What is coaxial cable and how is it used?
Coaxial cables are a form of signal transmission cable that is used to pass electrical signals between devices, systems, or components. Whereas standard electrical cable consists of one or more wires through which an electrical current is passed (a flow of electrons), coaxial cable is used to pass radio frequency (RF) signals in the form of a transverse electromagnetic wave.
What are the disadvantages of using coaxial cable?
Drawbacks or disadvantages of Coaxial Cable
- One of the major disadvantages of coax is the fact that they are bulky.
- It is expensive to install for longer distances because of its thickness and stiffness.
- It needs to be grounded to limit interference.
- The safety is an important concern as it is easy to tap the coaxial cable by breaking it and inserting T-joint in between.
What does a coaxial cable look like?
Coaxial cable has a distinct thick, round shape because of its interior insulation layer. Its size makes it look very different to other types of cable, such as twisted pair or Ethernet cable. The most commons sizes of coaxial cable are RG-6, RG-11 and RG-59 – some of the size differences are demonstrated in the image below.
What is coaxial cable and hot it is used?
Coaxial cable mainly used for cable TV and computer network to transmit data and signal. Especially in the 1970s and 1980s coaxial cable was popular for the TV broadcasting and computer networks, but with the development of the fiber cable, it started to lose popularity.
What is Coaxial Cable?
Patented in 1880, coaxial cable has been a standard means of delivering high frequency electrical signals over distances with low signal loss. It h...
How is Coaxial Cable Constructed?
Coaxial cable is constructed from a single copper or copper-coated steel wire as the center core which carries the high frequency signal. This wire...
How Does Coaxial Cable Work?
A coaxial cable carries a signal which goes across the center copper wire as well as the metal shield. Both of these metal conductors generate a ma...
What are the Uses and Applications of Coaxial Cables
Coaxial Cable is used by cable operators, telephone companies and internet providers. If you have cable television, you have a coaxial cable instal...
How Many Types of Coaxial Cables are There?
There are many different types of coaxial cable. Your application will determine which cable has the best characteristics. Consult with your user’s...
What is coaxial cable?
Coaxial cables are a form of signal transmission cable that is used to pass electrical signals between devices, systems, or components. Whereas standard electrical cable consists of one or more wires through which an electrical current is passed (a flow of electrons), coaxial cable is used to pass radio frequency ...
What is flexible coax cable?
As the name implies, flexible coaxial cable can move and flex as needed to suit the configuration and geometry of the application. A typical design for flexible coaxial cable utilizes a metal inner conductor surrounded by a flexible polymer that functions as the dielectric, with an outer jacket for protection from the environment. When there is a need to increase flexibility, the metal core conductor may be switched to a stranded design from a solid wire, and a polyethylene (PE) dielectric foam may be substituted for the more rigid dielectric material.
What is the alternative to semi-rigid coax?
An alternative to semi-rigid coaxial cable is formable coaxial cable, also known as conformable coaxial cable. In place of a rigid copper outer sheath, a flexible metal sheath is used, which can be reshaped and formed by hand the meet the desired cable configuration requiring any specialized tools. Formable coax is sometimes used to layout the design for cable placement in prototype applications, and once stabilized, the design is converted to make use of the semi-rigid coaxial cable.
What is semi rigid coaxial cable?
The copper sheath generally provides superior shielding effectiveness and the dielectric properties offer enhanced high frequency performance. By their design, this type of coaxial cable is not intended to be reformed or flexed after the initial forming operation has occurred.
What is hard line coax cable?
Hard line coaxial cable makes use of a center conductor that is constructed out of materials such as copper, silver, aluminum, or steel and this type of cable is typically larger in diameter than other forms of coaxial cable. These types of cables may be used in high-strength signal transmission. Some forms of hard line make use ...
What are the advantages of twin axial cable?
Some advantages of twin axial cable are reduced cable loss, greater protection from ground loops and capacitive fields, and a reduction in low-frequency magnetic noise. These cables are best suited for use in low-frequency digital and video applications.
How many conductors are in a twin axial cable?
Twinaxial cables (also known as Twin axial or Twinax) have two central conductors contained in the core wit a single outer core and dielectric, instead of the traditional one conductor design of most coaxial cable types.
What is a coaxial cable?
A coaxial cable is an electrical cable with a copper conductor and an insulator shielding around it and a braided metal mesh that prevents signal interference and cross talk. Coaxial cable is also known as coax.
What is hardline coaxial cable?
Hardline coaxial cable: Hardline coaxial cable’s center conductor is made of copper, silver and has a larger diameter when compared to other coaxial cables.
What type of cable is used for internet?
Internet: Coaxial cables are also used for carrying internet signals, RG-6 cable s are used for this.
What is rigid coax cable?
