Guide to Different Types of Coaxial Cables

To answer that, we will have to talk about the coaxial cable first—what it is, where it is typically employed, and what makes it special. After that, it would be possible to talk about the types of coaxial cable that exist out there.

How Do Coaxial Cables Work?

Coaxial cables are used to transmit signals from one device to another, for example, TV or Internet signals. Coaxial cables provide a transfer rate of 10 megabits per second (Mbps), which makes them eighty times better than twisted-pair cables. They have a simple design with four main parts:

1. Center Conductor: This is a thin wire, primarily consisting of copper, through which the signal travels.
   
   

2. Insulator: Coaxial cable consists of an inner conductor with an insulation layer around it. It helps confine the signal to just the wire and ensures that it does not spread to other parts of the house.
   
   

3. Shielding: Surrounding the insulator is shielding, which could be a braid of metal wires or metal foil. This helps to protect the signal from other interference, such as electrical noise from other appliances.
   
   

4. Outer Jacket: The conductor wires and all the other equipment at the ends of the cable are protected by a cover that encapsulates everything, including the plastic jacket.
   
   

When a signal passes through the center conductor, the insulator and shield contribute to making the signal loud and free from interference. It makes coaxial cables ideal for data transmissions over long spans without the need to give up their quality.

Different Types of Coaxial Cables

There are different types available, all suited for their specific purpose. Let's take a look:

• Hardline coaxial cable

• Flexible coaxial cable

• Semi-rigid coaxial cable

• Formable coaxial cable

• Rigid coaxial cable

• Twin axial cable

• Triaxial cable

Hardline coaxial cable

Hardline coaxial cables can be applied to high-strength signal transmission. They have a copper, silver, aluminum, or steel conductor placed in the center and are larger in diameter than the other coaxial cables. Some of the severe cables utilize pressured nitrogen to help diminish contacts and moisture formation.

Flexible coaxial cable

Flexible coaxial cables can only flex depending on the requirements of the situation at hand and hence the name. They employ a metallic core which is coated with a flexible insulating material; an outer sheath.

To increase flexibility, the metal conductor can be changed from a solid wire to a stranded design and flexible polyethylene (PE) dielectric foam can be used rather than rigid dielectric material.

Flexible coaxial cables are most commonly used for home video equipment and televisions. 

Semi-rigid coaxial cable

Semi-rigid coaxial cable uses a solid copper outer sheath with a dielectric of PTFE. The copper provides superior shielding, and the dielectric properties have enhanced high-frequency performance. There are limitations to how you can flex this cable once it is formed. 

Formable coaxial cable

Again, as the name suggests, this one is a little more flexible and adaptable. A flexible metal sheath is used so it can be reshaped and reformed to meet the needed configuration. Formable coaxial cable can sometimes be used to lay out the design for cable placement in prototype applications; once the design is set, the application can use the semi-rigid coaxial cable in the final version. 

Rigid coaxial cable

The name, Rigid coaxial transmission line, fits well as it was meant to be flexible. The rigid coaxial cable has two concentrically mounted copper tubes, supported at fixed intervals across the length of the cable with PTFE supports or disk insulators. Rigid transmission lines are manufactured in flanged straight sections of fixed lengths. So you can get 45- or 90-degree elbows to join sections of the transmission lines. There are specialized braces and springs for differential expansion and contractions of the inner and outer copper tubes in the transmission line run. 

Twin axial cable

Twinax cables are best for low-frequency digital and video applications. Also known as Twinax, it can have two central conductors in the core with a single outer core and a dielectric. This cable offers such benefits as low cable loss, better protection against ground loops, capacitive fields, and low-frequency magnetic noise.

Triaxial cable

Known as Triax, it is so named because it has an additional copper braid.

It works as a shield and is grounded, thus passing any ground loop currents or capacitive field noise away from the inner core conductive elements. 

The Triax cable provides more bandwidth and interference rejection, improves the signal-to-noise ratio, and reduces  losses and cable loading. 

What is a Coaxial Port?

A coaxial port is a physical port that is used in communication to transfer high frequency signals, for instance cable television, Internet, and Radio. This is what earned it the name ‘coaxial’ since the cables structure has an inner conductor, tubular insulating layer, shielding conductor, and outer insulating layer that forms the structure and all of them are concentric to a common central axis.

Moreover, it describes the manner in which the port allows for a safe connection to the coaxial cable with the Tv sets, modem or antennas. This goes further in supporting the fact that; the design helps in the reduction of interferences hence ensuring clean transfer of data. These ports are typically placed at the rear part of the majority of home electronics and computer networking equipment.

