Hello, friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today’s tutorial, we will discuss the Difference Between Optical fiber and Coaxial Cable. There are 2 two commonly used types of transmission media used to transmit a signal which is optical fiber and coaxial cable. The basic difference between them is that optical fiber is used for the transmission of optical signals and coaxial cable is used to transmit electrical signals.
In today’s post, we will have a detailed look at both optical fiber and coaxial cable and compare them to find their differences. So let’s get started with Difference Between Optical fiber and Coaxial Cable.
Difference Between Optical Fiber and Coaxial Cable
Optical Fiber
- It is flexible and transparent created through the use of glass and has a close ot hair.
- It is used in signal transmission in telecommunication systems.
- It can send data of larger bandwidths to larger distances
- The signal transmitted through the optical fiber is not affected by the exterior magnetic field.
- The installation process of optical fiber is more difficult than the coaxial cable.
- Its efficiency is large.
- Its price is high.
- This technique provides high security of transmission.
- It provides a less attenuation process.
- The diameter of optical fiber is less and the weight is also less.
- The use of fiber in the system in place of metallic wire decreases the losses which that also reduces the interference.
- It is used in different lighting systems and imaging processes like fiberscope.
- Its practical examples are fiber lasers and fiber optics sensors
- The data transmission speed of this medium is high.
- It shows high immunity to noise.
- The common losses that occur in the optical fiber are Dispersion, bending, absorption, and attenuation.
- Its data transmission rate is two gigabytes per second.
- The bending of optical fiber disturbs the sending signal.
Coaxial Cable
- It belongs to the family of cables that is created through the use of a conductor having covered about it.
- The word coaxial indicates that internal conductor and external protection with a layer
- It is used to transmit the signal of large frequent having fewer power losses.
- It is used in different applications like telephones, internet services, tV, and for linking of radio signal
- It was first time installed in 1858
- Its structure is such that the inner conductor is created with solid material normally silver plated material is used
- It is used for the transmission of electrical signals.
- It is constructed with metallic elements like copper and plastic.
- The cable used for this process large in diameter and heavyweight.
- It can send large bandwidth of data.
- The data transmission rate for this cable is 44.736 Mbps.
- It provides less noise immunity.
- The signal transmitted through the coaxial cable is affected by the exterior magnetic field.
- Its installation process is easy.
- It can transmit a signal to a small distance.
- Its efficiency is less than the of optical fiber.
- Its price is less than the optical fiber.
- It does not provide security to the transmitted signal
- The bending of the cable can disturb the signal transmitted.
Advantages of Optical Fiber
- These are some benefits of optical fiber.
- The signal can be transmitted through the optical fiber with less attenuation.
- Fiber optic has larger bandwidth
- It has a high data transmission speed.
- In fiber optics signal is transmitted through the light so noise is not created any problem.
The disadvantage of Optical fiber
- The signal transmission through an optical fiber is expensive.
- The installation process is difficult and if any fault occurs then it is difficult to trace and resolve it.
- The optic fiber is very delicate and can damage with any little force.
Advantages of Coaxial Cable
- The frequency features of the coaxial cable is better than the twisted pair cable.
- Due to the concentric structure of cable, it is less chance of crosstalk and interference.
- It is less expensive than optical fiber.
The disadvantage of Coaxial Cable
- For signal transmission of long-distance, there is a need of a repeater at one kilometer of distance.
Optical Fiber vs Coaxial Cable
| Aspect | Optical Fiber | Coaxial Cable |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | It is created with glass or plastic surrounded with cladding and protective coating | It has a copper core surrounded by an insulated layer, braided shield, and outer jacket |
| Bandwidth | Higher | Lower |
| Speed | Faster (It transmits data through the use of light transmit data) | Slower (transmits electrical signals) |
| Signal Loss | Lower (it transmits data to longer distances without any degradation) | Higher (signal loss over longer distances due to resistance and interference) |
| Immunity to Interference | It is highly immune to electromagnetic interference | it is less immune to electromagnetic interference |
| Durability | Fragile (it needs delicate handling during installation) | It is rugged |
| Installation | It needs more expertise and accuracy | It is easy to install |
| Cost | It is costly | it is less costly |
| Security | It is difficult to tap or intercept signals | It is easy to tap or intercept signals |
| Distance | It can transmit data to the larger distance | It transmits data to less distance |
| Maintenance | It needs less maintenance | It needs more maintenance |
| Weight | Less weight | High weight |
| Flexibility | It is more flexible and easily bend | Less flexible and difficult to bend |
| Capacity | High Capacity | Its capacity is low |
| Size | it has a small diameter | It has a larger diameter |
| Reliability | More reliable | Less reliable |
| Applications | It is best for long-distance transmission and high-speed data transfer | It is best for short-distance data transmission |
| Upgradeability | It can be upgraded to high support data rates | It has Limited upgradation |
| Environmental Resistance | It has resistance to corrosion, moisture, and temperature changes | It can be affected by corrosion moisture and high temperatures |
| Lifespan | It has a Longer lifespan | It has a shorter lifespan |
FAQs
| FAQ | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which is faster: optical fiber or coaxial cable? | Optical fiber is faster than coaxial cable. It is due to the use of light for data transmission. Since light speed is fast then electrical signals |
| Which has a higher bandwidth: optical fiber or coaxial cable? | The bandwidth of optical fiber is large than coaxial cable. It means that it can transmit more data than later distances without signal degradation. The bandwidth of the coaxial cable is shorter and preferred for short distances |
| Which is more durable: optical fiber or coaxial cable? | The durability of coaxial cable is later and more rugged than optical fiber. Optical fiber is fragile and needs delicate handling for installation. |
| Which is more secure: optical fiber or coaxial cable? | Optical fiber is more secure since it is difficult to tap or intercept signals transmission during optical fiber transmission |
| Which is more expensive: optical fiber or coaxial cable? | The cost of optical fiber is higher than coaxial cable. . |
That is a detailed post about the difference between coaxial cable and optical fiber. If you have any queries ask in the comments. Thanks for reading. Have a good day
