what is twisted pair cable

what is twisted pair cable

A twisted pair consists of two insulated copper wires arranged in a regular spiral pattern. A wire pair acts as a single communication link. Typically, a number of these pairs are bundled together into a cable by wrapping them in a tough protective sheath. The twisting of the individual pairs minimizes electromagnetic interference between the pairs.

Uses

By far the most common transmission medium for both analog and digital data is twisted pair. It is the backbone of the telephone system as well as the workhorse for intrabuilding communications.

Transmission Characteristics

Wire pairs may be used to transmit both analog and digital signals. For analog signals, amplifiers are required about every 5 to 6 km. For digital signals, repeaters are used every 2 or 3 km. For point-to-point analog signaling, a bandwidth of up to about 250 kHz is possible. For digital point-to-point lines, data rates of up to a few Mbps are possible.

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