twisted-pair cable

Also known as TP, twisted pair, twisted-pair cabling

electrical data cable consisting of several twisted pairs

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

25-pair color code chart

Twisted pair cabling is a type of communications cable in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a single conductor or an untwisted balanced pair, a twisted pair reduces electromagnetic radiation from the pair and crosstalk between neighboring pairs and improves rejection of external electromagnetic interference. It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “twisted-pair cable” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.