Revision: Chap 2

Chapter 2
Data Transmission
1. Simplex: Data transmission in one direction only.
Example:
- Sensor to computer
- Microphone to computer
- Computer to speaker
Computer A OR Computer B

2. Half-duplex: Data transmission in both directions but not at the same time. E.g. Two-way radio communication

Computer A AND Computer B

3. Full-duplex: Data transmission in both directions at the same time/simultaneously.

Example:
- Telephone call
- Broadband connection
- Video Conference
Computer A Computer B
4. Serial
Definition: Data is sent one bit at a time over a single wire. Can be synchronous or asynchronous.
Application: Connect computer to a modem
- USB
-SATA
Benefits:
- More accurate over long distances
- Less interference as only one wire
- Less chance of data being out of order
- Cheaper to set up

Explain benefits of Serial

- It uses a single wire
therefore, it is cheaper to buy
therefore, less likely to have interference
therefore, can be used over longer distances
- Data is sent a bit at a time therefore, less chance of data being skewed // data is received in order
- Transmission can be synchronised can reduce rate of errors
Drawback of Serial
- Slow data transmission

1
 Revision: Chap 2
5. Parallel
Definition: Several bits of data are transmitted at a time over several wires. It is synchronous.
Application:
- Sending data from a computer to a printer
- Internal data transfer/ Integrated Circuit
- Used in RAM
Benefit: Faster data transmission
Drawback:
- More chance of data being out of order due to bits being sent simultaneously
- More expensive as requires more wires
- More chance of interference as more wires are used
USB
1. Definition:
- Universal Serial Bus
- Data transmission method
- Uses serial transmission
- Universal standard
2. Type of Transmission: Serial
3. Benefit:
– Automatically detects the hardware
– Impossible to connect device incorrectly
– Faster transmission compared to wireless
– Has become the industry standard
– Backwards compatible
– Supported by many operating system

Explain the benefits of USB

- It is a universal standard so it is likely to be compatible with the computer
- It can only be inserted one way so there is less chance of connecting a device incorrectly
-It is a high-speed connection so data will be transmitted quicker
-It uses serial transmission so it is cheaper to buy
-It is backwards compatible so no additional technology is needed
-It can power the device therefore no separate source of power is needed
- Automatically detects the hardware so no need to install them manually

2
 Revision: Chap 2
Error-Checking Method
1. Parity Check
Definition:
- A parity bit is transmitted with each byte of data.
- Odd or even parity can be used.
- Count number of 1’s.
- If parity is incorrect, error is detected
Example:
The system uses even parity and column 1 is the parity bit. The eight bytes of data are sent together with a ninth parity
byte:
Parity Column Column Column Column Column Column Column
Bit 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Byte 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Byte 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
Byte 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Byte 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Byte 5 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
Byte 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte 7 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
Byte 8 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0

Parity byte 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1

(I) One of the bits has been transmitted incorrectly. (2)

Byte: 5 Column: 4
(ii) Explain how the corrupted bit was found. (2)
- Column 4 has an odd number of 1s
- Byte 5 has an odd number of 1s
- Intersection of column 4 and byte 5 indicate the incorrect bit

Q: A parity check may not identify that a bit has been transmitted incorrectly. Describe one situation in which this
could occur. (1)
- bits are interchanged (e.g. 1 → 0 and 0 → 1) that won’t change parity value
- Bits still add up to even number
- There is a transposition of bits
- it does not check the order of the bits (just the sum of 1s/0s)
- even number of bits change
- incorrect bits still add up to correct parity

3
 Revision: Chap 2

Q: Parity checks can be used to check for errors during data transmission.
One of the bytes has been transmitted incorrectly.

Byte 1 Byte 2 Byte 3 Byte 4

10110011 10101000 10110100 10110101

(a) State which byte was incorrectly transmitted. (1)

Answer: Byte 3
(b) Explain how you identified the incorrectly transmitted byte. (3)
- Count number 1’s
- Odd parity is used
- Most bytes have an odd number of 1’s.
- Byte 3 has an even number of 1s.
2. Automatic Repeat Request
- Error control protocol
- Uses acknowledgement and time out
- Check performed on receiving data // error is detected by e.g. parity check, checksum
- If error detected, request is sent to resend data
- Resend request is repeated till data is sent correctly
- Send acknowledgement that data is received
- If acknowledgement not received in set time data is resent

3. Checksum
– the checksum for the bytes is calculated
– this value is then transmitted with the block of data
– at the receiving end, the checksum is re-calculated from the block of data received
– the calculated value is then compared to the checksum transmitted
– if they are the same value, then the data was transmitted without any error
– if the values are different, then an error has been found
– if the values are different, then a request is sent for the data to be re-transmitted
Describe how a checksum can be used to check that the data has been transmitted correctly
- A value is calculated from the data
- The value is calculated using an algorithm
- The value is appended to the data to be transmitted
- Value is recalculated after transmission
- Values are compared
- If the values match the data is correct

