Coaxial Cables

This chapter describes the coaxial cable design as well as the communication network that used it, with amplifiers, repeaters, and filters. It illustrates coaxial cables as the transmission line for telegraph, telephone, and TV applications. The type of insulator used in the cable construction provides mechanical strength and support for both the outer conductor and the overall cable design. Characteristic impedance is the combined opposition to the flow of electrical energy within the coaxial line or cable. Impedance is a complex value, derived from the combined equivalent of the resistance, capacitance, and inductive and conductive values of the cable. Capacitance of a coaxial cable is the ability of the cable to retain a charge. The two main attributes of a coaxial cable that effect its attenuation are DC resistance and the dissipation factor of the dielectric insulator. The automotive industry continually asks the coaxial cable manufacturers to test the limits of physics and manufacturing capabilities.