In our increasingly interconnected digital world data communication is the lifeblood that connects us. Understanding how various modes of data transmission work is vital to designing efficient and reliable networks. From the simple one-way nature of simplex communications to the bidirectional nature of full-duplex communications different methods determine the way data is transferred and received.
The hardware in a data communications circuit can employ a variety to efficiently transmit data. These include desmultiplexing and multiplexing. These are processes that combine or separate signals and then transmit them as a single multi-channel signal. This maximizes the utilization of bandwidth and reduces costs. Error detecting codes and signal amplifiers also reduce the chance of data corruption due to electromagnetic disturbances or other noise which can alter bits of data as they travel across the channel of communication.
Data communications also have the following set (protocol) of rules which are followed by the computers of the sender and receiver. These rules ensure that the message is understood and accepted without error.
The sender is the device or computer which generates and sends the message, which could be in the form of text, numbers images, sound or video. The device or computer that receives the message could be the same or 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, like radio waves or lasers.