4
 Revision: Chap 2

4. Check Digit
- Validation method
- Used to check data entry
- Digit is calculated from data
- Digit is added to data
- Digit is recalculated when data has been input
- Digits are compared
- If digits are different, error is detected // If digits match, no error is detected
Q: Describe how a check digit can be used to make sure the data entered is correct.
- Data is input with check digit
- A calculation is performed on the data
- The calculated digit is compared to a stored value
- If it matches, the data entered is correct
- If it does not match, the data entered is incorrect

Similarities between the check digit and checksum methods

- They both calculate a value from the data
- They both append the calculated value to the data
- They both recalculate the value
- They both report an error if they don’t match

Internet Technologies
1. Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- An ISP is a company that provides the user with access to the internet.
- Usually charge a monthly fee.
- The ISP gives the user an IP address
- Provides online data storage
- Provides access to email
- Monitor usage
- Provide security services.
2. IP address
- Internet Protocol
- Location of a device on the Internet
- It is allocated by the network
- IP address can be static meaning it doesn’t change each time it is connected to the Internet.
- IP address can be dynamic meaning that it can change each times a device is connected to the Internet.
- e.g. 192.168.0.1
Note: web server IP address never changed

5
 Revision: Chap 2
Describe the role of IP Address
- Unique identifier
- Used as destination address of a device
- Used by browser to request webpages

3. MAC address
- Media Access Control
- Unique number that identifies a device connected to the Internet
- It is a static address, it does not change
- Address is made up of manufacturer code and serial number
- Address is allocated by the manufacturer
e.g. 01-2F-5D-09-A3-56 or 01:2F:5D:09:A3:56
Remember: first six digits = manufacturer code & last six digits = serial number
Describe the structure of a MAC address.
- Uses hexadecimal values
- First half is manufacturer number/code/ID
- Second half is serial number
Similarities between IP Address and MAC Address
- Both addresses can be used to identify a computer
- Both are unique
- Both can be represented as hexadecimal
- Both addresses do not change if IP address is static

Differences between IP Address & MAC Address

- An IP address is assigned by the network/router/ISP, A MAC address is assigned by the manufacturer
- An IP address can be changed (if dynamic), MAC address cannot be changed
- IP address has 4/8 groups of values, MAC address has 6 groups/pairs of values
- IP address is 32-bit/128-bit, MAC address is 48-bit
- IP address does not contain serial number/manufacturer number, MAC address does
- IP(v4) address is denary and MAC address is hexadecimal

4. HTML
Definition:
- Hypertext Mark-up Language
- It is used to create web pages
- It uses tags to define e.g. colour

6
 Revision: Chap 2
Structure & Presentation
Structure:
- This is the layout of the web page
- e.g. where a paragraph is placed
- Defined using tags
- The placement of a paragraph of text on a web page
- The placement of an image next to a paragraph of text of a web page
Example of structure:
- Where text is placed
- Page Margins
- Line break
- Padding

Presentation:
- This is the formatting of the web page
- The colour applied to a text heading on a web page
-The font style applied to a paragraph of text on a web page
- The size that an image is set to be displayed at on a web page
Example of presentation:
- Font size
- Font colour
- Font style
- Image Size
- Background colour

5. HTTP
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- The main protocol that governs the transmission of data using the Internet.
- A set of rules that must be obeyed when transferring files across the internet.
6. HTTPS
- Hypertext transfer protocol secure
- Secure version of HTTP
- It means the website uses SSL/TLS
- All data is encrypted
- Secure data

7
 Revision: Chap 2
7. URL
- Uniform Resource Locator
- The website’s address
- User friendly version of the IP address
- A reference to a resource on the internet

http://www.cie.org.uk/ComputerSciencePapers
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is composed of three parts.
Protocol: http://
Filename: ComputerSciencePapers
Domain Name / Web server name: www.cie.org.uk

8. Web Browser
Definition:
- Software that displays web page
- It translates the HTML document
- Provides functions such as bookmarks and history
- Identifies protocols such as https, SSL
Functions of a browser
- Display a web page
- Sends a request to the web server
- Receives data from web server
- Translates HTML files
- Store favourites
- Store history
- Navigation forward and backward
- Check security
- Store / access cookies

Q: Explain the role of a browser in this process. [5]

- Sends the URL of the website to a DNS to find the IP address
- Connects to the webserver using HTTP / HTTPS
- Translates the HTML
- Runs active/client-side scripts built into webpages
- Manages SSL/TLS certificate process
- Stores/retrieves cookies

8
 Revision: Chap 2
Q: Students use a browser to access the web pages. Explain how the web browser uses the URL to access a
webpage. (4)
- Browser sends URL to DNS using HTTP
- IP address is found on DNS
- DNS returns IP address to the browser
- Browser sends request to IP of webserver
- Webserver sends web page to web browser
-Web browser interprets HTML to display web page