are the results, and they speak for themselves. I won’t even bother to comment further. Well, maybe a little...but first the results:

Test Results: CCA Cable

As you can see, the test result above looks really bad. Notice the Resistance limit is 21.00, and this cable gave 35.31. That’s a common characteristic of CCA. It is simply bad at transmitting electrical impulses. PoE or data, for all intents and purposes, is essentially the same thing. So, it failed PoE and the basic metrics like Insertion Loss which is signal degradation over distance. Yup, that’s to be expected. Aluminum might be great in airplanes, but not Ethernet. I cannot overstate just how much risk you run of an electrical fire if your intention is to run PoE. Oh, the cable failed the cross talk (NEXT) test too.

Basically, CCA cable is good for stringing up your laundry if you aren’t into dryers.

Test Results: Solid Copper Cable

As you can see from the results above, our Cat5e Unshielded Riser performs well enough to pass the toughest test of them all, a Fluke Versiv CableAnalyzer. It handles PoE extremely well and passes all metrics.

Compliance, Codes, and Real-World Consequences

In the United States, it is not illegal to manufacture CCA communications cable. It is not illegal to sell CCA communications cable. It is illegal to install it. Even if a property owner gives you some CCA cable and directs you to install it, you—the installer, are liable for the consequences. And those consequences can be severe. If flagged by an inspector you will be responsible for replacing all of it with more expensive copper cable. If it mistakenly passes inspection, or if an inspection is not required in your area, you still have liability. Use of CCA communications cable can result in property damage and loss of life. And even if it doesn’t burn, it will never perform properly.

Conclusion

So, there it is. Now you know for a fact just how badly CCA performs and how well our solid copper cable performs right next to it. CCA communications cable fails testing for resistance, resistance unbalance, near-end cross talk, and return loss. Also, use of CCA cable to transmit PoE carries a significant risk of starting a fire. For data transmission, CCA is never the right choice. So when it comes to our products, we will never make that choice available. You can be sure that all of trueCABLE’s wire and cable products use conductors composed of 100% pure copper.

HAPPY NETWORKING!!

trueCABLE presents the information on our website, including the “Cable Academy” blog and live chat support, as a service to our customers and other visitors to our website subject to our website terms and conditions. While the information on this website is about data networking and electrical issues, it is not professional advice and any reliance on such material is at your own risk.