Class: IX

Chapter # 4
DATA COMMUNICATION
 DATA COMMUNICATION - IV

DATA COMMUNICATION
Data communication is the transmission of data between two points.

Q1. Define the following terms

BASIC TERMS OF DATA COMMUNICATION

The following terms are associated with data communication.
• Data
• Data transmission
• Analog Signals
• Digital Signals
1. Data
Data means any type of raw facts and figures which can be provided as input. Data
can be in the form of text, sound, graphics, image or video.

2. Data Transmission:
Data transmission means sending information from one place to other using computer
networks and data communication systems. It also means sending stream of bits or
bytes from one place to another using copper wire, Fibre optics, satellite
communication etc.

Q2. Compare Analog signals with Digital signals

Analog and Digital Signals:
A signal is a variation of physical quantity with time.
An electrical signal is a change in voltage or current with time.
Electrical signals can be divided into two main types, analog and digital signals.
Analog Signals Digital Signals
It is in continuous form These are in discrete form
It varies continuously within a range They switch between two discrete, low
and high voltage level.
Represented by sine waves Represented by square waves
It has many states It has only two states
Example: Human Voice Example: Computers, Optical Drives

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Q3. Mention and explain different components of communication.

COMPONENTS OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Communication system consists of the following five basic components.
1. Sender
2. Receiver
3. Message
4. Transmission Medium
5. Protocol

Sender: It is the device which sends the message. It is the source of message that can
be a computer, telephone handset, etc.
Receiver: It is the device which receives the message. It is the destination of message that
can be a computer, radio, telephone handset, etc.
Message: It is the data to be transmitted. It can be text, graphics, image, sound or video.
Transmission Medium: It is the physical pathway over which the message is sent from
sender to receiver. Some examples of transmission media are coaxial cable, Fibre optic
cable, microwaves, etc.
Protocol: It is the set of rules between the two communicating devices that governs the
process of data communication. Without a protocol, two devices may be connected but
they cannot communicate with each other.
Q4. What are the characteristics of good communication?

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD COMMUNICATION SYSTEM:

Following are the properties of a good communication system.
• Delivery
• Accuracy
• Timeliness

Delivery:
1. Data communication system must deliver the message to the correct destination.
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2. Message must be received by only the device or user to whom it is sent.
3. For example, when e-mail is sent to a person, it is received only by the person.
4. This is managed by the protocol used in the data communication system.
Accuracy:
1. System must deliver the message accurately without any change.
2. Incorrect data is not usable by the receiver.
3. For example, data may get corrupted due to transmission errors over long
distances. Such data is retransmitted from the source. This is ensured by the
protocol used in the data communication system.

Timeliness:
1. The system must deliver the data without significant delay in a timely manner.
2. It is very important in real time transmission such as video conferencing.
3. Data delivered late may be useless.
4. Some real time systems require immediate transmission of data within limited
time.
5. For example, a computerized real time system is used to monitor the
temperature in an oil refinery. If the temperature is gets too high, it must be
transmitted immediately preventing an explosion.
Q5. Compare Asynchronous and Synchronous transmission modes:

ASYNCHRONOUS AND SYNCHRONOUS TRANSMISSION

MODES:
Asynchronous and synchronous transmissions are the methods by which characters are
transferred from one computer to another, as well as between components.
Asynchronous Transmission:
1. When time interval between each character is not the same it is known as
asynchronous transmission.
2. In asynchronous transmission, each character is transmitted with additional
control information consisting of additional start and stop bits.

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3. Start bit is generally 0 and Stop bit is 1.

4. Between the start and stop bits, the bits representing a character are
transmittedat uniform time intervals.
5. Asynchronous transmission is slow due to extra bits.
6. It is suitable for low speed connection between system unit and
keyboard ormouse.
7. Example:-A Telephone Call, Video Conferencing and IP-TV

Synchronous Transmission:
1. When time interval between the characters is always the same, it is
known assynchronous transmission.
2. In synchronous transmission, there is no control information added
with thecharacters.
3. Data consisting of 0s and 1s is transmitted as one long stream of bits.
4. The receiver counts the bits as they arrive and recognizes the characters.
5. Synchronous transmission is faster because it does not require extra
start andstop bits.
6. It is used for fast data communication between computers in
computer
networks.
7. Example: - Weather Report, Data from Stock Exchanges and Online
Gaming.

Q6. Write a detail note on transmission Media.

TRANSMISSION MEDIA
Transmission media provide the means by which data travels from source to
destination. It is the pathway for transmitting data.

TYPES OF TRANSMISSION MEDIA

There are two types of transmission media: -

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1. Guided Media and

2. Unguided Media.

GUIDED MEDIA
Guided media uses cabling system that guides the data signals along a specific
path.Types of guided media are:-
1. twisted pair,
2. coaxial cable and
3. Fibre optic cable.
Twisted pair cable:
1. Twisted pair cable is the most commonly used cable for data
communication.
2. It consists of pairs of copper wires twisted around one another.
3. The purpose of twisting the cables is to reduce cross talk,
electromagneticinterference, thus making the transmission more reliable.
4. Telephone cable consists of two twisted insulated wires.
5. Computer network cable consists of 4 pairs of twisted cables
6. Transmission speed of twisted pair cable ranges from 2 million bits per
secondto 10 billion bits per second.

