Data Communication &

Computer Networks (DCCN)

IT-360
Transmission Medium III

03.11.20 Dr. Mufassra Naz (DCCN) 1

 Coaxial Cable

03.11.20 Dr. Mufassra Naz (DCCN) 2

Coaxial Cable

• Coaxial cable (or coax) carries signals of higher

frequency ranges than those in twisted pair cable, in
part because the two media are constructed quite
differently.
• Instead of having two wires, coax has a central core
conductor of solid or stranded wire (usually copper)
enclosed in an insulating sheath, which is, in turn,
encased in an outer conductor of metal foil, braid, or
a combination of the two.

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Coaxial Cable

• The outer metallic wrapping serves both as a shield

against noise and as the second conductor, which
completes the circuit.
• This outer conductor is also enclosed in an
insulating sheath, and the whole cable is protected
by a plastic cover

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Coaxial Cable

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Coaxial Cable Standards

• Coaxial cables are categorized by their radio

government (RG) ratings.
• Each RG number denotes a unique set of physical
specifications, including the wire gauge of the inner
conductor, the thickness and type of the inner
insulator, the construction of the shield, and the size
and type of the outer casing.

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Coaxial Cable Standards

Category Impedance Use

RG-59 75 W Cable TV

RG-58 50 W Thin Ethernet

RG-11 50 W Thick Ethernet

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BNC connectors

• To connect coaxial cable to devices, we need coaxial

connectors.
• The most common type of connector used today is
the Bayonet-Neill-Concelman (BNC), connector.
• There are three popular types of these connectors:
the BNC connector, the BNC T connector, and the
BNC terminator.

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BNC connectors

• The BNC connector is used to connect the end of the

cable to a device, such as a TV set.
• The BNC T connector is used in Ethernet to branch
out to a connection to a computer or other device.
• The BNC terminator is used at the end of the cable
to prevent the reflection of the signal.

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BNC connectors

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Coaxial cable performance

• The attenuation is much higher in coaxial cables

than in twisted-pair cable.
• In other words, although coaxial cable has a much
higher bandwidth, the signal weakens rapidly and
requires the frequent use of repeaters.

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Coaxial cable performance

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Applications

• Coaxial cable was widely used in analog telephone

networks where a single coaxial network could carry
10,000 voice signals.
• Later it was used in digital telephone networks where
a single coaxial cable could carry digital data up to
600 Mbps.
• However, coaxial cable in telephone networks has
largely been replaced today with fiber-optic cable.

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Applications

• Cable TV networks also use coaxial cables.

• Cable TV uses RG-59 coaxial cable.
• Another common application of coaxial cable is in
traditional Ethernet LANs.
• Because of its high bandwidth, and consequently
high data rate, coaxial cable was chosen for digital
transmission in early Ethernet LANs.

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 Fiber-Optic Cable

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Fiber-Optic Cable

• A fiber-optic cable is made of glass or plastic and

transmits signals in the form of light.
• Light travels in a straight line as long as it is moving
through a single uniform substance.
• If a ray of light traveling through one substance
suddenly enters another substance (of a different
density), the ray changes direction.

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Bending of light ray

• If the angle of incidence I (the angle the ray makes

with the line perpendicular to the interface between
the two substances) is less than the critical angle, the
ray refracts and moves closer to the surface.
• If the angle of incidence is equal to the critical
angle, the light bends along the interface.

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Bending of light ray

• If the angle is greater than the critical angle, the ray

reflects (makes a turn) and travels again in the
denser substance.
• Note: that the critical angle is a property of the
substance, and its value differs from one substance
to another.

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Bending of light ray

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Optical fiber

• Optical fibers use reflection to guide light through a

channel.
• A glass or plastic core is surrounded by a cladding
of less dense glass or plastic.
• The difference in density of the two materials must
be such that a beam of light moving through the core
is reflected off the cladding instead of being
refracted into it.

