Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Module-3 Transmission Media

Agenda-1 Transmission Medium,

Agenda-2 Guided Media: Coaxial Cable, Twisted Pair, Fiber Optics Cable ;
Agenda-3 Unguided Media:
 Radio Waves,
 Infrared,
 Micro-wave,
 Satellite communication,
 Laser. Switching Techniques.
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 Transmission media are actually located below the physical layer and are
directly controlled by the physical layer.
 You could say that transmission media belong to layer zero.
 Figure 7.1 shows the position of transmission media in relation to the
physical layer.

 A transmission medium can be broadly defined as anything that can carry

information from a source to a destination.
 For example, the transmission medium for two people having a dinner
conversation is the air.
 The air can also be used to convey the message in a smoke signal or
semaphore.
 For a written message, the transmission medium might be a mail carrier, a
truck, or an airplane.
 In data communications the definition of the information and the transmission
medium is more specific.
 The transmission medium is usually free space, metallic cable, or fiber-optic
cable.
 The information is usually a signal that is the result of a conversion of data
from another form.
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 The use of long-distance communication using electric signals started with the
invention of the telegraph by Morse in the 19th century.
 Communication by telegraph was slow and dependent on a metallic
medium.
 Extending the range 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.
 We have come a long way.
 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).

 Computers and other telecommunication devices use signals to represent

data.
 These signals are transmitted from one device to another in the form of
electromagnetic energy, which is propagated through transmission media.
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 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.
 Not all portions of the spectrum are currently usable for telecommunications,
however.
 The media to harness those that are usable are also limited to a few types.
 In telecommunications, transmission media can be divided into two broad
categories:
 guided and
 unguided.
 Guided media include twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic
cable.
 Unguided medium is free space.
 Figure 7.2 shows this taxonomy

A transmission medium can be broadly defined as anything that can carry

information from a source to a destination.

Classes of transmission media

Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Guided Media: Guided media, which are those that provide a medium from
one device to another, include twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic
cable.
Twisted-Pair Cable: A twisted pair consists of two conductors (normally
copper), each with its own plastic insulation, twisted together. One of the wires
is used to carry signals to the receiver, and the other is used only as a ground
reference.
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Unshielded Versus Shielded 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 braided mesh 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.

The most common UTP connector is RJ45 (RJ stands for registered jack).
Applications
 Twisted-pair cables are used in telephone lines to provide voice and data channels.
 Local-area networks, such as l0Base-T and l00Base-T, also use twisted-pair cables.

Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cable (or coax) carries signals of higher frequency ranges than those in
twisted pair cable.
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 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.

The most common type of connector used today is the Bayone-Neill-Concelman

(BNe), connector.

Applications
 Coaxial cable was widely used in analog telephone networks,digital telephone
networks
 Cable TV networks also use coaxial cables.
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 Another common application of coaxial cable is in traditional Ethernet LANs

Fiber-Optic Cable
 A fiber-optic cable is made of glass or plastic and transmits signals in the form
of light.
 Light travels in a straight line as long as it is moving through a single uniform
substance.
 If a ray of light traveling through one substance suddenly enters another
substance(of a different density), the ray changes direction.
Bending of light ray

Optical fibers use reflection to guide light through a channel. A glass or plastic
core is surrounded by a cladding of less dense glass or plastic.

Propagation Modes
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 Multimode is so named because multiple beams from a light source move

through the core in different paths.
 How these beams move within the cable depends on the structure of the core,
as shown in Figure

 In multimode step-index fiber, the density of the core remains constant from
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

the center to the edges.

 A beam of light moves through this constant density in a straight line until it
reaches the interface of the core and the cladding.
 The term step index refers to the suddenness of this change, which contributes
to the distortion of the signal as it passes through the fiber.
 A second type of fiber, called multimode graded-index fiber, decreases this
distortion of the signal through the cable.
 The word index here refers to the index of refraction.
Single-Mode:
 Single-mode uses step-index fiber and a highly focused source of light that
limits beams to a small range of angles, all close to the horizontal.

