See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/240150506

Models of Transmission Media for a Library Network: A Comparative Study

Conference Paper · January 2009

CITATIONS READS

0 8,301

3 authors, including:

Sivapackiyanathan Ketheeswaren
University of Jaffna
37 PUBLICATIONS   21 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Sivapackiyanathan Ketheeswaren on 04 June 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Models of Transmission Media for a Library Network:
A Comparative Study
S. Ketheeswaren* S. Rosilinmary* B. Visvanath*

*MSc (LIS). Student, Bharathidasan University, Trichy

Keywords:

Transmission Medium, Guided Media, Unguided media, Data channel, Data transfer

Abstract
Transmission media are the physical pathways (guided or unguided) that connect
computers, other devices, and people on a network. Computers and telecommunication
devices use signals to represent data. These signals are transmitted from a device to
another in the form of electromagnetic energy. Examples of Electromagnetic energy
include power, radio waves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, and X and
gamma rays. All these electromagnetic signals constitute the electromagnetic
spectrum. Each portion of the spectrum requires a particular or unique transmission
media for the transfer of data such we call as Twisted Pair, Coaxial cable, Optical
fibber, Satellite, and Wireless etc.

In the paper, The Guided (Twisted Pair, Coaxial cable, Optical fiber) and the Unguided
Microwaves (Satellite, wifi, wimax, bluetooth) transmission mediums are compared
with help of relative plots in terms of their networking capabilities (e.g., speed,
damping length, Bandwidth, Cost and Get connection).

Optical fibber in the guided media outperforms other medias in better networking
performance but optical fibber cable connection is sensitive than twisted Pair and
Coaxial cable connections and require higher cost that the same. Twisted pair
outperforms coaxial cable. Here it is also notable that coaxial cable can be connected
easily without order, but twisted pair not like that. Among Unguided; wimax
outperforms other medias in better networking performance in long range even though
wi-fi is a substitute for providing a greater power of access than wimax in short range.
Here all unguided mediums are better for ease of access than guided.

1
1. Introduction
Making an appropriate network for a service of library and information science is now
common over the world, when such network is to be established or maitained we need
much information on neworks and for chosing the appriopriate network particulary
considering library envinments, comaprative ideas of different data tansmission medias
are very essentially needed, here we make an initial step to compare different
tarasmission medias such as the Guided (Twisted Pair, Coaxial cable, Optical fiber) and
the Unguided Microwaves (Satellite, wifi, wimax, bluetooth) transmission mediums.

1.1 Data transmission medium

In order for data transmission to occur, there must be a transmission line, also called
transmission channel between the two isolated data machines.

These transmission channels are made up of several segments that allow the data to
circulate in the form of electromagnetic, electrical, light or even acoustic waves. So, in
fact, it is a vibratory phenomenon that is propagated over the physical medium.

Transmission media are the physical pathways (guided or unguided) that connect
computers, other devices, and people on a network. Computers and telecommunication
devices use signals to represent data. These signals are transmitted from a device to
another in the form of electromagnetic energy. Examples of Electromagnetic energy
include power, radio waves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, and X and
gamma rays. All these electromagnetic signals constitute the electromagnetic
spectrum. Each portion of the spectrum requires a particular or unique transmission
media for the transfer of data such we call as Twisted Pair, Coaxial cable, Optical
fibber, Satellite, and Wireless etc.

Figure 1.1.1 Electromagnetic Spectrum

2
1.2 Transmission Medias

1.2.1 Guided Transmission Media

Guided Transmission Media uses a "cabling" system that guides the data signals along
a specific path. The data signals are bound by the "cabling" system.
Examples
Twisted Pair (multi-pair cables), Coaxial cable, and Optical fiber

1.2.1.1 Twisted Pair (multi-pair cables)

 Pair of twisted pair multi conductors

 Commonly used for communication networks within library buildings and in
wired telephone networks.
 Produced in unshielded (UTP) and shielded (STP) forms, and in different
performance categories as in the figure 1.2.1.1 below.

Figure 1.2.1.1.1 Twisted Pair cables in unshielded (UTP) and shielded (STP)
forms

Each neighbour pairs is typically twisted to reduce crosstalk.

