Lecture #1
Introduction to
data communication
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Data communication
o Data communication is the exchange of data in the form of (0’s and 1’s)
between two devices through the same form of transmission or medium.
E.g. wireless and wire cables
Components of Data Communication
A data communications system has five components.
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The message is the information (data) be communicated. It can be consist
of text, number, picture, sound or videos or any communication of these.
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The sender is the device that send the data. It can be a computer,
workstation, video camera, and so on.
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The receiver is the device that receive the message. It can be a computer,
workstation, television, and so on.
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The transmission medium is the physical path by which a message travels
from sender to receiver. Some examples of transmission media include
twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable.
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A protocol is a set of rules that govern data communications.
It represents an agreement between the communicating devices.
Without a protocol, two devices may be connected but not
communicating, just as a person speaking French cannot be understood
by a person who speaks only Japanese.
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Mode of Communication OR Transmission Mode
o The terms transmission mode is used to define the direction of signal flow
between two linked devices.
o There are three types of transmission mode:-
Transmission Mode
Simplex Mode Half-Duplex Mode Full-Duplex Mode
1) Simplex
In simplex mode the communication in unidirectional as one way street
only one of the two stations on a link can transmit the other can only
receive.
E.g. Television, Keyboard and Monitor are examples of simplex mode.
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2. Half - Duplex
o In the half-duplex mode each station can transmit and receive, but not at
the same time. When one device is sending the other can only receive
and vice versa.
o The Half-duplex mode is like a one line road with two direction traffic.
E.g Walki Talki and Police radio
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3. Full - Duplex
o In full-duplex mode both stations can transmit and receive
simultaneously.
o The full duplex mode is like a two way street (road) with traffic
flowing in both direction at the same time in full duplex mode signals
going in either direction share the capacity of link.
E.g. Telephone