TDMM Chapter 1 - Part 1 Flashcards
Amplitude
The maximum absolute value reached by a voltage or current waveform
Amplitude Modulation (AM)
The modulation in which the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied in accordance with some characteristic of the modulating signal
Analog Signal
A signal in the form of a wave that uses continuous variations of a physical characteristic over time (eg voltage amplitude, frequency) to transmit information
Attenuation
The ratio in decibels of the output power (or voltage) to the input power (or voltage) when the load and source impedance are matched to the characteristic impedance of the cable
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
A high speed packet switching protocol that uses fixed length packets organized into cells to carry all types of traffic. Fixed length cells allow processing to occur in hardware, reducing transit delays. ATM is designed to take advantage of high speed transmission media
AWG
American Wire Gauge
A system used to specify wire size. The greater the wire diameter, the smaller the AWG value
Bandwidth
A range of frequencies available for signaling expressed in hertz (Hz) It is used to denote the potential information handling capacity of the medium, device or system
Broadband Cable
Composite baseband video and audio signals that are amplitude and frequency modulated, respectively, with an RF carrier in accordance with the video and audio information that need to be conveyed (CATV)
CO
Central Office
A common carrier switching center office (also called public exchange) that is conveniently located in areas to serve subscriber homes and businesses.
Codec
A device that converts speech to a digital signal and its subsequent decoding to speech
Crosstalk
The signal interference between cable pairs, which may be caused by a pair picking up unwanted signals from either adjacent pairs of conductors or nearby cables
Decibel
A logarithmic unit for measuring the relative voltage, current or power of a signal. One tenth of a bel
Delay Skew
The difference in propagation delay between any pairs within the same cable sheath
Digital Signal
Information used by digital devices in the form of a sequence of discrete pulses (a binary signal with two values used to transmit the two states, 0 and 1)
Dispersion
- The loss of signal resulting from the scattering of light pulses as they are transmitted through a medium
- The widening or spreading out of the modes in a light pulse as it progresses along an optical fiber
- The characteristics of the sound coverage field of a speaker
EMI
Electromagnetic Interference
Stray electrical energy radiated from electronic equipment and electronics systems (including cabling)
Frequency
The number of cycles that a periodic signal completes in a given time. If the unit of time is one second, the frequency is stated in hertz (Hz)
IP
Internet Protocol
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model Layer 3 (network layer) protocol most commonly used for internetworking
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network
A digital communications facility designed to provide transparent end-to-end transmission of voice, data and AV across public switched telephone network (PTSN)
NVP
Nominal Velocity of Propagation
The coefficient used to determine the speed of transmission along a cable relative to the speed of light in a vacuum, typically expressed as a percentage
PCM
Pulse Code Modulation
A technique for representing an analog signal as a string of bits,
Phase
- The relationship between two waveforms of the same frequency
- The relationship in time between two parameters of a single waveform (eg voltage and current)
PoE
Power over Ethernet
A network subsystem that offers the ability for the LAN switching infrastructure to provide power over balanced twisted pair cabling to an endpoint device
Propagation Delay
The time required for a signal to travel from one end of the transmission path to the other end
QAM
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
A means of encoding digital information over radio, wireline or optical fiber transmission links,
Sinusoid
An oscillating periodic signal that is completely described by three parameters:
- Amplitude
- Frequency
- Phase
TDM
Time Division Multiplexing
A process that combines binary data from several different sources into a single composite bit stream
What is an electrical conductor?
Any material that can carry an electric charge from one point to another
Name the four most common electrical conductors for ICT wire and cables
- Copper
- Copper-Covered Steel
- High-Strength Copper Alloys
- Aluminum
Silver and gold are good conductors, but they are not generally used for ICT wires and cables. Why?
Because of their high cost
Which conductor sets the standard for comparing the conductivity of other metals?
Copper
What type of copper is used to set the reference value?
Annealed Copper
What type of conductor is typically used for aerial, self-supporting drop wire?
Copper-Covered
How does the alloying of pure copper affect its conductivity?
The alloying of pure copper always has an adverse effect on its conductivity
How does the conductivity of aluminum compare to the conductivity of copper?
