Data transmission and data reception or, more broadly, data communication or digital communications is the transfer and reception of
data in the form of a
digital bitstream
A bitstream (or bit stream), also known as binary sequence, is a sequence of bits.
A bytestream is a sequence of bytes. Typically, each byte is an 8-bit quantity, and so the term octet stream is sometimes used interchangeably. An octet may ...
or a
digitize
DigitizationTech Target. (2011, April). Definition: digitization. ''WhatIs.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitization is the process of converting information into a digital (i.e. computer-r ...
d analog signal
transmitted over a
point-to-point or
point-to-multipoint communication channel. Examples of such channels are
copper wires,
optical fibers,
wireless communication using
radio spectrum,
storage media and
computer buses. The data are represented as an
electromagnetic signal, such as an
electrical voltage,
radiowave,
microwave, or
infrared signal.
Analog transmission is a method of conveying voice, data, image, signal or video information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that of a variable. The messages are either represented by a sequence of pulses by means of a
line code (''
baseband transmission''), or by a limited set of continuously varying waveforms (''
passband transmission''), using a digital
modulation method. The passband modulation and corresponding
demodulation is carried out by
modem
A modulator-demodulator or modem is a computer hardware device that converts data from a digital format into a format suitable for an analog transmission medium such as telephone or radio. A modem transmits data by modulating one or more c ...
equipment. According to the most common definition of
digital signal, both baseband and passband signals representing bit-streams are considered as digital transmission, while an alternative definition only considers the baseband signal as digital, and passband transmission of digital data as a form of
digital-to-analog conversion.
Data transmitted may be digital messages originating from a data source, for example, a computer or a keyboard. It may also be an analog signal such as a phone call or a video signal,
digitize
DigitizationTech Target. (2011, April). Definition: digitization. ''WhatIs.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitization is the process of converting information into a digital (i.e. computer-r ...
d into a bit-stream, for example, using
pulse-code modulation or more advanced
source coding schemes. This source coding and decoding is carried out by
codec equipment.
Distinction between related subjects
Courses and textbooks in the field of ''data transmission''
[A. P. Clark, "Principles of Digital Data Transmission", Published by Wiley, 1983] as well as ''digital transmission'' and ''digital communications'' have similar content.
Digital transmission or data transmission traditionally belongs to
telecommunications and
electrical engineering. Basic principles of data transmission may also be covered within the
computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
or
computer engineering topic of data communications, which also includes
computer networking applications and
communication protocols, for example routing, switching and
inter-process communication. Although the
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) involves transmission, TCP and other transport layer protocols are covered in computer networking but ''not'' discussed in a textbook or course about data transmission.
In most textbooks, the term
analog transmission only refers to the transmission of an analog message signal (without digitization) by means of an analog signal, either as a non-modulated baseband signal or as a passband signal using an
analog modulation method such as
AM or
FM. It may also include analog-over-analog
pulse modulatated baseband signals such as pulse-width modulation. In a few books within the computer networking tradition, ''analog transmission'' also refers to passband transmission of bit-streams using
digital modulation methods such as
FSK,
PSK and
ASK. Note that these methods are covered in textbooks named digital transmission or data transmission, for example.
The theoretical aspects of data transmission are covered by
information theory and
coding theory.
Protocol layers and sub-topics
Courses and textbooks in the field of data transmission typically deal with the following
OSI model protocol layers and topics:
* Layer 1, the
physical layer:
**
Channel coding including
***
Digital modulation schemes
***
Line coding schemes
***
Forward error correction (FEC) codes
**
Bit synchronization
**
Multiplexing
**
Equalization
**
Channel models
* Layer 2, the
data link layer:
**
Channel access schemes,
media access control (MAC)
**
Packet mode communication and
Frame synchronization
**
Error detection and
automatic repeat request
Automatic repeat request (ARQ), also known as automatic repeat query, is an error-control method for data transmission that uses acknowledgements (messages sent by the receiver indicating that it has correctly received a packet) and timeouts ...
