Advantages and Disadvantages of Coaxial Cable

A Coaxial Cable is a kind of electrical cable that contains a copper conductor and stops signal interference and crosstalk. Another name of coaxial cable is coax and its copper conductor is useful in the transmission of signals and the insulator provides insulation to the copper conductor.

The whole setup of coaxial cables is packed with a protective plastic layer for added safety. In this blog, we will discuss about coaxial cable, its types, advantages, and disadvantages.

What is Coaxial Cable?

A coaxial cable is a kind of transmission line that passes electrical energy from one place to another. It can be used for connecting a transmitter to an antenna. These cables have signal propagation in the form of Transverse Electromagnetic mode.

An RF Coaxial Cable is widely used by cable operators and telephone companies for transmitting data and voice communication. It sends the accurate data from one point to another.

Structure of Coaxial cable

A coaxial cable contains the following parts:

• Copper Conductor

  This is a central conductor that is made of copper. The conductor is the point at which the data is transmitted.

• Insulator

  An insulator is useful to maintain a space between the shield and the center conductor.

• Braided Mesh

  Braided mesh gives protection from electromagnetic waves. It stops EMI from moving in and out of a coaxial cable.

• Protective plastic layer

  This is an outer polymer layer that contains a plastic coating and is used for protecting internal layers from damage.

Types of Coaxial Cable

A coaxial cable is of multiple kinds such as:

• Flexible Coaxial Cable

  As the name says, this is a flexible cable and contains an inner conductor encircled by a flexible polymer.

• Twinaxial Cable

  Twinaxial cable contains 2 central conductors at the core and a single outer core. It is highly useful for video transmission and low-frequency digital transmission.

• Hardline Coaxial Cable

  The center conductor in this cable is made from metals such as copper and silver. It has a larger diameter than other types of coaxial cables.

• Triaxial Cable

  This cable is also called a Triax and contains an extra copper braid. This braid works as a protective layer against noise. These cables also provide more bandwidth than other kinds of cables.

• Semi-rigid Coaxial Cable

  This cable contains an outer layer made of solid copper with Polytetrafluoroethylene.

• Rigid Coaxial Cable

  This coaxial cable contains 2 copper tubes supported at cable ends and fixed intervals on the cable length with the help of PTFE supports or disk insulators. This kind of cable cannot be bent and is widely used in TV, antennas, and FM broadcasting systems.

Advantages of Coaxial Cable

A coaxial cable is an old device that is used for transmitting electrical energy from one point to another. We will further discuss the various benefits of a coaxial cable in this section:

• Multiple Uses

  Coaxial cables are widely used for many purposes such as cable television, FM, military antennas, and data communication. They are the most common kinds of cables used by internet providers, cable operators, and telecommunication companies. Besides, a coaxial cable is also used for HDTV, video transmission, military antennas, and CCTV systems.

• Simple Installation

  One major advantage of Coaxial Cable is that it is easy to install anywhere. You will not require a special talent or experience to install coaxial cables for various purposes. Due to easy installation, this cable is widely used for CCTV systems, internet signals, HDTV, antennas, and video transmissions.

• Smooth Performance

  A coaxial cable works better than other kinds of coaxial cable. It gives a smooth performance even when there is noise, interference, or any cross talk. You can get a nice clarity in video transmission and data communication by using a coaxial cable.

• Durable Cables

  One of the major benefits of a coaxial cable is that it is rust-resistant. This cable is made from premium-grade components that do not rust or corrode with use, moisture, pollutants, or UV rays. It is more durable than other coaxial cables and can be used for multiple purposes.

• Better Transmission Rate

  A coaxial cable contains high-quality shielding materials that give a better transmission rate. It also provides high bandwidth transmission of the signals. This cable is normally used in high-frequency applications. Coaxial cables are strong and reliable as well.

• Cost-Effective Cable

  Coaxial cables are affordable and used by many small telecommunication companies and internet providers. You can afford to install a coaxial cable for TV, antennas, radio, and data communication.

• The Benefit of Skin Effect

  The feature of the skin effect makes coaxial cables more useful for different applications. This feature makes the cable perfect for high-frequency applications of more than 50 MHz with the help of copper-clad materials for the center conductor. Skin effect is caused due to high-frequency signals moving on the outer surface of the conductor. It also boosts the strength of a coaxial cable and decreases weight.

Disadvantage of Coaxial Cable

Just like multiple benefits, the coaxial cable also has various disadvantages such as:

1. This cable is bulky as compared to other kinds of coaxial cables.
2. This cable is not suitable for longer distances as it is heavy and stiff.
3. You will have to ground a coaxial cable to stop interference and cross-talks.
4. The whole network setup will be affected if one cable fails to work in the signal transmission.
5. Coaxial cable is thicker than other cables and Coaxial RF Cable Connectors.
6. One more disadvantage of Coaxial Cable is that it can be easily broken by anyone. Security is a major problem when using coaxial cables for homes and offices.

Final Words

Coaxial cables have been used since the 20^th century for various applications such as TV, radio, internet, antennas, and so on. You can get the best Coaxial Cable from online stores at low rates. Search for the best manufacturers and dealers of coaxial cables on online websites. You can visit the official websites of these manufacturers to get more details about the various kinds of coaxial cables and their applications.