Transmission media-Guided and Unguided By

Norrima Mokhtar

Objectives
Present the functions and features of leading transmission media, both guided and open media(unguided) Guided media
Twisted pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber and mixed cabling

Open media (space)

RF, Ultraviolet, Microwave and satellite

Introduction
Transmission media physical path between transmitter and receiver Examples
the path between the satellite and the ground station in satellite communication systems the path between two computers

Transmission media

Introduction: their effects

The quality of transmission is determined by both the: characteristics of the medium characteristics of the signal

For guided media, the medium itself is more important in determining the limitations of transmission For unguided media, the bandwidth of the signal is more important than the medium because the medium is shared by many applications

Operating frequencies

Electromagnetic spectrum

Guided Transmission Media

Twisted Pair Coaxial Cable Optical Fiber Mixed Cabling

MODULE

Twisted Pair Wire

Twisted pair cable

Special terms
Shielding (Conductive material) Insulation (Non-conductive material) Casing (Plastic material)

Types and Purpose of Twisting

Types
Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) Shielded twisted pair (STP)

Twisting
Minimizes the effect of electromagnetic interference The electromagnetic field from one wire counterbalances the field from the other wire

Effect of Noise on Parallel Lines

Shielding and Insulation

The cables are shielded from electro magnetic interference
In both directions, from outside as well as inside

The plastic casing is not to be considered as shielding

It is not an insulation

Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable

UTP cable standard

Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable

Characteristics
Cheap Easy to install Generally speaking, different frequencies may not be assigned to carry different channels on the same twisted pair wire Compared to coaxial cables, twisted pair wires have a lower bandwidth
But, recent improvements have contributed to an increase in bandwidth Speed is proportional to bandwidth

Quality and Categorization of the Wires

Twisted pair wires are categorized according to their quality Category 3 wires are of the lower quality Category 5 wires are of higher quality
Partly achieved by having a larger number of twists in the cable

Higher category wires such as Cat 6 etc. are now available

Areas of Application
Phone lines Used extensively in telecommunications LANs

Typical Twisted Pair Connection

Hub Twisted Pair Wire

Reasons for Its Increasing Popularity

Better quality UTP is being produced Ease of installation superseding its other limitations A LAN to be configured with twisted pair wires requires a hub
A hub based implementation is preferred because it is easy to install and manage

Important Areas of Application for Twisted Pair Wires

LAN RJ 45 10baseT LANs operating at 10 Mbps 100baseTX LANs operating at 100 Mbps 8 wires Telephone wiring connections RJ 11 (4 wires) RJ 14 (6 wires)

MODULE

Coaxial Cable

Types of Coaxial Cables

Thin coaxial
Lighter version Thin Ethernet cable RG-58 : Thin Ethernet

Thick coaxial
Original version Standard Ethernet cable RG-8, RG-9, RG-11 : Thick Ethernet

RG-59 : TV

Thin Coaxial Cable

Higher bandwidth than twisted pair wires Lower bandwidth compared with the thick coaxial able More flexible compared to thick coaxial cable Cheaper

Type of Thin Coaxial Cable Used in LAN

Standardized 10Base2 cable
10M bps Ethernet Bus topology

Thick Coaxial Cable

Compared to thin coaxial cable
Higher bandwidth Less maneuverable More expensive

Thick Coaxial Cables Used in Networks

Standardized 10Base5
10M bps Ethernet Bus topology

Overall Characteristics of the Coaxial Cables

Relatively cheap compared to fiber-optic cables Wider bandwidth compared to twisted pair wires Good transmission characteristics Used in high-speed synchronous transmission Supports broadband communication Can be tapped for multi-drop connection

A Typical Coaxial Connection

Bus LAN

Coaxial Cable

A multi-drop connection

Components Used in Connecting a Computer to a Coaxial Cable

Thin coaxial cable
T connector

Network Interface Card

Terminator

An Example of the Use of Thick Coaxial Cables

Switch
Coaxial Cable

Router

Backbone

Thick coaxial cable

Areas of Application for Coaxial Cables

Ethernet bus LANs Telephone trunks Mainframe networks Cable TVs

Future of Coaxial Cables

Overall use is on the decline LANs (Lower End) Replaced by newer and better twisted pair wires Telephone trunks (Higher End) Fiber cables are replacing coaxial cables Mainframes of today Connected to peripheral devices over larger networks built on fiber-optic cables and twisted pair wires