Figure 1.2.1.1.2 Twisted Pair Cable Connectors

3
1.2.1.2 Coaxial cable

Figure 1.2.1.2.1 Cross-section of a Coaxial Cable

 Offers longer damping distances than of twisted pair, due to better shielding.
 Used for cable TV and local-area networks. It has been widely used in telephone
systems, but optical fiber is now assuming this task.

Figure 1.2.1.2.2 Coaxial Cable Connectors

1.2.1.3 Optical fibber

Optical Fibers are glass fibers usually about 120 micrometers in diameter that are used
to deliver wave signals in the form of pulses of light over distances up to 50 km without
the using repeaters.

 Three components: light source, transmission system, and a detector

 The detector generates an electric pulse when hit by light

 1-a pulse of light; 0-missing pulse of light.
 optical rays travel in glass or plastic core

 When light move from one medium to another as below it bend at the boundary.
The amount of bending depends on the properties of the media.

4
  Light at shallow angles propagate along the fibre, and those that are less than
critical angle are absorbed in the jacket
 The cladding is a glass or plastic with properties that differ from those of the
core
 Not affected by external electromagnetic fields, and do not radiate energy.
Hence, providing high degree of security from eavesdropping.
 Reduction of the radius of the core implies less reflected angles. Single mode is
achieved with sufficient small radius.

Figure 1.2.1.3.1 Optical Fiber Cable Connectors

1.2.2 Unguided Transmission Media

Unguided Transmission Media now consists of a means for the data signals to travel
but nothing to guide them along a specific path. The data signals are not bound to a
cabling media and as such are often called Unbound Media.

Examples : Wi-Fi, Wimax, Bluetooth, and Satellite

1.2.2.1 Wi-Fi

 The name Wi-Fi (short for "Wireless Fidelity", sometimes incorrectly shortened
to WiFi) corresponds to the name of the certification given by the Wi-Fi
Alliance, formerly WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance).
 With Wi-Fi, it is possible to create high-speed wireless local area networks,
provided that the computer to be connected is not too far from the access point.
In practice, Wi-Fi can be used to provide high-speed connections (11 Mbps or
greater) to laptop computers, desktop computers, personal digital assistants
(PDAs) and any other devices located within a radius of several dozen metres

5
 indoors (in general 20m-50m away) or within several hundred metres outdoors.

Figure 1.2.2.1.1 A sample Wi-Fi network in Library Buildings

 Wi-Fi providers are starting to blanket areas that have a high concentration of
users (like train stations, airports, and hotels) with wireless networks. These
access areas are called "hot spots"

1.2.2.2 Wimax

What is WiMAX:

WiMAX is a short name for Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access.

WiMAX is described in IEEE 802.16 Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
standard. It is expected that WiMAX compliant systems will provide fixed wireless
alternative to conventional Cable Internet.

Typically, a WiMAX system consists of two parts:

 A WiMAX Base Station: Base station consists of indoor electronic systems

and a WiMAX tower. Typically, a base station can cover up to 10 km radius
(Theoretically, a base station can cover up to 50 kilo meter radius or 30 miles,
however practical considerations limit it to about 10 km or 6 miles). Any
wireless node within the coverage area would be able to access the Internet.
 A WiMAX receiver - The receiver and antenna could be a stand-alone box or a
PCMCIA card that sits inside the laptop or computer. Access to WiMAX base
station is similar to accessing a Wireless Access Point in a WiFi network, but
the coverage is more.

Important Wireless MAN IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) Specifications

Range - 30-mile (50-km) radius from base station

Speed - Up to 70 megabits per second
Non-Line-of-sight (NLoS) between user and base station

6
Frequency bands - 2 to 11 GHz and 10 to 66 GHz (licensed and unlicensed bands)

Figure 1.2.2.2.1 A sample Wimax network

1.2.2.3 Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short range, wire free, secure and international standardized wireless
technology that provides wireless communication system between the Bluetooth
enabled devices in a short ranged network. Bluetooth technology is a short range
wireless technology that was developed by the collaboration of mobile phones and IT
companies such as Nokia, Intel, Toshiba, Erickson and IBM. Bluetooth develops short
range wireless connections between the laptops, handheld pcs, wireless communication
devices and mobile phones. Bluetooth is only available to the personal area networks in
an office or a home network.

