Data Communication – The Lifeblood of Digital Networks
Data communication is essential to our ever-growing digital world. Understanding how various modes of data transmission work is vital to creating reliable and efficient networks. From the one-way simplicity of simplex communication to the bidirectional nature that is full-duplex communications different methods determine how data is sent and received.
Hardware in a data communications circuit can employ a variety to efficiently transmit data. This includes multiplexing and desmultiplexing. These are processes that combine or separate signals, and then send them as a combined signal. This maximizes bandwidth and reduces costs. Signal amplifiers and error-detecting code reduce data corruption caused by electrical or mechanical disturbances.
Data communications also include rules (protocol) that are followed by the computer systems that transmit and receive data. These rules ensure that the message is properly understood and accepted.
The sender could be a device such as a computer or device that creates the message and then transmits it. It could be in the form text, numbers, images, sounds or videos. The device or computer that receives the message could be different from the one that sent it. The transmission medium is a physical connection that connects the sender and the receiver. It can be wired such as wires that are twisted or fiber optic cable, or wireless such as radio waves or lasers.