Data Communication and Computer Network (22414) UNIT 2

UNIT:2
Transmission Media and Switching
(Marks16)
________________________________________________________
Contents:
2.1 Communication Media; Guided Transmission Media-Twisted pair Cable, Coaxial Cable,
Fiber-Optic Cable

2.2 Unguided Transmission Media: Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared, Satellite.

2.3 Line-of-Sight Transmission Point To Point, Broadcasting

2.4 Multiplexing: frequency-Division Multiplexing, Time Division Multiplexing.

2.5 Switching: Circuit Switched Networks Packet Switched Networks. Difference between
Circuit Switched Networks and Packet Switched Networks.

______________________________________________________________________________

Course Outcome:
Analyze the functioning of Data communication and Computer Network

References:
a. www.nptelvideos.in/2012/11/data-communication.html

b.http://www.myreadingroom.co.in/notes-and-studymaterial/68-den/750-analog-to-analog-conversion-
techniques.html

c. http://www.tutorial reports.com/wireless/wlanwifi/wifi_architecture.php

d. http://standards.ieee.org/about/get/802/802.11.html

e. www.tutorialspoint.com/data_communication_computer_network/

f. http://www.studytonight.com/computer-networks/overview-of-computer-networks

g. https://www.javatpoint.com/multiplexing-in-computer-network

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2.1 Communication Media

Transmission Media

Definition of Transmission Media:-

1. Transmission media are the physical pathways that connect computer, other device, in a
computer network.
Or
1. Transmission media is the medium over which information travels from the sender to
receiver.

Without transmission media communication not takes place.

Transmission media is a pathway that carries the information from sender to receiver. We use
different types of cables or waves to transmit data. Data is transmitted normally through
electrical or electromagnetic signals.

Transmission media is also called Communication channel.

Types of Transmission media

Transmission media :- Guided Transmission Media uses a cabling system that guides the data
signals along a specific path.

Guided transmission media uses a cabling system that guides the data signals along a specific
path. Guided media is the wired media.

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Unguided Transmission Media :-The wireless media is also called as unguided media .

Criteria for the selection of transmission Media:-

• Types of medium
• Number of conductors
• Flexibility
• Required Speed
• Distance
• Cost
• Ease of installation and maintenance

The data transmission capabilities of various Medias vary differently depending upon the
various factors. These factors are:

1. Bandwidth. It refers to the data carrying capacity of a channel or medium. Higher bandwidth
communication channels support higher data rates.

2. Radiation. It refers to the leakage of signal from the medium due to undesirable electrical
characteristics of the medium.

3. Noise Absorption. It refers to the susceptibility of the media to external electrical noise that
can cause distortion of data signal.

4. Attenuation. It refers to loss of energy as signal propagates outwards. The amount of energy
lost depends on frequency. Radiations and physical characteristics of media contribute to
attenuation.

Guided Media vs Unguided Media

Guided media is a medium that sends Unguided media is a medium that
signals through a solid physical path. transmits signals through free space.
Direction
There is no particular direction to send
There is a specific direction to send signals.
signals.
Usage
Used in wired transmission Helps wireless transmission
Examples
Twisted pair, coaxial cable, and fiber optics Radio wave, microwave, and infrared

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Types of Wired Media:-

1. Co-axial cable
2. Twisted Pair Cable
3. Optical Fiber cable

1. Twisted Pair Cable:

• The most popular network cabling is twisted pair.

• It is lightweight, easy to install, inexpensive and supports many different types of

networks.

• It also supports the speed of 100 mbps.

Twisted-pair cable is a type of cabling that is used for telephone communications and most
modern Ethernet networks. A pair of wires forms a circuit that can transmit data. The pairs are
twisted to provide protection against crosstalk, the noise generated by adjacent pairs. When
electrical current flows through a wire, it creates a small, circular magnetic field around the wire.
When two wires in an electrical circuit are placed close together, their magnetic fields are the
exact opposite of each other. Thus, the two magnetic fields cancel each other out. They also
cancel out any outside magnetic fields. Twisting the wires can enhance this cancellation effect.
Using cancellation together with twisting the wires, cable designers can effectively provide self-
shielding for wire pairs within the network media.