It reduces the usage of power as compared to the Wi-Fi. Bluetooth is an international

standardized technology that is used for the wireless communication between the
Bluetooth held devices such as mobile phones, digital camera, laptops, desktop
computers, keyboard, mouse, mp3 players, video cameras and other devices

Bluetooth uses radio waves frequency as a medium and is suitable for the 1, 10 and 100
meters distance. Like the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi uses the same frequency but the power
consumption of the wi-fi is high so it produces more powerful signals

Bluetooth uses radio waves that operate at 2.4 GHz bands. Microsoft Windows XP with
the service pack 2 has the built-in support for the Bluetooth technology. The master
Bluetooth device can communication with the seven other Bluetooth enabled devices.
Different devices support different standards of the Bluetooth technology. The research
on the advanced Bluetooth is in progress for the Bluetooth version 3.0 to provide the
high-speed connections.

1.2.2.4 Satellite
In 1962, the American telecommunications giant AT&T launched the world's first true
communications satellite, called Telstar. Since then, countless communications
satellites have been placed into earth orbit, and the technology being applied to them is
forever growing in sophistication

7
1.2.2.4.1 Basic Elements
Satellite communications are comprised of following 2 main components:
1.2.2.4.1.1 The Satellite
The satellite itself is also known as the space segment, and is composed of three
separate units, namely the fuel system, the satellite and telemetry controls, and the
transponder. The transponder includes the receiving antenna to pick-up signals from the
ground station, a broad band receiver, an input multiplexer, and a frequency converter
which is used to reroute the received signals through a high powered amplifier for
downlink. The primary role of a satellite is to reflect electronic signals. In the case of a
telecom satellite, the primary task is to receive signals from a ground station and send
them down to another ground station located a considerable distance away from the
first. This relay action can be two-way, as in the case of a long distance phone call.
Another use of the satellite is when, as is the case with television broadcasts and
internet, the ground station's uplink is then downlinked over a wide region, so that it
may be received by many different customers possessing compatible equipment. Still
another use for satellites is observation, wherein the satellite is equipped with cameras
or various sensors, and it merely downlinks any information it picks up from its
vantagepoint. l

1.2.2.4.1.2 The Ground Station.

This is the earth segment. The ground station's job is two-fold. In the case of an uplink,
or transmitting station, terrestrial data in the form of baseband signals, is passed
through a baseband processor, an up converter, a high powered amplifier, and through a
parabolic dish antenna up to an orbiting satellite. In the case of a downlink, or receiving
station, works in the reverse fashion as the uplink, ultimately converting signals
received through the parabolic antenna to base band signal

Figure 1.2.2.4.1 Network made up with satellite signals

8
2. Tools and works of Comparative Performance
Definitions to the Key terms used in comparative Performance
2.1 Damping Length
The length where an amplifier or repeater is needed to further propagate the data signal
without the data loss and noise

2.2 Maximum Speed of Data Transfer

The optimal rate of data transfer at which the data possibly being propagated through a
Transmission medium in bit per second
2.3 Bandwidth
The maximum amount of information that can be transferred over a network in a given
amount of time; When multiple devices are connected to the network, the bandwidth is
divided, depleting transfer rates and decreasing overall network reliability.

2.4 Cost
Cost means the comparative ranks given to each media according to their basic network
implementing cost. Higher rank is given to a media for which the basic network
implementing cost becomes high.

2.5 Get Connection

Getting connection means the comparative ranks given to each media according to the
toughness for becoming networked. Higher rank is given to a media for which the
toughness becomes high.

3. Data Collections
For getting the current information on maximum speed, damping length, Bandwidth
which are assumed to important tools for evaluating the transmission medias the
relevant authenticated websites were searched for achieving data on maximum speed,
damping length, Bandwidth of each transmission medias with applied latest modern
technologies. The reference in the annex shows the URL on which the useful
information on such data taken.

4. Test environment
The collected data vary even among a transmission media with different applied
modern technologies. After collecting the data, the data were reviewed for getting
maximum permissible values on speed, damping length, Bandwidth for each
transmission media with an applied modern technology for easily comparing each other
transmission medium with a unique value. The values found for satellite extreme
higher than the other media, so it was neglected in comparison.

