Data Communication Note 9
Data Communication Note 9
Lecture Note
Lecture: 9
Week: 10
Topic: Bandwidth Utilization (Part 2): WDM and TDM
Lecture Outline
1. Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM)
2. Time-division multiplexing (TDM)
3. Synchronous TDM
1. Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM)
Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is designed to use the high-data-rate
capability of fiber-optic cable. The optical fiber data rate is higher than the data
rate of metallic transmission cable but using a fiber-optic cable for a single line
wastes the available bandwidth. Multiplexing allows us to combine several lines
into one.
WDM is conceptually the same as FDM, except that the multiplexing and
demultiplexing involve optical signals transmitted through fiber-optic channels.
The idea is the same: We are combining different signals of different frequencies.
The difference is that the frequencies are very high. Figure 1 gives a conceptual
view of a WDM multiplexer and demultiplexer. Very narrow bands of light from
different sources are combined to make a wider band of light. At the receiver, the
signals are separated by the demultiplexer.
Although WDM technology is very complex, the basic idea is very simple. We
want to combine multiple light sources into one single light at the multiplexer
and do the reverse at the demultiplexer. The combining and splitting of light
sources are easily handled by a prism.
Figure 3: TDM
We can divide TDM into two different schemes: synchronous and statistical. We
first discuss synchronous TDM and then show how statistical TDM differs.
Synchronous TDM
In synchronous TDM, each input connection has an allotment in the output even
if it is not sending data.
Time Slots and Frames: In synchronous TDM, the data flow of each input
connection is divided into units, where each input occupies one input time slot.
A unit can be 1 bit, one character, or one block of data. Each input unit becomes
one output unit and occupies one output time slot. However, the duration of an
output time slot is n times shorter than the duration of an input time slot.
If an input time slot is T s, the output time slot is T/n s, where n is the number of
connections. In other words, a unit in the output connection has a shorter
duration; it travels faster. Figure 4 shows an example of synchronous TDM where
n is 3.
Figure 4: Synchronous time-division multiplexing
Example 6.5:
In Figure 4, the data rate for each input connection is 1 kbps. If 1 bit at a time is
multiplexed (a unit is 1 bit), what is the duration of 1. each input slot, 2. each
output slot, and 3. each frame?
Example 6.5:
Figure 5 shows synchronous TDM with a data stream for each input and one data
stream for the output. The unit of data is 1 bit. Find (a) the input bit duration, (b)
the output bit duration, (c) the output bit rate, and (d) the output frame rate.
Solution
We can answer the questions as follows:
a. The input bit duration is the inverse of the bit rate: 1/1 Mbps = 1 μs.
b. The output bit duration is one-fourth of the input bit duration, or 1/4 μs.
c. The output bit rate is the inverse of the output bit duration, or 1/4 μs, or 4
Mbps. This can also be deduced from the fact that the output rate is 4 times as
fast as any input rate; so the output rate = 4 × 1 Mbps = 4 Mbps.
d. The frame rate is always the same as any input rate. So the frame rate is
1,000,000 frames per second. Because we are sending 4 bits in each frame, we
can verify the result of the previous question by multiplying the frame rate by
the number of bits per frame.
References:
1. Forouzan, B. A. "Data Communication and Networking. Tata McGraw." 5th
Edition.