It has about 60% conductivity compared to copper
Where are aluminum conductors commonly used?
In electrical utility distribution lines
Which type of solid conductor has the poorest corrosion resistance?
High-Strength Alloy
What type of solid conductor has the poorest oxidation resistance?
Aluminum
Which type of solid conductor has the best tensile strength?
High-strength alloy
Which type of solid conductor has the best ductility?
High-Strength alloy
What is the conductivity for a High-Strength alloy conductor?
85% of typical
How are stranded conductors created?
By bundling together a number of small-gauge conductors to create a single, larger conductor
Name the four advantages of solid conductors
- Less costly
- Less complex termination systems
- Better transmission at high frequencies
- Less resistance
Name three advantages of stranded conductors
- More flexible
- Longer flex life
- Less susceptible to damage during crimp termination processes
What is a composite conductor?
A conductor constructed from nontraditional materials such as metallic resins or graphite
Name four advantages of composite conductors
- Highly flexible
- Lightweight
- Inexpensive and easy to produce
- Easily embedded into other materials
Name four disadvantages of composite conductors
- Poor analog transmission characteristics
- Poor digital transmission characteristics
- Easily damaged unless encased in a rigid material
- Inconsistent quality
Are cables with composite conductors recommended for use with modern telecommunications networks?
No, composite conductors are not recommended in a telecommunications network
Why is the AWG system important?
Because it provides a standard reference for comparing various conductor materials
What is the purpose of insulation on a cable?
To isolate the flow of current by preventing direct contact between conductors and a conductor and its environment
How do dielectrics reduce EM coupling between conductors?
By increasing conductor separation
What is the dielectric constant?
The ratio of the capacitance of an insulated conductor to the capacitance of the same conductor uninsulated in the air
What does dielectric strength measure?
The maximum voltage that an insulation can withstand without breakdown
What is dissipation factor?
The relative power loss in the insulation due to molecular excitement and subsequent kinetic and thermal energy losses
What is insulation resistance?
The insulations ability to resist the flow of current through it
How is insulation resistance typically expressed?
In megaohmkm or megaohm1000ft
How does cable length affect cable resistance?
As the cable length increases, the insulation resistance becomes smaller
What is the main reason for twisting conductor pairs?
To minimize crosstalk and noise by decreasing capacitance unbalance and mutual inductance coupling between pairs
What does pair-to-pair capacitance unbalance measure?
The electric field coupling between two pairs if a differential voltage is applied on one pair and a differential noise voltage is measured on another pair in close proximity
What is mutual inductance?
A measure of the magnetic field coupling between two pairs if a differential current is applied on one pair and a differential noise current is measured on another pair in close proximity
How is crosstalk within a multipair cable minimized?
By giving each pair a different twist length within a standard range
What type of twist is generally used for voice and low-frequency data cables?
A counterclockwise twist length between ~50mm and ~150mm (1.97in and 6in)
What is tight twisting?
Creating pair twist lengths that are less than ~12.7 mm (0.50in)
Where is tight twisting commonly used?
Within and between computers and other date processing equipment
Which cable categories employ tight twisting for optimum transmission performance?
Category 5e, 6, 6A and higher
What term is used to refer to stray electrical radiated from electrical equipment and electronics systems?
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
At what temperature does attenuation increase in balanced twisted-pair cables?
Above 20C (68F)
What temperature reference is cited in cabling standards for all twisted-pair cables?
20C +/- 3C (68F +/- 5.4F)
What is a cable shield?
A metallic covering or envelope enclosing an insulated conductor, individual group of conductors within a core and cable core
Name three potential benefits of using a cable shield if it is properly terminated, bonded and grounded
- Reduces the radiated signal from the cable
- reduces the effects of electrical hazards
- Minimizes the effect of external EMI on the conductors within the shielded cable
Name three factors that can affect a shields effectiveness
- Type and thickness of the shield material
- Number and size of openings in the shield
- Effectiveness of the bonding connection to ground
How is shield effectiveness determind?
By measuring the surface transfer impedance
What is surface transfer impedance?
The ratio of the conductor-to-shield voltage per unit length to the shield current
Why are solid metal tubes inappropriate for most cable applications?
Because of their rigid nature