Choosing the right fire alarm cable starts with understanding two separate questions:
1. What installation rating does the cable need?
2. Does the fire alarm system require a shielded or unshielded construction?
For power-limited fire alarm circuits, UL 1424 covers cable types including FPL, FPLR and FPLP. These ratings identify different installation conditions. Shielding is a separate characteristic and should be selected according to the fire alarm equipment, circuit design and electrical environment.
Xingfa's current UL 1424 fire alarm cable range includes FPL, FPLR and FPLP products in both shielded and unshielded constructions.
| Cable Type | Rating | Typical Selection |
| FPL | General Purpose | General power-limited fire alarm circuits where riser or plenum rating is not required |
| FPLR | Riser | Vertical pathways and riser shafts between floors |
| FPLP | Plenum | Plenums, ducts and other spaces used for environmental air |
UL's cable designation system uses the suffix P for plenum, R for riser and no suffix for general-purpose cable.
The correct cable should always be confirmed against the installation pathway, fire alarm equipment manufacturer's requirements, project specification and applicable local code.
FPL is a general-purpose power-limited fire alarm cable.
It is intended for fire alarm circuit installations where a specific riser or plenum rating is not required by the applicable installation conditions.
Xingfa currently offers both shielded and unshielded FPL constructions.
FPL shielded cable is suitable for general-purpose power-limited fire alarm circuits where additional EMI shielding is required by the system design or installation environment.
FPL unshielded cable is suitable for general-purpose power-limited fire alarm circuits where additional metallic shielding is not required by the system design.
If the cable pathway requires a riser or plenum classification, buyers should evaluate FPLR or FPLP instead of selecting FPL only by conductor size or price.
FPLR is a riser-rated power-limited fire alarm cable.
It is designed for vertical cable pathways such as riser shafts and floor-to-floor installations in multi-story buildings.
The R designation identifies the riser rating. It does not indicate whether the cable is shielded.
Choose FPLR shielded cable when the installation requires a riser-rated cable and the system specification or electrical environment also calls for additional EMI shielding.
Choose FPLR unshielded cable when the installation requires a riser-rated construction but additional metallic EMI shielding is not required.
Before final selection, confirm conductor size, number of conductors, solid or stranded construction, circuit length and the electrical requirements of the fire alarm equipment.
FPLP is a plenum-rated power-limited fire alarm cable.
The P suffix identifies cable evaluated for use in plenums, ducts and other spaces used for environmental air. UL notes that cables certified for these applications use the P suffix, including FPLP.
FPLP shielded fire alarm cable is used where the installation requires a plenum-rated power-limited fire alarm cable and additional EMI shielding is required by the fire alarm system or installation environment.
FPLP unshielded fire alarm cable is used where the installation requires a plenum-rated cable but the system does not require an additional metallic shield.
The plenum rating and shielding requirement should always be evaluated separately.
A common mistake is treating shielded / unshielded as another fire-alarm cable rating.
It is not.
FPL, FPLR and FPLP describe the cable's fire-alarm installation classification.
Shielded and unshielded describe its electromagnetic shielding construction.
This means all six combinations are possible:
Installation Rating | Shielded | Unshielded |
| FPL | Yes | Yes |
| FPLR | Yes | Yes |
| FPLP | Yes | Yes |
Xingfa currently offers all six product groups in its fire alarm cable range.
A shielded fire alarm cable contains a metallic shield, commonly foil or another suitable shield construction, intended to help control electromagnetic interference.
An unshielded cable does not include that additional metallic screen.
Shielding should not be selected simply because more shielding sounds better. The first reference should be the fire alarm panel or equipment manufacturer's wiring requirements, followed by the project specification and actual electrical environment.
For a more detailed explanation, see Xingfa's Shielded vs. Unshielded Fire Alarm Cable Guide. Xingfa's current guide correctly separates EMI shielding from the FPL/FPLR/FPLP fire rating.
A practical selection process should follow the project requirements rather than the product name alone.
Start by determining where the cable will be installed.
For a general-purpose pathway where a higher rating is not required, evaluate FPL.
