Unit 2
Unit 2
Transmission media can be defined as physical path between transmitter and reciever in a
data transmission system.Transmission media refers to the physical medium through which data
is transmitted from one device to another within a network. These medium can
be wired or wireless.
IT CAN BE CLASSIFIED IN TWO TYPES:-
1.Wired (Guided) Media: Wired media allows signal energy enclosed and guided within a solid
medium. This media is used either for point-to-point links or a shared link with various
connections. In guided media, interruption is generated by outputs in the adjacent cables. Proper
covering of guided media is required to reduce the interruption problem.
Twisted Pair Cable: It it made up of insulated copper wires twisted together that’s why it
called is as twisted pair cable. Mostly used in telephone networks and Ethernet cables. It is
affordable.
Coaxial Cable: In this cable one central conductor surrounded by insulation, a metallic
shield, and an exterior cover. This type of cable used in television networks and for long-
distance communication lines. It provides better protection against interruption than twisted
pair cables.
Optical Fiber: Uses light signals to transfer data. Made up of glass or plastic fibers, it
provides very high bandwidth and low signal reduction, making it ideal for long-distance
and high-speed data transmission. It’s immune to electromagnetic obstruction but more
expensive than copper cables.
2. Wireless (Unguided) Media: In the unguided media, the signal energy propagates through a
wireless medium. Wireless media is used for radio broadcasting in all directions. Microwave links
are chosen for long-distance broadcasting transmission unguided media. Interference is also a
problem in unguided media, overlapping frequency bands from competing signals can alter or
eliminate a signal.
Radio Waves: Are used for wireless communication networks over large range distances,
such as in broadcasting, cellular networks, and Wi-Fi. It can travel through walls and have a
wide coverage area.
Microwaves: It provide high-frequency radio waves used for one-to-one communication.
Used in satellite and terrestrial communication.
Infrared: Uses light signals just below the visible spectrum. Infrared is used for nearby
communication, such as remote controls and short-range data transfer (e.g., between a
laptop and a mobile device).
Satellite Communication: Satellite communication used for broadcasting, GPS, and global
communications.
Difference between the Guided Media and Unguided Media
Used to perform point-to-point communication. Unguided media is generally suited for radio broadcasting in all
directions.
It is affordable. It is costly.
Discrete network topologies are formed by the guided media. Continuous network topologies are formed by the unguided
media.
Signals are in the form of voltage, current, or photons in the Signals are in the form of electromagnetic waves in unguided
guided media. media.
By adding more wires, the transmission capacity can be It is not possible to obtain additional capacity in unguided
increased in guided media. media.
It sends out a signal that indicates which way to go. It does not indicate which way to travel.
For a shorter distance, this is the best option. For longer distances, this method is used.
A transmission medium is a physical path between the transmitter and the receiver i.e. it is the
channel through which data is sent from one device to another. Transmission Media is broadly
classified into the following types:
1. Guided Media
There are 3 major types of Guided Media: [A]Twisted Pair Cable
It consists of 2 separately insulated conductor wires wound about each other. Generally, several
such pairs are bundled together in a protective sheath. They are the most widely used Transmission
Media. Twisted Pair is of two types:
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): UTP consists of two insulated copper wires twisted
around one another. This type of cable has the ability to block interference and does not
depend on a physical shield for this purpose. It is used for telephonic applications.
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable consists of a special jacket (a
copper braid covering or a foil shield) to block external interference. It is used in fast-data-rate
Ethernet and in voice and data channels of telephone lines.
Advantages of Shielded Twisted Pair
Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP
Eliminates crosstalk
Comparatively faster
Disadvantages of Shielded Twisted Pair
Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture
More expensive
Bulky
Stripline
Stripline is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line medium invented by Robert M.
Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge Research Centre in the 1950s. Stripline is the earliest form of
the planar transmission line. It uses a conducting material to transmit high-frequency waves it is
also called a waveguide. This conducting material is sandwiched between two layers of the ground
plane which are usually shorted to provide EMI immunity.
Microstripline
A microstripline is a type of transmission media used to carry high-frequency signals, commonly
found in microwave and radio frequency circuits. It consists of a flat, narrow conducting strip
(usually made of metal) placed on top of a dielectric material (an insulating layer), with a metal
ground plane on the other side.
2. Unguided Media
It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media . No physical medium is
required for the transmission of electromagnetic signals.
Radio Waves
Radio waves are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and receiving
antennas need not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM radios and cordless
phones use Radio waves for transmission.
