What is a Coaxial Cable?

What Does Coaxial cable Mean

The coaxial cable or coax is a type of wire commonly used in transmitting electrical signals to network communication or computer networks .

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Its name comes from the fact that it consists of two conductive materials arranged concentrically along the same axis : the central one is covered by an insulator which in turn is covered by the other conductor, thus building an electrically shielded transmission circuit.

Coaxial cable was created in the 1930s, and it quickly replaced twisted-pair cable, since it allowed a faster and more secure transmission of information . Today it is being replaced by fiber optics , more compatible with contemporary needs for high frequencies and digitization of transmissions.

It can serve you: Digital television

Uses and applications

Coaxial cable is an excellent option when you need to send information or current over long distances in a secure way.

Before being displaced by fiberglass, it was used extensively for these purposes, underground and even underwater , especially for analog telephony and certain digital transmission systems.

Today it is common to find a coaxial cable connecting:

  • The satellite antenna and the subscription television decoder ;
  • Short wave radio transmitters and their broadcasting antenna;
  • On the video signal distribution lines ;
  • In submarine cables and long distance telephone networks .

Coaxial cable parts

In a coaxial cable two conductive elements are separated by an insulator.

A coaxial cable is made up of the following parts:

  • Core. Located in the center of the cable, it consists of a single cable called "solid", although eventually it can be several wires in one. It is the main route of electrical and electronic information that the cable allows.
  • Dielectric. Around the core is an insulating layer known as a dielectric, whose function is to keep two components separate whose contact would produce a short circuit, such as the core and the mesh.
  • Braided wire mesh. Covering the dielectric is a braided metal mesh, which serves as a screen to protect the core from radiation and interference, and therefore guarantees the fidelity of the transmission. It is possible that in some cases, apart from this braided mesh, there is a metallic foil covering the dielectric (double shielding).
  • External cover. It is the "skin" of the cable, which surrounds and covers it, and is usually made of Teflon, rubber or plastic (PVC), thus serving as a protector and insulator. Usually it painted colored black as well.

Advantages and disadvantages

Compared to previous cable models, coaxial represented a huge leap forward. On the one hand, it is flexible but at the same time resistant to attenuation and interference , since the screen of twisted wires absorbs the lost signals and isolates the information transmitted within the cable.

In addition, it supports large amounts of data in a rather simple physical system to manufacture.

However, in the face of contemporary transmission needs, typical of the digital age, coaxial cable reveals its limitations: it transmits simple signals, without frequency modulation , and incidentally requires special terminals for the physical connection.

For that reason, today it is preferred to use fiberglass, with which, in addition, there are no risks of short circuit when damaged cables.

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