Reading 6

TRANSMISSION LINES
Telecommunications involves the transmission of information, including voice,
data, TV, and radio over long distances. The transmission medium can be free space,
or the information can be guided between transmitter and receivers using
transmission line cables of various kinds.
Transmission on open-wire lines was the earliest method used for telephone
traffic, and this method is still used in the local networks of many countries.
Nowadays, due to the demands on operating reliability, local networks are built up
using aerial or underground cable.
Between the subscriber and the local exchange two-wire circuits are used,
often placed in symmetric cable pairs. Between the local and transit exchanges
either two- or four-wire circuits are used. On longer routes, it may be advantageous
to use PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) on coaxial cable. These cables are also used for
FDM (Frequency Division Multiplexing) systems transmitting up to 10800
telephone channels. At regular intervals along the coaxial line, line amplifiers are
provided; these are mounted in underground housings, and are called “intermediate
repeaters”. In principle, the greater the number of channels transmitted, the larger
the number of repeaters required.
The shortcoming related to a large number of repeaters required on a
transmission line is overcome by using optical fiber cable due to its low signal
fading. Made of pure silica, the newly developed cable has several advantages over
traditional types of cable including low cost, ability to carry a lot of information,
immunity to interference and crosstalk, light weight, and flexibility. This type of
cable is gradually replacing conventional copper wire for connecting telephones and
computer networks.
Since 1965, satellites have become increasingly important for long distance
communications, especially across the oceans. Most telecommunications satellites
have been placed in geostationary orbit (GEO), a circular orbit 35,785 kilometer
(22,235 miles) above the Earth in which the period of their revolution around the
Earth equals the period of the Earth’s rotation. By virtue of a wide area of coverage,
GEO satellites can deliver a variety of telecommunication services, such as long-
distance point-to-point transmission, wide area broadcasting (from a single
transmitter to multiple receivers), or wide are report-back services (from multiple
transmitters to a single receiver). In principle, the satellite operates as an
intermediate repeater; signals are received, amplified, and transmitted to the
ground station on the receive side. Satellites use the same frequency band as radio
relay systems.
Radio relay links operate with line of sight between the send and receive
stations. In principle, the greater the diameter of the parabola in relation to the
wavelength, the higher the degree of directivity.

Bài giảng dựa trên giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Chuyên Ngành Điện Tử- Viễn Thông” của nhà
xuất bản thông tin và truyền thông.
 In terminal repeater station, situated in ground stations and transit exchanges,
speech signals are modulated and combined before transmission. Each separate
conversation is shifted to a significantly higher frequency range. This is done in a
number of steps. First, by selecting suitable modulation frequencies, the
conversations can be placed next to each other along the frequency axis. Then they
are transmitted as a group to the receive side where a similar station demodulates
the signals and extracts the various conversations before they are transmitted in
two- or four-wire circuits to another transit exchange.
(Text adapted from English for the Telecommunications Industry by Jeremy
Comfort, Rod Revell, Ian Simpson, Trish Stott, Derek Utley)

Words and expressions

attenuation (n) suy hao

coaxial cable cáp đồng trục
coverage (n) sự bao trùm, bao phủ
directivity (n) tính định hướng
exchange (n) tổng đài
extract (v) tách, chiết (ra)
frequency axis trục tần số
geostationary orbit quỹ đạo địa tĩnh
immunity (n) sự miễn dịch
intermediate repeater thiết bị lặp
local network mạng nội hạt
optical fibre cable cáp quang
parabola (n) ăng ten pa-ra-bôn
radio relay system hệ thống tiếp song ra-đi-ô
revolution (n) sự quay
shortcoming (n) hạn chế, nhược điểm
transit exchange tổng đài chuyển tiếp
underground cable cáp ngầm
underground housing công trình ngầm

1. Main idea
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the text? Why did you omit
the other choice?
1. All kinds of data and information are transmitted over various types of
transmission lines.
2. Information, including voice, data, TV, and radio are transmitted and
received through various types of cables, radio relay links as well as
satellites.
3. Various types of cable as well as satellites are in widespread use for
transmission of information.

2. Questions

Bài giảng dựa trên giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Chuyên Ngành Điện Tử- Viễn Thông” của nhà
xuất bản thông tin và truyền thông.
 Answer the following questions
1. What was the earliest method used for transmitting telephone traffic?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What kinds of cable are used for connecting the subscriber to the local
exchange?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why optical fibre cable is now gradually replacing conventional copper
wire in connecting telephone and computer networks?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. How many functions does a communication satellite perform? What are
they?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What is the directivity of a radio relay system proportional to?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Understand the passage

Decide whether the following statements are true or false (T/F) by referring
to the information in the text. Then make the necessary changes so that the false
statements become true.
1. …… Currently, open-wire lines are not used any longer for telephone
networks of many countries.
2. …… Both pulse-code modulation and frequency-division multiplexing
should be used for long routes on coaxial cable.
3. …… Due to its lightweight, immune to interference and crosstalk,
flexibility, low cost, and ability to carry a lot of information, optical
fibre cable is now widely used.
4. …… Communications satellites have been used in service since 1960s.
5. …… It is not necessary to modulate or combine speech signals before
transmission.

4. Understanding words

Refer back to the text and find synonyms for the following words
1. environment (para 1) ………………………..
2. oldest (para 2) ………………………..
3. line amplifier (para 3) ………………………..
4. limitation (para 4) ………………………..
5. separate (para 7) ………………………..

Refer back to the text and find antonyms for the following words
6. latest (para 2) ………………………..
7. strong point (para 4) ………………………..
8. send station (para 6) ………………………..
9. demodulated (para 7) ………………………..
10. combines (para 7) ………………………..
Bài giảng dựa trên giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Chuyên Ngành Điện Tử- Viễn Thông” của nhà
xuất bản thông tin và truyền thông.
5. Content review

Use the information in the text to complete the following summary

1. In a typical telecommunications system, the transmission
……………………………. can be free space, or various kinds of cable.
2. Because of its advantages, ……………………………. is gradually replaced
conventional copper wire.
3. Most of telecommunications ……………………………. are placed in geostationary
orbit.
4. Relay radio link operate with ……………………………. between send and receive
stations.
5. Before transmission, speech signals are ……………………………. and
…………………………….
6. English- Vietnamese translation

Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese, basing on the

information in the text.
1. Although the optical fibre has a small diameter than a human hair, it can be
used to transmit tens of thousands of signals with very low loss and no
interference from other signals.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Perhaps the greatest change, which has occurred in the last twenty years, is
that from analogue to digital transmission.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7. Vietnamese- English translation

Translate the following sentences into English, basing on the information in

the text.
1. Cáp đồng trục có khả năng chống can nhiễu tốt hơn so với cáp trần, song loại
cáp này còn kém xa loại cáp quang xét trên nhiều phương diện khác nhau.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Xét về nguyên lý, vệ tinh viễn thông hoạt động như một trạm chuyển tiếp
sóng vô tuyến; nó có chức năng nhận, khuyếch đại và truyền sóng vô tuyến
xuống các trạm mặt đất.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Bài giảng dựa trên giáo trình “Tiếng Anh Chuyên Ngành Điện Tử- Viễn Thông” của nhà
xuất bản thông tin và truyền thông.