3.1 Explain basic cable types & their connectors, features, & purposes Flashcards
1
Q
2 types of copper cabling?
A
- Coaxial
- Twisted pair
2
Q
2 types of twisted pair copper cabling?
A
- STP
- UTP
3
Q
Meaning of STP?
A
Shielded Twisted Pair
4
Q
Meaning of UTP?
A
Unshielded Twisted Pair
5
Q
What is Twisted Pair copper cabling made up of?
A
4 copper wire pairs
6
Q
Why are conductor pairs twisted at different rates in TP cabling?
TP = Twisted Pair
A
To reduce interference
The balanced electrical signals on each pair help identify the signal against interference, but the method has limited range
7
Q
What does attenuation mean?
A
Loss of signal strenght over a medium
Medium like a cable or through the air
8
Q
Downside to Twisted Pair copper cabling?
A
Signals suffer from attenuation over long ranges
9
Q
Max recommended distance for most UTP cables?
A
328 feet (100m)
10
Q
How does STP differ from UTP copper cabling?
A
Providing extra protection against interference
11
Q
When is STP used over UTP copper cabling?
A
For 10G Ethernet or in high-interference environments
(For 10G Ethernet or higher)
STP is more reliable
12
Q
2 types of STP copper cabling?
A
- Screened cable
- Fully shielded cable
13
Q
How does STP screened cable work?
A
Has a single outer foil shield around all pairs
Screened cable TP copper cabling is aka Screened Twisted Pair (ScTP), Foiled/Unshielded Twisted Pair (F/UTP), & Foiled Twisted Pair (FTP)
14
Q
How does Fully shielded STP cable work?
A
Has braided screen & foil-shielded pairs
Fully shielded STP cable is aka Shielded/Foiled Twisted Pair (S/FTP)
15
Q
Why are shielded cable elements bonded to the connector?
A
Prevent metal from acting as an antenna
Which can generate interference
Modern F/UTP & S/FTP solutions facilitate this by incorporating bonding within the design of each element
16
Q
What is a Cat specification?
A
TCP cable rated for specific Ethernet standards
Higher Cat specification is capable of higher data rates. Cat specifications are defined in the TIA/EIA-568-C Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standards
17
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 5 support?
A
100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 100Mbps
18
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 5?
A
328 ft (100m)
19
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 5e support?
A
1000BASE-T (GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 1000Mbps (1Gbps)
20
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 5e?
A
328 ft (100m)
21
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standards does Cat 6 support?
A
- 1000BASE-T (GB Ethernet)
- 10GBASE-T (10 GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 1000Mbps (1Gbps) or 10 Gbps
22
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 6 (1000BASE-T)?
A
328 ft (100m)
23
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 6 (10GBASE-T)?
A
180 ft (55m)
24
Q
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 6A support?
A
10GBASE-T (10GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 10 Gbps
25
# Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What is the max distance of Cat 6A?
328 ft (100m)
26
What is printed on a Twisted pair cable's plastic jacket?
Cat specification & cable type
| Cable type like UTP or F/UTP, for instance.
27
# Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Which Cat specification is no longer comercially available?
Cat 5
## Footnote
A network cabled with Cat 5 will probably need to be rewired to support Gigabit Ethernet
28
# Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Why is Cat 6 better than Cat 5?
More reliable & supports 10Gbps
## Footnote
Although Cat 6 has reduced range when using 10Gbps (10GBASE-T)
29
# Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Downside to Cat 6A TP cables?
Bulkier & heavier than Cat 5e & 6
## Footnote
& the installation requirements are more stringent, so fitting it within pathways designed for older cables can be problematic.
30
What connector are TP cables for Ethernet terminated with?
RJ45 connectos
31
What are RJ45 connectors referred to as?
8P8C (8-Position/8-Contact)
32
2 methods for terminating TP cables?
| This is defined by the TIA/EIA-568 standard
- T568A
- T568B
33
T568A wire order?
| T568A is a method for terminating TP cables
1. Green/white
2. Green
3. Orange/white
4. Blue
5. Blue/white
6. Orange
7. Brown/white
8. Brown
34
T568B wire order?
| T568B is a method for terminating TP cables
1. Orange/white
2. Orange
3. Green/white
4. Blue
5. Blue/white
6. Green
7. Brown/white
8. Brown
35
What is a TP crossover cable?