Fiber Construction

The subscriber channel (SC) connector, The straight-tip (ST) connector, MT-
RJ(mechanical transfer registered jack) is a connector
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Applications
 Fiber-optic cable is often found in backbone networks because its wide
bandwidth is cost-effective.
 Some cable TV companies use a combination of optical fiber and coaxial
cable , thus creating a hybrid network.
 Local-area networks such as 100Base-FX network (Fast Ethernet) and
1000Base-X also use fiber-optic cable.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Optical Fiber

Advantages
 Fiber-optic cable has several advantages over metallic cable (twisted pair or coaxial).
1 Higher bandwidth.
2 Less signal attenuation.
 Fiber-optic transmission distance is significantly
 Greater than that of other guided media.
 A signal can run for 50 km without requiring regeneration.
 We need repeaters every 5 km for coaxial or twisted pair cable.
3 Immunity to electromagnetic interference. Electromagnetic noise cannot
affect fiber-optic cables.
4 Resistance to corrosive materials. Glass is more resistant to corrosive
materials than copper.
5 Light weight. Fiber-optic cables are much lighter than copper cables.
6 Greater immunity to tapping. Fiber-optic cables are more immune to tapping
than copper cables. Copper cables create antenna effects that can easily be
tapped.

Disadvantages
There are some disadvantages in the use of optical fiber.
[Link] and maintenance
 Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

2 Unidirectional light propagation.

 Propagation of light is unidirectional.
 If we need bidirectional communication, two fibers are needed.
3 Cost.
 The cable and the interfaces are relatively more expensive than those of
other guided media.
 If the demand for bandwidth is not high, often the use of
optical fiber cannot be justified.
4 Resistance to corrosive materials.
 Glass is more resistant to corrosive materials than copper.
5 Light weight. Fiber-optic cables are much lighter than copper cables.
6 Greater immunity to tapping.
 Fiber-optic cables are more immune to tapping than copper cables.
 Copper cables create antenna effects that can easily be tapped.

Disadvantages
There are some disadvantages in the use of optical fiber.
[Link] and maintenance
2. Unidirectional light propagation. Propagation of light is unidirectional. If we
need bidirectional communication, two fibers are needed.
3. Cost. The cable and the interfaces are relatively more expensive than those of
other guided media. If the demand for bandwidth is not high, often the use of
optical fiber cannot be justified.

UNGUIDED MEDIA: WIRELESS

 Unguided media transport electromagnetic waves without using a physical conductor.

 This type of communication is often referred to as wireless communication.
 Radio Waves
 Microwaves
 Infrared
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Unguided signals can travel from the source to destination in several ways:
 ground propagation,
 sky propagation, and
 line-of-sight propagation, as shown in Figure
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Radio Waves
 Electromagnetic waves ranging in frequencies between 3 kHz and 1 GHz are
 normally called radio waves.
 Radio waves are omni directional.
 When an antenna transmits radio waves, they are propagated in all directions.
 This means that the sending and receiving antennas do not have to be aligned.
 A sending antenna sends waves that can be received by any receiving antenna.
 The omni directional property has a disadvantage, too.
 The radio waves transmitted by one antenna are susceptible to interference by
another antenna that may send signals using the same frequency or band.

Omni directional Antenna

 Radio waves use omnidirectional antennas that send out signals in all
directions.
 Based on the wavelength, strength, and the purpose of transmission, we can
have several types of antennas.
 Figure shows an omnidirectional antenna.
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Microwaves
 Electromagnetic waves having frequencies between 1 and 300 GHz are
called microwaves.
 Microwaves are unidirectional.
 The sending and receiving antennas need to be aligned.
 The unidirectional property has an obvious advantage.
 A pair of antennas can be aligned without interfering with another pair of
aligned antennas
Unidirectional Antenna
 Microwaves need unidirectional antennas that send out signals in one
direction.
 Two types of antennas are used for microwave communications: the
parabolic dish and the horn
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

Applications:
 Microwaves are used for unicast communication such as cellular telephones,
satellite networks, and wireless LANs .

Infrared
 Infrared waves, with frequencies from 300 GHz to 400 THz (wavelengths
from 1 mm to 770 nm), can be used for short-range communication.
 Infrared waves, having high frquencies, cannot penetrate walls.
 This advantageous characteristic prevents interference between one system
and another; a short range communication system in one room cannot be
affected by another system in the next room.
 When we use our infrared remote control, we do not interfere with the use of
 the remote by our neighbors.
 Infrared signals useless for long-range communication.
 In addition, we cannot use infrared waves outside a building because the
sun's rays contain infrared waves that can interfere with the communication.

Applications:
 Infrared signals can be used for short-range communication in a closed
Module- 3 Transmission Media MCA, RNSIT

 area using line-of-sight propagation.