Two basic types of twisted-pair cable exist:

1. unshielded twisted pair (UTP)

2.shielded twisted pair (STP).

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UTP Cable

UTP cable is a medium that is composed of pairs of wires . UTP cable is used in a variety of
networks. Each of the eight individual copper wires in UTP cable is covered by an insulating
material. In addition, the wires in each pair are twisted around each other.

Fig: Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable

UTP cable often is installed using a Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector . The RJ-45 is an eight-
wire connector used commonly to connect computers onto a local-area network (LAN), especially
Ethernets.

Fig: RJ-45 Connectors

Why to twist the wires?

• In the beginning, the wires were kept parallel. However, this resulted in far greater levels
of noise. Hence, wires were then twisted.
• Twisting of wires will reduce the effect of noise or external interference.
• Number of twists per unit length will determine the quality of cable. More twist means
better quality.

Characteristics of UTP

• Light weight
• Low cost medium.
• Can support data rate of several mbps
• Installation is easy

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Commonly used types of UTP cabling are as follows:

• Category 1—Used for telephone communications. Not suitable for transmitting data.
• Category 2—Capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 4 megabits per second (Mbps).
• Category 3—Used in 10BASE-T networks. Can transmit data at speeds up to 10 Mbps.
• Category 4—Used in Token Ring networks. Can transmit data at speeds up to 16 Mbps.
• Category 5—Can transmit data at speeds up to 100 Mbps.
• Category 5e —Used in networks running at speeds up to 1000 Mbps (1 gigabit per second
[Gbps]).
• Category 6—Typically, Category 6 cable consists of four pairs of 24 American Wire Gauge
(AWG) copper wires. Category 6 cable is currently the fastest standard for UTP.

Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable

• STP has a metal foil or braided mesh to cover each pair of insulating conductors known as
metal shield.
• STP reduces the interference of the noise but makes the cable bulky and expensive.
• So practically UTP is more used than STP.
• Twisted pair can be either used for analog or digital transmission.
• The bandwidth supported by the wire depends on the thickness of the wire and the distance
travelled.

Characteristics of STP
• Twisted conductors are shielded to reduce noise.
• Low cost medium
• Higher capacity than UTP

Although STP prevents interference better than UTP, it is more expensive and difficult to install.
In addition, the metallic shielding must be grounded at both ends. If it is improperly grounded,
the shield acts like an antenna and picks up unwanted signals. Because of its cost and difficulty
with termination, STP is rarely used in Ethernet networks. STP is primarily used in Europe.

The following summarizes the features of STP cable:

• Speed and throughput—10 to 100 Mbps

• Average cost per node—Moderately expensive
• Media and connector size—Medium to large
• Maximum cable length—100 m (short)

When comparing UTP and STP, keep the following points in mind:

• The speed of both types of cable is usually satisfactory for local-area distances.

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• These are the least-expensive media for data communication. UTP is less expensive than
STP.
• Because most buildings are already wired with UTP, many transmission standards are
adapted to use it, to avoid costly rewiring with an alternative cable type.

Comparison of twisted pair cables:

2. Co-axial cable:-

The coaxial cable is a better communication method as it requires a low cost.

• It consist of two concentric conductors separated by a dielectric material.

• The external conductor is metallic and used for the purpose of shielding.
• Shielding protects the wire from electromagnetic interference.
• A plastic jacket which is cover of cable provides protection and insulation.
• Coaxial cable used in telephone network, cable television system, Ethernet LAN
because of large bandwidth and high noise immunity.

The names “coax” comes from its two conductor construction in which the conductors
run concentrically with each othe along axis of the cable.