Coaxial cable:
1. Coaxial cable is mainly used for local area networks and cable
televisionsystems.
2. It consists of copper wire surrounded by insulating layer.
3. The insulating layer itself is surrounded by conductive layer.
4. Insulation reduces interference and distortion.
5. Transmission speed ranges from 200 million bits per second to more
than 500million bits per second.

Fiber optic cable:

1. Fiber optic cable is more expensive than twisted pair and coaxial cables.
2. It is used for data transmission over long distances.
3. Fibre optic cable consists of smooth hair-thin strands of transparent
material.

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4. Fibre optic uses transmitter that converts electrical signals into light
waves.
5. These light waves are transmitted over the Fibre optic cable.
6. At the receiving end, a receiver converts the light waves back to
electricalsignals.
7. A single Fibre optic cable can carry up to 50,000 communication lines.
8. It provides high quality transmission at extremely fast speed.
9. It can transmit trillions of bits per second.
10. It is not affected by electromagnetic fields and can transmit both
analog anddigital signals.

UNGUIDED MEDIA
Unguided media do not use cables for data transmission. Signals travel
through open space and nothing guides them along any specific path.
Unguided media can be classified into:
• Radio waves,
• Microwave,
• Infra-red,
• Bluetooth and
• Satellite communication.
Radio Waves:
1. Data can be transmitted over long distance using radio waves.
2. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that are transmitted by
antennas.
3. These waves are invisible and undetectable to human beings.
4. Radio transmission uses a transmitter and a receiver.
5. A transmitter transmits a radio signal and the receiver receives it.
6. Radio waves are used to transmit music, conversation, pictures and
data.

7. Examples:-
a. Radio and television broadcast
b. Cell phone communication

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c. Radio-controlled toys
d. Satellite communication
e. Wireless networks and wireless Internet

Microwave:
1. Microwave signals travel through open space like radio waves.
2. Microwaves provide much faster transmission rate than telephone
lines orcoaxial cables.
3. Microwave antennas are installed on high buildings or high towers.
4. The transmitting and the receiving sites must be within sight of one
another.
5. Microwaves are used for satellite communication and other long
distancewireless communications.
6. Examples:-
a. Backbone links for ISPs and WISPs.
b. Building to building and campus sites
c. Television Broadcast with HDSDI and SMPTE standards.
Infra-red:
1. Infra-red waves are light energy that we cannot see.
2. It travels through space at the speed of light.
3. It is used for short distance communication.
4. Infra-red waves are used in remote controls.
5. Infra-red wireless signals are disrupted by persons or objects in
between thetransmitter and receiver.
6. It does not get interference of other radio signals.
7. Examples:-
a. Remote Controls for TV, Music Players and Fans Etc.
b. Night Vision Devices.
c. industrial, scientific and medical appliances

Bluetooth:
1. Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that uses radio
waves to connect portable electronic devices over short distance.
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2. It eliminates the need for cable connection and provides fast and
reliabletransmission.
3. It supports networking of wide range of portable devices.
4. The most common use of Bluetooth is connecting a mobile phone to a
wireless headset or to a laptop computer to transfer voice data.
5. Bluetooth technology can transmit text, image, voice and video.
6. Example:-
a. mobile phone,
b. mouse,
c. keyboard,
d. wireless speaker and
e. Personal computer etc.

Satellite:
1. A satellite is placed in an orbit around the earth.
2. It revolves around the earth.
3. It is a wireless Receiver and Transmitter used for transmitting
data overlong distance at high speed.
4. Ground stations beam signals to satellites.
5. Satellites amplify and retransmit the signals to another ground station
manythousands of miles away.
6. Satellite communication is high cost.
7. Satellites are launched by rockets or space shuttles.
8. It exactly matches with the rotation speed of the earth.

Q7. Mention and explain Transmission impairments?

TRANSMISSION IMPAIRMENTS:
1. The errors that occur during data communication from one point to
another are called transmission impairments.

2. Impairments occur due to imperfect characteristics of

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communicationmedium.
3. As a consequence, the received and the transmitted signals are not
alwaysthe same.
4. Types of impairments:

Attenuation:

If the attenuation is too much, the receiver may not be able to detect the
4. An amplifier is a device used in data communication that receives
weaksignals, amplifies it and then retransmits.

Distortion:
1. Distortion refers to change in shape or frequency of digital signal.
2. Communication line delays the signal frequency.
3. The delays occur by different amounts because different
frequencycomponents travel at different speed.
4. Therefore, various frequency components of a signal are received
atdifferent delays.
Amplification:
5. This causes distortion in digital signals.

Cross Talk:
1. Cross talk occurs in guided media.
2. As signal is transmitted through a wire, undesired signals enter the
path ofthe transmitted signal due to electromagnetic radiat1on.

