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Why Use Twisted Pair Cable vs. Coaxial Cable

August 19, 2015 By Mary Gannon 3 Comments

Coax-Cables-web
A collection of coax cable types from Helukabel are able to transmit in the GHz range.

Most everyone knows what coaxial cables are, as they are used in almost every home for cable television connections.

These data cables are also popular in local area networks (LAN) because they are highly resistant to signal interference. This resistance is due to the cable construction, which includes a round copper conductor and then three layers of insulation and shielding which prevents crosstalk from motors, lighting and other sources of EMI. This design also gives coax cables the ability to support longer cable lengths between two devices.

However, coax cables can be difficult to install, so sometimes twisted pair cabling may be called for, in which two conductors are twisted together. This twisting helps to eliminate EMI and crosstalk, especially in the more common unshielded, twisted pair designs. The biggest advantage to twisted pair cabling is in installation, as it is often thinner than coax. However, because they are thinner, they can not support very long runs like coax cables.

The HELUKAT 155 is an unshielded, twisted-pair, Cat 5e LAN cable used in the secondary and tertiary levels of a network.
The HELUKAT 155 is an unshielded, twisted-pair, Cat 5e LAN cable used in the secondary and tertiary levels of a network.

These tightly twisted designs cost less than coaxial cables and provide high data transmission rates. They connect with the RJ45 connector, which looks similar to a telephone jack but is designed for twisted pair pins.

In environments with extreme interference, especially those running motors, shielded twisted pair cabling should be used. Like coax, it supports greater cable lengths, and can be shielded in a variety of ways—with a foil shield on each conductor, a foil or braid inside the jacket or a combination of individual conductor and jacket shielding.

HELUKAT-200-web
The HELUKAT 200 is an overall shielded, twisted-pair, Cat 5e LAN cable perfectly suited for installation on application with tight cable channels.

In the end, twisted pair cabling is better suited when cost and installation are an issue and if EMI and crosstalk are not too much of a problem. However, they do not provide electrostatic shielding and do not work as well as coaxial cables at higher frequencies, so having a full understanding of your application is necessary before selecting these data cables.

 

Filed Under: Basics Tagged With: Helukabel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nor Zalina Ahmad Ahtar says

    July 25, 2018 at 4:34 am

    Hi,
    Is it necessary to use coaxial cable for automated teller machine installed in a train station? . The incoming cable to the station is fiber

    Log in to Reply
    • dlukian says

      September 19, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      While you may get away with using a twisted pair, a shielded coax cable would provide a greater degree of dependability, especially for an application that involves financial transactions such as an automated teller.

      Shielded twisted pair is a viable alternative.

      Log in to Reply
  2. Ian Tsai says

    August 19, 2019 at 11:44 am

    Hi how is a RG6 cable comparing with a CAT7 cable, both of them can work at a mix. speed of 10Gbps?

    Log in to Reply

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