Data transmission

Data transmission is the process of transferring data from one point to another. There are two methods for transmitting data: Serial communication and Parallel communication. There are different types of devices for data transmission: Wireless, Optical fiber, Infrared and more.

Wireless data transmission

Simplex data transmission

is in one direction only (i.e. from sender to receiver). Example: data being sent from a computer to a printer.

• One-way communication: Data flows in only one direction, from the sender to the receiver.

• No feedback: The receiver cannot send any data back to the sender.
• Examples:
  • Keyboard and monitor: The keyboard sends input to the monitor, but the monitor cannot send anything back.
  • Television broadcast: The TV station sends signals to the TV sets, but the viewers cannot send anything back.
  • Radio broadcast: The radio station sends signals to the radio receivers, but the listeners cannot send anything back.

Advantages of Simplex:

• Simple: It's the simplest form of data transmission, requiring minimal hardware and software.
• Reliable: Since there's no need for complex protocols to handle two-way communication, it can be more reliable in certain situations.

• Efficient: It can utilize the entire channel capacity for one-way data transfer.

Disadvantages of Simplex:

• Limited: It's not suitable for interactive communication, where both parties need to send and receive data.

• Error prone: If errors occur during transmission, there's no way for the receiver to request retransmission.

HALF· DUPLEX DATA TRANSMISSION

is in both directions but not at the same time (i.e. data can be sent from 'A' to 'B' or from 'B' to 'A' along the same line, but not at the same time). Example: a phone conversation between two people where only one person speaks at a time .

Key Characteristics:

•    Bidirectional Communication:

•    Data can be sent and received by both devices.
•    Turn-Taking: Only one device can transmit data at a time.
•    Shared Medium: Both devices use the same communication channel.

Example:

A common example of half-duplex communication is a walkie-talkie. When one person speaks, the other must listen. Only after the first person finishes speaking can the second person respond.

Advantages:

•    Cost-Effective: It requires fewer resources compared to full-duplex communication.
•    Efficient for Low-Traffic Scenarios: It can be efficient when data transmission is infrequent or short.

Disadvantages:

•    Lower Throughput: The shared medium limits the overall data transfer rate.

•    Inefficient for High-Traffic Scenarios: It can become inefficient when there's a high volume of data to be transmitted in both directions.

FULL·DUPLEX DATA TRANSMISSION

is in both direction simultaneously (i.e. data can be sent from 'A' to ' B' and from 'B' to 'A' along the same line, both at the same time). Example: broadband connection on a phone line.

Key Characteristics:

•    Simultaneous Communication:

•    Both devices can transmit and receive data at the same time.
•    Dedicated Channels: Separate channels are used for sending and receiving data.
•    High Throughput: Efficient for high-speed data transfer.

Example:

A common example is a telephone conversation. Both parties can talk and listen at the same time.

Advantages:

•    Efficient: High data transfer rates and minimal delays.
•    Interactive: Ideal for real-time applications like video conferencing and online gaming.
•    Reliable: Errors can be detected and corrected quickly.

Disadvantages:

•    Complex: Requires more complex hardware and software.
•    Costly: Can be more expensive to implement compared to half-duplex.

Transmission Type	Direction	Examples
Simplex	One-Way	Radio Transmission
Half-Duplex	Two-way, one at a time	Walkie-talkie
Full-Duplex	Two-way, simultaneously	Telephone conversation

References

Sources

• Peter, J. Dinesh; Alavi, Amir H.; Javadi, Bahman (2018-12-12). Advances in Big Data and Cloud Computing: Proceedings of ICBDCC18. Springer. ISBN 978-981-13-1882-5.