In previous articles we have extensively dealt with the ignition cable in its more generic aspects. We have in fact talked about the components, its use, its context of action.
Now, however, it is worth asking:
Is there only one type of ignition cable?
And if not:
How many types of ignition cable exist?
Let’s start by saying that there is not a single type of ignition cable, but there are different types that we will now analyze and describe briefly.
The first type is certainly that of the copper ignition cable with resistor and is the simplest. It is characterized by a central core in single-stranded or multi-stranded galvanized copper. Silicone rubber is generally used as an insulator. Generally this type does not have a high electrical resistance so a conductive glass resistor is integrated into the connector that goes from the ignition cable to the coil.
The second type that we observe is that of cables with carbon resistance. These appear as distributed resistance cables so their resistance varies by changing their length. It is characterized by an internal part in carbon-impregnated glass fiber. Also in this case the cable is coated with silicone as insulated. The peculiarity of this ignition cable is that the conductive silicone sheath is covered with a metal mesh.
The third type of ignition cable is the inductive reactance one. These cables are distributed resistance and also feature a fiberglass core. It is generally wrapped in a silicone with certain characteristics: it is in fact conductive and magnetic and is coated with a stainless steel wire which has the characteristic of being electromagnetic. The electrical insulation is the same as that of the carbon cable. In this type of cable, an induced magnetic field is generated under the effect of the voltage generated by the ignition coil and the inductive resistance or reactance of the cable varies according to the number of sparks per second.