The Choice Of Different Data Cables

The information which we search for on a daily basis has to be transferred to our computer screens somehow, depending on where the information needs to be transferred to and the amount of data which has to be transferred will depend on the data cable used. There are three main data cables which are now used on a regular basis to transmit data, this includes, twisted pair, coaxial cable and fibre optic cables.

Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cables are not as popularly used as they were in the past. They are more popularly used in older computer systems and networks; the reason to why they are not used as often is because they have now been replaced by a more suitable cable (known as the twisted pair cable). However the coaxial cable does still have its use in television communication data. It is easy to tell the difference between a coaxial cable compared to others, as it is a large round cable. The cable has an inner core wire which transmits all the data. The coaxial cable is quite reliable as it does have a protective shield to avoid any interruptions and interference.

Twisted Pair Cable

Twisted pair cables have now replaced the job of the coaxial cable and are most commonly used in telephone and computer networking. Computer networks were often liable to interference due to the reliability of the coaxial cable; however the twisted pair cable now uses twisted positive and negative cables to act as a protective shield from any interruptions. The twisted pair cable does have its problems as it can only travel for around 300 feet before it starts to face some problems.

Fibre Optic Cables

Fibre optic cables are a relatively new invention with many companies turning to use fibre optic cables as they are seen as very reliable for fast data connections. Most people would of heard of fibre optic cables, this is because a lot of good internet connections will be use fibre optic cabling rather than LAN cables. Unlike the other two popular data cables, fibre optic cables do not face any degradation problems. Fibre optic cables use glass as part of the cable to provide a fast and reliable connection, so there it is very fragile. Like the other two cables, fibre optic does also have a protective shield to protect it from any interference and interruptions. Due to the reliability of the fibre optic cable is does come with quite a high price tag when purchased.

There are still many different cables that I haven’t yet spoke about. If you wanted a little more information on cables you can look at what data cables are used for.

Tom works on behalf of Belcom, who manufacture a variety of high performance cables. For more information go to www.belcom.co.uk

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