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The document discusses different types of transmission media including guided media like copper wires and fiber optic cables, and unguided media like radio waves. It describes the characteristics of common transmission media like twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, radio waves, and infrared waves. Key advantages and disadvantages of each medium are also highlighted.

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34 views50 pages

3 Media

The document discusses different types of transmission media including guided media like copper wires and fiber optic cables, and unguided media like radio waves. It describes the characteristics of common transmission media like twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, radio waves, and infrared waves. Key advantages and disadvantages of each medium are also highlighted.

Uploaded by

Sami Ahmed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EL-303 LEC 6

Transmission Medium
Transmission Media
These transmission media may be of two types −
• Guided − In guided media, transmitted data travels through cabling
system that has a fixed path. For example, copper wires, fibre optic
wires, etc.
• Unguided − In unguided media, transmitted data travels through
free space in form of electromagnetic signal. For example, radio
waves, lasers, etc.
• Each transmission media has its own advantages and
disadvantages in terms of bandwidth, speed, delay, cost per bit,
ease of installation and maintenance
Twisted Pair Cable
• Copper wires are the most common
wires used for transmitting signals
because of good performance at low
costs. They are most commonly
used in telephone lines.
• However, if two or more wires are
lying together, they can interfere
with each other’s signals.
• To reduce this electromagnetic
interference, pair of copper wires
are twisted together in helical shape
like a DNA molecule. Such twisted
copper wires are called twisted pair.
To reduce interference between
nearby twisted pairs, the twist rates
are different for each pair.
Twisted Pair Cable
Twisted Pair Cable
Advantages of twisted pair cable
• Twisted pair cable are the oldest and most popular cables all over
the world. This is due to the many advantages that they offer −
• Trained personnel easily available due to shallow learning curve
• Can be used for both analog and digital transmissions
• Least expensive for short distances
• Entire network does not go down if a part of network is damaged
Twisted Pair Cable
Disadvantages of twisted pair cable
• With its many advantages, twisted pair cables offer some disadvantages
too −
• Signal cannot travel long distances without repeaters
• High error rate for distances greater than 100m
• Very thin and hence breaks easily
• Not suitable for broadband connections
Connectors
TP patch panel
shielded
To counter the tendency of twisted pair cables to
pick up noise signals, wires are shielded in the
following three ways −
• Each twisted pair is shielded.
• Set of multiple twisted pairs in the cable is
shielded.
• Each twisted pair and then all the pairs are
shielded.
• Such twisted pairs are called shielded twisted
pair (STP) cables. The wires that are not shielded
but simply bundled together in a protective
sheath are called unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
cables. These cables can have maximum length of
100 metres.
• Shielding makes the cable bulky, so UTP are more
popular than STP. UTP cables are used as the last
mile network connection in homes and offices
Coaxial cable
Coaxial cables are copper cables with
better shielding than twisted pair cables, so
that transmitted signals may travel longer
distances at higher speeds. A coaxial cable
consists of these layers, starting from the
innermost −
• Stiff copper wire as core
• Insulating material surrounding the core
• Closely woven braided mesh of
conducting material surrounding the
insulator
• Protective plastic sheath encasing the
wire
• Coaxial cables are widely used for cable
TV connections and LANs.
Coaxial cable
Crimping
Advantages of Coaxial Cables

• These are the advantages of coaxial cables −


• Excellent noise immunity
• Signals can travel longer distances at higher speeds, e.g. 1 to 2 Gbps
for 1 Km cable
• Can be used for both analog and digital signals
• Inexpensive as compared to fibre optic cables
• Easy to install and maintain
Disadvantages of Coaxial Cables

• These are some of the disadvantages of coaxial cables −


• Expensive as compared to twisted pair cables
• Not compatible with twisted pair cables
Fiber
Thin glass or plastic threads used to transmit data using
light waves are called optical fibre. Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs) or Laser Diodes (LDs) emit light waves at the
source, which is read by a detector at the other end.
Optical fibre cable has a bundle of such threads or
fibres bundled together in a protective covering. Each
fibre is made up of these three layers, starting with the
innermost layer −
• Core made of high quality silica glass or plastic
• Cladding made of high quality silica glass or plastic,
with a lower refractive index than the core
• Protective outer covering called buffer
• Note that both core and cladding are made of similar
material. However, as refractive index of the cladding
is lower, any stray light wave trying to escape the core
is reflected back due to total internal reflection.
Advantages of Optical Fibre
• Optical fibre is fast replacing copper wires because of these
advantages that it offers −
• High bandwidth
• Immune to electromagnetic interference
• Suitable for industrial and noisy areas
• Signals carrying data can travel long distances without
weakening
Disadvantages of Optical Fibre
• Despite long segment lengths and high bandwidth, using optical fibre may not be a
viable option for every one due to these disadvantages −
• Optical fibre cables are expensive
• Sophisticated technology required for manufacturing, installing and maintaining
optical fibre cables
• Light waves are unidirectional, so two frequencies are required for full duplex
transmission
Submarine cable
A submarine communications cable is
a cable laid on the sea bed between
land-based stations to carry
telecommunication signals across
stretches of ocean and sea
Infrared
• Infrared radiation (IR),
sometimes referred to simply
as infrared, is a region of the
electromagnetic radiation
spectrum where wavelengths
range from about 700
nanometers (nm) to 1
millimeter (mm). Infrared
waves are longer than those
of visible light, but shorter
than those of radio waves.
Infra red
Low frequency infrared waves are used for very short distance
communication like TV remote, wireless speakers, automatic
doors, hand held devices etc. Infrared signals can propagate
within a room but cannot penetrate walls. However, due to such
short range, it is considered to be one of the most secure
transmission modes.
Near, Far
• The boundaries between the near, mid and far-infrared regions are not agreed upon and
can vary. The main factor that determines which wavelengths are included in each of
these three infrared regions is the type of detector technology used for gathering infrared
light.
• Near-infrared observations have been made from ground based observatories since the
1960's. They are done in much the same way as visible light observations for wavelengths
less than 1 micron, but require special infrared detectors beyond 1 micron. Mid and far-
infrared observations can only be made by observatories which can get above our
atmosphere. These observations require the use of special cooled detectors containing
crystals like germanium whose electrical resistance is very sensitive to heat.
• Infrared radiation is emitted by any object that has a temperature (ie radiates heat). So,
basically all celestial objects emit some infrared. The wavelength at which an object
radiates most intensely depends on its temperature. In general, as the temperature of an
object cools, it shows up more prominently at farther infrared wavelengths. This means
that some infrared wavelengths are better suited for studying certain objects than others.
Advantages of Radio Wave

• These are some of the advantages of radio wave


transmissions −
• Inexpensive mode of information exchange
• No land needs to be acquired for laying cables
• Installation and maintenance of devices is cheap
Disadvantages of Radio Wave

• These are some of the disadvantages of radio wave transmissions −


• Insecure communication medium
• Prone to weather changes like rain, thunderstorms, etc.
Propagation modes

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