What are the differences between coaxial cable and fiber cable?

Coaxial cable and optical fiber line are two kinds of transmission media widely used in modern communication field. They have their own unique advantages and characteristics.

Coaxial cable is a kind of transmission line covered by a conductor and a layer of insulating material. The coaxial line transmits electricity through a conductor, which is wrapped in a layer of insulation, then wrapped in a metal shield, and finally sheathed. The structure can prevent the electric signal transmitted in the coaxial line from external interference and electromagnetic wave radiation, thus ensuring the stable transmission of the signal.

A fiber optic cable is a transmission line that uses light to transmit a signal. It consists of a core wire and a material (usually glass or plastic) that is wrapped around it. The signal is transmitted by reflection and refraction in the core wire of the optical fiber. The transmission principle of optical fiber line is to use the light in the material refraction and reflection to transmit the signal. When light enters the port of the fiber line, it is refracted by the material in the core line. Signals are encoded by varying the intensity or frequency of light.

Transmission distance

Coaxial cable and optical fiber line transmission distance is different. Coaxial line transmission distance usually not more than a few hundred meters, and optical fiber line transmission distance can reach tens of kilometers. This is because the coaxial transmission, the signal will be resistance and electromagnetic interference affected, and the signal loss is larger. Fiber-optic lines, on the other hand, are not subject to electromagnetic interference, so the signal they transmit is more stable and the signal loss is less, so the transmission distance can be greater.

Transmission speed

Fiber optic cables travel faster than coaxial cables. This is because fiber-optic cables transmit signals at the speed of light, while coaxial lines transmit signals at the speed of electricity, which is much faster than the speed of electricity. In digital communications, fiber-optic transmission speed can reach tens of Gbps or higher.

Bandwidth

Fiber optic cables have a higher bandwidth than coaxial cables. Bandwidth refers to the range of signal frequencies that a transmitting medium can transmit. At the same transmission distance, the bandwidth of optical fiber line is much higher than coaxial line. This is because fiber-optic lines can transmit multiple wavelengths of light, each of which can transmit a different signal, thus increasing the bandwidth. The bandwidth of coaxial cable is affected by electromagnetic interference and signal loss, so the bandwidth is low.

Signal Security

The signal of fiber optic cable is safer than coaxial cable. Signals transmitted along coaxial lines can be affected by external electromagnetic interference, and can also be hacked and eavesdropped (which makes it possible, as in the case of civil applications, to do so virtually non-existent) . The signal transmission of optical fiber is realized by the light wave inside the optical fiber, so it is not affected by external electromagnetic interference, and it is also difficult to be stolen and eavesdropped by hackers to ensure the security of the signal.

Installation and maintenance costs

There are also differences in installation and maintenance between coaxial and fibre optic cables. Because of the short transmission distance of coaxial line, it is necessary to set up repeaters in the transmission line to extend the transmission distance. At the same time, coaxial cable in the use of a certain need to ground treatment, which increases the installation and maintenance costs. Fiber optic cables, on the other hand, do not require repeaters or ground handling, so installation and maintenance costs are low.

7. Scope of application

Coaxial line and optical fiber line of different scope of application. Coaxial cable is mainly used for short distance transmission such as cable TV and broadband network. The fiber optic cable is mainly used for long-distance data transmission and communication, such as the Internet, mobile phone networks and wide area networks. At the same time, because of the high bandwidth and transmission speed of fiber optic cable, it is also widely used in high-speed data transmission and video transmission.

In general, coaxial and fiber-optic cables differ in terms of transmission medium, transmission distance, transmission speed, bandwidth, signal security, installation and maintenance costs, and scope of application. The choice of which transmission medium should be based on the actual needs of the choice, and need to be based on the actual situation for comprehensive consideration.