Find out what coaxial cables are, the different types of coaxial cable there are and their different uses.
What is a coaxial cable?
A coaxial cable, sometimes also called a coax cable, is an electrical cable that transmits radio frequency signals from one point to another.
The technology has been around since the early 20th century, with these cables being used primarily for satellite antenna installations to homes and businesses due to their durability and ease of installation.
What does a coaxial cable look like?
Coaxial cable has a distinctive thickness, with a round shape due to the inner insulation layer. Their size gives them a very different appearance from other types of cable, such as a twisted pair or Ethernet cable. The most common sizes of coaxial cable are RG-6, RG-11 and RG-59.
Coaxial cables are available in a variety of colors including black, brown and white.
How do coaxial cables work?
Coaxial cables are very popular because their shielded design allows the center conductor to transmit data quickly while being protected from damage and interference.
Coaxial cables are basically made up of these four different layers:
- A center conductor, which is usually a copper cable, through which data and video travel.
- A dielectric plastic insulating layer around the copper cable.
- A braided wire mesh made of copper wire that helps protect the cable from electromagnetic interference (EMI).
- A plastic jacket that protects the inner layers from damage.
- The coaxial cable works by carrying data in the center conductor, while the layers that wrap the shielding stop any signal loss (also called attenuation loss) and help reduce EMI.
The first layer, called the dielectric, provides distance between the center conductor and the outer layers, as well as some insulation. The subsequent layers, collectively called the screen, keep out electrical impulses and radio transmissions.
Advantages and disadvantages of coaxial cables
Advantages of coaxial cables
- Inexpensive
- Easy to wire and install
- Easy to extend
- Good EMI resistance
- Up to 10 Mbps capacity
- Durable
Another advantage of coaxial cables is that the electromagnetic field carrying the signal exists only in the space between the inner and outer conductors. This means that coaxial cable can be installed next to metallic objects without losing power, unlike other types of transmission lines.
Disadvantages of coaxial cables
The main disadvantage of using a coaxial cable is that the failure of a single cable can disconnect an entire network.
Coaxial Cables at Eurisa
There are two main types of coaxial cables: some with an impedance of 75 Ohm (Ω) and others with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ohm. Cables with 75 Ohm are mainly used to carry electrical video signals, while 50 Ohm cables are typically used for data and wireless communications.
In coaxial cables, Ohm refers to impedance, which is the measure of resistance in the cable to the flow of electrical energy.
COAXIAL SATÉLITE 17 VATC
Coaxial cable for the reception and distribution of digital terrestrial television signals, analog and digital satellite. These cables have no rated voltage and cannot be used in electrical power transmission circuits.
COAXIAL SATÉLITE 21 VATC
Coaxial cable for the reception and distribution of digital terrestrial, analog satellite and digital television signals with enhanced shielding. Characteristics of the cable COAXIAL SATELLITE 21 VATC
Types of coaxial cable connectors
Coaxial cable connectors are used to connect cables to other devices and maintain cable shielding.
There are two different connector styles, known as male and female. Male connectors have metal pins protruding from the center and female connectors have a recessed hole to receive the pin.
Below are some of the most common coaxial connector types and their applications:
BNC connector
Bayonet Neil-Concelman (BNC) coaxial connectors are used for quick connection or disconnection on RF equipment, test instruments, radio, television and video signal.
TNC Connector
Threaded Neill-Concelman (TNC) connectors are small, waterproof products that can operate up to 12 GHz. They are often used in cell phone and RF/antenna connections.
SMB Connector
The Subminiature version B (SMB) connector is one of the most popular RF/microwave connectors for industrial and telecommunications equipment. It offers a snap-on design for cables with unusual connections.
7/6 DIN connector
The 7/16 DIN connector (Deutsches Institut für Normung) is a threaded RF connector used to connect coaxial cables. It is mainly used for applications requiring water resistance, as they are robust and durable. They are especially useful for base stations, submarine cables and communication transmission systems.
QMA Connector
The QMA connector is a coaxial RF connector. It maintains the shield barrier in electrical applications and features snap-on mechanisms. It is suitable for industrial and communications scenarios.
MCX Connector
The microcoaxial (MCX) connector is ideal for environments with size or space restrictions.
This connector operates between DC and 6 Ghz in wireless, GPS, TV tuner cards, RF hardware and digital mobile applications. These connectors also feature snap-on design for easy installation.
RCA Connector
The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connector, also known as the
