Types of cables

Name Construction and Ratings Advantages Disadvantages

Material used

Coaxial cable Coaxial cable consists of circular inner and outer -lower error rates -more expensive
conductor separated by and insulator (a dielectric -sufficient frequency to install
Range to support multiple -thicker the
medium, can be air or plastic material like PTFE) and
channel which allow for cable more
sharing the same geometric axis. much difficult to
throughput. work with.
Direct buried cable Unlike standard telecommunications and power -have lower transmission -high costs of
Cables, which have only a thin layer of insulation Losses cable
And a waterproof outer cover, and consist of multiple layers -can absorb emergency -hard to
of heavy metallic-banded sheathing, reinforced by heavy power costs. discover
rubber covers, shock absorbing gel, wrapped thread-fortified -have lower maintenance And fix the wire
waterproof tape, and stiffed by a heavy metal core. costs. breaks in case
of the
Failure of
system.
Flexible cable Stranding in layers: in the case of shielded cables, the cores -can reduce the size of the -can be
are wrapped up with fleece or foils. cable and offer a more damaged easily
However, this type of construction means that, during the flexible product. when improper
bending process, the inner radius compresses and the outer operation
radius stretches as the cable core moves. -
Filled cable The cable core is fully filled with a water-resistant -great working -greater cost
compound jelly which is fully compatible with the polythene temperature -complicated
insulation of the filling compound a close helical or -greater current carrying laying of cables
longitudinal lapping of a polyester tape is applied over the capacity. and
cable core. maintenance.
Non metallic sheathed The insulated conductors, the bare copper ground wire, and -outer sheath provides
cable the paper wrapping are all contained within a tough pvc continuous protection in
plastic sheathing that is non-conductive and heat resistant. addition to the insulation
applied to the conductors
Metallic sheathed cable It is collection of plastic- coated insulated wires (typically
14- or 12-guage), bundled together and protected by a
ribbon-like metal sheathing.
Multicore cable These have an outer sheath which surrounds ball of the inner -takes almost 40%less
conductors. This is usually in the form of an extruded PVC space than cables with
or cross-linked polyethylene jacket, often combined with an similar functions
 aluminium sheath under the surface for electromagnetic -improved functions
shielding. -corrosion resistant
-ultra-flexible
-multi-functional
Portable cord It is a cable with multiple conductors used for temporary
electrical power connections requiring flexibility. The cord
can be employed in a range of applicatins, such as operating
motors in small and large tools, equipment, power
extensions, home appliances, and machinery.
Ribbon cable It is a cable with many conducting wires running parallel to -an be prepped and spliced -there is no
each other on the same flat plane. It is also known as multi- much more rapidly than control over
wire planar cable. similar sized non-ribbon how the ribbon
cables is oriented
inside the cable,
so any bending
of the ribbon
fibre could be
prpendicular to
its longitudinal
ribbon axis,
which can cause
stree on the
fibre. This
damages the
cable and
causes insertion
loss ( loss of
signal power).
Shielded cable It is an electrical cable of one or more insulated conductors -shielding reduces noise -high level of
enclosed by a common conductive layer. The shield may be and its impact on signals expertise is
composed of braided strands of copper, a non-braided spiral -lowers electromagnetic needed when
winding of copper tape, or a layer of conducting polymer. radiation. installing the
Usually these shields are covered with a jacket. -prevents crosstalk cables as the stp
between cables near each cables need to
other. be grounded.
-if not
grounded, the
shield doesn’t
work and data
transfer speed
 suffer or
outages may
occur.
Single cable Single cable are made up of a single conductor covered by a -easy insulation between -poor flexibility
pvc insulation. They are mainly used in power and lighting phases -poor resistance
circuits, both domestic and commercial applications. -convenient cable -poor heat
transportation dissipation
-easy laying -poor skin
resistance
Submersible cable The conductors are drawn from bright electrolyte grade -designed to work -the seal can
copper annealed and bunched together. Bunched conductors effectively even in hostile become corrodd
are insulated with specially formulated pvc compound and demanding work with time.
having high insulation resistance values.3 core are in parallel environment. -seal makes the
position and sheathed with a special grade of pvc compound -offer a high level of submersible
which has high resistivity water grease, oil,etc. safety and reliability. pump a bit
difficult to get
into for repair.
Twin and earth cable These cables comprise 2 individually insulated current
carrying conductors and a circuit protective conductor
(cpc=pe=earth)., but it is not intended to be used where it is
subject to regular movement or sunlight, because the
sheathing is affected by ultrviolet radiation.
Twinax cable It is a type of cabling similar to coaxial cable, but with 2
inner conductors insetad of 1, due to cost efficiency it is
becoming common in modern(2013) very-short-range-high-
speed differential signalling applications.
Twin lead cable This cable is a two- conductor flat cable used as a balanced
transmission line to carry radio frequency signals, it is
constructed of 2 stranded copper or copper-clad steel wires,
held a precise distance apart by a plastic ribbon. The uniform
spacing of the wired is the key to the cable’s function as a
transmission line; any abrupt changed in spacing w
Twisted pair It is a type of wiring in which 2 conductors of a single circuit -crosstalk is minimized. -deformation
are twisted together for the purposes of improving -easy to handle and install. -delay skew
electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a sinle -cheapst form of cable -imbalance
conductor or an untwisted balanced pair, a twisted pair available for networking
reduces electromagnetic radiation from the pair and crosstalk purposes.
between neighbouring pairs and improves rejection of
external electromagnetic interference. It was invented by
alexander graham bell.