Installing cable can be some of the hardest work on a job, so that is why security dealers and systems integrators must select their cable carefully to ensure from the start that the one chosen is right for the job. Security wiring has an alphanumeric code to indicate where it should be used.
Examples of these designators, which are defined in the National Electrical Code (NEC), include CMR, FPLP and others (see Table 1). Codes beginning with “CM†designate communications cable used for alarm, video surveillance or access control systems. Cables with codes beginning with the letters “FPL†are more resistant to fire and are intended for use in fire systems.