It has an outer plastic covering containing 2 parallel conductors each having a separate
insulated protection cover. Cable TVs and analog television networks widely use Coaxial
cables. Coaxial cable has a copper core (the inner conductor) with an outer cylindrical
shell for insulation. The outer shield, just under the shell, is the second conductor.
Because they have additional shielding provided by their multiple layers of material,
coaxial cables are less prone to interference and errors than basic low-cost twisted-pair
wires. Coaxial cables cost about three times as much as twisted-pair wires but offer few
additional benefits other than better shielding.

It is used to transmit both analog and digital signals.

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Inner Conductor:- At the heart of coaxial cable is a inner conductor ,constructed of either pure
copper or copper coated steel or aluminum ,the inner conductor is responsible for transmating
the cable’s signal.

Insulator :- the dielectric insulator’s purpose is two-fold ;first ,it acts as an insulator between the
center conductor and the outer braided/foil shielding . second ,it helps physically hold the center
conductor in the center of the cable .

This is important ,as signal loss can occur if the center conductor strays too close to the outer
area of the cable .

Outer conductor (shield):- It protects the signal from EMI interference. Electromagnetic
interference is often caused by heavy power lines, cell phone signals.

Insulating Sheath (Outer jacket) :- it is generally made out of flexible PVC and serves primarily
to hod the cable together and protect it from the elements .

Characteristics of co-axial cables:-

• Large bandwidth and low data loss

• Excellent noise immunity
• Good resistance to electrical interference
• Less expensive than fiber optics cable but more expensive than twisted pair

Advantages:

• Excellent noise immunity due to shielding

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• Large bandwidth
• Data losses are small
• High data transfer rate
• Less attenuation
• Easy to install

Disadvantages:

• Expensive than TP cable

• BNC connectors are required to be used for connections

Applications:-
• Analog telephone network
• Digital telephone network
• Ethernet LAN
• Cable TV
• Digital Transmission
• Analog and digital transmission

3. Fiber Optic cable:

It consists of an inner of an inner glass core surrounded by a glass cladding which has a lower
refractive index and protective covering

It uses the concept of reflection of light through a core made up of glass or plastic. The core is
surrounded by a less dense glass or plastic covering called the cladding. It is used for transmission
of large volumes of data.

• It consists of an inner of an inner glass core surrounded by a glass cladding

• It uses the concept of reflection of light through a core made up of glass or plastic.
• The core is surrounded by a less dense glass or plastic covering called the cladding.
• It is used for transmission of large volumes of data.
• It consist of an inner glass core surrounded by a glass cladding which has a lower refractive
index.
• Digital signals are transmitted in the form of intensity, modulated light signal which is
trapped in the glass core.
• Light is launched into fiber using a light source such as LED or laser.
• The optic fiber cables are costlier than other two types but they have many advantages
over other two types.

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Fig: Optical Fiber Cable

Characteristics of Optical fiber

1. High bandwidth (100 mbps to 2 gbps)

2. Light has much higher frequency than electricity.
3. Number of nodes support does not depend on its length.
4. Lower attenuation
5. Can carry signals to longer distance without amplifiers and repeaters.
6. Not affected by EMI
7. Cost is high compared to other 2 types.
8. Installation of fiber optic cable is difficult and tedious.