Radiowave
Microwaves
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be properly aligned
with each other. The distance covered by the signal is directly proportional to the height of the
antenna. Frequency Range:1GHz – 300GHz. Micro waves are majorly used for mobile phone
communication and television distribution.
Infrared
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate through
obstacles. This prevents interference between systems. Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is
used in TV remotes, wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.
Direction These are omni-directional These are unidirectional in These are unidirectional in
in nature. nature. nature.
Penetration At low frequency, they can At low frequency, they can They cannot penetrate
penetrate through solid penetrate through solid through any solid object
objects and walls but high objects and walls. at high and walls.
frequency they bounce off frequency, they cannot
the obstacle. penetrate.
Frequency range Frequency range: 3 KHz to Frequency range: 1 GHz to Frequency range: 300 GHz
1GHz. 300 GHz. to 400 GHz.
Security These offers poor security. These offers medium These offers high security.
security.
Government License Some frequencies in the Some frequencies in the There is no need of
radio-waves require microwaves require government license to use
government license to use government license to use these waves.
these. these.
Usage Cost Setup and usage Cost is Setup and usage Cost is Usage Cost is very less.
moderate. high.
Communication These are used in long These are used in long These are not used in long
distance communication. distance communication. distance communication.
Transmission Impairment
Attenuation: It means loss of energy. The strength of signal decreases with increasing
distance which causes loss of energy in overcoming resistance of medium. This is also
known as attenuated signal. Amplifiers are used to amplify the attenuated signal which
gives the original signal back and compensate for this loss.
Distortion: It means changes in the form or shape of the signal. This is generally seen in
composite signals made up with different frequencies. Each frequency component has its
own propagation speed travelling through a medium. And thats why it delay in arriving at
the final destination Every component arrive at different time which leads to distortion.
Therefore, they have different phases at receiver end from what they had at senders end.
Noise: The random or unwanted signal that mixes up with the original signal is called noise.
There are several types of noise such as induced noise, crosstalk noise, thermal noise and
impulse noise which may corrupt the signal.
Factors Considered for Designing the Transmission Media
Bandwidth: Assuming all other conditions remain constant, the greater a medium’s
bandwidth, the faster a signal’s data transmission rate.
Transmission Impairment : Transmission Impairment occurs when the received signal
differs from the transmitted signal. Signal quality will be impacted as a result of
transmission impairment.
Interference: Interference is defined as the process of disturbing a signal as it travels over a
communication medium with the addition of an undesired signal.
Applications of Transmission Media in Computer Networks
Transmission media in computer networks are used to connect devices and transfer data. Here are
some common applications:
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Industrial networks, environments with high interference
Twisted-pair Cable
These are a type of guided media. It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Twisted pair
cables have two conductors that are generally made up of copper and each conductor has
insulation. These two conductors are twisted together,
thus giving the name twisted pair cables.
One of the conductors is used to carry the signal and the
other is used as a ground reference only. The receiver uses
the difference of signals between these two conductors. The
noise or crosstalk in the two parallel conductors is high but
this is greatly reduced in twisted pair cables due to the
twisting characteristic. In the first twist, one conductor is
near to noise source and the other is far from the source but
in the next twist the reverse happens and the resultant noise
is very less and hence the balance in signal quality is maintained and the receiver receives very less or
no noise. The quality of signal in twisted pair cables greatly depends upon the number of twists per unit
length of the cable.
Twisted Pair Cables are further of two types :
1. Unshielded Twisted Pair Cables (UTP) :
These are a pair of two insulated copper wires twisted together
without any other insulation or shielding and hence are called
unshielded twisted pair cables. They reduce the external
interference due to the presence of insulation. Unshielded twisted
pair cables are arranged in pairs so that we can add a new connection whenever required. The DSL or
telephone lines in our houses have one extra pair in them. When UTP are arranged in pairs, each pair is
coded with a different color as defined by the 25-pair color code developed by AT&T Corporation. The
Electronic Industries Association divides UTP into 7 categories based on some standards. Categories
are based upon cable quality where 1 is the highest quality and 7 is the lowest quality. Each cable in a
category is put to a different use as needed.
Advantages –
1stThese cables are cost-effective and easy to install owing to their compact size.
2ndThey are generally used for short-distance transmission of both voice and data.
3rdIt is less costly as compared to other types of cables.
Disadvantages –
1stThe connection established using UTP is not secure.
