Data Communication And Networks
UNIT 1
DATA COMMUNICATIONS
Likhitha M M
Asst. Professor
DoS in Computer Science
PBMMEC
“
Data communications and networking may be
the fastest growing technologies in our culture
today. One of the ramifications of that growth
is a dramatic increase in the number of
professions where an understanding of these
“
technologies is essential for success and a
proportionate increase in the number and
types of students taking courses to learn about
them
Introduction
Data communications and networking are changing the way
we do business and the way we live. Business decisions have
to be made ever more quickly, and the decision makers require
immediate access to accurate information.
But before we ask how quickly we can get hooked up, we
need to know how networks operate, what types of
technologies are available, and which design best fills which
set of needs.
Data Communication
Data communications are the exchange of data between
two devices via some form of transmission medium
such as a wire cable. For data communications to occur,
the communicating devices must be part of a
communication system made up of a combination of
hardware (physical equipment) and software (programs)
Fundamental
characteristics:
The effectiveness of a data communications system depends on four fundamental
characteristics:
1. Delivery: The system must deliver data to the correct destination. Data must be
received by the intended device or user and only by that device or user
2. Accuracy: The system must deliver the data accurately. Data that have been
altered in transmission and left uncorrected are unusable.
3. Timeliness: The system must deliver data in a timely manner. Data delivered late
are useless. In the case of video and audio, timely delivery means delivering data
as they are produced, in the same order that they are produced, and without
significant delay. This kind of delivery is called real-time transmission.
4. Jitter: Jitter refers to the variation in the packet arrival time. It is the uneven
delay in the delivery of audio or video packets. For example, let us assume that
video packets are sent every 3D-ms. If some of the packets arrive with 3D-ms
delay and others with 4D-ms delay, an uneven quality in the video is the result.
Components
Components
A data communications system has five components:
1. Message
2. Sender
3. Receiver
4. Transmission medium
5. Protocol
Message
Message is the information (or data) to be communicated.
Message may consist of
• → number/text
• → picture or
• → audio/video
Sender
Sender is the device that sends the data-message.
Sender can be
• → computer and
• → mobile phone
Receiver
Receiver is the device that receives the message.
Receiver can be
• → computer and
• → mobile phone
Transmission Medium
Transmission-medium is physical-path by which a message
travels from sender to receiver.
Transmission-medium can be wired or wireless.
Examples of wired medium:
• → twisted-pair wire (used in landline telephone)
• → coaxial cable (used in cable TV network)
• → fiber-optic cable
Examples of wireless medium:
• → radio waves
• → microwaves
• → infrared waves (ex: operating TV using remote control)
Protocol
A protocol is a set of rules that govern data-communications.
In other words, a protocol represents an agreement between the
communicating-devices.
Without a protocol, 2 devices may be connected but not
communicating.
Data Representation
Five different forms of information:
Text
Text is represented as a bit-pattern. (Bit-pattern sequence of
bits: 0s or 1s).
Different sets of bit-patterns are used to represent symbols (or
characters).
Each set is called a code.
The process of representing symbols is called encoding.
Popular encoding system: ASCII, Unicode.
Number
Number is also represented as a bit-pattern.
ASCII is not used to represent number. Instead, number is directly
converted to binary-form.
Image
Image is also represented as a bit-pattern.
An image is divided into a matrix of pixels (picture-elements).
A pixel is the smallest element of an image. (Pixel Small dot)
• The size of an image depends upon number of pixels (also called
resolution). For example: An image can be divided into 1000 pixels or
10,000 pixels.
Audio
Audio is a representation of sound.
By nature, audio is different from text, numbers, or images.
Audio is continuous, not discrete.
Video
Video is a representation of movie.
Video can either
• → be produced as a continuous entity (e.g., by a TV camera),
or
• → be a combination of images arranged to convey the idea of
motion.
Direction of Data Flow
• Three ways of data-flow between 2 devices:
1) Simplex
2) Half-duplex
3) Full-duplex
Direction of Data Flow
Simplex
The communication is unidirectional
• (For ex: The simplex mode is like a one-way street).
On a link, out of 2 devices:
i)Only one device can transmit.
ii)Another device can only receive.
For example:
• The monitor can only accept output.
Entire-capacity of channel is used to send the data in one
direction.
1)Half Duplex
Both the stations can transmit as well as receive but not at the
same time.
• (For ex: The half-duplex mode is like a one-lane road with 2
directional traffic).
When one station is sending, the other can only receive and
vice-versa.
For example:
Walkie-talkies
Entire-capacity of a channel is used by one of the 2 stations
that are transmitting the data.
Full Duplex
Both stations can transmit and receive at the same time.
• (For ex: The full-duplex is like a 2-way street with traffic
flowing in both directions at the same time).
For example:
• Mobile phones (When 2 people are communicating by a
telephone line, both can listen and talk at the same time)
Entire-capacity of a channel is shared by both the stations that
are transmitting the data.