Advantages:

• Increased capacity and bandwidth

• Wide Bandwidth –
• Low losses- Less signal attenuation over long distance
• Immune to cable cross talk:- it is non-conductors of electricity hence they do not produce
magnetic field. It is immune to cross talk between cables caused by magnetic induction.
• Light weight:- it is made of silica glass or plastic which is much lighter than copper and
aluminum cables.
• Small size :- the diameter of fiber is much smaller compared to other cables, therefore
fiber cable is small in size ,require less storage space.
• Long distance transmission – bcz less attenuation transmission at a longer distance is
possible.
• Less signal attenuation or Low losses

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Disadvantages:

• Difficult to install and maintain-

• High cost-the initial installation or setting up cost is very high compared to all other
system. Repairing and installation cost is high

Uses of fiber optic cables

• Medical
Used as light guides, imaging tools and also as lasers for surgeries
• Defense/Government
Used as hydrophones for seismic and SONAR uses, as wiring in aircraft, submarines and
other vehicles and also for field networking
• Data Storage
Used for data transmission
• Telecommunications
Fiber is laid and used for transmitting and receiving purposes
• Networking
Used to connect users and servers in a variety of network settings and help increase the
speed and accuracy of data transmission
• Industrial/Commercial
Used for imaging in hard to reach areas, as wiring where EMI is an issue, as sensory
devices to make temperature, pressure and other measurements, and as wiring in
automobiles and in industrial settings
• Broadcast/CATV
Broadcast/cable companies are using fiber optic cables for wiring CATV, HDTV, internet,
video on-demand and other applications

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Difference between cables –

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2.2 UnGuided Transmission

o An unguided transmission transmits the electromagnetic waves without using
any physical medium. Therefore it is also known as wireless transmission.

o In unguided media, air is the media through which the electromagnetic energy
can flow easily.

Types of Unguided Media

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Unguided transmission is broadly classified into three categories:

1.Radio wave
2.Micro wave
3. Infrared signal

Radio waves
o Radio waves are the electromagnetic waves that are transmitted in all the
directions of free space.

o Radio waves are omnidirectional, i.e., the signals are propagated in all the
directions.

o The range in frequencies of radio waves is from 3Khz to 1 Ghz.

o In the case of radio waves, the sending and receiving antenna are not aligned,
i.e., the wave sent by the sending antenna can be received by any receiving
antenna.

o An example of the radio wave is FM radio.

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Applications Of Radio waves:

o A Radio wave is useful for multicasting when there is one sender and many
receivers.

o An FM radio, television, cordless phones are examples of a radio wave.

Advantages Of Radio transmission:

o Radio transmission is mainly used for wide area networks and mobile cellular
phones.

o Radio waves cover a large area, and they can penetrate the walls.

o Radio transmission provides a higher transmission rate.

Microwaves

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Terrestrial Microwave Transmission

o Terrestrial Microwave transmission is a technology that transmits the focused

beam of a radio signal from one ground-based microwave transmission antenna
to another.

o Microwaves are unidirectional as the sending and receiving antenna is to be

aligned, i.e., the waves sent by the sending antenna are narrowly focused.

o In this case, antennas are mounted on the towers to send a beam to another
antenna which is km away.

o It works on the line of sight transmission, i.e., the antennas mounted on the
towers are the direct sight of each other.

Characteristics of Microwave:

o Frequency range: The frequency range of terrestrial microwave is from 4-6

GHz to 21-23 GHz.

o Bandwidth: It supports the bandwidth from 1 to 10 Mbps.

o Short distance: It is inexpensive for short distance.

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o Long distance: It is expensive as it requires a higher tower for a longer

distance.

o Attenuation: Attenuation means loss of signal. It is affected by environmental

conditions and antenna size.

Advantages Of Microwave:

o Microwave transmission is cheaper than using cables.

o It is free from land acquisition as it does not require any land for the installation
of cables.

o Microwave transmission provides an easy communication in terrains as the

installation of cable in terrain is quite a difficult task.

o Communication over oceans can be achieved by using microwave transmission.

Satellite Microwave Communication

o A satellite is a physical object that revolves around the earth at a known height.

o Satellite communication is more reliable nowadays as it offers more flexibility

than cable and fibre optic systems.

o We can communicate with any point on the globe by using satellite

communication.

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How Does Satellite work?

The satellite accepts the signal that is transmitted from the earth station, and it
amplifies the signal. The amplified signal is retransmitted to another earth station.

