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Screened vs Unscreened Cabling

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White Paper | Screened vs Unscreened Cabling | v1.0 | EN 1

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Introduction
A global standard since the 1980s, screened and shielded twisted-pair copper cabling varieties are still a mainstay
in some markets. While many other markets have migrated largely to unshielded twisted-pair (U/UTP) cables, the
recent ratification of the 10GBase-T standard for 10-Gbit/sec Ethernet over copper has re-established the
commercial viability of screened and shielded systems, and has fueled greater adoption of these systems in
markets that previously were UTP-centric.

Communications cable has always come in unscreened and screened versions. It has been shown that the
introduction of 10GBase-T in fact has a considerable impact on the selection of cabling. The increased sensitivity
of 10GBase-T transmissions compared to 1000Base-T was clearly evident with unshielded cabling in terms of
immunity against external interference. In order to guarantee the operation of 10GBase-T, it is not sufficient to pay
attention to the cabling alone, rather the environmental conditions must also be considered and the cabling
components must be properly selected. Coupling attenuation can serve as a qualitative comparative parameter for
the EMC behavior of cabling.

When looking at cables one should ask themselves about the need for canceling out electromagnetic interference
(EMI). While all and any cable type may work for a specific application, it is important to understand where and
when the cable will be required to provide protection from power frequency and/or electromagnetic interference
(EMI). This is where shielded vs. unshielded cable come into play.

This white paper explores the difference between the screened and unscreened cabling solutions.

Electromagnetic Interference Screened or Unscreened?

First let’s explore what is Electromagnetic The decision to use Unscreened or Screened cables
Interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference will depend on a number of factors including the
(RFI) as it may also be called. budget available, the performance of the cabling
system, the electrical environment in to which the
EMI is a disturbance. This disturbance is generated cabling will be installed (the level and type of
by an external source affecting an electrical circuit by Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)), the type of
electrostatic coupling, electromagnetic induction, or cable containment, the proximity of data cables to
conduction. This type of disturbance may lower the power cables and the availability of adequate points
performance of the circuit or stop it from functioning of earthing within the building to be cabled.
all together. Where there is a data path, these types
of effects range from an increase in error rate all the Screened cables typically contain similar elements
way to a complete loss of the data. as unscreened cables, but screened cables radiate
much less electromagnetic energy, which can
Natural as well as man-made sources generate interfere with signals in other nearby cables due to
changing electrical currents and voltages that may the screen’s ability to absorb and divert it.
cause electromagnetic interference. Examples for
manmade sources include vehicle ignition systems, Screened cabling also helps to protect the signal
cell phones, etc. Natural sources include the sun, integrity from external interference in electrically
thunder storms, etc. Electromagnetic interference noisy environments such as:
commonly affects AM radios, and may also affect FM
radios, televisions and cell phones. • Industrial factory floors.
• High-voltage/high-current electrical equipment
or components proximity.
• High concentration of electrical equipment.
• Where secure communications are desired.

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There are two type of cables shielded and

unshielded type. They are also versatile and inexpensive. When
properly installed, a well-designed unshielded
Shielded cables - Shielded cables reduce electrical cable will be easier to both install and maintain than
noise and electromagnetic radiation. In other words, a shielded one.
they help to keep the signal steady, and reduce
interference with other devices. This is done with a
shield that may be composed of copper tape, a layer
of conducting polymer or a braid (made of copper or
aluminum mostly), and is covered with a jacket.
There are different levels of shielding. STP, SFTP,
FTP. There are also different types of shielding,
including braided shield, foil and screening.

To make sense of it all, let’s break this down a bit.

The shield can be applied to each one of the pairs
in a cable, or to all the pairs together. It is important to know the difference between the
Foiled – when the shielding is applied to individual types of cables, their applications and pros and
pairs or quads. cons in order to make a knowledgeable decision
Screening – when the shielding is applied to the which cable type to use, where, when, and why.
collection of pairs. Choosing the right cable type with enhance the
Braiding – a type of shield made of braided strands network’s performance, minimise errors and allow
of aluminium or copper. for a long-life span.
U/UTP – Unshielded Twisted Pair
F/UTP – Shielded/Screened or Foiled Unshielded There are two different types of screen:
Twisted Pair
• Overall Screen - This is the screen that sits
S/FTP – Screened & Foiled Twisted Pair
around the outside of all four of the pairs. It
U/FTP – Foiled Twisted Pair
performs two functions, one to prevent the
Shielded cables are thicker than unshielded cables,
emission of signals (noise) out of the cable and,
as well as more sensitive to work with. They are
two, to protect the signals travelling within the
usually used in industrial installations where nearby
cable from external interference. This screen
equipment cause electromagnetic interference.
may be either in the form of an aluminium foil or
a tin-plated copper braid.
• Pair Screens - These foil screens are wrapped
around each of the individual pairs within the
cable and again perform two functions. The first
is to prevent interference from the signal
travelling in one pair of wires from affecting the
signal travelling in another pair of wires in the
same cable sheath (referred to as Near End
Crosstalk or NEXT). The second function is to
prevent the emission of signals (noise) out of the
cable, where they could interfere with signals
travelling in other, nearby cables (referred to as
Alien Crosstalk).
Unshielded cables - (UTP) by definition do not have
shielding serving them to reduce interference. They In general, the higher the frequency of signal
are designed to cancel electromagnetic travelling down the cable the greater the need for
interference with the way the pairs are twisted screening. This is because, as the frequency rises,
inside the cable. Due to its design and nature, the signal travels further and further away from the
unshielded twisted cable is most suitable for office centre of the core of the copper wire to the point at
LANS and similar network cabling systems. which it travels as an electromagnetic field around
Unshielded cables are lightweight, thin and flexible. the core, which at this point becomes basically an
aerial.