When T568A is used on one end & T568B is used on the other
## Footnote
Crossover cables used to be necessary for direct computer connections, but Gigabit Ethernet interfaces can now perform the crossover automatically, even with standard cables.
36
What connector can TP cables be used with besides RJ45?
RJ11
## Footnote
Unlike the 4-pair cable used with Ethernet, RJ11 is typically used to terminate 2-pair cable, which is widely used in telephone systems & with broadband DSL modems
37
What is a plenum?
Void in a building designed to carry HVAC systems
| HVAC = Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning
38
What cables can be installed in a plenum space?
Fire-proof plenum cables
39
2 features of plenum cables?
- Low smoke emissions
- Self-extinguishing
| They also meet other strict fire safety standards
40
What cable jacket & insulation is used for non-plenum cables?
| (General purpose cables)
PVC
41
What cable jacket & insulation is used for plenum cables?
Treated PVC or FEP
| FEP = Flourinated Ethylene Polymer
42
Downside to plenum-rated cables?
Less flexible
## Footnote
Due to the material used for the plastic jacket (Treadted PVC or FEP). However this material has no effect on bandwidth
43
What is marked on plenum-rated cables' jacket in the U.S.?
CMP/MMP
44
What is marked on non-plenum-rated cables' jacket in the U.S.?
| (General cables)
CMG/MMG or CM/MP
45
What do Outside Plant (OSP) cables refer to?
Cables that run on external walls or between 2 buildings
46
Why do OSP cables use special coatings?
To protect against UV & abrasion
47
Why may OSP cables be filled with gel?
To protect against temperature extremes & damp
48
3 types of Outside Plant (OSP) cables?
- Aerial
- Conduit
- Direct burial
49
Where are aeiral cables designed to be installed?
Above ground
| Typically strung between 2 poles or anchors
## Footnote
They can withstand exposure to UV sunlight, extreme temperatures, and moisture
50
Where are conduit cables designed to be installed?
in underground conduits
## Footnote
Conduits are protective tubes or channels used to encase and protect cables, wires, or electrical conductors
51
Where are direct burial cables designed to be installed?
Directly underground
| Without the need for conduits
## Footnote
Direct cables may be armored to protect against chewing by rodents
52
Why does optical cabling have higher bandwidth & longer runs than copper?
Light pulses are interference-immune & suffer less attenuation
53
What does the optical fiber's core do?
Carries light pulses
54
What does the optical fiber's cladding do?
Guides light pulses along the core
55
What does the optical fiber's buffer do?
Protects the caddling
56
2 types of fiber optic cables?
- Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
- Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
57
Which type of fiber optic cable has a smaller core?
| (8-10 microns)
Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
58
Which type of fiber optic cable has a larger core?
| (62.5 or 50 microns)
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
59
What fiber optic type is designed to carry long wavelength infrared signals?
| (1,310 nm or 1,550 nm)
Single-Mode Fiber
60
What fiber optic type is designed to carry short wavelength infrared signals?
| (850 nm or 1,300 nm)
Multi-Mode Fiber
61
Data rate of Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) cables?
Up to 10Gbps or better
62
Which type of fiber optic cable has longer range?
Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
63
Which type of fiber optic cable is more suitable for LANs than WANs?
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
64
Which type of fiber optic cabling is cheaper to deploy?
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
## Footnote
This is because MMF uses cheaper & less coherent LED's or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCELs)
65
3 types of connectors used for fiber optic cables?
- ST
- SC
- LC
66
Meaning of ST?
Straight Tip
67
Meaning of SC?
Subscriber Connector
68
Meaning of LC?
Lucent Connector
69
# Identify fiber optic connector
ST
70
# Identify fiber optic connector
SC
71
# Identify fiber optic connector
LC
72
What networks is the fiber ST connector mostly used for?
Multi-mode networks
73
2 versions of fiber SC connectors?
- Simplex
- Duplex
| The duplex versin is just 2 connectors clipped together
74
What networks can the fiber SC connector be used for?
Single- or multi-mode
75
How do fiber LC connectors differ from SC connectors?
Smaller size
## Footnote
This allows for highe port density
76
How are fiber optic patch cords configured?
Same or mixed connectors on each end
77
Why avoid frequently plugging & unplugging fiber optic connectors?
Connectors are easy to damage
## Footnote
Unused ports & connectors should be covered by a dust cap to minimize the risk of contamination
78
2 main uses for coax cables?
