Reliability of a Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cables have been used since 1936, but their use was limited because of high installation costs. Today, the use of coaxial cables has significantly improved due to their ability to carry high frequency analog and digital signals. Coaxial cable systems are highly reliable. The cost of maintenance and expansion is relatively low. As with open wire pairs and twisted-wire pairs, a coaxial cable has two metal conductors, usually made of copper. Each coaxial cable consists of an inner conductor that is made of solid metal. An insulating material separates the conductor from an outer cylindrical conductor. An outer sheath protects the coaxial cable against the elements of weather.
There are several advantages of using coaxial cables. The main advantages are - Coaxial cable connection permits the transmission of high frequency signals, including carrier frequencies. Further, at high frequencies, the coaxial outer conductor shields the inner conductor from extraneous electromagnetic radiation signals. such as crosstalk. Also, attenuation at high frequencies is less severe with coaxial cables than with twisted pair cables. Therefore. coaxial cables are better suited for high frequency transmission, as used in high speed data and video applications. Coaxial cables are the optimal metallic medium of transmission for frequencies above 1 MHz and below 1 GHz. However, for frequencies upto 1 MHz, twisted pair cables are more suitable.