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At very high frequencies the signals can actually

Cable screening (Shielding)
migrate outside of the cable sheath, when Alien
Crosstalk becomes a potential problem. Unscreened
cables are cheaper than their screened alternative Screening means putting aluminium foil and/or
simply because they require fewer materials and copper braid around the conductors within the cable
manufacturing processes. and/or around the whole cable as well. The purpose
of screening is to keep external electromagnetic
The majority of Cat 5e and Cat 6 U/UTP cables energy from getting into the cable and corrupting the
installed are unscreened as the frequencies of up to data travelling down it. It also keeps electromagnetic
250MHz do not tend to create issues with Alien energy inside the cable and thus stops the cable from
Crosstalk. Screening really only need be considered being a source of interference.
in the case of Cat 5e and Cat 6 if the cables are to
be run in areas where there is the potential for EMI Screening therefore seems like a good idea but the
and the risks cannot be mitigated through physical commonly perceived downside is larger and more
separation between the cables and the EMI source expensive cables, compared to unscreened, and
or through the use of metallic conduit that will, when more complex installation techniques, as screens
properly earthed, provide an overall screen for the have to be correctly bonded to earth to
cables passing through it. work effectively.

Cat 6A cables may be unscreened or screened. If Standards are considered to be living documents. It
they are unscreened then some mechanical is important that the region-specific standards are
measures need to be taken to minimise the risk of quoted in the design and implementation.
Alien Crosstalk. This is usually done through the use
of special, non-circular sheath extrusions, e.g. oval The performance benefits of using screened and
or triangular. These help to ensure that cables do not fully-shielded systems are numerous and include:
lie parallel to each other over extended distances but 1. Reduced pair-to-pair crosstalk in fully-shielded
they are generally more expensive than their designs
screened counterparts and require the use of 2. Reduced alien crosstalk in screened and fully-
expensive and time consuming Alien Crosstalk shielded designs
testing at the time of installation. Screened Cat 6A 3. Screened category 6A cable diameters are
cables tend to have a smaller overall diameter than generally smaller than 6A U/UTP cables
the unscreened types which means that more cables allowing greater pathway fill/utilization
can be installed in a given size of containment and
cable bend radii are smaller. 4. Substantially improved noise immunity at all
frequencies and especially above 30 MHz when
Cat 7A cables are always screened, with a S/FTP cable balance starts to significantly degrade
construction, as they have the potential to carry 5. Significantly increased Shannon capacity for
signals with frequencies of up to 1000MHz, creating future applications
a very high risk of Alien Crosstalk if no screen were
used. Achievable SNR margin is dependent upon the
combined properties of cabling balance and the
common mode and differential mode noise immunity
How to Improve Cabling provided by screens and shields. Applications rely on
positive SNR margin to ensure proper signal
Immunity? transmission and minimum BER. With the
emergence of 10GBASE-T, it's become clear that the
The following techniques are deployed to mitigate noise isolation provided by good balance alone is just
electromagnetic interference: barely sufficient to support transmission objectives.
The alien crosstalk and noise immunity benefits
• Balancing provided by F/UTP and S/FTP cabling designs have
been demonstrated to offer almost double the
• Screening (Shielding)
Shannon capacity and this performance advantage
• Bonding & Grounding
has caught the attention of application developers
and system specifiers.

White Paper | Screened vs Unscreened Cabling | v1.0 | EN 4

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It's often said that the telecommunications industry

has come full circle in the specification of its
preferred media type.

In actuality, today's screened and fully-shielded

cabling systems represent a fusion of best features
of the last two generations of LAN cabling: excellent
balance to protect against low frequency interference
and shielding to protect against high frequency
interference.

Conclusion
Screening is used to reduce the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) or electrical noise which can disrupt
the transmission performance in some environments. This noise may be as a result of external interference from
other electrical equipment or as a result of interference generated within the cable from adjacent pairs (cross talk).
Metal foil or braid may be used as a screen material, each with different properties and the screen may apply to
the overall cable and/or to individual pairs in the cable.

The choice of screening is dependent on the environment where the cables are used and the applications they are
required to run. For example, unscreened cables may be perfectly suitable for standard office applications, whereas
screened cables may be preferred in industrial application or where higher performance transmission is required,
or where data reliability and maximum throughput is paramount. In all cases cables should be installed and
terminated in accordance with internationally recognised standards.

In conclusion, there are no hard and fast rules as to when or where unscreened or screened cables should be used
and each installation should be assessed on a case by case basis.

The number of companies choosing a screened solution has been increasing since they have started to understand
the benefits while at the same time the myths of screening have been dispelled by better education. It is time to
pay the money and make your choice!

Notice: This white paper is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. OptronicsPlus makes no guarantees,
either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information found in this document. OptronicsPlus
reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This information
document describes features that may not be currently available.
Visit our website or contact the sales team for more information on features and product availability.

www.optronicsplus.net - sales@optronicsplus.net

This white paper has been produced by Khushbu Solanki, on behalf of OptronicsPlus

White Paper | Screened vs Unscreened Cabling | v1.0 | EN 5