- CCTV installations
- As a patch cable for CATV & cable modems
| CATV = Cable Access TV
79
What connector is used to terminate Coax for CATV installations?
| CATV = Cable Access TV
F-type connector
80
Meaning of DVI?
Digital Visual Interface
81
5 types of DVI?
- DVI-A
- DVI-D (single link)
- DVI-D (dual link)
- DVI-I (single link)
- DVI-I (dual link)
82
How does each DVI type differ from each other?
Different support for single/dual link & analog/digital output signaling
83
# Identify DVI type
DVI-A
84
# Identify DVI type
DVI-D (single link)
85
# Identify DVI type
DVI-I (single link)
86
# Identify DVI type
DVI-D (dual link)
87
# Identify DVI type
DVI-I (dual link)
88
What signals does DVI-I support?
Digital & analog signals
89
What signals does DVI-A support?
Analog signals
90
What signals does DVI-D support?
Digital signals
91
Meaning of VGA?
Video Graphics Array
92
How many pins does VGA have?
15
93
What signals does VGA support?
Analog signals
94
Identify connector
VGA
95
What resolutions does VGA support?
Up to HD (1920x1080)
96
4 types of hard drive cables?
- SATA
- SCSI
- eSATA
- IDE
97
Meaning of SCSI?
Small Computer System Interface
98
How many bits are transferred in a serial interface?
| i.e. USB & thunderbolt use serial communication
1 bit at a time
## Footnote
Serial communications can achieve Mbps & Gbps speeds through the use of improved signaling & encoding methods. Back when serial interfaces were much slower, PC vendors used parallel data transmission to support better transfer rates
99
How many bits are transferred in a parallel interface?
1 byte at a time
## Footnote
Serial communications can achieve Mbps & Gbps speeds through the use of improved signaling & encoding methods. Back when serial interfaces were much slower, PC vendors used parallel data transmission to support better transfer rates.
100
What bus communication does SCSI use?
Parallel
101
Does SCSI support daisy chaining?
Yes
## Footnote
SCSI defines a command language for the host adapter to identify connected devices and their access methods
102
What could SCSI be used for?
Internal devices & external peripherals
| i.e. scanners & printers
103
What is SCSI now mainly used for?
Internal hard drive connections
104
Identify connector
SCSI (68-pin
## Footnote
While some SCSI connectors may have 68 pins, others may have different pin counts, such as 50 pins or 80 pins.
105
What data rates does SCSI support?
Up to 320 MBps
106
2 common SCSI connectors?
- HD 68-pin
- SCA 80-pin
| SCA = Single Connector Attachment
107
Which SCSI connector incorporates a power connector?
SCA 80-pin
108
What power connector is used with SCSI HD-68 pin?
Molex
109
What must each device in a wide SCSI bus be configured with?
Unique ID
110
What is SCSI's ID range?
0-15
| Each device on a wide SCSI bus must be configured with a unique ID
111
What SCSI ID is allocated to the host adapter?
7 or 15
112
What SCSI ID is allocated to a bootable hard disk?
0
113
How is a SCSI bus device terminated?
| The first & last device must be terminated
Internally or with an external terminator pack
114
What part of SCSI is still used?
| Parallel SCSI as a physical interface has almost completely disappeared
The software interface & command set
| It is used on other storage technologies, like SAS
115
Meaning of SAS?
Serial Attached SCSI
116
What's the primary interface for high-end storage devices
SAS
117
Meaning of IDE?
Integrated Drive Electronics
118
What is IDE aka?
PATA
| (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment)
119
How does the extended IDE (EIDE) transfer data?
Through 16-bit parallel data transfers
| This means that 16 bits are sent simultaneously over the bus
120
How many IDE host adapters may a MOBO have?
| MOBO = Motherboard
1 or 2, called IDE1 & IDE2 channel
| These may also be labelled primary (PRI IDE) & secondary (SEC IDE)
## Footnote
A single IDE channel is now more typical if the MOBO supports SATA. Each IDE channel supports 2 devices, 0 & 1
121
How many connectors does an EIDE cable typically have?
3 color-coded connectors
122
What is the EIDE's blue connector for?
Motherboard port
123
What is the EIDE's black & grey connector for?
Device 0 & 1, respectively
124
How is pin 1 identified in a EIDE cable?
via red stripe
## Footnote
When inserting a connector, align pin 1 with pin 1 on the port, and the connectors are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion
125
Does RS-232 use serial or parallel communication?
| RS = Recommended Standard
Serial
126
Identify interface
RS-232 (Serial) With DB-9 connector
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
127
What data rates does RS-232 support?