Different Types of Coaxial Cable Connectors

Coaxial cable connectors are essential parts that are employed in the process of ending the coaxial cables and joining them to equipment and other cables. Coaxial connectors can be divided into several classes where each of them has certain characteristics depending on the type of application it is used for:

1. BNC Connector

BNC connector is a plug meant for joining cables, particularly in radio, video, and networking applications. It has a twist lock system which guarantees it to lock and unlock easily and firmly. The connector is recognizable because it connects coaxial cables and effectively preserves signals without interference. Most of the time, BNC connectors are used in older television devices, oscilloscopes, and radio frequency (RF) usage.

2. RCA Connector

The RCA connector is a cable head that transfers audio and video signals between audio and video devices. It has three color-coded plugs: red and white for sound, right and left, and yellow for video. Such connectors are commonly seen on old LCD TV sets, DVDs, and video game consoles. They provided the simplest means of syncing two devices together, though they are less common than before being replaced by HDMI.

3. TNC Connector

A TNC connector is a threaded coaxial connector usually used in radio frequency transmission. It creates an efficient path for signal transmission and is commonly used in frequencies of up to 11GHz. The threading on the connector guarantees its solidity to the components to which it will be connected, making it suitable for use in areas that experience vibrations. Wireless communication systems, GPS devices, and antennas are some of the typical applications of TNC connectors.

4. SMA Connector

SMA is an acronym for SubMiniature version A and it is a small threaded RF connector for coaxial cables. This technology is widely used in antennas, Wi-Fi equipment, and radio frequency systems because it offers a stable connection for high-frequency signals up to 18 GHz. This threaded design allows them to connect securely, which reduces the signal loss and any interference that may be present. SMA connectors come in the variety of male and female, where the male has the pin and the female has the socket in it, and therefore are easy to identify and use.

5. MCX Connector

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An MCX connector is a specific type of electrical connector most commonly used for radio frequency (RF) systems. Due to the fact that it is small and not very bulky, this makes it ideal for use in devices that have limited space. This connector is designed to provide good contact for transmitting high-frequency signals employed in mobile devices, GPS systems, and wireless communication equipment. It has a snap-on/snap-off type connection, so once connected it is very secure yet does not require extra tools to connect.

Pros and Cons of Coaxial Cable

Pros of Coaxial Cable:

• Capable of supporting almost any frequency of data and communication transmission.

• Immune to electromagnetic interferences (EMI) and radio frequency interferences (RFI), hence the quality of the signals received.

• Usual copper cables cost less than fiber optic cables, particularly in short runs.

• It is rather versatile and not very demanding in terms of installation as well as during specific maintenance operations.

• Coaxial cables are easy to acquire and are available in most places due to their popularity.

• It supports a variety of uses, such as cable television, internet, and phone services.

• Cable shielding in coaxial cables is a multiple-layer structure that shields the inner cable against signal loss and external outside interference.

• Able to carry signals over large distances with little or no loss.

• Coaxial cables have been in use for extensive communication networks for a long time with high reliability.

Cons of Coaxial Cable:

• Older technology with less bandwidth capability than the competing technologies available to consumers today.

• It is also vulnerable to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

• Signal attenuation over long distances.

• Heavy and not so easy in installation, especially in confined areas.

• Very costly in terms of maintenance and repairs of the vehicle.

• However, the speed of transmitting data is slower compared to that of fiber optics.

• Possible to be damaged physically due to its thickness.

• Demands the use of amplifiers for transmission across long distances.

• It is larger than the other cables and not as flexible.

• Not suitable for meeting today’s high-speed internet needs.

Applications of Coaxial Cables

• Primarily used for the distribution of cable television signals from the provider to the home.

• Applied cable internet services to provide broadband internet.

• Runs cable from the satellite dishes to the receivers for transmitting and receiving satellite TV and data.

• Processes video signals from security cameras to the monitoring systems.

• Employed in communicating signals in broadcasting, especially in radio broadcasting.

• Used in older telephone networks to transmit voice signals.

• Used in identification systems to connect antennas to RFID readers.

• Used in secure and effective military communication techniques.

• It has applications in aircraft communication and navigation equipment.

• Coupled with low voltage medical tools that need a reliable signal connection.

• Used home theater to connect audio and video.

• Applied in backbone networks for connecting hubs and routers.

• How to Specify Coaxial Cable

Many factors specify a coaxial cable, from the inner conductor to its RG (Radio Guide) type; for example, the RG6 coaxial cable is commonly used for home video applications.

Another factor in identifying the type is the material of the inner conductor—silver-coated copper, copper, tinner copper, or aluminum/copper.

Then there is the jacket material - which is chosen based on the usage and the environment's wear and tear. 

Wrapping up

SF Cable stocks all different types of coaxial cables, and we have experts on the matter too. You can browse our options and contact us if you are unsure which one you need for your specific requirement.