Advantages Of Satellite Microwave Communication:

o The coverage area of a satellite microwave is more than the terrestrial

microwave.

o The transmission cost of the satellite is independent of the distance from the
centre of the coverage area.

o Satellite communication is used in mobile and wireless communication

applications.

o It is easy to install.

o It is used in a wide variety of applications such as weather forecasting, radio/TV

signal broadcasting, mobile communication, etc.

Disadvantages Of Satellite Microwave Communication:

o Satellite designing and development requires more time and higher cost.

o The Satellite needs to be monitored and controlled on regular periods so that it

remains in orbit.

o The life of the satellite is about 12-15 years. Due to this reason, another launch
of the satellite has to be planned before it becomes non-functional.

Infrared
o An infrared transmission is a wireless technology used for communication over
short ranges.

o The frequency of the infrared in the range from 300 GHz to 400 THz.

o It is used for short-range communication such as data transfer between two cell
phones, TV remote operation, data transfer between a computer and cell phone
resides in the same closed area.

Characteristics Of Infrared:

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o It supports high bandwidth, and hence the data rate will be very high.

o Infrared waves cannot penetrate the walls. Therefore, the infrared

communication in one room cannot be interrupted by the nearby rooms.

o An infrared communication provides better security with minimum interference.

o Infrared communication is unreliable outside the building because the sun rays
will interfere with the infrared waves.

2.4 Multiplexing:
Multiplexing is a technique used to combine and send the multiple data streams over a
single medium. The process of combining the data streams is known as multiplexing
and hardware used for multiplexing is known as a multiplexer.

Multiplexing is achieved by using a device called Multiplexer (MUX) that combines n

input lines to generate a single output line. Multiplexing follows many-to-one, i.e., n
input lines and one output line.

Demultiplexing is achieved by using a device called Demultiplexer (DEMUX) available

at the receiving end. DEMUX separates a signal into its component signals (one input
and n outputs). Therefore, we can say that demultiplexing follows the one-to-many
approach.

Why Multiplexing?
o The transmission medium is used to send the signal from sender to receiver. The
medium can only have one signal at a time.

o If there are multiple signals to share one medium, then the medium must be
divided in such a way that each signal is given some portion of the available
bandwidth. For example: If there are 10 signals and bandwidth of medium is100
units, then the 10 unit is shared by each signal.

o When multiple signals share the common medium, there is a possibility of

collision. Multiplexing concept is used to avoid such collision.

o Transmission services are very expensive.

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History of Multiplexing
o Multiplexing technique is widely used in telecommunications in which several
telephone calls are carried through a single wire.

o Multiplexing originated in telegraphy in the early 1870s and is now widely used
in communication.

o George Owen Squier developed the telephone carrier multiplexing in 1910.

Concept of Multiplexing

o The 'n' input lines are transmitted through a multiplexer and multiplexer
combines the signals to form a composite signal.

o The composite signal is passed through a Demultiplexer and demultiplexer

separates a signal to component signals and transfers them to their respective
destinations.

Advantages of Multiplexing:
o More than one signal can be sent over a single medium.

o The bandwidth of a medium can be utilized effectively.

Multiplexing Techniques
Multiplexing techniques can be classified as:

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1. Frequency-division Multiplexing (FDM)

o It is an analog technique.

o Frequency Division Multiplexing is a technique in which the available

bandwidth of a single transmission medium is subdivided into several channels.

o In the above diagram, a single transmission medium is subdivided into several

frequency channels, and each frequency channel is given to different devices.
Device 1 has a frequency channel of range from 1 to 5.

o The input signals are translated into frequency bands by using modulation
techniques, and they are combined by a multiplexer to form a composite signal.

o The main aim of the FDM is to subdivide the available bandwidth into different
frequency channels and allocate them to different devices.

o Using the modulation technique, the input signals are transmitted into frequency
bands and then combined to form a composite signal.

o The carriers which are used for modulating the signals are known as sub-
carriers. They are represented as f1,f2..fn.