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Optical fiber

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Propagation modes

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Multimode

• Multimode can be implemented in two forms:

1. step-index
2. graded-index
• Multimode is so named because multiple beams
from a light source move through the core in
different paths.

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Step-Index Fiber

• In multimode step-index fiber, the density of the

core remains constant from the center to the edges.
• A beam of light moves through this constant density
in a straight line until it reaches the interface of the
core and the cladding.

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Step-Index Fiber

• At the interface, there is an abrupt change due to a

lower density; this alters the angle of the beam's
motion.
• The term step index refers to the suddenness of this
change, which contributes to the distortion of the
signal as it passes through the fiber.
• The word index here refers to the index of
refraction.

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Graded-Index Fiber

• Multimode graded-index fiber, decreases this

distortion of the signal through the cable.
• The index of refraction is related to density.
• A graded-index fiber, therefore, is one with varying
densities.
• Density is highest at the center of the core and
decreases gradually to its lowest at the edge.

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Single-Mode

• Single-mode uses step-index fiber and a highly

focused source of light that limits beams to a small
range of angles, all close to the horizontal.
• The single mode fiber itself is manufactured with a
much smaller diameter than that of multimode fiber,
and with substantially lower density (index of
refraction).

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Single-Mode

• The decrease in density results in a critical angle that

is close enough to 90° to make the propagation of
beams almost horizontal.
• In this case, propagation of different beams is almost
identical, and delays are negligible. All the beams
arrive at the destination "together" and can be
recombined with little distortion to the signal

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Modes

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Fiber types

Type Core (µm) Cladding (µm) Mode

50/125 50 125 Multimode, graded-index

62.5/125 62.5 125 Multimode, graded-index

100/125 100 125 Multimode, graded-index

7/125 7 125 Single-mode

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Fiber construction

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Fiber construction

• The outer jacket is made of either PVC or Teflon.

• Inside the jacket are Kevlar strands to strengthen the
cable. Kevlar is a strong material used in the
fabrication of bulletproof vests.
• Below the Kevlar is another plastic coating to
cushion the fiber.
• The fiber is at the center of the cable, and it consists
of cladding and core.

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Fiber-optic cable connectors

• The subscriber channel (SC) connector is used for

cable TV. It uses a push/pull locking system.
• The straight-tip (ST) connector is used for
connecting cable to networking devices. It uses a
bayonet locking system and is more reliable than
SC.
• MT-RJ is a connector that is the same size as RJ45.

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Fiber-optic cable connectors

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Fiber-optic cable connectors

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Advantages of Optical Fiber

• Advantages Fiber-optic cable has several advantages

over metallic cable (twisted pair or coaxial).
• Higher bandwidth. Fiber-optic cable can support
dramatically higher bandwidths (and hence data
rates) than either twisted-pair or coaxial cable.
• Less signal attenuation. Fiber-optic transmission
distance is significantly greater than that of other
guided media.

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Advantages of Optical Fiber

• A signal can run for 50 km without requiring

regeneration. We need repeaters every 5 km for
coaxial or twisted-pair cable.
• Immunity to electromagnetic interference.
• Electromagnetic noise cannot affect fiber-optic
cables.
• Resistance to corrosive materials. Glass is more
resistant to corrosive materials than copper.

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Advantages of Optical Fiber

• Light weight. Fiber-optic cables are much lighter

than copper cables.
• Greater immunity to tapping. Fiber-optic cables are
more immune to tapping than copper cables. Copper
cables create antenna effects that can easily be
tapped.

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Disadvantages of Optical Fiber

• Installation and maintenance. Fiber-optic cable is a

relatively new technology. Its installation and
maintenance require expertise that is not yet
available everywhere.
• Unidirectional light propagation. Propagation of
light is unidirectional. If we need bidirectional
communication, two fibers are needed.

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Disadvantages of Optical Fiber

• Cost. The cable and the interfaces are relatively

more expensive than those of other guided media. If
the demand for bandwidth is not high, often the use
of optical fiber cannot be justified.

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