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
Up to 115 Kbps
128
What is a serial port refered to as in Windows?
Communications (COM) port
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
129
What are PS/2 serial ports used for?
Attaching mice & keyboards
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
130
What is the green PS/2 serial port for?
Connecting a mouse
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
131
What is the purple PS/2 serial port for?
Connecting a keyboard
## Footnote
Serial ports, once common for dial-up internet connections, are now less prevalent due to USB's popularity. They are still found on network equipment for device management.
132
What is an adapter cable
Cable with a different connector at each end
| It uses circiutry to convert the signal
133
What does an all-in-one PC unit mean?
Internal components are contained within a case that's also a monitor
134
How many USB devices does a host controller support?
| (in theory)
Up to 127 devices
## Footnote
To overcome the limitations of sharing bandwidth, most PC motherboards provision multiple USB controllers, each of which as 3 or 4 ports
135
USB 2.0 data rate?
Up to 480 Mbps
136
What is USB 2.0 aka?
High-Speed USB
137
Is USB 2.0 half- or full-duplex?
Half-duplex
| Each device can send or receive, but not simultaneously
138
is USB 3.0 half- or full-duplex?
Full-duplex
| Each device can send or receive simultaneously
139
Data rate of USB 3.2 Gen 1?
| Previously known as USB 3.0 & USB 3.1
Up to 5 Gbps
140
What connectors does USB 3.2 Gen 1 support?
| Previously known as USB 3.0 & USB 3.1
- USB-A
- USB-C
- USB Micro
141
What is the commercial name for USB 3.2 Gen 1?
| Previously known as USB 3.0 & USB 3.1
SuperSpeed USB
142
Data rate of USB 3.2 Gen 2x1?
| Previously known as USB 3.1 Gen 2
Up to 10 Gbps
143
What connectors does USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 support?
| Previously known as USB 3.1 Gen 2
- USB-A
- USB-C
- USB Micro
144
What is the commercial name for USB 3.2 Gen 2x1?
| Previously known as USB 3.1 Gen 2
SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps
145
Data rate of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2?
2 x 10 Gbps
## Footnote
This means 2 lanes of 10 Gbps each, resulting in a total potential thorughput of 20 Gbps
146
What connectors does USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support?
USB-C
147
What is the commercial name for USB 3.2 Gen 2x2?
SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps
148
Why do USB 3 controllers have 2 components?
## Footnote
USB 3 controller is a hardware component that manages USB 3.0 devices
1 is for USB 3.0 & other is for USB 1.1/2.0 devices
## Footnote
Because they're managed separately, older devices won't slow down the performance of newer, high-speed devices connected to the USB 3 port
149
Identify interface
USB-A 2.0
150
Identify interface
USB-B 2.0
151
Identify interface
USB-B Mini 2.0
152
Identify interface
USB-B Micro 2.0
153
Which USB 3.0 interfaces are compatible with USB 1.1 & 2.0 interfaces?
USB-A 3.0
| Type B/Type B Micro connectors aren't compatible
## Footnote
i.e. you could plug a USB 2 Type A cable into a USB 3 Type A port, but you can't plug a USB 3 Type B cable into a USB 2 Type B port
154
Identify interface
USB A 3.0/3.1
155
Identify interface
USB-B 3.0/3.1
156
Identify interface
USB-B Micro 3.0/3.1
157
Identify interface
USB-C
## Footnote
USB-C supports various standards, including USB 2.0, 3.0, & 3.2, & other protocols like Thunderbolt
158
How much Watts can a Basic USB port supply?
Up to 4.5W
159
How much Watts can a Power Delivery (PD) USB port supply?
| (Given suitable connectors & cabling)
Up to 100W
160
2 main factors that determines a video cable's bandwidth?
- Resolution of image
- The speed the image is redrawn
## Footnote
i.e. uncompressed HD video at 60fps requires 4.5 Gbps, while 4K at 60fps requires 8.91 Gbps
161
How is the resolution of a image measured?
Horizontal pixels by vertical pixels
## Footnote
i.e. 1920x1200 is the typical format of High-Definition (HD) video & 3840x2160 is typical of 4K video
162
What is the speed at which an image is redrawn measured in?
| (Refresh rate)
Hertz (Hz) or Frames Per Second (FPS)
163
What does framerate in FPS describe?
