what is twisted pair cable?. Introduction: | by lapp cables

13 May.,2024

 

what is twisted pair cable?. Introduction: | by lapp cables

what is twisted pair cable?

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Nov 23, 2022

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Introduction:

Two types of transmission media are available: Unguided Media and Guided Media. Guided media is when the signal is contained within the physical limits and directed with it.

Twisted Pair Cables :

These are a form of guided media. Alexander Graham Bell invented it. Twisted pair cables are made of two conductors, which are usually made from copper. Each conductor is also insulation. Twisted pair cables is the result of these two conductors being twisted together.

One conductor is used to carry the signal, the other is used only as a ground reference. The difference in signals between the two conductors is used by the receiver. Crosstalk or noise in parallel conductors can be high, but it is much less in twisted pair cables because of the twisting characteristic. The first twist places one conductor near the noise source, while the other conductor is far away. However, the second twist reverses this situation and the noise generated is much less. This results in a balance in signal quality and receivers receive very little or no noise. The number of twists per length of twisted pair cables has a significant impact on the quality of the signal.

Twisted Pair Cables can be further divided into two types:

1. Unshielded Twisted Couple Cables (UTP).

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These are two pairs of insulated copper wires that are twisted together without shielding or insulation. They are also known as unshielded, twisted pair cables. Insulation reduces external interference. Unshielded twisted-pair cables are laid in pairs to allow for easy addition of a new connection when needed. One extra pair is included in the DSL and telephone lines that we have in our homes. UTP are organized in pairs and each pair is assigned a different code according to the AT&T Corporation’s 25-pair code. UTP is divided by the Electronic Industries Association into seven categories according to certain standards. The cable quality is what determines which category you belong to. A 1 represents the best quality, while a 7 indicates the lowest quality. Each cable is used for a different purpose depending on its category.

Only Connect: Twisted Pair cabling

A short history lesson: After the invention of the telephone, the rapid use of electricity started to create new problems. People started to notice that where telephone lines ran next to electric tram lines the quality of the signal dropped markedly.

The problem was caused by electrical interference, called noise, which effectively reduced signal quality and length range of cables. Alexander Graham Bell solved this problem by creating twisted pair cables. A simple yet effective solution to the problem and one that led to the balanced circuits.


The benefit of twisted par cables is the extended length they can run and the quality of signal they can produce, bringing us right up to date with Twisted Pair cabling used in IT cables (and many others).


Another development was the invention of shielding of cables, which both reduces noise and interference. There are, however, a few types of shielding. So if you are unsure of the difference between FTP and SSTP then the following table explains everything you need to know:

Comparison of abbreviations, according to ISO/IEC 11801:

Old name

New name

cable screening

pair shielding

UTP U/UTP none none STP U/FTP none foil FTP F/UTP foil none S-STP S/FTP braiding foil S-FTP SF/UTP foil, braiding none SFTP Foil Shield

Knowing the difference between the types of shielded twisted pair cables does not mean that you will be able to know what cable is best for the application you have. There will still be some help needed from an expert, to guide you through the choices available. This is where your cable assembly expert comes in!

I hope this has been useful and you now know the type of twisted pair cables available. All you need to do is too decide what level of shielding protection you need!

(Image: RS Components, 2 Pair RS-485 (HART) data cable, 304m)

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