Rigid coaxial cable: Rigid coaxial cable is made up of two copper tubes supported at cable ends and fixed intervals across the length of the cable using PTFE supports or disk insulators. The rigid coaxial cable cannot be bent. It is mainly used in TV and FM broadcasting systems.
Why do coaxial cables need to be grounded?
The coaxial cable must be grounded in order to prevent any crosstalk.
What type of cable has two conductors in the core?
Twinaxial cable: It has two central conductors in the core and a single outer core and dielectric. these cables are best for low-frequency digital and video transmission.
Which cable is more reliable?
coaxial cables have better cut-through resistance so they are more reliable and durable.
What is coaxial cable?
Coaxial cable is a type of cable that has an inner conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, surrounded by a conductive shielding. Many also have an insulating outer jacket The diagram below illustrates the construction of a typical cable. Electrical signal flows through the center conductor.
Why is coaxial cable so successful?
The key to the coaxial cable's success has been its shielded design, which allows the cable's copper core to transmit data quickly, without succumbing to interference or damage from environment factors.
Which is better, fiber optic or coax?
Fiber optic cables are found less frequently in residential and consumer settings than coaxial cables. Coax cables are easy to install and very durable. Because fiber has higher and faster data transfer than coax, they are best used for professional networks, such as those found within a business campus or university.
What are the drawbacks of cable internet?
Many of today’s companies use cable connections for their business broadband service. Cable internet's biggest drawback is speed fluctuation. Looking again to fiber internet vs. cable internet, cable internet service is usually shared among a number of subscribers. This means if there are a large number of users in a cable region all running bandwidth intensive applications using the internet at the same time, everyone's speeds can vary between 100% and 25% of the promised speed.
What does RG stand for in coax?
The three most common cable sizes are RG-6, RG-11 and RG-59: RG stands for "radio guide.". The numbers of the various versions of RG cable refer to the diameter (59 meaning .059, and 6 meaning .06, etc.). They are also called RF cables, which stands for "radio frequency". Most non-industrial coax is now known as RG-6, ...
What is indoor and aerial cable?
Indoor and aerial - a non-drip material designed to eliminate moisture migration into the cable construction.
What is the impedance of RG cables?
RG cables used in homes should be 75 ohm impedance.
What is a coax cable?
Coaxial cable, or coax (pronounced / ˈkoʊ.æks /) is a type of electrical cable consisting of an inner conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting shield, with the two separated by a dielectric ( insulating material); many coaxial cables also have a protective outer sheath or jacket. The term " coaxial " refers to the inner conductor and ...
What are coaxial connectors?
Coaxial connectors are designed to maintain a coaxial form across the connection and have the same impedance as the attached cable . Connectors are usually plated with high-conductivity metals such as silver or tarnish-resistant gold. Due to the skin effect, the RF signal is only carried by the plating at higher frequencies and does not penetrate to the connector body. Silver however tarnishes quickly and the silver sulfide that is produced is poorly conductive, degrading connector performance, making silver a poor choice for this application.
What is the insulator used in coaxial cables?
The insulator surrounding the inner conductor may be solid plastic, a foam plastic, or air with spacers supporting the inner wire. The properties of the dielectric insulator determine some of the electrical properties of the cable. A common choice is a solid polyethylene (PE) insulator, used in lower-loss cables. Solid Teflon (PTFE) is also used as an insulator, and exclusively in plenum-rated cables. Some coaxial lines use air (or some other gas) and have spacers to keep the inner conductor from touching the shield.
What is the dielectric of coaxial cables?
Coaxial cables require an internal structure of an insulating (dielectric) material to maintain the spacing between the center conductor and shield. The dielectric losses increase in this order: Ideal dielectric (no loss), vacuum, air, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene foam, and solid polyethylene.
What is the purpose of coaxial cable?
Coaxial cable conducts electrical signal using an inner conductor (usually a solid copper, stranded copper or copper plated steel wire) surrounded by an insulating layer and all enclosed by a shield, typically one to four layers of woven metallic braid and metallic tape. The cable is protected by an outer insulating jacket. Normally, the outside of the shield is kept at ground potential and a signal carrying voltage is applied to the center conductor. The advantage of coaxial design is that with differential mode, equal push-pull currents on the inner conductor, and inside of the outer conductor, the signal's electric and magnetic fields are restricted to the dielectric, with little leakage outside the shield. Further, electric and magnetic fields outside the cable are largely kept from interfering with signals inside the cable, if unequal currents are filtered out at the receiving end of the line. This property makes coaxial cable a good choice both for carrying weak signals, that cannot tolerate interference from the environment, and for stronger electrical signals, that must not be allowed to radiate or couple into adjacent structures or circuits. Larger diameter cables and cables with multiple shields have less leakage.