Video source
164
What is Hertz used to describe in video?
Refresh rate of display device & video interface
165
How do you avoid display artefacts
| i.e. ghosting & tearing
Refresh rate should match the frame rate or be evenly divisible by it
## Footnote
i.e. if the framerate is 60 FPS & the refresh rate is 120Hz, the video should play smoothly
166
Meaning of HDMI?
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
167
Meaning of HDCP?
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection
168
What signals does HDMI support?
Audio & video
| It also supports remote control & HDCP
## Footnote
Newer HDMI specifications support high resolutions such as 4K and 8K, along with gaming features like adaptive refresh rates.
169
Identify interface
HDMI-A
170
Identify interface
HDMI-C (mini)
171
Identify interface
HDMI-D (Micro)
172
What are HDMI cables rated as?
Standard (Category 1) or High Speed (Category 2)
173
What does HDMI High Speed (Category 2) support?
Greater lengths & supports v1.4 features
| v1.4 features like 4K & refresh rates over 60Hz
174
What data rates does HDMI 2.0 support?
| (Premium High Speed)
Up to 18 Gbps
175
What data rates does HDMI 2.1 support?
| (Ultra High Speed)
Up to 48 Gbps
176
Why was DisplayPort developed?
Becuase HDMI requires a royalty to use
## Footnote
DisplayPort, a royalty-free standard by VESA, supports features such as 4K resolution, audio, and content protection, similar to HDMI
177
Identify interface
DP++
| (DisplayPort)
178
Identify interface
MiniDP/mDP
179
How can DisplayPort connections increase bandwidth?
By using multiple lanes
| (up to 4)
180
What is the bitrate of each lane in DP 1.0/1.1/1.2?
2.7 Gbps per lane
## Footnote
With 4 lanes each operating at 2.7 Gbps, the total bandwidth of DP 1.0/1.1/1.2 would be up to 10.8 Gbps
181
What is the bitrate of each lane in DP 2.0?
Up to 20 Gbps
## Footnote
With 4 lanes each operating at up to 20 Gbps, the total bandwidth of DP 2.0 would be up to 80 Gbps
182
Main advantage DP has over HDMI?
Supports daisy-chaining multiple monitors to the same video source
## Footnote
Using multiple monitors with HDMI requires one video card port for each monitor. Thunderbolt also supports daisy-chaining
183
How can Thunderbolt be used?
As a display interface & as a peripheral interface
| Display interface like DP/HDMI & as a peripheral interface like USB
184
What interface does Thunderbolt 1 & 2 use?
MiniDP/mDP
185
What is Thunderbolt (1, 2, & 3) compatible with?
DisplayPort
## Footnote
A monitor with a DP port can be connected to a PC via a thunderbolt port & a suitable adapter cable
186
How are thunderbolt (1 & 2) ports distinguished from MiniDP ports?
By a lightning bolt icon
187
Data transfer rate of Thunderbolt 2?
Up to 20Gbps
188
What interface does Thunderbolt 3 use?
USB-C
## Footnote
Thunderbolt 1 or 2 devices connect to Thunderbolt 3 via converter cables. USB works on Thunderbolt 3, but non-Thunderbolt USB ports won't support Thunderbolt devices.
189
Data transfer rate of Thunderbolt 3?
Up to 40 Gbps over a short cable
| (1.6ft (0.5m))
190
Idnetify interface
Lightning
191
Meaning of SATA?
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
192
Identify interface
SATA Power Cable
193
Identify interface
SATA Data Cable
194
How many pins does the SATA power connector have?
15 pins
195
How many pins does the SATA data power connector have?
7 pins
196
What does the SATA's power connector connect?
The device to the PC's power supply
197
Data rate of SATA 1?
Up to 150 MBps
198
Data rate of SATA 2?
300 MBps
199
Data rate of SATA 3?
600 MBps
200
Identify interface
Molex
## Footnote
New devices typically use the SATA power connector, while older components use the molex connector to link to the PSU. Some devices might have both SATA & molex poer connectors
201
Meaning of eSATA?
External SATA
202
Identify interface
eSATA
## Footnote
Internal SATA cables can't be used to connet to an external eSATA port
203
How does the eSATAp interface differ from eSATA?
Compatible with USB & SATA (with eSATAp cable)
## Footnote
However, the USB interface dominates the external drive market
