Transmission Media

Presented By
Dr. Keyur
Mahant
 Introduction
• A transmission medium can be broadly defined as
anything that can carry information from a source to a
destination.
• The information is usually a signal that is the result
of a conversion of data from another form.
• The use of long-distance communication using
electric signals started with the invention of the
telegraph by Morse.
 Introduction
• Transmission of the human voice became possible when the
telephone was invented in 1869.
• Telephone communication at that time also needed a metallic
medium to carry the electric signals that were the result of a
conversion from the human voice.
• The communication was, however, unreliable due to the poor
quality of the wires. The lines were often noisy and the
technology was unsophisticated.
• Wireless communication started in 1895 when Hertz was able
to send high frequency signals. Later, Marconi devised a
method to send telegraph-type messages over the Atlantic
Ocean.
 Introduction
• Better metallic media have been invented (twisted-pair and
coaxial cables, for example). The use of optical fibers has
increased the data rate incredibly.
• Free space (air, vacuum, and water) is used more efficiently,
in part due to the technologies (such as modulation and
multiplexing)
 Electromagnetic Spectrum

Electromagnetic energy, a combination of electric and magnetic fields

vibrating in relation to each other, includes power, radio waves, infrared light,
visible light, ultraviolet light, and X, gamma, and cosmic rays. Each of
these constitutes a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Classification of transmission media
 Twisted-pair cable

• One of the wires is used to carry signals to the receiver,

and the other is used only as a ground reference. The
receiver uses the difference between the two.
• In addition to the signal sent by the sender on one of the
wires, interference (noise) and crosstalk may affect both
wires and create unwanted signals.
Crosstalk in Twisted Pair
 Types of Twisted-pair cable
• The most common twisted-pair cable used in communications
is referred to as unshielded twisted-pair (UTP).
• STP cable has a metal foil or braidedmesh covering that
encases each pair of insulated conductors. Although metal
casing improves the quality of cable by preventing the
penetration of noise or crosstalk, it is bulkier and more
expensive.
 Performance

• One way to measure the performance of twisted-pair cable is to compare

attenuation versus frequency and distance. A twisted-pair cable can pass a
wide range of frequencies.
• However, Figure 7.6 shows that with increasing frequency, the attenuation,
measured in decibels per kilometer (dB/km), sharply increases with
frequencies above 100 kHz.

Note: gauge is a measure of the thickness of the wire.

 Application
• Telephone network
•Between house and local exchange
(subscriber loop)
• Within buildings
•To private branch exchange (PBX)
• For local area networks (LAN)
•10Mbps or 100Mbps
 Twisted Pair - Pros and Cons
• Cheap
• Easy to work with
• Moderate data rate
• Short range
Twisted Pair - Characteristics
•Analog
Amplifiers every 5km to 6km
•Digital
Repeater every 2km or 3km
•Limited distance
•Limited bandwidth (1MHz)
•Limited data rate (100MHz)
•Susceptible to interference and noise
 Coaxial cable

• Coaxial cable (or coax) carries signals of higher frequency ranges than those in
twisted pair cable, in part because the two media are constructed quite differently.
• Instead of having two wires, coax has a central core conductor of solid or
stranded wire (usually copper) enclosed in an insulating sheath, which is, in turn,
encased in an outer conductor of metal foil, braid, or a combination of the two.
• The outer metallic wrapping serves both as a shield against noise and as the
second conductor, which completes the circuit.
• This outer conductor is also enclosed in an insulating sheath, and the whole
cable is protected by a plastic cover.
 Coaxial Cable Standards
• Coaxial cables are categorized by their Radio
Government (RG) ratings.
• Each RG number denotes a unique set of
physical specifications, including the wire
gauge of the inner conductor, the thickness
and type of the inner insulator, the
construction of the shield, and the size and
type of the outer casing.
Why 50Ω ?
 Coaxial Cable Connectors
• To connect coaxial cable to devices, we need coaxial
connectors. The most common type of connector used today
is the Bayonet Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector.
• Figure shows three popular types of these connectors: the
BNC connector, the BNC T connector, and the BNC
terminator.