What are the applications of coaxial cable?
Common applications of coaxial cable include video and CATV distribution, RF and microwave transmission, and computer and instrumentation data connections.
How does shielding affect coax?
Most of the shield effect in coax results from opposing currents in the center conductor and shield creating opposite magnetic fields that cancel, and thus do not radiate. The same effect helps ladder line. However, ladder line is extremely sensitive to surrounding metal objects, which can enter the fields before they completely cancel. Coax does not have this problem, since the field is enclosed in the shield. However, it is still possible for a field to form between the shield and other connected objects, such as the antenna the coax feeds. The current formed by the field between the antenna and the coax shield would flow in the same direction as the current in the center conductor, and thus not be canceled. Energy would radiate from the coax itself, affecting the radiation pattern of the antenna. With sufficient power, this could be a hazard to people near the cable. A properly placed and properly sized balun can prevent common-mode radiation in coax. An isolating transformer or blocking capacitor can be used to couple a coaxial cable to equipment, where it is desirable to pass radio-frequency signals but to block direct current or low-frequency power.
What is a coaxial cable?
Coaxial cables, usually shortened to “coax” cables, are a type of heavy-duty electrical cable used in a variety of radiofrequency (RF) signal transmission applications. These cables are all around us and have been so since the start of the 20th century. They have important applications in telephone, cable, and internet, ...
What is a hard line coaxial cable?
Hard-line coaxial cables are typically used in the transmission of cable TV. One of these cables has the capacity to transmit hundreds of cable TV channels. Moreover, they are also used in telephone and internet lines.
What is the difference between coax and coax?
In contrast, a coax cable passes radio frequency (RF) signals, which manifests as transverse electromagnetic waves. Inside a coaxial cable is an inner conductor cable made of copper. This cable is surrounded by a lightweight plastic dielectric layer or an insulating agent.
What type of cable is needed for an apartment?
If your office or apartment building is fairly medium-sized, a hardline coaxial cable can be depended upon to do the job of delivering internet and telephone connectivity.
How fast is coax cable?
A coax cable offers a transmission speed of 10 megabits per second. They also have a transmission capacity that’s 80 times higher than twisted-pair cables. The different parts of a coaxial cable are outlined below. Center conductor: Usually made from copper-clad steel.
What is the thickness of coaxial cable?
These cables usually measure around 0.5 inches to 1.75 in thickness, which makes them larger in diameter than other coaxial cable types.
Why is coaxial cable less flexible?
As the name suggests, the semi-rigid coaxial cable is less flexible. This is due to the fact that its shield is typically made from harder metals.
What is coaxial cable?
A coaxial cable carries the signal from a satellite, antenna, or cable line to a TV. The wrong coaxial cable can weaken your signal. Without a good signal, you may get an inferior image and those frustrating lags while streaming a show. A coaxial cable is a copper conductor wire surrounded by layers of insulation that protect ...
What are the components of a coaxial cable?
Coaxial cables consist of three basic parts: 1 Conductor: A solid copper or copper-clad steel, located in the center of the cable, serves as the conductor that carries the signal from the source to the TV. Solid copper wire provides the best conductivity but is stiffer and harder to use. Copper-clad steel doesn’t hold a signal as well but is more flexible, making it easier to use. 2 Insulation: The conductor is surrounded by a foil shield and copper braids that act as insulation. These materials are a vital part of the cable because they block out electromagnetic interference and radio waves that can cause signal loss. The better the shield, the longer the line can run without signal loss. 3 PVC jacket: The final layer on a coaxial cable is a PVC jacket that protects the cable from water and dirt, allowing it to be used outdoors.
What type of cable connector is used for RG6?
F-type connectors are the most common. They’re used with RG6 and RG11 cable to make connections for cable TV, satellite TV, and digital TV. They come in two types: twist on and crimp. Twist-on connectors don’t create as high quality of connection as the crimp style.
What is the difference between RG6 and RG11?
There are three types of coaxial cables: RG59, RG6, and RG11. While RG6 is the most widely used coaxial cable, RG11 and the lower end RG59 are also useful for specific connections. Here are the basics on each type: RG59 is the low end of coaxial cable options.
How does a coaxial cable splitter work?
Coaxial cable splitters take a single cable line and separate it into two separate lines. In one side of a small box, a coaxial cable input connects a coaxial cable running from the signal source, such as an antenna, satellite, or cable TV line.
How much signal loss can a 50 foot cable cause?
The length will weaken signal strength. A 50-foot cable will experience a noticeable signal loss, while a 100-foot cable can lose as much as a third of its signal. To offset the loss, choose a coaxial cable with more insulation.
What to consider when buying coaxial cable?
There are several important factors to consider when shopping for a coaxial cable, including how the cable connects to TV, cable construction, and operating frequency.
