Difference Between Twisted Pair Cable and Coaxial Cable

A wire or cable is an indispensable element in communication system for connecting optical devices like optical transceivers, router and switch. Recently the most common cable types deployed in communication system are fiber optic cable, twisted pair cable and coaxial cable. Both twisted pair cable and coaxial cable are copper cables, so what’s the difference between them? This article may help you sort it out.

 

Twisted Pair

 

Twisted pair cables as the names implies, consists of a pair of cables twisted together, which has been utilized in telecommunication field for a long time. The twisting can avoid noise from outside sources and crosstalk on multi-pair cables, so this cable is best suited for carrying signals. Basically, twisted pair cable can be divided into two types: unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) and shielded twisted-pair (STP).

 

UTP is for UNshielded, twisted pair, while STP is for shielded, twisted pair. UTP is what’s typically installed by phone companies and data communication (though this is often not of high enough quality for high-speed network use) and is what 10BaseT Ethernet runs over. However, STP distinguishes itself from UTP in that it consists of a foil jacket which helps to prevent crosstalk and noise from outside source. It is typically used to eliminate inductive and capacitive coupling, so it can be applied between equipment, racks and buildings.

 

Coaxial Cables

 

Coaxial cable is composed of an inner solid conductor surrounded by a paralleled outer foil conductor that is protected by an insulating layer. A coaxial cable has over 80 times the transmission capability of the twisted-pair. Coaxial cable has also been the mainstay of high speed communication and has also been applied to network with 10 Gigabit links data centers, because it is proved to be cost efficient for short links within 10 m and for residential network.

 

Comparison Between Twisted Cable and Coaxial Cable

 

Most people now are quite familiar with what coaxial cables are, as they are used in almost every home for cable television connections. These data cables are also popular in local area networks (LAN) because they are highly resistant to signal interference, which also gives coax cables the ability to support longer cable lengths between two devices.

 

The biggest advantage of twisted cables is in installation, as it is often thinner than coaxial cables and two conductors are twisted together. However, because they are thinner, they can not support very long runs. These tightly twisted designs cost less than coaxial cables and provide high data transmission rates. They connect with the RJ45 connector, which looks similar to a telephone jack but is designed for twisted pair pins.

 

In the end, twisted pair cabling is better suited when cost and installation are an issue and if EMI and crosstalk are not too much of a problem. But for coaxial cable, it supports greater cable lengths, and can be shielded in a variety of ways—with a foil shield on each conductor, a foil or braid inside the jacket or a combination of individual conductor and jacket shielding.

 

Additional Information About Fiber Optic Cables

 

Besides Twisted and coaxial cables, here comes a new generation of transmission media—fiber jumper. Fiber optic cables have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables, which means they can carry more data. They are also less susceptible to interference. For these two reasons, fiber optic cables are increasingly being used instead of traditional copper cables despite that they are expensive. Nowadays, two types of fiber optic cables are widely adopted in the field of data transfer—single mode fiber optic cables and multimode fiber optic cables.

 

Single mode optical fiber is generally adapted to high speed, long-distance applications. While a multimode optical fiber is designed to carry multiple light rays, or modes at the same time, which is mostly used for communication over short distances. Optical fiber cables are also available in various optical connectors, such as LC to SC patch cord, LC to ST fiber cable, SC FC patch cord, etc. The picture above shows a LC to SC patch cord.

 

Conclusion

 

Some engineers confirm that fiber optic cables is sure to be the dominant transmission media in telecommunication field, while others hold that copper cables will not be out of the stage. Thus, whether to choose fiber optic cables, twisted cables or coaxial cables, it is advisable for you to have a full understanding of your application before selecting these data cables. All types of Ethernet cables as well as fiber optic cables are provided at fiber-mart.COM. Our Quick Order Tool will help you find what you need. If you have any requirement of our products, please send your request to us.

Simplex And Duplex Fiber Optic Cables

by www.fiber-mart.com

It is important to understand the different varieties of core characteristics that are available within the fiber optic cabling itself, as each of these different characteristics will have different effects on your ability to transmit information reliably. Have a look at the most common fiber optics cores used in the industry nowadays.

 

Simplex Fiber Optic Cables

 

Simplex means this cable is with only one thread of fiber optic glass inside the single core. And simplex cables are with one single outer jacket. Simplex fiber optic cable is used in applications that only require one-way data transfer. For instance, an interstate trucking scale that sends the weight of the truck to a monitoring station or an oil line monitor that sends data about oil flow to a central location. There are singlemode and simplex multimode fiber optic cable available. Single-mode simplex fiber optic cable is a great option for anyone setting up a cable network that will require data to travel in one direction over long distances. Since this type of cable only carries one ray of light at a time, it’s better for long-distance transmissions. Single-mode fiber itself has a high-carrying capacity, is very reliable, and has lower power consumption than other options.

 

Analog to digital data readouts, interstate highway sensor relays, and automated speed and boundary sensors (for sports applications) are all great uses of Simplex fiber optic cable. This form of fiber cable can be cheaper than Duplex cables, because less material is involved. Simplex cable is compatible with any HDMI extender.

 

Duplex Fiber Optic Cables

 

Duplex fiber cable can be regarded as two simplex cables, either single mode or multimode, having their jackets conjoined by a strip of jacket material, usually in a zipcord (side-by-side) style. Use duplex multimode or singlemode fiber optic cable for applications that require simultaneous, bi-directional data transfer(One fiber transmits data one direction; the other fiber transmits data in the opposite direction). Duplex fiber is available in singlemode and multimode.

 

Simplex OM1 62.5/125 Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cable

 

Duplex multimode fiber optic cable and Singlemode duplex cable alike are used for two-way data transfers. Larger workstations, switches, servers, and major networking hardware tends to require duplex fiber optic cable. Duplex cables can be more expensive than Simplex cables, and are compatible with any HDMI extender.

 

Simplex and duplex are with various cable structure types; they are different from single mode and multi mode which are related to fiber optic glass types.

 

Multi Fiber Cables

 

Both multi fiber cables and simplex cables are with a single outer jacket, but simplex only has one thread fiber glass inside the core, while multi fiber has many threads of fiber optic glass inside the core. For example, an 8-core multi fiber cable. There are ribbon type and bundle type multi fiber cables.

 

Single-mode fiber cables and multi-mode fiber cables are similar in many ways, with the main difference being that the glass center of single-mode cables is significantly smaller, at about 10 microns in diameter. The smaller size is what allows these cables to transmit data up to 40 miles with a bandwidth of 1Gbs.

 

Only need a simplex fiber cable if data will be traveling in one direction, such as with a security camera or truck weigh station. And if your data will be traveling a long distance – for instance between buildings or from one station to another – then you’re better off with a single-mode fiber cable.