CSC 311: Computer Networks

and Data Communication

Dr. S. Omaji

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 MULTIPLEXING

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 Multiplexing
• Whenever the bandwidth of a medium linking two devices is greater than
the bandwidth needs of the devices, the link can be shared.
• Multiplexing is the set of techniques that allows the simultaneous
transmission of multiple signals across a single data link.
• As data and telecommunications use increases, so does traffic. We can
accommodate this increase by continuing to add individual links each time
a new channel is needed; or we can install higher-bandwidth links and
use each to carry multiple signals.
• Modern form of Multiplexing technology includes high-bandwidth media
such as optical fiber and terrestrial and satellite microwaves.
• Each has a bandwidth far in excess of that needed for the average
transmission signal.
• If the bandwidth of a link is greater than the bandwidth needs of the
devices connected to it, the bandwidth is wasted.
• An efficient system maximizes the utilization of all resources; bandwidth is
one of the most precious resources we have in data communications.

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 Multiplexing

Figure 5.1: Dividing a link into channels

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 Multiplexing
• In a multiplexed system, n lines share the bandwidth of one link.
Figure 5.1 shows the basic format of a multiplexed system.
• The lines on the left direct their transmission streams to a
multiplexer (MUX), which combines them into a single stream
(many-to-one).
• At the receiving end, that stream is fed into a demultiplexer
(DEMUX), which separates the stream back into its component
transmissions (one-to-many) and directs them to their
corresponding lines.
• In the figure, the word link refers to the physical path. The word
channel refers to the portion of a link that carries a transmission
between a given pair of lines.
• One link can have many (n) channels.

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 Basic Multiplexing Techniques

Figure 5.2: Multiplexing techniques

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 Frequency-Division Multiplexing
• Frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) is an analog technique that
can be applied when the bandwidth of a link (in hertz) is greater
than the combined bandwidths of the signals to be transmitted.
• In FDM, signals generated by each sending device modulate
different carrier frequencies.
• These modulated signals are then combined into a single
composite signal that can be transported by the link.
• Carrier frequencies are separated by sufficient bandwidth to
accommodate the modulated signal.
• These bandwidth ranges are the channels through which the
various signals travel.
• Channels can be separated by strips of unused bandwidth-guard
bands-to prevent signals from overlapping.
• In addition, carrier frequencies must not interfere with the original
data frequencies.
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 Frequency-Division Multiplexing

Figure 5.3: Frequency-division multiplexing

• Figure 5.3 gives a conceptual view of FDM.
• In this illustration, the transmission path is divided into three
parts, each representing a channel that carries one
transmission.
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 Frequency-Division Multiplexing
• We consider FDM to be an analog multiplexing
technique; however, this does not mean that
FDM cannot be used to combine sources
sending digital signals.
• A digital signal can be converted to an analog
signal before FDM is used to multiplex them.
• FDM is an analog multiplexing technique that
combines analog signals.

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 FDM: Multiplexing Process

• Figure 5.4: FDM process

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 FDM: Multiplexing Process
• Figure 5.4 is a conceptual illustration of the
multiplexing process.
• Each source generates a signal of a similar frequency
range.
• Inside the multiplexer, these similar signals modulates
different carrier frequencies (1,12, and h).
• The resulting modulated signals are then combined
into a single composite signal that is sent out over a
media link that has enough bandwidth to
accommodate it.
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 FDM: Demultiplexing Process

Figure 5.5 conceptual illustration of demultiplexing

process
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 FDM: Demultiplexing Process
• The demultiplexer uses a series of filters to
decompose the multiplexed signal into its
constituent component signals.
• The individual signals are then passed to a
demodulator that separates them from their
carriers and passes them to the output lines.
• Figure 5.5 is a conceptual illustration of
demultiplexing process.

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Application of FDM
• A very common application of FDM is AM and FM radio
broadcasting.
• Radio uses the air as the transmission medium.
• A special band from 530 to 1700 kHz is assigned to AM
radio. All radio stations need to share this band.
• Each AM station needs 10kHz of bandwidth.
• Each station uses a different carrier frequency, which
means it is shifting its signal and multiplexing.
• The signal that goes to the air is a combination of
signals.
• A receiver receives all these signals, but filters (by
tuning) only the one which is desired.
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Application of FDM
• Without multiplexing, only one AM station could broadcast to the common
link, the air.
• However, we need to know that there is physical multiplexer or demultiplexer
here.
• FM has a wider band of 88 to 108 MHz because each station needs a
bandwidth of 200 kHz.
• Another common use of FDM is in television broadcasting. Each TV channel
has its own bandwidth of 6 MHz. The first generation of cellular telephones
(still in operation) also uses FDM.
• Each user is assigned two 30-kHz channels, one for sending voice and the
other for receiving. The voice signal, which has a bandwidth of 3 kHz (from
300 to 3300 Hz), is modulated by using FM.
• Remember that an FM signal has a bandwidth 10 times that of the
modulating signal, which means each channel has 30 kHz (10 x 3) of
bandwidth.
• Therefore, each user is given, by the base station, a 60-kHz bandwidth in a
range available at the time of the call.
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 Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
• 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.
• Using a fiber-optic cable for one 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 5.6 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.

