CAT-5 video transmission: troubleshooting and equalization

CAT-5 cable provides an enormous cost benefit over coax. The average cost of 100m of CAT-5 cable is $20, while the average cost of 100m of Coax cable could easily exceed $240. Furthermore, wiring is reduced from a bulky, hard-to-manage bundle of three cables to one easily-pulled cable. Additionally, CAT-5 cable has a fourth twisted pair available, which can be used for audio, timing or control signal transmission.

This article provides in-depth information on component video standards and amplifier characteristics necessary to achieve those standards. The trade-offs of differential line driver and receiver topologies are discussed in detail. This article also presents an array of common video problems along with an explanation of the source and a suggested solution. This array includes: ghosting, color matching, common-mode noise, power-supply noise, mismatches in channel timing and equalization.

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