For vertical riser or floor-to-floor pathways, evaluate FPLR.
For plenums, ducts or other environmental-air spaces requiring a plenum-rated construction, evaluate FPLP.
The fire alarm control panel or equipment manufacturer may specify important electrical requirements such as conductor size, resistance, capacitance, cable length or shielding.
A cable with the correct fire rating is not automatically suitable if its electrical characteristics do not meet the system requirements.
After selecting FPL, FPLR or FPLP, determine whether the project requires a shielded or unshielded construction.
Shielding may need consideration where:
the equipment manufacturer specifies it;
the project specification requires it;
the cable route is exposed to significant EMI;
the system designer has specified a particular shield or drain-wire arrangement.
Where the equipment permits unshielded cable and additional EMI protection is not required, an unshielded construction may be appropriate.
The final specification should also include:
AWG or conductor size;
number of conductors;
solid or stranded conductor;
shielded or unshielded construction;
required cable length;
packing length;
installation environment;
and any project-specific construction requirements.
Do not assume every cable in a product family has exactly the same certification or documentation.
For project procurement, confirm the applicable listing, marking, declaration or test documentation for the exact cable construction being ordered.
Another source of confusion is the difference between power-limited and non-power-limited fire alarm cable.
UL currently identifies:
UL 1424 for power-limited fire alarm cable; and
UL 1425 for non-power-limited fire alarm cable.
Non-power-limited fire alarm cables use designations including NPLF, NPLFR and NPLFP. These are a separate cable category and should not be mixed with FPL, FPLR and FPLP when explaining the UL 1424 product range.
Because Xingfa's current main fire alarm cable category is built around UL 1424 FPL, FPLR and FPLP products, buyers looking for Xingfa's standard power-limited fire alarm cable range should start with those products.
Xingfa's current UL 1424 product range is organized into six main groups:
UL 1424 FPL Shielded Fire Alarm Cable
For general-purpose power-limited fire alarm circuits where additional EMI shielding is required.
UL 1424 FPL Unshielded Fire Alarm Cable
For general-purpose power-limited fire alarm circuits where additional metallic shielding is not required.
UL 1424 FPLR Shielded Fire Alarm Cable
For vertical riser applications where the system also requires EMI shielding.
UL 1424 FPLR Unshielded Fire Alarm Cable
For vertical riser applications where additional metallic shielding is not required.
UL 1424 FPLP Shielded Fire Alarm Cable
For plenum-rated fire alarm circuits where additional EMI shielding is required.
UL 1424 FPLP Unshielded Fire Alarm Cable
For plenum-rated fire alarm circuits where additional metallic shielding is not required.
Xingfa offers multiple conductor sizes, conductor counts and solid or stranded constructions across its current fire alarm cable range.
Buyers can review the complete UL 1424 fire alarm cable range to compare the available FPL, FPLR and FPLP options.
FPL is a general-purpose power-limited fire alarm cable, FPLR is intended for riser applications, and FPLP is intended for plenum and environmental-air spaces. The required rating should be selected according to the cable pathway and applicable project requirements.
No. FPL describes the installation classification. FPL cable can be either shielded or unshielded.
No. FPLP identifies the plenum rating. Shielding is a separate cable-construction characteristic. Both shielded and unshielded FPLP cable are available.
No. FPLR identifies the riser rating. Both shielded and unshielded FPLR constructions are available.
UL 1424 covers power-limited fire alarm cable, while UL 1425 covers non-power-limited fire alarm cable.
Start with the fire alarm equipment manufacturer's wiring instructions and project specification. Shielding may be appropriate when required by the system or when EMI is a design concern, but it is not automatically required for every FPL, FPLR or FPLP installation.
Start with the required installation rating—FPL, FPLR or FPLP—then confirm shielding, conductor size, conductor count, cable length and applicable project documentation.
Xingfa offers UL 1424 fire alarm cable options in shielded and unshielded constructions for distributors, contractors and system integrators. Send the required cable rating, specification, quantity and target market for technical review before quotation.
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