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 Wavelength-Division Multiplexing

Figure 5.6: Wavelength-division multiplexing

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 Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
• WDM is an analog multiplexing technique to combine optical signals.
• 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. Recall from basic physics that a prism bends a beam of light
based on the angle of incidence and the frequency.
• Using this technique, a multiplexer can be made to combine several
input beams of light, each containing a narrow band of frequencies,
into one output beam of a wider band of frequencies.
• A demultiplexer can also be made to reverse the process. Figure 5.7
shows the concept.
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 Wavelength-Division Multiplexing

Figure 5.7: Prisms in wavelength-division multiplexing and demultiplexing

• One application of WDM is the SONET network in which
multiple optical fiber lines are multiplexed and
demultiplexed.
• It is a new method, called dense WDM (DWDM), can
multiplex a very large number of channels by spacing
channels very close to one another. It achieves even
greater efficiency.
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 Time-Division Multiplexing
• Time-division multiplexing (TDM) is a digital
process that allows several connections to
share the high bandwidth of a line Instead of
sharing a portion of the bandwidth as in FDM,
time is shared.
• Each connection occupies a portion of time in
the link as shown in Figure 5.8

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 Time-Division Multiplexing

Figure 5.8:TDM
• Note that the same link is used as in FDM; here, however, the link is shown
sectioned by time rather than by frequency. In the figure, portions of signals 1,2,3,
and 4 occupy the link sequentially.
• Note that in Figure 5.8 we are concerned with only multiplexing, not switching.
This means that all the data in a message from source 1 always go to one specific
destination, be it 1, 2, 3, or 4. The delivery is fixed and unvarying, unlike switching.
• We also need to remember that TDM is, in principle, a digital multiplexing
technique. Digital data from different sources are combined into one timeshared
link.
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 Time-Division Multiplexing
• We also need to remember that TDM is, in principle, a digital
multiplexing technique. Digital data from different sources are
combined into one timeshared link.
• However, this does not mean that the sources cannot produce
analog data; analog data can be sampled, changed to digital data,
and then multiplexed by using TDM.
• TDM is a digital multiplexing technique for combining several low-
rate channels into one high-rate one.
• We can divide TDM into two different schemes: synchronous and
statistical.
• We first discuss synchronous TDM and then show how statistical
TDM differs. In synchronous TDM, each input connection has an
allotment in the output even if it is not sending data.
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 Synchronous TDM
• 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 Tin 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 5.9 shows an example of
synchronous TDM where n is 3.
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 Synchronous TDM

Figure 5.9: Synchronous time-division

multiplexing

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 Synchronous TDM
• In synchronous TDM, a round of data units from each input connection is
collected into a frame (we will see the reason for this shortly).
• If we have n connections, a frame is divided into n time slots and one slot is
allocated for each unit, one for each input line.
• If the duration of the input unit is T, the duration of each slot is Tin and the
duration of each frame is T (unless a frame carries some other information).
• The data rate of the output link must be n times the data rate of a connection
to guarantee the flow of data.
• In Figure 5.9, the data rate of the link is 3 times the data rate of a connection;
likewise, the duration of a unit on a connection is 3 times that of the time slot
(duration of a unit on the link).
• In the figure we represent the data prior to multiplexing as 3 times the size of
the data after multiplexing.
• This is just to convey the idea that each unit is 3 times longer in duration
before multiplexing than after.
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 Synchronous TDM Applications
• Some second-generation cellular telephone companies use
synchronous TDM.
• For example, the digital version of cellular telephony
divides the available bandwidth into 3D-kHz bands.
• For each band, TDM is applied so that six users can share
the band.
• This means that each 3D-kHz band is now made of six time
slots, and the digitized voice signals of the users are
inserted in the slots.
• Using TDM, the number of telephone users in each area is
now 6 times greater.

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