Design analysis and evaluation of a W-element model for a twisted-pair cable

Abstract

Unlike the twisted pair cable’s simple installation mechanism, evaluating a circuit equivalent and certifying it is not very convenient anymore. Although the best way to model transmission lines is to use the field solver software programs such as ANSYS Maxwell or HFSS, this procedure is very overwhelming and time-consuming. This paper presents a straightforward approach to extract a W-element model for the twisted pair cable based on its structural and electrical characteristics. The W-element model employs a novel state-of-the-art transmission line simulation method which is very fast, accurate and robust. Both system designers and cable manufacturers can easily exploit the presented equations and the derived models to predict the behavior of the balanced transmission lines with two conductors using simulators such as HSpice, etc. Nexans unshielded CAT6 twisted pair cable, one of the most common types of cables used in today’s networks, is selected as a case study in this paper to verify the proposed model. A variety of simulations have been carried out to evaluate the performance and accuracy of the proposed model. Furthermore, the validity of the model is assessed against the real Fluke test results.