Applications of Coaxial Cables in Surveillance Systems
- Technical Foundations of Coaxial Cables in Surveillance
A. Cable Types and Specifications
Surveillance systems primarily use RG-59, RG-6, and RG-11 coaxial cables, differentiated by their impedance, shielding, and bandwidth:
Type Impedance Bandwidth Max Distance (Unamplified) Common Use Case
RG-59 75 Ω 1 GHz 250 m (720p) Short-range analog CCTV
RG-6 75 Ω 3 GHz 500 m (1080p) HD-TVI/AHD systems
RG-11 75 Ω 3 GHz 800 m (4K) Long-range or high-resolution
B. Signal Transmission Technologies
Analog CCTV:
Traditional baseband video (NTSC/PAL) over RG-59, supporting resolutions up to 720×576 pixels.
Limited to 1 Vp-p signal amplitude with BNC connectors.
HD over Coax:
HD-TVI (High Definition Transport Video Interface): Transmits 1080p/4K video up to 500 m via RG-6 (e.g., Hikvision’s Turbo HD).
HD-CVI (High Definition Composite Video Interface): Supports 12 MP resolution with RG-11 (Dahua’s solution).
AHD (Analog High Definition): Cost-effective 5 MP transmission over existing coaxial infrastructure.
Power over Coax (PoC):
Delivers power (typically 12–24 V DC) and video over a single cable, eliminating separate power lines.
Standards: HD-TVI 3.0 supports up to 30 W power delivery.
- Key Advantages in Surveillance Deployments
A. Long-Distance Signal Integrity
Coaxial cables outperform twisted-pair cables (e.g., Cat6) in maintaining video quality over extended distances:
RG-6 with HD-TVI: <3 dB loss at 500 m for 1080p signals.
RG-11 with 4K: <6 dB loss at 800 m using frequency modulation.
B. Immunity to EMI/RFI
Braided copper shielding (90% coverage in RG-6) prevents interference from motors, radios, and power lines.
Critical in industrial settings (e.g., factories, power plants).
C. Cost-Effective Upgrades
Legacy analog systems can be upgraded to 4K resolution without rewiring by replacing DVRs with HD-TVI/AHD compatible units.
D. Simplified Installation
Pre-terminated BNC connectors enable plug-and-play setups.
No configuration required (vs. IP cameras needing IP addressing).
- Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases
A. Urban Traffic Monitoring
Challenge: Transmitting 4K video across 1 km of roadways with minimal latency.
Solution: RG-11 cables + AHD 5.0 DVRs, achieving 25 fps at 3840×2160 resolution.
B. Retail and Commercial Security
Multi-camera systems: RG-6 cables daisy-chained to PoC-enabled DVRs (e.g., 16-channel Dahua XVR).
Loss Mitigation: Built-in equalization in HD-TVI cameras compensates for cable attenuation.
C. Industrial Facilities
Harsh Environments: RG-6 with double-shielded FEP jackets resists oil, chemicals, and extreme temperatures (-40°C to +85°C).
Case Study: Oil refinery using coaxial-based thermal cameras (FLIR) for flare stack monitoring.
- Challenges and Mitigation Strategies
Issue Cause Solution
Signal Attenuation Long cable runs (>500 m) Amplifiers or fiber-coax hybrid systems
Ghosting/Reflections Impedance mismatch Terminate unused ports with 75 Ω loads
Power Limitations High-power PTZ cameras PoC injectors with 60 W output
Bandwidth Constraints 4K/60 fps demands Upgrade to RG-11 or HD-CVI 3.0
- Integration with Modern Technologies
A. Hybrid Coax-IP Systems
Encoders: Convert analog coaxial signals to IP streams for integration with NVRs (Network Video Recorders).
Hybrid DVRs: Support both coaxial and IP camera inputs (e.g., Hikvision DS-9600NI-XT).
B. AI-Enhanced Analytics
Edge-based processing in HD-TVI cameras enables:
License plate recognition (LPR) at 120 mph vehicle speeds.
Facial recognition with 98% accuracy (via Hikvision DeepinMind).
C. 4K and Beyond
8K over Coax: Experimental deployments using RG-11 with H.265 compression (reducing bandwidth by 50% vs. H.264).
- Future Trends
Coaxial IoT Convergence:
Embedding sensor data (temperature, motion) into video streams via HD-TVI metadata channels.
5G Backup Links:
Coaxial networks as failover paths for wireless surveillance in smart cities.
Sustainable Materials:
Recyclable PE jackets and lead-free shielding compliant with RoHS 3.0.
- Standards and Compliance
Standard Scope Relevance
IEC 61146 CCTV camera performance Analog/HD video quality
ONVIF Profile T HD-TVI/AHD interoperability Multi-vendor compatibility
UL 2043 Fire safety for plenum spaces Commercial building codes