What is the difference between shielded and unshielded twisted pair cables?
The paired wires in the shielded twisted pair cable are covered with foil and then wrapped again for double protection. Whereas each pair of wires in the unshielded twisted pair cable is not covered but wrapped in a tube without any protection.
The paired wires in the shielded twisted pair cable are covered with foil and then wrapped again for double protection. Whereas each pair of wires in the unshielded twisted pair cable is not covered but wrapped in a tube without any protection.
Shielded twisted pair cable requires a grounding cable while unshielded twisted pair does not.
Shielded twisted pair cable requires more maintenance than unshielded cable, therefore, shielded twisted pair is more expensive than unshielded twisted pair.
Shielded twisted pair cable is abbreviated as STP cable while unshielded twisted pair is abbreviated as UTP cable.
Unshielded twisted pair has a slower data rate than shielded twisted pair. It has a fairly high data transmission rate.
STP cable effectively reduces noise while unshielded twisted pair cable has a higher interference level.
Crosstalk generation is reduced in shielded twisted pair while crosstalk generation is greater in unshielded twisted pair.
The attenuation is less in STP cable while it is greater in UTP cable.
STP cable speed is relatively low, ranging from 10 to 100 Mbps. Whereas unshielded twisted pair cables have higher speeds, between 10 and 1000 Mbps.
Shielded and Unshielded Twisted Pair Cables in terms of applications, shielded cables are beneficial in areas where the likelihood of electronic interference is high. This includes places like airports and radio stations, telecommunication cable assemblies such as aerospace cable assemblies.
STP cables are also used in security systems to prevent radio frequency interference. In addition, they are also used in box-in-box structures where several components fit closely together. In addition to protecting the cable from external interference, the shielding prevents noise from escaping the cable. This reduces the possibility that it may cause interference to other devices.
On the other hand, UTP cables lack shielding to reduce interference. By twisting the wire pairs within the cable. The construction of UTP cables keeps electromagnetic interference to a low level. In addition, unshielded twisted pair cables are suitable for workplace LANs and similar network cabling systems.
Despite offering less interruption shielding, this type of cable is still popular. This is because they are versatile, inexpensive, simple to install, lightweight, and highly adaptable. However, the use of twisted pair cables is susceptible to radio frequency interference due to electromagnetic interference. In addition, due to its low bandwidth.
