I ordered 1.3a cables but the cables I recieved have 1.3 stamped on them. Did I get the right cables?
The specs inscribed on the cables are placed there by the cabling manufacturer. The ones that mill with wires and make the runs of bulk wires. The 1.3 inscription is to indicate that the cabling was designed to be used to construct cables that will meet the overall 1.3 specification. The raw cabling is purchased by our cable assembling plants who also buy connectors and other parts and assemble the pieces to make a complete, terminated cable and varying lengths. A complete cable is then submitted for certification so that the entire line of completed cable will be certified at 1.3 at whatever sub version is the current at the time of submission. So, while the “cabling” is made to meet 1.3, it is the complete cable that is certified as 1.3a.