Q: What is transmission media?

Explain guided and unguided

media?

Physical Layer
Sender Physical Layer Receiver

Transmission medium

Cable or air

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.

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.

In telecommunications, transmission media can be divided into two broad

categories:
1) Guided Media
2) Unguided Media
Figure: Classes of transmission media

Transmission Media

Guided (Wired) Unguided (Wireless)

Twisted – Pair Coaxial Fiber – Optic Radio Microwave Infrared

Cable Cable Cable Wave
  GUIDED MEDIA (WIRED)
Guided media, which are those that provide a conduit from one device
to another, include twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable. A
signal traveling along any of these media is directed and contained by the
physical limits of the medium. Twisted-pair and coaxial cable use metallic
(copper) conductors that accept and transport signals in the form of electric
current. Optical fiber is a cable that accepts and transports signals in the form
of light.

Types of Guided Media

 Twisted Pair-Cable
 Coaxial Cable
 Fiber-Optic Cable
1)Twisted-Pair Cable:
A twisted pair consists of two conductors (normally copper), each with its own
plastic insulation, twisted together, as shown in Figure.

The wires in twisted pair cabling are twisted together in pairs. Each pair
would consist of a wire used for the +ve data signal and a wire used for the –ve
data signal. Any wire that appears on one wire of the pair would occur on the
other wire. Twisted pair cables are most effectively used in systems that use a
balanced line method of transmission.
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable:
The most common twisted-pair cable used in communications is referred to as
unshielded twisted-pair (UTP).
Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable:
IBM has also produced a version of twisted-pair cable for its use called
shielded twisted-pair (STP).
UTP and STP Cables

2) Coaxial Cable:
Coaxial Cable consists of 2 conductors. The inner conductor held inside
an insulator with the other conductor woven around it providing a shield. An
insulating protective coating called a jacket covers the outer conductor. The
outer shield protects the inner conductor from the outside electrical signals.
Typical impedances for coaxial cables are 75 ohms for TV cables, 50 ohms for
Ethernet Thinnet and Thicknet. The excellent control of impedance
characteristic of the cable allow higher data rate to be transferred than
Twisted Pair Cable
The outer conductor enclosed in an insulating sheath, and the whole
cable is protected by a plastic cover.
Figure: Coaxial Cable
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. Each cable defined by an RG rating is adapted
for a specialized function.

3) Fiber-Optic Cable”
A fiber-optic cable is made of glass or plastic and transmits signals in the form of light.
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. The difference in density of the two materials must be such
that a beam of light moving through the core is reflected off the cladding instead of being refracted
into it.
Figure: Fiber-Optic Cable
 UNGUIDED MEDIA (WIRELESS)
Unguided media transport electromagnetic waves without using a physical
conductor. This type of communication is often referred to as wireless
communication. Signals are normally broadcast through free space and thus
are available to anyone who has a device capable of receiving them.

Figure shows the part of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from 3

kHz to 900 THz, used for wireless communication.

Unguided signals can travel from the source to destination in several ways:
ground propagation, sky propagation, and line-of-sight propagation.

We can divide wireless transmission into three broad groups: radio waves,
microwaves, and infrared waves.

Types of Unguided Media

 Radio Waves
 Micro Waves
 Infrared
1) Radio Waves:
Radio waves, particularly those waves that propagate in the sky mode,
can travel long distances. Radio waves are used for multicast communications,
such as Radio and Television and paging systems. Radio waves use
Omnidirection Antennas that send out signals in all directions.

Omnidirectional Antenna:

2) Microwaves:
Electromagnetic waves having frequencies between 1 and 300 GHz are
called microwaves. Microwaves are unidirectional. When an antenna transmits
microwave waves, they can be narrowly focused. This means that 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.

3) 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 frequencies, 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 neighbours. However, this same
characteristic makes 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.