Industrial Technology - Electronics Cable Types Cable Types Description/Application Coaxial cable is considered coaxial because there is a single

channel that carries a signal which is surrounded by a layer of insulation followed by another concentric channel which travels on the same axis and acts as a ground. Outside of this second physical channel is a second layer of insulation. Common used for coaxial cables are: cable TV, telephone cables, Ethernet and local area networks. Advantage/Disadvantages Advantages: Better shielding against electromagnetic interference allowing it to transmit data at a high data rate over long distances Analog and digital data transmission Disadvantages: More expensive to install compared to twisted pairs for example It is thick and difficult to work with Advantages: In telephone systems, can travel several km without amplification Both analog and digital data transmission Disadvantages: Easily picks up noise signals, resulting in higher error rates when line length exceeds 100m Little mobility when connected to a device such as a laptop Advantages: Higher bandwidth than copper Not affected by power surges, EM interference or power failures Disadvantages: Fibre interfaces are more expensive than electrical interfaces Unidirectional and will require two frequency bands per fibre or two cables for two-way communication

Coaxial Cable

LAN Cable

Fibre-optic Cable

Typically found in three main categories: Cat5, 5e and 6; LAN cable is generally used for telephone communication and networking between electronic devices such as computers and printers. Cat5 supports theoretical speed of 10 and 100Mbps speeds whilst 5e supports speed of up to 1000Mbps. Cat6 cables support up to 10000Mbps and is backward compatible with all previous types of networks. All three types of cable supply power over Ethernet (PoE). Fibre optic technology involves the use of glass or plastic threads to achieve data transmission. A fibre optic cable consists of glass threads that are capable of transmitting messages that have been modulated into light waves. In order for information to be transmitted, it must first be encoded and sent through the cable before being decoded.

Maksim Stojkovic

Industrial Technology - Electronics Cable Types Hook-up wire is a single insulated conductor that is commonly used within enclosed electronic devices that use low current and voltage to connect components. Hook-up wire is coloured for identification and has a range of flexibility that is judged by the number of strands in the wire. Unfortunately as the number of threads increases, so does the price. Single strand or solid core hook-up wire is cheaper but is more liable to break in comparison to wire with more strands. A ribbon cable is a flat cable that has two or more parallel conductors in the same plane that have been encapsulated by an insulating material. As a result ribbon cables are generally flat and very wide and allow for better cable management in electronic devices such as computers. Advantages: Small and relatively efficient Are very flexible with more strands Disadvantages: Generally rated for low voltage applications (less than 1kV) Thicker wires can become expensive Higher numbers of strands can be expensive Advantages: Allow better cable management Reduce space usage for items that require a large number of connections Disadvantages: Not easily shielded Difficult to route Low speed

Hook-up wire

Ribbon Cable

Maksim Stojkovic