1. What is Cable Propagation Delay?

Cable propagation delay is the time it takes for a signal to travel from one end of a cable to the other. It depends on the length of the cable and the velocity of propagation (VOP) of the signal in that cable.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the propagation delay equation:

Where:

• \( length \) — Length of the cable (meters)
• \( vop \) — Velocity of propagation (meters/second)

Explanation: The delay is simply the distance divided by the speed at which the signal travels through the cable.

3. Importance of Propagation Delay Calculation

Details: Accurate delay calculation is crucial for timing-sensitive applications, network synchronization, high-speed digital communications, and RF systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter cable length in meters and velocity of propagation in m/s. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is typical VOP for common cables?
A: VOP varies by cable type: ~0.66c for RG-58 coax, ~0.7c for Cat5e, ~0.9c for fiber optics (where c is speed of light).

Q2: How does delay affect network performance?
A: In high-speed networks, propagation delay can become significant compared to transmission delay, affecting timing and synchronization.

Q3: What's the difference between propagation delay and latency?
A: Propagation delay is just one component of total latency, which also includes processing delays, transmission delays, and queuing delays.

Q4: How does temperature affect propagation delay?
A: Temperature changes can slightly alter cable dimensions and dielectric properties, affecting VOP by typically 0.1-0.3% per °C.

Q5: Why measure delay in nanoseconds?
A: For typical cable lengths, delays are in nanoseconds (1ns = 10⁻⁹s), which is more practical for most applications.