• The BNC connector is used to connect the end of the cable to a device, such as a
TV set.
• The BNC T connector is used in Ethernet networks to branch out to a connection
to a computer or other device.
• The BNC terminator is used at the end of the cable to prevent the reflection of
the signal.
 Coaxial cable performance

• Attenuation is much higher in coaxial cable than in twisted-pair cable. In

other words, although coaxial cable has a much higher bandwidth, the
signal weakens rapidly and requires the frequent use of repeaters.
Transmission Characteristics
• Analog signal
• Amplifiers every few km
• Closer if higher frequency
• Up to 500MHz (about 4MHz for each TV channel)
• Digital signal
• Repeater every 1km or so
• Closer for higher data rates

Applications
• Television distribution
• Cable TV
• Long distance telephone transmission
• Can carry 10,000 voice calls simultaneously
• Being replaced by fiber optic
• Local area networks
• Short-range connections between devices such as
high-speed I/O channels on computer systems
Fiber optics: Bending of light ray
Propagation modes
Modes
 Optical Fiber - Benefits
• Greater capacity
– Data rates of hundreds of Gbps
• Smaller size & weight
• Lower attenuation
• Electromagnetic isolation
• Greater repeater spacing
– 10s of km at least
 Optical Fiber - Transmission
Characteristics
• Act as wave guide for 1014 to 1015 Hz
– Portions of infrared and visible spectrum
• Light Emitting Diode (LED)
– Cheaper
– Wider operating temp range
– Last longer
• Injection Laser Diode (ILD)
– More efficient
– Greater data rate
• Wavelength Division Multiplexing
 Optical Fiber - Applications
• Long-haul trunks
• Metropolitan trunks
• Rural exchange trunks
• Subscriber loops
• LANs
Unguided media
 Electromagnetic spectrum for
wireless communication
30MHz to 1GHz
Omni directional
Broadcast radio
2GHz to 40GHz
Microwave
Highly directional
Point to point
Satellite
3 x 1011 to 2 x 1014
Infrared
Local
Wireless Transmission Frequencies
Radio is a general term for frequencies in the range of 3kHz to
300GHz. The properties of radio waves are frequency dependent.
• 30MHz to 1GHz
 Suitable for omni-directional applications
 E.g., broadcast radio

• 1GHz to 40GHz
 Referred to as microwave frequencies
 Can be highly directional
 Suitable for point-to-point transmission
 Microwave is also used for satellite communications

• 3 x 1011 Hz to 2 x 1014 Hz
 Infrared
 Local applications, such as in a single room
There are national and international agreements about who gets to use
which frequencies.
• AM & FM radio, television, mobile phones, telephone companies, police,
maritime, navigation, military, government, etc.
• ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical): unlicensed usage
E.g., Cordless phone, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth, wireless LAN
 Radio waves
• Radio waves are used for
multicast communications, such
as radio and television, and
paging systems.
• They can penetrate through
walls.
• Highly regulated. Use omni
directional antennas
 Microwaves
• Microwaves are used for cellular
telephones, satellite networks, and wireless
LANs.
• Higher frequency ranges cannot penetrate
walls.
• Use directional antennas - point to point line
of sight communications.
Satellite Point to Point Link
Satellite Broadcast Link
 Infrared
• Infrared signals can be used for short-range
communication in a closed area using line-of-
sight propagation.
• Modulate noncoherent infrared light
• Blocked by walls
• e.g. TV remote control, IRD port (Setup box)
 Wireless Propagation
• Signal radiated from an antenna travels along one of three
routes:
– Ground wave
• Follows contour of earth
• Up to about 2MHz
• E.g., AM radio
– Sky wave
• 2 to 30 MHz
• Signal reflected from ionosphere layer of upper atmosphere
• Signals can travel thousands of km
• E.g. BBC world service, Voice of America
– Line of sight
• Above 30MHz
• The transmitting and receiving antennas must be within an effective line of
sight of each other
Ground Wave Propagation

(a) Ground-wave Propagation (below 3 MHz)

Sky Wave Propagation

(b) Sky-wave propagation (3 to 30 MHz)

Line of Sight Propagation

(c) Line-of-sight (LOS) propagation (above 30MHz)

 Losses
• Free space loss
– Signal disperses with distance
– Greater for lower frequencies (longer wavelengths)
• Atmospheric Absorption
– Water vapour and oxygen absorb radio signals
– Water greatest at 22GHz, less below 15GHz
– Oxygen greater at 60GHz, less below 30GHz
– Rain and fog scatter radio waves
• Multipath
– Better to get line of sight if possible
– Signal can be reflected causing multiple copies to be received
– May be no direct signal at all
– May reinforce or cancel direct signal
• Refraction
– May result in partial or total loss of signal at receiver
Multipath Interference
 Key Points
• The transmission media that are used to convey information can be
classified as guided or unguided. Guided media provide a physical
path along which the signals are propagated; these includes
twisted pair, coaxial cable, and optical fiber. Unguided media
employ an antenna for transmitting through air, vacuum, or water.
• Traditionally, twisted pair has been the workhorse for
communications of all sorts. Higher data rates over longer
distances can be achieved with coaxial cable. Today, optical fiber
has taken over much of the market for high-speed LANs and for
long-distance applications.
• Unguided transmission techniques commonly used for information
communications include broadcast radio, terrestrial microwave,
and satellite.