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o FDM is mainly used in radio broadcasts and TV networks.

Advantages of FDM:

o FDM is used for analog signals.

o FDM process is very simple and easy modulation.

o A Large number of signals can be sent through an FDM simultaneously.

o It does not require any synchronization between sender and receiver.

Disadvantages of FDM:

o FDM technique is used only when low-speed channels are required.

o It suffers the problem of crosstalk.

o A Large number of modulators are required.

o It requires a high bandwidth channel.

Applications of FDM:

o FDM is commonly used in TV networks.

o It is used in FM and AM broadcasting. Each FM radio station has different

frequencies, and they are multiplexed to form a composite signal. The
multiplexed signal is transmitted in the air.

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2. Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)

o Wavelength Division Multiplexing is same as FDM except that the optical signals
are transmitted through the fiber optic cable.

o WDM is used on fiber optics to increase the capacity of a single fiber.

o It is used to utilize the high data rate capability of fiber optic cable.

o It is an analog multiplexing technique.

o Optical signals from different source are combined to form a wider band of light
with the help of multiplexer.

o At the receiving end, de-multiplexer separates the signals to transmit them to

their respective destinations.

o Multiplexing and De-multiplexing can be achieved by using a prism.

o Prism can perform a role of multiplexer by combining the various optical signals
to form a composite signal, and the composite signal is transmitted through a
fiber optical cable.

o Prism also performs a reverse operation, i.e., de-multiplexing the signal.

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3.Time Division Multiplexing

o It is a digital technique.

o In Frequency Division Multiplexing Technique, all signals operate at the same

time with different frequency, but in case of Time Division Multiplexing
technique, all signals operate at the same frequency with different time.

o In Time Division Multiplexing technique, the total time available in the

channel is distributed among different users. Therefore, each user is allocated
with different time interval known as a Time slot at which data is to be
transmitted by the sender.

o A user takes control of the channel for a fixed amount of time.

o In Time Division Multiplexing technique, data is not transmitted simultaneously

rather the data is transmitted one-by-one.

o In TDM, the signal is transmitted in the form of frames. Frames contain a cycle
of time slots in which each frame contains one or more slots dedicated to each
user.

o It can be used to multiplex both digital and analog signals but mainly used to
multiplex digital signals.

There are two types of TDM:

o Synchronous TDM

o Asynchronous TDM

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Synchronous TDM
o A Synchronous TDM is a technique in which time slot is pre assigned to every
device.

o In Synchronous TDM, each device is given some time slot irrespective of the fact
that the device contains the data or not.

o If the device does not have any data, then the slot will remain empty.

o In Synchronous TDM, signals are sent in the form of frames. Time slots are
organized in the form of frames. If a device does not have data for a particular
time slot, then the empty slot will be transmitted.

o The most popular Synchronous TDM are T-1 multiplexing, ISDN multiplexing,
and SONET multiplexing.

o If there are n devices, then there are n slots.

cc

Concept of Synchronous TDM

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In the above figure, the Synchronous TDM technique is implemented. Each device is
allocated with some time slot. The time slots are transmitted irrespective of whether
the sender has data to send or not.

Disadvantages of Synchronous TDM:

o The capacity of the channel is not fully utilized as the empty slots are also
transmitted which is having no data. In the above figure, the first frame is
completely filled, but in the last two frames, some slots are empty. Therefore,
we can say that the capacity of the channel is not utilized efficiently.

o The speed of the transmission medium should be greater than the total speed of
the input lines. An alternative approach to the Synchronous TDM is
Asynchronous Time Division Multiplexing.