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3. It is caused because of putting several wires together in a single cable.

4. Sometimes, user can hear another conversation in the background
whentalking on the phone.
5. This happens by the coupling between two wires that are close to
each
other.
Q. Compare Attenation and distortion?

Attenuation Distortion
1. It is the power loss of signal due to 1. It is the attenuation of original
long distances signal
2. It occurs due to refraction, 2. This happens due to the
electromagnetism and diffraction properties of the medium
3. Removal of effects of attenuated 3. Removal of distorted signal is
signals is easy. very difficult.

Q. 8 Explain following Data communication devices.

COMMUNICATION DEVICES
A communication device is hardware that is used for transmission of information
from one place to another between computers and other devices. The following
communication devices are commonly mostly used.
• Dial-up Modem
• Router
• Network Interface Card
• Switch/Access Point

DIAL-UP MODEM
1. Modem is abbreviation of Modulator-Demodulator.
2. A modem convers digital computer signal to analog form for transmission
overtelephone line.

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3. This process is called modulation.

4. Another, modem at the receiving end, converts the analog signal back to
digitalform.
5. This is called demodulation.
6. Dial-up modem provides Internet connection through telephone line.
7. Maximum speed of Dial-up modem is 56 Kilobits per second which
is veryslow.
8. It has being replaced by faster DSL connection.

NETWORK INTERFACE CARD (NIC):

1. A Network Interface Card (NIC) or simply network card is used to connect
computers together to create computer network.
2. It is a card that is installed on the motherboard.
3. In modern computers, it is integrated on the motherboard.
4. There are two types of network cards:
a. Wired Network Card
b. Wireless Network Card

ROUTER:
1. Router is a communication device that is used when two networks have
to beconnected for communication.
2. They send information from one network to another by selecting the
best
pathway available.
3. There are two types of routers
a. Wired and
b. Wireless.

SWITCH/ ACCESS POINT:

1. A switch/access point is used for connecting computers together in
local areanetwork (LAN).
2. A switch/access point receives information from a computer in the
network,
inspects it and then transmits it appropriately to the destination
computer.
3. Switch is used in wired networks whereas access point is used in
wirelessnetworks.

Q9. Define and explain the following terminologies

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COMMUNICATION TERMINOLOGIES
Communication Terminologies refers to terms or words that are related with data
transmission or characteristics of communication channel.

DATA TRANSMISSION TERMINOLOGIES:

The following terms are used to determine the data transmission capabilities of a
transmission media.
• Data rate
• Baud rate
• Bandwidth
• Signal to Noise Ratio

Data Rate:
1. Data rate is the speed with which data can be transmitted from one device
toanother.
2. It is generally measured in Kilobits (thousand bits) or Megabits
(million bits)per second.
3. kbps, is used for kilobits per second and mbps for million bits per second.

Baud Rate:
1. baud rate is measure of the speed of communication over a data
channel.OR,
2. It is also defined as,
“Baud is the rate of change of electrical signals per second during data
communications.”

Bandwidth:
1. The amount of data that can be transmitted within a fixed amount of
time iscalled bandwidth.
OR
2. Bandwidth describes the overall data transmission capacity of a
medium orchannel.
3. Bandwidth is also measured in bits per second like data rate.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:
It means the ratio of useful data transmission to errors caused by noise over
a transmission medium. The measurement of Signal-to-noise ratio defines the
data transmission quality of a communication medium.

EXERCISE

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Q1. SELECT THE BEST ANSWER FOR THE FOLLOWING MCQS.

i. B
ii. A
iii. D
iv. C
v. B
vi. C
vii. D
viii. C
ix. B
x. B
Q2. WRITE SHORT ANSWERS OF THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS
I. Differentiate between analog and digital signals. See Q2
II. Why digital signals are used in computer systems?
The computer system handles only binary 0 and 1. The digital signals
represents0 as low voltage and 1 as high voltage. This stream can be easily
transmitted across the computer system. Moreover, digital signals have
only discrete values.
III. Name the properties of a good communication system. See Q 4
IV. Give any three reasons why guided communication medium is more
reliablethan unguided medium. See Q
V. What is meant by transmission impairment? See Q5
VI. Differentiate between attenuation and distortion. See Q5
VII. What is cross talk? See Q5
VIII. What is Dial-up modem? Why is it used? See Q8
IX. Define data rate and baud rate. See Q9
X. Define bandwidth. See Q 9

Q3. WRITE LONG ANSWERS OF THE FOLLOWING

QUESTIONS
I. Describe the components of communication system with the help
ofdiagram. See Q 5

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II. Explain asynchronous and synchronous transmission modes with

examples. See Q 4
III. Describe the following guided media. See Q6
a. Twisted pair cable
b. Coaxial cable
c. Fiber optic cable
IV. Describe any three types of unguided media. See Q 6
V. Describe the functions of the following communication devices. Q. 8
a. Router
b. Network Interface Card (NIC)
c. Switch/ Access point

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