Custom Design Cables Ltd » Cable shielding

Cable shielding can cut out interference

cgoodram — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

We all know cable shielding is important to ensure a good quality of signal reaches its destination, but it’s worth taking a fresh look at some of the potential sources of interference in a common home entertainment set-up. For instance, if you’ve ever held an unshielded speaker close to a CRT computer monitor, you’ll know how strong the magnetic field that they produce can be (and it’s not recommended to expose your monitor to that kind of abuse…!). But when a magnetic field and an electrical cable intersect, you get an induced current – and this is where interference can come from. Likewise, an electrical current passing along a cable can create a magnetic field of its own, which can in turn cause interference in neighbouring wires. Cable shielding thus protects the carried signals not only against any nearby physical magnets, but also against electromagnetic induction from power cables, data connections, and even the mains loop inside any nearby walls – not to mention wireless signals that might cause interference too. If you can’t predict the exact circumstances in which your cable will be used, it’s wise to invest in some shielding, to compensate for all of these environmental effects once it’s connected and transferring power or data.

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How Do Subsea Cables Work?

cgoodram — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered how you can make a phone call to a country thousands of miles away instantly? Or establish an internet connection strong and quick enough to video call someone in a far-flung land? The answer is an incredible undersea network of data communication cables spanning continents, delivering terabytes of data every single second. Laid under oceans between land-based stations, these custom cables keep the world connected day and night. But the sea is a rough place for even the most hardy of souls; so how exactly do these cables withstand the harsh conditions of the high seas and still manage to deliver unfaltering data communication for us all? Anatomy of a Subsea Cable image source: Wikipedia The demands placed upon subsea cables make them a unique prospect in the cable industry and as such, cable designers have worked for years (and are still working) to create the ideal cable for standing up to the harsh conditions and underwater pressure of the ocean while also delivering a reliable connection. The above diagram illustrates a subsection of the average subsea cable. As you can see, the cable is shielded by a thick layer of material (numbered 1) – usually polythene – in order to protect the cable from underwater damage. Ensuring that a custom cable features adequate cable shielding is an absolutely essential part of building a subsea cable. In fact, protecting the cable goes beyond this outer layer of polythene; inside the cable, we can see stranded metal wires (3), an aluminium water barrier (4), polycarbonate (5), metal tubing (6) and a layer of petroleum jelly. Basically, the bulk of the cable exists to protect the precious fiber optics – responsible for the transmission of data – inside! Optical repeaters are also used to strengthen the signal of the cable across long distances. These repeaters are powered by a constant and substantial direct current, making these cables an extremely dangerous prospect should you happen to accidently cut into one! The thickness of a subsea cable will also vary depending on the depth in which it is to be laid in order to protect it from the effects of underwater pressure. Laying a Subsea Cable Laying the cables that power global communication is an arduous and time-consuming task. Specialist vessels are used to lay cables between one land-based station to another. Using a deepsea plough-type device, the vessels follow the route of the cable, laying it as they travel to the final destination. The average cable laying operation can cost millions of pounds to complete and has to be carried out – on average – about once a decade. The Importance of Subsea Cables Subsea cables are an essential part of our global society yet many people aren’t even aware that this international data communication network exists. On the rare occasions the subsea cable network appears on the news, it’s because of a failure in the network. For example, an accident involving a ship cutting a cable and thus knocking half of the Middle East offline (also referred to as the Alexandria accident) in 2009 received widespread coverage and produced ample evidence for just how important subsea cables are. These kinds of incidents are thankfully rare, as the design of subsea cables mean they are relatively safe from potential undersea cutting hazards. Most subsea cables are also buried, so the danger of a shark biting through a cable a la ‘Jaws 2’ is pretty slim. So the next time you’re making a Skype call or watching a hilarious video on a Chinese video website, give a thought to the underground network of custom cables powering that process! If you’re interested in developing your own underwater cables – on a global or smaller scale – then get in touch with the specialists at Custom Designed Cables; no matter what the job, we’ve got the solution!

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5 Ways Custom Cables Are Making The World A Better Place

cgoodram — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

There’s nothing like a bold statement to open up a blog post, and the title of this blog post is indeed a grand statement. Custom cables making the world a better place? Really? But it’s true – custom cables and their various applications make your life better on a daily basis, often without you even realising it. Cables are the unsung heroes of the technology world, powering the machinery and equipment we rely on to lead our modern ways of life. Of course, it’s easy to make a grand statement like that without providing any evidence. Therefore, we’ve compiled five ways in which custom cables are making the world a better place. Enjoy!

Custom cables power medical equipment

Medical technology has come on leaps and bounds in the past 50 years, providing doctors and nurses with a detailed insight into our wellbeing and allowing them to diagnose any ailments quickly and effectively. X-ray machines, MRI scanners and CT scanners are pieces of equipment that the NHS and private healthcare providers rely on every day. At the core of these machines are custom cables, with multicore cables powering the machines and transmitting vital data to doctors quickly.

Custom cables help the military

Custom cables are the military’s secret weapon, providing the power for communication devices, helmet communications, vehicle interfaces and unmanned aerial vehicles. Low-interference, high-powered cables ensure that there is a reliable connection between headquarters and ground troops, that troops are always connected in the field and that all equipment can stand up to the rigours of the battlefield. In short, we’re proud to provide equipment that helps the army keep us safe.

Custom cables are used in renewable energy sources

As we revealed last week, custom cables are playing a key part in the design of renewable energy sources. With the environment at a tipping point and an increasing onus on finding ways to reduce society’s reliance on fossil fuels, custom cables are helping scientists concoct ways to change the way humanity generates its energy and avert potential blackouts and environmental disasters in the future.

Undersea cables keep us all connected

How on Earth does an electrical cable work underwater? It’s a question that cable designers over the ages have been all too happy to answer, providing the world with a way to communication across nations via an elaborate network of undersea cables. Underwater cables are responsible for both telecommunications and online communication between nations. Such is the world’s reliance on marine cables for getting online, whole nations could potentially be taken offline should a cable be damaged. In fact, that scenario actually happened back in 2009, when a severed cable led to half of the Middle East being taken offline! It’s a good job that cable designers work so hard on making their marine cables durable and reliable really, isn’t it?

Cables make long journeys more comfortable and more exciting

Custom cables have long enabled parents to keep their kids quiet on a long car journey or kept bored passengers entertained on trans-Atlantic flights, with automotive manufacturers calling on the services of cable designers to provide ways to power in-flight entertainment and seat-mounted DVD players. So there you have it, five ways custom cables are making the world a better place. If you require a custom cable for any application (world-changing or not), get in touch with Custom Designed Cables.

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