(ARQ)
**
Flow control
* Layer 6, the
presentation layer:
**
Source coding (digitization and data compression), and information theory.
**
Cryptography (may occur at any layer)
It is also common to deal with the cross-layer design of those three layers.
Applications and history
Data (mainly but not exclusively
informational) has been sent via non-electronic (e.g.
optical,
acoustic,
mechanical
Mechanical may refer to:
Machine
* Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement
* Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations ...
) means since the advent of communication.
Analog signal data has been sent electronically since the
advent of the telephone. However, the first data electromagnetic transmission applications in modern time were
telegraphy (1809) and
teletypewriter
A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. Initi ...
s (1906), which are both
digital signals. The fundamental theoretical work in data transmission and information theory by
Harry Nyquist
Harry Nyquist (, ; February 7, 1889 – April 4, 1976) was a Swedish-American physicist and electronic engineer who made important contributions to communication theory.
Personal life
Nyquist was born in the village Nilsby of the parish Stora ...
,
Ralph Hartley,
Claude Shannon and others during the early 20th century, was done with these applications in mind.
Data transmission is utilized in
computers in
computer buses and for communication with
peripheral equipment via
parallel ports and
serial ports such as
RS-232 (1969),
FireWire (1995) and
USB (1996). The principles of data transmission are also utilized in storage media for
error detection and correction since 1951. The first practical method to overcome the problem of receiving data accurately by the receiver using digital code was the
Barker code invented by
Ronald Hugh Barker in 1952 and published in 1953. Data transmission is utilized in
computer networking equipment such as
modems
A modulator-demodulator or modem is a computer hardware device that converts data from a digital format into a format suitable for an analog transmission medium such as telephone or radio. A modem transmits data by modulating one or more carr ...
(1940),
local area network (LAN) adapters (1964),
repeaters,
repeater hubs,
microwave link
Microwave transmission is the transmission of information by electromagnetic waves with wavelengths in the microwave frequency range of 300MHz to 300GHz(1 m - 1 mm wavelength) of the electromagnetic spectrum. Microwave signals are normally li ...
s,
wireless network access points (1997), etc.
In telephone networks, digital communication is utilized for transferring many phone calls over the same copper cable or fiber cable by means of
pulse-code modulation (PCM) in combination with
time-division multiplexing (TDM) (1962).
Telephone exchanges have become digital and software controlled, facilitating many value-added services. For example, the first
AXE telephone exchange
The AXE telephone exchange is a product line of circuit switched digital telephone exchanges manufactured by Ericsson, a Swedish telecom company. It was developed in 1974 by Ellemtel, a research and development subsidiary of Ericsson and Tele ...
was presented in 1976. Digital communication to the end user using
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) services became available in the late 1980s. Since the end of the 1990s, broadband access techniques such as
ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. ...
,
Cable modems,
fiber-to-the-building
Fiber to the ''x'' (FTTX; also spelled "fibre") or fiber in the loop is a generic term for any broadband network architecture using optical fiber to provide all or part of the local loop used for last mile telecommunications. As fiber optic ...
(FTTB) and
fiber-to-the-home
Fiber to the ''x'' (FTTX; also spelled "fibre") or fiber in the loop is a generic term for any broadband network architecture using optical fiber to provide all or part of the local loop used for last mile telecommunications. As fiber optic ...
(FTTH) have become widespread to small offices and homes. The current tendency is to replace traditional telecommunication services with
packet mode communication such as
IP telephony
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...
and
IPTV.
Transmitting analog signals digitally allows for greater
signal processing capability. The ability to process a communications signal means that errors caused by random processes can be detected and corrected. Digital signals can also be
sampled instead of continuously monitored. The
multiplexing of multiple digital signals is much simpler compared to the multiplexing of analog signals. Because of all these advantages, because of the vast demand to transmit computer data and the ability of digital communications to do so and because recent advances in
wideband communication channels and
solid-state electronics have allowed engineers to realize these advantages fully, digital communications have grown quickly.
