Shielded and Unshielded Cables - Why and When Should You Choose Them?

Shielded And Unshielded Cables – Know the Difference

By Versitron Inc.

Introduction To Shielded And Unshielded Cables • The network cables are divided into two classes – shielded cables and unshielded cables based on their construction.

• These cables play a key role in ensuring connectivity in any office setup.

• Many questions may arise regarding these Network Cables, such as How do these cables differ from each other? Which is the right cable for your application?

• This post offers answers to all your questions and more.

Difference between these Cables: • Shielded Cables: It is also known as shielded twisted pair (STP) cable. Individual wire pairs are wrapped in a foil, the pairs are once again wrapped in order to provide double protection. This wrapping helps in preventing technical issues which may compromise the integrity of signals.

• Unshielded Cables: This cable is known as unshielded twisted pair cable (UTP) where individual wire pairs are simply wrapped in a foil, without any additional layer of protection. These types of cables are ideal for office environments, which experience less traffic.

Types of Shielded Cables There are two main types of shielded cables: • Braided Cables: Shielded cables which feature mesh of woven copper wires are known as braided cables. They do not offer 100% shielding, but are durable than foil shielded cables. Their shielding capacity is entirely dependent on the type of weave they have.

• Metal-coated Mylar and Foil Shielded Cables: Foil shielded cables feature a thin sheet of aluminum or copper which is bonded to polyester to improve the cable strength. It assures 100% protection to the conductor wire.

Benefits Of Shielded And Unshielded Cables?

• Shielded Cables: Electromagnetic interference or EMI is one of the most common phenomena on the factory floor. Cable shielding helps prevent the effect of EMI on equipment and people.

• Unshielded Cables: One of the main advantages of using an unshielded cable is that they do not need grounding. This helps save on installation time and costs. These cables are inexpensive, lightweight, as well as flexible.

Applications Of Shielded Cables • Shielded cables are ideal for use in noisy environments. Following are the applications where these cables are used: • Airports • Radio Stations • Security Systems to avoid Radio Frequency • Recording Studios • Box Build Applications

CONCLUSION: • The choice of the right cable will depend on your application requirements. Regardless of whether you opt for STP or UTP, you must choose high-quality cables and devices for your application. These products are widely used across security, military, government, education, and other sectors.