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RCDD · Question #154

When balanced twisted-pair copper cabling, return loss is a measurement of the:

The correct answer is B. Reflection of signal power resulting from the insertion of a device in a transmission line (in dB). Return loss on balanced twisted-pair copper cabling measures the reflected signal power caused by impedance discontinuities when a device is inserted in a transmission line, expressed in dB.

General Cable and Media

Question

When balanced twisted-pair copper cabling, return loss is a measurement of the:

Options

  • AWorst case difference in magnitude between the expected insertion loss and the actual measured
  • BReflection of signal power resulting from the insertion of a device in a transmission line (in dB)
  • CSignal coupling between any two pairs along the entire length of the cabling
  • DLoss in signal resulting from the insertion of a component, of link, or channel, between a transmitter
  • ETime required for a signal to travel from one end of the transmission path to the other end

How the community answered

(14 responses)
  • A
    7% (1)
  • B
    86% (12)
  • E
    7% (1)

Why each option

Return loss on balanced twisted-pair copper cabling measures the reflected signal power caused by impedance discontinuities when a device is inserted in a transmission line, expressed in dB.

AWorst case difference in magnitude between the expected insertion loss and the actual measured

The difference between expected and actual insertion loss describes insertion loss measurement uncertainty or deviation, which is a separate concept from return loss.

BReflection of signal power resulting from the insertion of a device in a transmission line (in dB)Correct

Return loss quantifies how much signal is reflected back toward the source due to impedance mismatches at termination points or along the cable. It is measured in dB and is a key TIA-568 copper channel performance parameter, directly affecting high-speed network signal integrity by indicating how well the cabling maintains consistent impedance throughout its length.

CSignal coupling between any two pairs along the entire length of the cabling

Signal coupling between pairs describes NEXT (Near-End Crosstalk) or alien crosstalk, not reflected signal power.

DLoss in signal resulting from the insertion of a component, of link, or channel, between a transmitter

Loss in signal resulting from inserting a component is the definition of insertion loss, a distinct and separately measured parameter.

ETime required for a signal to travel from one end of the transmission path to the other end

Time for a signal to travel from one end to the other is propagation delay, an unrelated timing-based parameter.

Concept tested: Return loss definition on copper twisted-pair cabling

Source: https://www.tiaonline.org/standard/tia-568-2-d/

Topics

#return loss#signal reflection#balanced twisted-pair#copper cabling

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