Right-Angle Cable Crossing
Running power and signal cables across each other at 90° at the points where they unavoidably cross. A right-angle crossing reduces the length over which the two cables stay parallel to nearly zero and minimises the common area where magnetic coupling would occur.
Inductive coupling depends on the facing area of the loops the cables form. Along two cables running in parallel this area accumulates continuously. When the cables cross at right angles the magnetic field lines cut the signal loop perpendicularly and the net induced voltage stays very small.
- Application: when planning trunking crossings on the panel base, put the power and control routes on different lines; at the meeting points keep the angle close to 90°.
- Common mistake: taking the cable out of the trunking and running it 40-50 cm parallel over the power bundle. That does not count as a crossing, it is a parallel route.
- Antenna cable: the same rule applies to the antenna cable as well and there its effect is more pronounced.
A right-angle crossing is the complement of the separation-distance rule: distance manages the parallel sections, the right-angle crossing manages the unavoidable contact points. When the two are applied together, a significant part of the intermittent response complaints originating inside the panel disappears.
The context in which this term is used: Wireless remote control installation: pairing, relay, safety