All MIL-DTL-27500 cables are designated by a combination of digits and letters (not to exceed 16) which indicates the exact construction of each cable. Please note the following example of a MIL-DTL-27500 cable.
| Cable Description: | M27500 | A | 22 | SB | 3 | T | 23 |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) |
Classification: The cable will be of the following types and will be furnished in the basic wire size, type, number of wires, and shield and jacket styles, as specified.
Unjacketed: 2 to 15 color coded wires, spirally laid without an overall outer jacket.
Jacketed: 2 to 15 color coded wires, spirally laid with an overall outer jacket.
Shielded: A single wire, or 2 to 15 color coded wires spirally laid, with one or two overall shields.
Shielded and Jacketed: A single wire, or 2 to 15 color coded wires spirally laid, with one or two shields and one or two jackets.
Specification Number (1): All cables will carry this prefix.
Identification Method (2):
When 85% minimum shield coverage is required:
“-” designates the preferred identification method (white wire with colored stripes) using Table IIIA;
“F” designates the preferred identification method (white wire with colored stripes) using Table IIIB;
“A” designates optional identification method A (solid colored wires) using Table IIIA;
“G” designates optional identification method A (solid colored wires) using Table IIIB;
“B” designates optional identification method B using Table IIIC;
“K” designates optional identification method C;
“L” designates optional identification method D (see mil spec for band marking specification).
When 90% minimum shield coverage is required:
“C” designates the preferred identification method (white wire with colored stripes) using Table IIIA;
“H” designates the preferred identification method (white wire with colored stripes) using Table IIIB;
“D” designates optional identification method A (solid colored wires) using Table IIIA;
“J” designates optional identification method A (solid colored wires) using Table IIIB;
“E” designates optional identification method B using Table IIIC;
“M” designates optional identification method C;
“N” designates optional identification method D (see mil spec for band marking specification).
Conductor Size (3): This position identifies the wire size. Wire size depends upon the basic wire specification (see 4).
Basic Wire Specification (4): The component wires are identified by a one or two letter code. A listing of the basic wire specifications can be found in Table I.
Number of Conductors (5): M27500 currently specifies from 1 to 15 conductors for shielded or shielded and jacketed cables, and from 2 to 15 for unshielded unjacketed or unshielded jacketed cables. Cables with 10 to 15 conductors are limited to 12 AWG and smaller.
Shield (6): The specific shield style and material are designated by a single letter code and are detailed inTable I A.
Jacket (7): Cable jacketing materials are specified by a two digit code and are detailed in Table I B.
MIL-DTL-27500 Cable Designations
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Table I – Basic Wire Specifications
Table I B – Jacket Material and Color
Table II – Allowable Shield and Jacket Materials for Each Basic Type Wire
Table III A – Circuit Identification Colors for Basic Wires in Cable
Table III B – Circuit Identification Colors for Basic Wires in Cable
Table III C – Color of Insulation for Identification of Wire Sizes