What is coaxial cable?
A coaxial cable, also known as a coax cable, is a specialized cable used to send data and radio frequencies without extra electrical interference, known as static. They’re commonly used for devices like TVs, the internet, and radios. Because each application uses a specific type of coax cable, identifying them may seem confusing.
How to identify coaxial cable?
2. Use the marking to identify the coaxial cable. Coaxial cables commonly use the designation “RG,” which stands for “Radio Guide” and is followed by numbers to form a code that identifies the cable type. Once you find the designation code, you’ve identified the type of coaxial cable!
What type of cable is used for internet?
Internet companies use a specific coaxial cable to send a data signal to your home or business that your modem sends to your router to provide internet access. Look near your internet connection to see if a coaxial cable is plugged into it to identify an RG-8 cable.
How to tell if your cable box is RG-6?
1. Check the cable used on your TV to identify an RG-6 or RG-11. Cable TV companies use RG-6 coaxial cables to safely deliver channels without extra electrical noise known as static. Check behind your TV to see if your coaxial cable is plugged into it or your cable box. If it is, then it’s an RG-6 cable.
How to identify a RG-8X?
If you have an amateur radio, commonly known as ham radio, then it uses a specific coaxial cable to receive and transmit your signals. Check out the back of your radio to look for an RG-8X coaxial cable connected to it.
What is RG 58 cable used for?
RG-8 and RG-58 cables are commonly used for ethernet and internet connections. RG-8X cables are generally used for amateur radios, also known as ham radios.
What is the purpose of the outer sleeve on a cable?
The outer sleeve acts as insulation so there isn’t a risk of shocking yourself by wiping the cable with a damp cloth. You could also use a wet wipe or baby wipe to clean off the cable. The markings may be printed multiple times on the cable’s sleeve and they’ll all include the same letters and numbers. ...
Features
Ohm is the unit of measurement used to indicate the amount of resistance acting upon an electric current as it flows through a circuit. "F-type connectors" are screw-on connectors.
Other Considerations
Another thing to consider is the RG value of the coaxial cable—such as "RG-6." "RG" stands for Radio Guide. The value that follows it is a reference to the diameter and internal characteristics of that particular type of coaxial cable. Comcast does not specify a standard RG value for the best type of coaxial cable to use with their products.
Common Coaxial Cables for Cable TV
"RG-6" and "RG-59" are two common types of coaxial cables used in homes for cable TV.
Overview
Important parameters
Coaxial cable is a particular kind of transmission line, so the circuit models developed for general transmission lines are appropriate. See Telegrapher's equation.
In the following section, these symbols are used:
• Length of the cable, .
Applications
Coaxial cable is used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals. Its applications include feedlines connecting radio transmitters and receivers to their antennas, computer network (e.g., Ethernet) connections, digital audio (S/PDIF), and distribution of cable television signals. One advantage of coaxial over other types of radio transmission line is that in an ideal coaxial cable the electromagnetic field carrying the signal exists only in the space between the inner and outer con…
Description
Coaxial cable conducts electrical signal using an inner conductor (usually a solid copper, stranded copper or copper plated steel wire) surrounded by an insulating layer and all enclosed by a shield, typically one to four layers of woven metallic braid and metallic tape. The cable is protected by an outer insulating jacket. Normally, the outside of the shield is kept at ground potential and a sig…
Construction
Coaxial cable design choices affect physical size, frequency performance, attenuation, power handling capabilities, flexibility, strength, and cost. The inner conductor might be solid or stranded; stranded is more flexible. To get better high-frequency performance, the inner conductor may be silver-plated. Copper-plated steel wire is often used as an inner conductor for cable used in the cable TV industry.
Signal propagation
Twin-lead transmission lines have the property that the electromagnetic wave propagating down the line extends into the space surrounding the parallel wires. These lines have low loss, but also have undesirable characteristics. They cannot be bent, tightly twisted, or otherwise shaped without changing their characteristic impedance, causing reflection of the signal back toward the source. They also cannot be buried or run along or attached to anything conductive, as the exten…
Connectors
The ends of coaxial cables usually terminate with connectors. Coaxial connectors are designed to maintain a coaxial form across the connection and have the same impedance as the attached cable. Connectors are usually plated with high-conductivity metals such as silver or tarnish-resistant gold. Due to the skin effect, the RF signal is only carried by the plating at higher frequencies an…
Coaxial characteristic impedance derivation
Taking the characteristic impedance at high frequencies,
One should also know the inductance and capacitance of the two concentric cylindrical conductors which is the coaxial cable. By definition and getting the electric field by the formula of electric field of an infinite line,
where is charge, is the permittivity of free space, is the radial distance and is the unit vector in the di…