What is multiplexing and why is multiplexing needed in data communication?

In electronics,
telecommunications and computer networks, multiplexing (short muxing) is a term used to refer to
a process where multiple analog message signals or digital data streams are combined into one
signal over a shared medium. The aim is to share an expensive resource. For example, in
electronics, multiplexing allows several analog signals to be processed by one analog-to-digital
converter (ADC), and in telecommunications, several phone calls may be transferred using one
wire.
What is the importance of multiplexing in data communication? In communications, the
multiplexed signal is transmitted over a communication channel, which may be a physical
transmission medium. The multiplexing divides the capacity of the low-level communication
channel into several higher-level logical channels, one for each message signal or data stream to
be transferred. A reverse process, known as demultiplexing, can extract the original channels on
the receiver side.

Why we need multiplexing? Multiplexing technique is designed to reduce the number of

electrical connections or leads in the display matrix. Whereas driving signals are applied not to
each pixel (picture element) individually but to a group of rows and columns at a time. Besides
reducing the number of individually independent interconnections, multiplexing also simplifies
the drive electronics, reduces the cost and provides direct interface with the microprocessors.
There are limitations in multiplexing due to complex electro-optical response of the liquid crystal
cell. However, fairly reasonable level of multiplexing can be achieved by properly choosing the
multiplexing scheme, liquid crystal mixture and cell designing.

Multiplexing elektronik, telekomunikasyon veya bilgisayar alarinda birden fazla analog

sinyallerinin veya dijital bilgi aktarmlarnn (Digital Data Streams) birletirilip tek bir sinyal
haline getirlimesidir.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Packet Switching:

Packet Switching:

Packet Switching is somehow very good alternate of Circuit Switching or an Advanced

Way of Data Communication after Circuit Switching. In Packet Switched Networks
data is converted in different Packets information of next and previous parts of
packets and other controlled information are included in packets sent in discrete units
that have variables length.

PS Network allows any host to send data towards any other host without reserving the
circuit. Circuit Switching do not allow other to send or receive data wile circuit is busy
or reserved by any other sender or receiver. Even no data is being receive of sent over
reserved circuit no else on cant access the circuit for communication, this is resulting
bandwidth wastage and packet switching deduces this wastage.

Advantages of Packet Switching:

Efficient use of Network.

Easily get around broken bits or packets.
 Circuit Switching charges user on the distance and duration of connection but
Packet Switching charges users only on the basis of duration of connectivity.
High Data Transmission in a Packet Switching is very easy.
All the packets not follow same route in Packet Switching but in Circuit
Switching all the packets follow same rout.
Packet Switching use digital network and enables digital data to be directly
transmitted toward destination.
Disadvantages of Packet Switching:

In Packet Switching Packets arriving in wrong order.

Takes Transmission delay.
Requires Large amount RAM (Random Access Memory) to handle large
amount of data communication in packets.
Switching Nods required more procession power to reconstruct packets
Packets may be lost on their route, so sequence numbers are required to
identify missing packets.
Circuit Switching:

Circuit switching is a switching method in which a dedicated communication path in

physical form between two stations within a network is established, maintained and
terminated for each communication session. It has basically three phases as circuit
establishment, data transfer and circuit disconnect.

Once the connection is established, the data transfer is transparent. The main feature
of such a connection is that it provides a fixed data rate channel and both subscribers
must operate at this rate, It is considered inefficient compared to packet switching
because channel capacity is completely dedicated for duration of connection. If there
is no data at any moment of time, channel capacity goes wasted. Moreover, setting up
of connection takes time.

Advantages of Circuit Switching:

The dedicated path/circuit established between sender and receiver provides

a guaranteed data rate.
Once the circuit is established, data is transmitted without any delay as there
is no waiting time at each switch.
Since a dedicated continuous transmission path is established, the method is
suitable for long continuous transmission.
Disadvantages of Circuit Switching:

As the connection is dedicated it cannot be used to transmit any other data

even if the channel is free.
It is inefficient in terms of utilization of system resources. As resources are
allocated for the entire duration of connection, these are not available to other
connections.
Dedicated channels require more bandwidth.
Prior to actual data transfer, the time required to establish a physical link
between the two stations is too long.
In packet-based networks, the message gets broken into small data packets. These packets are sent
out from the computer and they travel around the network seeking out the most efficient route to
travel as circuits become available. This does not necessarily mean that they seek out the shortest
route.