9
 Mediums Damping Length Max speed Bandwidth Cost Get connected
Twisted pair Systematic Care needed
Guided

(multi-pair cables) 2 Km 100 Mbps 300 MHz Little High (rank 3) (rank 2)
Coaxial cable 9 Km 40 Mbps 35 MHz Medium (rank 4) Care needed (rank 3)
Optical fibber 60 Km 2.4 Gbps 2 GHz Very High (rank 1) Little tough (rank 1)
Wi-Fi 50 M (indoor) 54 Mbps 5 GHz High (rank 2) Easy (rank 4)
Unguided

Wimax 10 Km (practically) 70 Mbps 11 GHz High (rank2) Easy (rank 4)

Bluetooth 10 M 0.72 Mbps 2.5 GHZ Low (rank 5) Very Easy (rank 5)
Satellite 30000 Km 1.2 Gbps 60 GHz Extreme high Minute and tough

Relative percentage
Twisted pair
Guided

(multi-pair cables) 3.33 4.07 1.50 60.00 40.00

Coaxial cable 15.00 1.63 0.18 80.00 60.00
Optical fiber 100.00 100.00 100.00 20.00 20.00
Wi-Fi 0.08 2.20 25.00 40.00 80.00
Unguided

Wimax 16.67 2.85 55.00 40.00 80.00

Bluetooth 0.02 0.03 12.50 100.00 100.00
Satellite Omitted as comparably very high valules

5. Table of Data Collections and plots

10
 6. Charts: Comparing Transmission Medias

Damping Length (Km)

Max s peed (Mbps )

60
Bandwidth (MHz)
2500
50 Cost (Rank)

20000 Get connected (Rank)

2000 40
5 18000
5 4.5 16000 30
1500
4.5 4 14000
4 3.5 12000 20
1000
3.5 3 10000
10
3 2.5 8000
500
2.5 2 6000
0
2 1.5 4000
0
1.5 1 2000
0.5 0
1
0.5 0

0
Twisted Coaxial Optical Wi-Fi Wimax Bluetooth
pair cable fiber
(multi-
pair
cables)

Relative Percentages Vs Selected Mediums

120.00 Damping Length

Max speed
Bandwidth
100.00
Cost
Get connected
80.00

60.00

40.00

20.00

0.00
Twisted pair Coaxial cable Optical fiber Wi-Fi Wimax Bluetooth
(multi-pair cables)

11
7. Result and Discussion
 From charts in the paper, we see optical fibber posses the grater stages in
speed, damping length and bandwidth but optical fibber cable connection is
sensitive than twisted Pair and Coaxial cable connections and require higher
cost that the same.
 Even coaxial cabling system has higher damping length than twisted pair
system, twisted pair has higher bandwidth and speed, so we can say twisted
pair outperforms coaxial cable. Here it is also notable that coaxial cable can be
connected easily without order, but twisted pair not like that.
 Here we see from the charts, all unguided mediums are better for ease of
access than guided. Among Unguided; wimax outperforms other medias in
better networking performance in long range (speed, damping length and
bandwidth), even though wi-fi is a substitute for providing a greater power of
access than wimax in short range. Even satellite performs with higher values
of speed, damping length and bandwidth, the implementing cost and minute
connection control get demerits, so we do not choose satellite as an populated
outperforming media device for networking compared to other medias.

8. Findings
 Optical fibber in the guided media outperforms other medias in better
networking performance but optical fibber cable connection is sensitive than
twisted Pair and Coaxial cable connections and require higher cost that the
same.
 Twisted pair outperforms coaxial cable. Here it is also notable that coaxial
cable can be connected easily without order, but twisted pair not like that.
 Among Unguided; wimax outperforms other medias in better networking
performance in long range even though wi-fi is a substitute for providing a
greater power of access than wimax in short range.
 Here all unguided mediums are better for ease of access than guided.

9. References
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-
2Lu3lQkqk5S/Learn/learningcenter/home/wireless_glossary.html#rate for
introductory text and reviews

http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/learningcenter/home/bluetooth.html for bluetooth

http://www.rfdesign.info/doc-desc/18/WiMAX-An-Introduction.html for wimax, wi-fi

and bluetooth

http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid40_gci970933,00.html
for wimax

http://www.wtec.org/loyola/satcom/c2_s3.htm#f2_30 for satellite

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/~djohnson/satellite/coverage.html for staellite

12
 www.bsu.edu/web/ebleech/ppt/wk10_Satellite___Microwave.ppt
- for fundamentals of satellite communication

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/524891/satellite-
communication/6429/Satellites-as-radio-repeaters for satellite repeters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_medium for introduction

http://en.kioskea.net/contents/transmission/transintro.php3 for introduction

13

View publication stats