1.

Introduction
Data Communication is a system consisting of carries and related
devices used to transport data from one point to another.
Communication means to convey a message, an idea, a picture or speech
that is received and understood clearly and correctly by the person for
whom it is conveyed.
Ancient Methods of Communication and Their Demerits – Message
were sent in olden times either through horse riders or by using pigeons.
There was no surety that the messenger will be able to convey the
message exactly in the same form as told to him verbally.
Electronic Methods of Communication – With the invention of
telephone instrument and the communication satellites, the means of
electronic communication has become very popular in India even
though the cost of installation and maintenance of telephones is still
very high and beyond the means of a common man.
Limitations of Telephonic Communication:
(a) Both the sender and the receiver of the message should be
available at the same time and should speak the same language to
understand.
(b)Telephone communication is not a secured means of
communication because anyone can overhear the message.
(c) It is not suitable to send picture or any other type of message
except a spoken message.
(d)It is affected by the electrical interference or by the people digging
roads etc.
(e) It is still quite costly to make a telephone call outside the city or the
country.
Computerized Communication – Since the time computers have started
playing an important role in the field of communications. The main
reason for this is that computers can send data extremely fast. They can
even transmit pictures and sound in a much secured manner. Further,
PCs can send information on the existing telephone line.
Advantage of Computerized Communication –
(a) Telephonic calls, using Internet, can be made to any part of the
world with the same expenses as a local telephone call made
within the city.
(b)Pictures, sound and written matter can be sent within minutes and
a confirmation about it reaching at the destination can be obtained
immediately.
 (c) Message can be sent in coded form so that they are not understood
by anybody else except the person who is sending and the person
who is receiving them.
(d)Message can be sent in any language from any place of world to
any place.
(e) Users need not take highly specialized training for sending or
receiving message.
2. Communication Systems
A Communication system is the combination of hardware,
software and data transfer links that make up a communication facility
for transferring data in a cost effective and efficient manner. A
communication system itself can be either analog or digital. The
technique by which a digital signal is converted to its analog form is
known as Modulation. The reverse process i.e. conversion of analog
signal to digital signal is known as Demodulation. These processes of
conversions carried out by a special device called Modem.
Advantage of Digital Transmission over Analog Transmission:–
(a) The voice data, music and images can be interspersed to make
more efficient use of the same circuits and equipment.
(b)Much higher transmission rates are possible using telephone lines.
(c) Digital transmission is much cheaper than analog transmission.
(d)Maintenance of a digital system is easier than maintenance of
analog system.
(e) A digital signal can pass through an arbitrary number of
regenerators in with no loss in signal and thus travel long
distances with no information loss. In contrast, analog signal
always suffer some information loss when amplified, and this loss
is cumulative.
3. Signal And Data
Data in a communication system can be either digital data or
analog data.
Digital Data – On the hockey playground, the referee blows a whistle
and all the players in the field understand the message instantaneously.
The whistle blown in short bursts of high pitched sound like PEE, PE or
it may have a long burst PEEEEEEE. The first one is indication to the
players to start the game and the second long whistle is to stop the
match immediately. The message conveyed by the sound energy in short
pulses is very clear to all the players. This is an example of Digital Data
Transmission.
Analog Data – When we sit in a concert hall where many musical
instrument being played by different players. For example say one
player to playing sitar and other is playing tabla. This is an analog data
communication. Both sitar and tabla are sending sound waves in the
same sequence and there is a rhythm and harmony between the two.
Any music system conveys the songs in the analog form.