Asynchronous TDM
o An asynchronous TDM is also known as Statistical TDM.

o An asynchronous TDM is a technique in which time slots are not fixed as in the
case of Synchronous TDM. Time slots are allocated to only those devices which
have the data to send. Therefore, we can say that Asynchronous Time Division
multiplexor transmits only the data from active workstations.

o An asynchronous TDM technique dynamically allocates the time slots to the

devices.

o In Asynchronous TDM, total speed of the input lines can be greater than the
capacity of the channel.

o Asynchronous Time Division multiplexor accepts the incoming data streams and
creates a frame that contains only data with no empty slots.

o In Asynchronous TDM, each slot contains an address part that identifies the
source of the data.

o The difference between Asynchronous TDM and Synchronous TDM is that many
slots in Synchronous TDM are unutilized, but in Asynchronous TDM, slots are
fully utilized. This leads to the smaller transmission time and efficient utilization
of the capacity of the channel.

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o In Synchronous TDM, if there are n sending devices, then there are n time slots.
In Asynchronous TDM, if there are n sending devices, then there are m time
slots where m is less than n (m<n).

o The number of slots in a frame depends on the statistical analysis of the number
of input lines.

Concept Of Asynchronous TDM

In the above diagram, there are 4 devices, but only two devices are sending the data,
i.e., A and C. Therefore, the data of A and C are only transmitted through the
transmission line.

Frame of above diagram can be represented as:

The above figure shows that the data part contains the address to determine the source
of the data.

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2.5 Switching
o When a user accesses the internet or another computer network outside their
immediate location, messages are sent through the network of transmission
media. This technique of transferring the information from one computer
network to another network is known as switching.

o Switching in a computer network is achieved by using switches. A switch is a

small hardware device which is used to join multiple computers together with
one local area network (LAN).

o Network switches operate at layer 2 (Data link layer) in the OSI model.

o Switching is transparent to the user and does not require any configuration in
the home network.

o Switches are used to forward the packets based on MAC addresses.

o A Switch is used to transfer the data only to the device that has been addressed.
It verifies the destination address to route the packet appropriately.

o It is operated in full duplex mode.

o Packet collision is minimum as it directly communicates between source and

destination.

o It does not broadcast the message as it works with limited bandwidth.

Switching techniques
In large networks, there can be multiple paths from sender to receiver. The switching
technique will decide the best route for data transmission.

Switching technique is used to connect the systems for making one-to-one

communication.

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Classification Of Switching Techniques

Circuit Switching
o Circuit switching is a switching technique that establishes a dedicated path
between sender and receiver.

o In the Circuit Switching Technique, once the connection is established then the
dedicated path will remain to exist until the connection is terminated.

o Circuit switching in a network operates in a similar way as the telephone works.

o A complete end-to-end path must exist before the communication takes place.

o In case of circuit switching technique, when any user wants to send the data,
voice, video, a request signal is sent to the receiver then the receiver sends back
the acknowledgment to ensure the availability of the dedicated path. After
receiving the acknowledgment, dedicated path transfers the data.

o Circuit switching is used in public telephone network. It is used for voice

transmission.

o Fixed data can be transferred at a time in circuit switching technology.

Communication through circuit switching has 3 phases:

o Circuit establishment

o Data transfer

o Circuit Disconnect

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Disadvantages Of Circuit Switching:

o Once the dedicated path is established, the only delay occurs in the speed of
data transmission.

o It takes a long time to establish a connection approx 10 seconds during which no

data can be transmitted.

o It is more expensive than other switching techniques as a dedicated path is

required for each connection.

o It is inefficient to use because once the path is established and no data is

transferred, then the capacity of the path is wasted.

o In this case, the connection is dedicated therefore no other data can be

transferred even if the channel is free.

Message Switching
o Message Switching is a switching technique in which a message is transferred as
a complete unit and routed through intermediate nodes at which it is stored and
forwarded.

o In Message Switching technique, there is no establishment of a dedicated path

between the sender and receiver.

o The destination address is appended to the message. Message Switching

provides a dynamic routing as the message is routed through the intermediate
nodes based on the information available in the message.

o Message switches are programmed in such a way so that they can provide the
most efficient routes.