2ndThey are efficient only for a distance up to 100 meters and have to be installed in pieces of up
to 100 meters.
3rdThese cables have limited bandwidth.
2. Shielded Twisted Pair Cables (STP) :
These types of cables have extra insulation or protective
covering over the conductors in the form of a copper
braid covering. This covering provides strength to the
overall structure of the cable. It also reduces noise and
signal interference in the cable. The shielding ensures
that the induced signal can be returned to the source via
ground and only circulate around the shield without affecting the main propagating signal. The
STP cables are also color-coded like the UTP cables as different color pairs are required for
analog and digital transmission. These cables are costly and difficult to install.
Advantages –
1stThey are generally used for long-distance communication and transmission and are
installed underground.
2ndThe protective shield prevents external electromagnetic noise penetration into the
cable.
3rdThey have a higher bandwidth as compared to UTP.
Disadvantages –
1stThese cables are very expensive.
2ndThey require a lot of maintenance which increases the cost more.
3rdThese can be installed underground only.
4thThe length of the segment is similar to UTP for these cables.
Applications of Twisted pair cables :
Twisted Pair cables are used in telephone lines to provide data and voice channels.
The DSL lines make use of these cables.
Local Area Networks (LAN) also make use of twisted pair cables.
They can be used for both analog and digital transmission.
RJ-45 is a very common application of twisted pair cables.
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable is typically used by cable operators, telephone companies, and internet providers to
transmit data, video, and voice communications to customers. Its installation and implementation
are easy but it is less efficient than optical fiber also it provides moderately low bandwidth in
comparison to optical fiber.
Coaxial Cable is used to transmit the signal/data is in Optical Fiber is used to transmit the signal/data is in light
electrical form. form.
The diameter of Coaxial cable’s is larger as compare to The diameter of Optical fiber is small.
optical fiber.
The cost of coaxial cable is less. The cost of optical fiber is high.
Coaxial cable is heavier than optical fiber in weight Optical cable is lighter in weights.
Fiber Optics and Types
Fiber Optics or Optical Fiber is a technology that transmits data as a light pulse along a glass or
plastic fiber. An Optical Fiber is a cylindrical fiber of glass that is hair-thin in size or any
transparent dielectric medium. The fiber which is used for optical communication is waveguides
made of transparent dielectrics. In this article, we will discuss Optical Fiber/Fiber Optics in detail.
What is Fiber Optics?
Fiber optics refers to the technology and method of transmitting data as light pulses along a glass
or plastic strand or fiber. Fiber optic cables are used for long-distance and high-performance data
networking. They are capable of transmitting data over longer distances and at higher bandwidths
(data rates) than electrical cables, making them a critical component in modern
telecommunications, internet, and computer networking.
Multi-mode fiber: Multimode fiber allows many modes for the light rays traveling through
it. The core diameter is generally (40um) and that of cladding is (70um). The relative
refractive index difference is also greater than single-mode fiber. There is signal degradation
due to multimode dispersion. It is not suitable for long-distance communication due to the
large dispersion and attenuation of the signal. There are two categories based on Multi-
mode fiber i.e. Step Index Fiber and Graded Index Fiber. These are categories under the
types of optical fiber based on the Refractive Index
2. Based on Refractive Index
Step-index optical fiber: The refractive index of the core is constant. The refractive index
of the cladding is also
continuous. The rays of
light propagate through it in
the form of meridional rays
which cross the fiber axis
during every reflection at the
core-cladding boundary.
Signal transmission Takes place in the electrical Takes place in the electrical Takes place in an optical
form over the metallic form over the inner form over glass fiber.
conducting wires. conductor of the cable.
wire
Layer of insulation
Grounding
conductor
Layer of exterior
insulation.
Implementation
External magnetic Affected due to external The external magnetic field The external magnetic field
Cause of power Power loss due to Power loss due to power loss due to
conduction and radiation. conduction. absorption, scattering, and
bending.
Diameter Large diameter than Optical Large diameter than Optical Small diameter
fiber cable. fiber cable.
Bandwidth The twisted-pair cable has Co-axial cable has Optical fiber cable has a
low bandwidth. moderately high bandwidth. very high bandwidth.
Attenuation In twisted pair cable has In coaxial cable has low In optical fiber cable has
very high attenuation. attenuation. very low attenuation.
Data rate Twisted pair cable supports Moderately high data rate. Very high data rate.
a low data rate.