Types Of Guided Media

There are many types of guided media by which signals can pass through a narrow path. They are equally known as bounded media. Guided media are composed of external conductors that are confined by a jacket material and they are ideal for LABS due to their low cast, good security, and high speed. But they might not be ideal for long distance communication. There are three basic types of guided media , which include:

* Fiber Optics Cable

* Twisted Pairs Cable

* Coaxial Cable

COAXIAL CABLE:

This is one of the most widely used types of guided media . A very good example of the coaxial cable is the television wire. It derives its name due to the fact that it has two conductors that are kept parallel to each other. A copper is usually at the center and is either stranded martial or solid wire. There is also a non-conducive material that is located outside the central conductor. This non-conductive material is always plastic and is kept between the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The other type of conductor is a copper-like mesh which helps in shielding the cable from EMI. The data is transmitted through the cable’s central conductor. The gauge measures the thickness of the cable using the radio grade measurement. The lower the radio grade, the thicker the conductor becomes and the higher the measurement the thinner it becomes.

Features of coaxial cable

* Easy to install

* Low cost

* Medium immunity from EMI

* Medium of attenuation

* Up to 10Mbps capacity

Benefits of the coaxial cable

* Easy to expand

* Easy to wire

* Inexpensive

* Moderate level of immunity from EMI

Twisted Pair Cable

This is the most common of all types of guided media . It has good features, including being able to support a wide range of network, easy installation, and light weight. It equally has a high speed capacity of up to 100 mps. These types of guided media are made of stranded or solid copper which are twisted in parallel positions. The twist is necessary because it reduces the vulnerability to the cross talk and the EMI. The extent of pairs in the copper cable depends largely on the type. The twisted cable has two main types: the shielded twisted pair and the unshielded twisted pair.

Fiber Optics

These types of guided media are particularly used for the transmission of data using electrical signals. It makes use of light and has two cable stands. The light for optic cable only moves one direction but there is a need for another connection between the cables to enable a two way communication.

There is a core or glass stand at the middle of the fiber cable, and the laser light passes through the glass to other devices. The internal core is surrounded by a reflective substance referred to as cladding, which is responsible for making sure that light does not escape the glass core.

Features of these types of guided media

* High speed capability

* Expensive

* Extremely low attenuation

* No EMI interference

* Very difficult to install

Advantages

* No EMI interference

* Low attenuation

* Fast