Shielded twisted pair cabling encloses twisted pairs of copper wire in a metallic shield, which is then grounded to dissipate induced currents. This shielding protects data transmission from external electromagnetic interference generated by heavy machinery, fluorescent lights, or adjacent cables. It is bulkier, stiffer, and more expensive than unshielded cable, requiring specialized grounded connectors to function correctly.
Heard on the job
You have to run shielded twisted pair through the factory floor ceiling or the motor noise will corrupt the data packets.
Insider tip
If you do not properly ground both ends of a shielded twisted pair cable, the shield acts as an antenna and actually draws in more interference than unshielded cable.
Also heard as
- STP
Do not mix it up with
- UTP: UTP lacks the metal foil shielding and relies solely on the twist of the wires to cancel out interference.