MODULE
Fiber Cables

Refraction

Critical Angle

Optical fiber

[Link](62.5um,50um,8.3um)
[Link](125um) [Link](250um)

Fiber types

Light source
Sending device called light source Receiving device called photosensitive cell (photodiode) Light source Light-emitting diode (LED) Cheap but unfocused Short distance Injection Laser diode (ILD) Expensive but focused Preserve the signal (long distance)

Characteristics
Very broad bandwidth Higher transmission speeds are possible Signals travel a longer distance No Electro-magnetic field
No interference Signals are difficult to tap

Smaller size

Fiber Optics Transmission

Light travels along the path of the fiber by bouncing around its edges Propagation methods
Multi-mode step index Multi-mode graded index Single mode

Increasing Speed

[Link]-mode (8.3/125um,9.3/125um,10/125um)laser [Link]-mode (62.5/125um,50/125um)led

[Link] fiber optic laser(500um-2mm)

A Simple Fiber LAN

Source: Black Box

Types and Cost

Types Regular glass fibers Plastic fibers Purer the fibers the better the transmission characteristics Cost Fiber cables are costlier than twisted pair wires and coaxial cables The cost has declined over a period of time Plastic fiber cables are cheaper than glass fiber cables

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Mixed Cabling

Mixed Cabling
LANs may be constructed with different segments having different cable types Devices are available for interfacing the different media Optical fiber is often used for high speed links within a LAN of mixed speed ratings

Media Interface

A Mixed Media LAN

Source: Black Box

Identify the components and relate to the previous slide.

Listing of Media and Communication Network Services

Web Research: Find the meaning of the above terms

Unguided media

Unguided media
Omnidirectional Signal radiates in all directions Good for broadcast Inexpensive antenna Directional Signal radiates in a single direction Usually requires parabolic (dish) antenna 2-40 GHz (microwave) Also works with lasers

Bands

MODULE

Microwave

Frequency Range and Propagation

Microwave frequency range
10e8 to 10e11 Bandwidth is nearly 10e11 Hz

Propagation
Over space
At higher frequencies the waves tend to behave like light waves

Line-of-Sight Requirement
Line of sight is required.

What is line of sight

Two antennae are shown each having the same height. Line-of-sight transmission means the transmitting and receiving antennae can "see" each other as shown. The maximum distance at which they can see each other, dLOS, occurs when the sighting line just grazes the earth's surface.

Characteristics
Advantage
Cable laying is not required

Disadvantage
Can easily be tapped Encryption is one way of securing the data from eavesdropping

Applications Areas
Telecommunications Used extensively LAN Used for wireless connections WANs benefit from microwave Usage on the increase LANs and WANs area Fueled by FCC's(federal communications comission-US) reassignment of part of the microwave bandwidth from military to civilian use

MODULE

Satellite Communication

Types
Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO)

First satellites to be launched Remain stationary with respect to the position of the earth at a high altitude
Balance between the gravity of the moon and the earth

Appear to be stationary with respect to a position on earth

Medium Earth Orbit

Fall to earth after a certain number of years of service

Low Earth Orbit

Todays focus
Touted to play an important role in global communications

Several being launched under the Iridium project

Usher a new era in global communications Support computer systems and personal communicant devices in communicating with one another

Propagation
Requires line-of-sight GEO
At least 3 satellites are required to provide total global coverage

Total Global Coverage Using GEO Satellites

Upload 12 GHZ
I

16GHZ Down load

III

II

3 satellites are required to cover the earth

Salient Features of Satellite Communications

Uploading and downloading
Uploading at 12 GHz Downloading at 16 Ghz

Basic function
Receive the signals from an earth station, amplify them and then transmit them back to another earth station

Applications
Telecommunications
Especially for inter-continental communication

TV broadcast
Usage is increasing

Navigation and other similar local applications

GPS

Transmission Impairment for both type guided and unguided

Attenuation Distortion Noise

Attenuation

Why dB?

Distortion

Noises

Assignment by group- Must be submitted on Monday:2pm

Describe transmission media for guided and unguided. Gives and describe transmission media considerations.
Tutorial must be done in two sessions-mon:4-6pm and wed:4-6pm