The digital revolution has also resulted in many digital
telecommunication applications where the principles of data transmission are applied. Examples include
second-generation (1991) and later
cellular telephony,
video conferencing,
digital TV
Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative advanc ...
(1998),
digital radio (1999), and
telemetry.
Data transmission, digital transmission or digital communications is the transfer of data over a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication channel. Examples of such channels include copper wires, optical fibers, wireless communication channels, storage media and computer buses. The data are represented as an
electromagnetic signal, such as an electrical voltage, radiowave, microwave, or infrared light.
While analog transmission is the transfer of a continuously varying analog signal over an analog channel, digital communication is the transfer of discrete messages over a digital or an analog channel. The messages are either represented by a sequence of pulses by means of a line code (baseband transmission), or by a limited set of continuously varying wave forms (passband transmission), using a digital modulation method. The passband modulation and corresponding demodulation (also known as detection) is carried out by modem equipment. According to the most common definition of a digital signal, both baseband and passband signals representing bit-streams are considered as digital transmission, while an alternative definition only considers the baseband signal as digital, and passband transmission of digital data as a form of digital-to-analog conversion.
Data transmitted may be digital messages originating from a data source, for example a computer or a keyboard. It may also be an analog signal such as a phone call or a video signal, digitized into a bit-stream for example using pulse-code modulation (PCM) or more advanced source coding (analog-to-digital conversion and data compression) schemes. This source coding and decoding is carried out by codec equipment.
Serial and parallel transmission
In telecommunications,
serial transmission is the sequential transmission of
signal element
In signal theory, a signal element is a part of a signal that is distinguished by its:
* duration,
*magnitude,
*nature (the modulation technique used to create the element),
*relative position to other elements,
*transition from one signal state to ...
s of a group representing a
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
or other entity of
data. Digital serial transmissions are bits sent over a single wire, frequency or optical path sequentially. Because it requires less
signal processing and less chances for error than parallel transmission, the
transfer rate
In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (bitrate or as a variable ''R'') is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time.
The bit rate is expressed in the unit bit per second (symbol: bit/s), often in conjunction ...
of each individual path may be faster. This can be used over longer distances and a check digit or
parity bit can be sent along with the data easily.
Parallel transmission is the simultaneous transmission of related signal elements over two or more separate paths. Multiple electrical wires are used which can transmit multiple bits simultaneously, which allows for higher data transfer rates than can be achieved with serial transmission. This method is typically used internally within the computer, for example, the internal buses, and sometimes externally for such things as printers.
Timing skew can be a significant issue in these systems because the wires in parallel data transmission unavoidably have slightly different properties so some bits may arrive before others, which may corrupt the message. This issue tends to worsen with distance making parallel data transmission less reliable for long distances.
Communication channels
Some communications channel types include:
*
Data transmission circuit
*
Full-duplex
*
Half-duplex
*
Simplex
*
Multi-drop:
**
Bus network
A bus network is a network topology in which nodes are directly connected to a common half-duplex link called a bus.
A host on a bus network is called a ''station''. In a bus network, every station will receive all network traffic, and the ...
**
Mesh network
**
Ring network
**
Star network
**
Wireless network
*
Point-to-point
Asynchronous and synchronous data transmission
Asynchronous serial communication uses start and stop bits to signify the beginning and end of transmission.
This method of transmission is used when data are sent intermittently as opposed to in a solid stream.
Synchronous transmission Synchronous serial communication describes a serial communication protocol in which "data is sent in a continuous stream at constant rate."
Synchronous communication requires that the clocks in the transmitting and receiving devices are ''synchr ...
synchronizes transmission speeds at both the receiving and sending end of the transmission using
clock signals. The clock may be a separate signal or
embedded in the data. A continual stream of data is then sent between the two nodes. Due to there being no start and stop bits, the data transfer rate may be more efficient.
See also
*
Computer networking
*
Communication
*
Information theory
*
Internetworking
*
Media (communication)
*
Network security
*
Node-to-node data transfer
*
Signal processing
*
Telecommunication
*
Transmission (disambiguation)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Data Transmission
Computer networking
Mass media technology
Telecommunications