Cables

Construction

Construction refers primarily to the size (diameter) of coaxes used internally and to the composition of the jacket of the cable.

High Resolution/Super High Resolution

The first decision you have to make in determining the right cable for a job happens be one of the most difficult. It also involves attempting to answer the world’s most loaded question… “How far can I go with that cable?”

When this question is asked, you must also ask these other questions: What is the resolution of the video source? VGA? XGA? UXGA? What type of display is being used? CRT? LCD? DLP? Will any other pieces of equipment be used in-between the source and the display? Will a buffer or an amplifier be used at any point in the run? And, what are the expectations of the person or people who will be viewing the display?

Since most people do not own the proper equipment to absolutely ensure that signal integrity is maintained throughout a system, nor the time and patience to calculate it theoretically using bandwidth specs from manufacturers, selecting cables for a job often becomes a bit of a guessing game. The trick is to make a well-educated guess and to cover yourself—to err on the side of higher performance rather than lower.

It is important to first recognize that, in most cases, for systems requiring runs over 25 feet in length, cable alone is not a solution. 

Sure, you can continually increase the diameter of the selected cable as the length increases to reduce attenuation, but eventually the cable will get as thick as a tree trunk, making it prohibitive in terms of both...

...cost and workability. By using the proper product (or products) together with cable, you can find the right balance. Still, there are times when you will want a higher performance cable and times when you won't really need it. ALTINEX offers two types of cables in terms of size/bandwidth performance – High Resolution and Super High Resolution.

Rules of thumb: if your system involves “lower” resolution source signals (VGA, SVGA) and you are using some type of amplifier such as an interface or a distribution amplifier, you are usually safe up to about 100 feet using High Resolution type cable. If your system involves “higher” resolution source signals (XGA,-SXGA, UXGA) and/or runs that exceed 100 feet, it is advisable that you use both a Super High Resolution type cable and an interface or distribution amplifier.

Application

Once you have determined the best Construction type for the cable to be used in your system, you should then cross-reference it with the primary Application for which it will be used. The Application category includes considerations of connector type and signal format.

In signal management systems, the BNC is still the connector of choice for many applications. It is an extremely high quality, durable connector for use with both broadcast video and computer video (RGB) signals. In addition, it is easy to terminate in the field using a crimp tool and typically does not require soldering. 

On the other hand, the 15-pin HD (VGA) connector, though difficult to assemble in the field, is widely used in the market for computer video outputs and display inputs. It is also a smaller connector, especially when considering that 5 BNC connectors must be used to pass RGBHV while only one 15-pin HD connector is required to do so. Between a computer video source and its local monitor, multi-pin cables are generally used, in part because the additional pins are required to determine the boot-up mode of the video card.

If sources and displays in your system make use of 15-pin HD (VGA) connectors and you do not need to make custom terminations in the field, it makes sense to select pre-made VGA-type cable assemblies (CB3700MR or CB3900HR Series). These assemblies are made with High Resolution type cable if they are shorter than 50 feet and with Super High Resolution cable if they are 50 feet or longer. Plenum-rated VGA cable assemblies are made-to-order using CB5010PL Series cable. 

For applications that do not require cables over 12 feet in length, but would benefit from a thinner cable, consider using CB3000PV Series Ultra-Thin VGA Cables.

If your system involves products that use BNC connectors, or if you need to cut cables to length in the field, multi-channel coaxial cable is the best way to go. This cable is offered in pre-made assemblies and also in bulk, allowing you to choose the best solution for your application. For High Resolution, use the CB4100MR/CB4200MR (PVC) or CB5010PL (Plenum) Series cables. For Super High Resolution, use the CB4300MR/CB4400MR (PVC) Series cables.

Multi-channel coaxial cables are available in both 4-channel (RGBS) and 5-channel (RGBHV) versions. More and more, 5-channel cable is predominantly used due to the nature of display devices on the market and the simple fact that a 5-channel cable covers you for both RGBS and RGBHV, while a 4-channel cable can only be used for RGBS.

Finally, ALTINEX offers a Multimedia type cable, CB4600MR, capable of passing a variety of computer video, broadcast video, and audio signals together. ALTINEX can custom-build a variety of different cable assemblies to suit your application using this cable.

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