The Variety Of Computer Cabling
One of the things that you can't keep from noticing when you are setting up a new computer is the number and variety of cables involved. Every piece of external hardware with which the computer must communicate requires its own cable, and many of those cables have sizes and connectors that make them distinct from all of the others. If you were to open the case of the computer, though most people never do so, you would find that it holds a world of internal cabling as well, connecting its various components to one another. It may seem strange, but there are reasons that so many different types of cabling exist.
Though it has many different appearances and ways of connecting, all of the cabling related to a computer shares the purpose of carrying all of the signals to make it run. The easiest to understand of these, for most people, is the power cable that carries the electricity to power the machine. What is less obvious is that the other cables actually carry electricity as well, both for the purpose of signaling what a part of the device is doing, and for providing power. For example, the cables connecting a mouse and keyboard to the computer will usually be both providing power and carrying the user's input.
The reason that there can be so many types of cabling is that different computers, and different devices within computers, have different needs. Cables are often shielded to protect the information that they carry from being distorted by interference, but the type and amount of shielding needed depends on where the cable is going to be run and how long it is going to be. Ethernet cable is a good example of a type of cable that companies have been working to improve so that it can perform its function better. It is often known as cat 5 or category 5 cable, and is sometimes even called patch cable, and it has a connector that resembles that of the type used for telephone cables. Due to the increasing need for carrying large amounts of data to the Internet, companies like Belden now sell category 6 cable. This is similar to the old cat 5, but can transport information more quickly.
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The variety of cabling associated with computers may be confusing at first, but it all has a purpose in making the machine function well. Companies are continuing to refine the technology over time to support the needs of users and deliver improved performance. |
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