Industrial networking
M12 Sensor Cables: Pins, Coding, Shielding, and Supplier Options
Match the device sheet for coding, pin count, shield, and jacket. An M12 shell and a pin count still leave several of those choices open.
On this page
Buy the cable the device document describes. Coding, pin assignment, shielding, jacket, and the motion of the route all sit on that sheet. A round metal shell and a pin count are visible on the connector. They do not identify the circuit. This page stays with sensor and actuator cables. Ethernet M12 assemblies are in the D-coded and X-coded guide.
Start with the device specification
Read the sensor or actuator manual for the connector coding, the number of positions, whether the port is shielded, and the wire functions. Then match a cable that publishes those same fields. ifm's ecolink page says that range follows the codings used on ifm sensors: A, D, and L, plus valve connectors. It lists B, C, T, and X outside that sensor range. A 4-pin or 5-pin M12 body can be more than one of those codings. The keyway is part of the selection.
What changes between cable configurations?
Pins and coding
ifm publishes typical figures for its own ecolink M12 parts, and they are not one rating for every pin count. The A-coded 5-pole group is described for sensors, with 2 to 5 poles, under 250 V AC, under 300 V DC, and a maximum of 4 A. The A-coded 8-pole group is also described for sensors, with 6 to 8 poles, under 60 V AC/DC, and a maximum of 2 A. Same coding letter, different pole count, different published limits. D-coded parts on that page are described as data cables, 4 poles, CAT 5e. L-coded parts are described as voltage supply. Those D-coded and L-coded lines are why a pin count copied off a photo is a weak purchasing note.
Phoenix Contact part 1697098 is a specific sensor/actuator cable: 5 positions, A-coded, straight M12 plug on one end and a free cable end on the other. The page lists connector nominal voltage of 48 V AC and 60 V DC, and nominal current of 4 A. The same page also prints a UL Listed table at 125 V and 4 A. Those two voltage lines are both on the page, and they are not interchangeable. They are also different from the ifm 5-pole typical maximum.
Shielding and termination
The Phoenix page lists the PUR halogen-free black option of 1697098 as not shielded. ifm's ecolink matrix includes a line for screened sensor cables as well as unscreened connection cables. A 5-pin A-coded cable can be either, depending on the item. If the device expects the shield to land on the coupling nut or on a pin, the cable page has to say where the shield terminates. An unshielded cable that threads into the same shell does not add that connection.
Jacket, flex, and environment
Phoenix lists a PUR halogen-free jacket for the black option of 1697098, with a fixed-installation bend radius of 23 mm and a movable bend radius of 46 mm, plus published bending and torsion figures for that cable. The same page lists an operating range of -40 °C to 80 °C for fixed installation and -25 °C to 80 °C for flexible installation of that cable. ifm's ecolink table shows different jacket materials by family, including PUR, PVC, and MPPE, and different coupling-nut materials, including nickel-plated brass and 316L stainless steel. A washdown route and a dry panel route are not the same material question. Use the family that publishes the resistance you need, and confirm it on the item, because the table is organized by ifm series rather than by one universal jacket.
Supplier and product-family examples
Each row is one published example. Other makers can sell an equivalent that this table does not list. D-coded and X-coded data cables stay on the Ethernet guide.
| Example | Coding and positions | Shield on the cited option | What else the page states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Contact 1697098 | A-coded, 5-position, straight M12 plug to a free end. | Not shielded, for the PUR halogen-free black option. | 48 V AC / 60 V DC, 4 A. Length input published from 0.2 m to 100.0 m. Wire colors listed for that PUR option. |
| ifm ecolink A-coded, 5 poles | A-coded. Poles described as 2 to 5. | Screened sensor cables are a separate line in the product matrix. | Typical data on the coding table: under 250 V AC, under 300 V DC, max. 4 A. For ifm sensors. |
| ifm ecolink A-coded, 8 poles | A-coded. Poles described as 6 to 8. | Confirm the item. The coding table does not repeat the shield choice. | Typical data: under 60 V AC/DC, max. 2 A. Different from the 5-pole line. |
| ifm EVC002 | A-coded, 4 contacts, one straight M12 socket. Datasheet length 5 m. | Shielding is not stated on the datasheet. | Under 250 V AC and under 300 V DC, 4 A total. PUR halogen-free jacket. Drag-chain data is printed for this part. |
| Turck Eurofast GC2K, 4-pole | A-coded. 4-pole rows in the GC2K section. Ends depend on the part number. | The GC2K section does not state a shield. | 4 A, 300 V DC / 250 V AC, 4 x 22 AWG black PVC. Contact assignment printed for that section: 1 BN, 2 WH, 3 BU, 4 BK. Temperature -40°C to 105°C. |
| L-com 8-position A-code | A-coded, 8-position, male to female on the cited listings. | Category offers shielded and unshielded versions. | IP67 when mated. PUR and PVC jackets are both listed. Rated current is not on the category page. |
| binder 99 1528 814 04 | A-coded, 4 contacts. Field-attachable female connector, not a molded cordset. | Shieldable, with an iris spring for the shield. | 250 V, 4.0 A, IP67. Cable outlet 5.0 to 8.0 mm. Jacket material is not published because the page is the connector. |
ifm electronic gmbh lists Friedrichstrasse 1, 45128 Essen, Germany on the ecolink page. That is a published company address, not a statement that every cordset is made in Essen. Phoenix Contact's product page is the specification for 1697098. It is not a statement about every Phoenix sensor cable.
Read a cable specification
For Phoenix 1697098, the page gives one worked example of those labels: A-coding, five positions, an unshielded PUR option, a free cable end, and a length the buyer enters inside the published range. It also lists signal-wire colors for that PUR option: brown, white, blue, black, and green-yellow. Those colors are a description of that cable. Another device can assign functions differently. Keep the device pinout next to the cable page rather than treating the color list as a universal sensor map.
Questions about replacements and custom lengths
When are different brands equivalent?
When the device maker accepts them, and when coding, positions, shield termination, rating, jacket, and the mechanical duty match the device sheet. ifm's 5-pole and Phoenix's 5-position A-coded example already differ in the voltage figures printed on the two pages. Matching thread size is the start of a comparison.
Which details must match?
Coding, pin count, pin functions, shield, conductor size if the device or the standard calls it out, and the environmental duty. A longer cable in the same family is a smaller change than a jump from an unshielded PUR cable to a shielded PVC cable. The Ethernet guide covers D-coded and X-coded parts, which ifm's own table places with data rather than with the A-coded sensor lines.
Can I order a different length?
Sometimes, inside a range the product page publishes. Phoenix 1697098 lists a free length input from 0.2 m to 100.0 m. That range is for that configurable item. Another catalog number may be sold in fixed lengths. Ask for the length as built, and keep the rest of the specification with it.
Sources
Pinouts were not inferred. The Phoenix wire colors are quoted only for the option the page describes. Network cables that use M12 connectors are handled with the PROFINET comparison when the question is the installation, and with the Ethernet guide when the question is coding.