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o Each and every node stores the entire message and then forward it to the next
node. This type of network is known as store and forward network.

o Message switching treats each message as an independent entity.

Advantages Of Message Switching

o Data channels are shared among the communicating devices that improve the
efficiency of using available bandwidth.

o Traffic congestion can be reduced because the message is temporarily stored in

the nodes.

o Message priority can be used to manage the network.

o The size of the message which is sent over the network can be varied. Therefore,
it supports the data of unlimited size.

Disadvantages Of Message Switching

o The message switches must be equipped with sufficient storage to enable them
to store the messages until the message is forwarded.

o The Long delay can occur due to the storing and forwarding facility provided by
the message switching technique.

Packet Switching
o The packet switching is a switching technique in which the message is sent in
one go, but it is divided into smaller pieces, and they are sent individually.

o The message splits into smaller pieces known as packets and packets are given a
unique number to identify their order at the receiving end.

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o Every packet contains some information in its headers such as source address,
destination address and sequence number.

o Packets will travel across the network, taking the shortest path as possible.

o All the packets are reassembled at the receiving end in correct order.

o If any packet is missing or corrupted, then the message will be sent to resend
the message.

o If the correct order of the packets is reached, then the acknowledgment

message will be sent.

Approaches Of Packet Switching:

There are two approaches to Packet Switching:

Datagram Packet switching:

o It is a packet switching technology in which packet is known as a datagram, is

considered as an independent entity. Each packet contains the information about
the destination and switch uses this information to forward the packet to the
correct destination.

o The packets are reassembled at the receiving end in correct order.

o In Datagram Packet Switching technique, the path is not fixed.

o Intermediate nodes take the routing decisions to forward the packets.

o Datagram Packet Switching is also known as connectionless switching.

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Virtual Circuit Switching

o Virtual Circuit Switching is also known as connection-oriented switching.

o In the case of Virtual circuit switching, a preplanned route is established before

the messages are sent.

o Call request and call accept packets are used to establish the connection
between sender and receiver.

o In this case, the path is fixed for the duration of a logical connection.

Let's understand the concept of virtual circuit switching through a diagram:

o In the above diagram, A and B are the sender and receiver respectively. 1 and 2
are the nodes.

o Call request and call accept packets are used to establish a connection between
the sender and receiver.

o When a route is established, data will be transferred.

o After transmission of data, an acknowledgment signal is sent by the receiver that

the message has been received.

o If the user wants to terminate the connection, a clear signal is sent for the
termination.

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Differences b/w Datagram approach and Virtual Circuit

approach
Datagram approach Virtual Circuit approach

Node takes routing decisions to forward the Node does not take any routing decision.
packets.

Congestion cannot occur as all the packets Congestion can occur when the node is busy,
travel in different directions. and it does not allow other packets to pass
through.

It is more flexible as all the packets are It is not very flexible.

treated as an independent entity.

Advantages Of Packet Switching:

o Cost-effective: In packet switching technique, switching devices do not require

massive secondary storage to store the packets, so cost is minimized to some
extent. Therefore, we can say that the packet switching technique is a cost-
effective technique.

o Reliable: If any node is busy, then the packets can be rerouted. This ensures that
the Packet Switching technique provides reliable communication.

o Efficient: Packet Switching is an efficient technique. It does not require any

established path prior to the transmission, and many users can use the same
communication channel simultaneously, hence makes use of available bandwidth
very efficiently.

Disadvantages Of Packet Switching:

o Packet Switching technique cannot be implemented in those applications that

require low delay and high-quality services.

o The protocols used in a packet switching technique are very complex and requires
high implementation cost.

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o If the network is overloaded or corrupted, then it requires retransmission of lost

packets. It can also lead to the loss of critical information if errors are nor
recovered.

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