COURSE TITLE: DATA COMMUNICATION

PAPER CODE: CIT 4307

LECTURER: MASESE CHUMA

TOPIC: INTRODUCTION TO DATA COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER: ONE

CLASS: BSSC Y3S1

CONTACT: 0701260004

Objective

After going through this unit, you should be able to:

• understand the concept of data communication;
• Understand the characteristics and components of data communication
OUTLINE

1. Introduction to data communications:

2. Concept of communication
3. Characteristics of data communication
4. Components of data communication
5. Elements of a protocol
6. Protocol performs the following functions
7. Measuring capacity of communication media
8. Data representation
9. Data flow
10. Sum up

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Introduction to Data Communications:

• In Data Communications, data generally are defined as information that is stored in digital
form.
• Data communications is the process of transferring digital information between two or
more points.
• Information is defined as the knowledge or intelligence.
• Data communications can be summarized as the transmission, reception, and processing
of digital information. For data communications to occur, the communicating devices must
be part of a communication system made up of a combination of hardware (physical
equipment) and software (programs). The effectiveness of a data communications system
depends on four fundamental characteristics: delivery, accuracy, timeliness, and jitter.
CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION

The term “Data Communication” comprises two words: Data and Communication. Data can be
any text, image, audio, video, and multimedia files. Communication is an act of sending or
receiving data. Thus, data communication refers to the exchange of data between two or more
networked or connected devices. These devices must be capable of sending and receiving data
over a communication medium. Examples of such devices include personal computers, mobile
phones, laptops, etc. As we can see in Figure 11.1, four different types of devices — computer,
printer, server and switch are connected to form the network. These devices are connected through
a media to the network, which carry information from one end to another end.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF DATA COMMUNICATION
The effectiveness of any data communications system depends upon the following four
fundamental characteristics:
1. Delivery: The data should be delivered to the correct destination and correct user.

2. Accuracy: The communication system should deliver the data accurately, without introducing
any errors. The data may get corrupted during transmission affecting the accuracy of the delivered
data.

3. Timeliness: Audio and Video data has to be delivered in a timely manner without any delay;
such a data delivery is called real time transmission of data.

4. Jitter: It is the variation in the packet arrival time. Uneven Jitter may affect the timeliness of
data being transmitted.
COMPONENTS OF DATA COMMUNICATION

Whenever we talk about communication between two computing devices using a network, five
most important aspects come to our mind. These are sender, receiver, communication medium, the
message to be communicated, and certain rules called protocols to be followed during
communication. The communication media is also called transmission media. Figure 11.2 shows
the role of these five components in data communication.

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1. Message -Message is the information to be communicated by the sender to the receiver.
2. Sender The sender is any device that is capable of sending the data (message).
3. Receiver The receiver is a device that the sender wants to communicate the data (message).
4. Transmission Medium
It is the path by which the message travels from sender to receiver. It can be wired or wireless and
many subtypes in both.
5. Protocol
It is an agreed upon set or rules used by the sender and receiver to communicate data.
A protocol is a set of rules that governs data communication.
A Protocol is a necessity in data communications without which the communicating entities are
like two persons trying to talk to each other in a different language without know the other
language.
ELEMENTS OF A PROTOCOL

There are three key elements of a protocol:

A. Syntax

• : Refers to the structure or format of the data, means the order in which they are presented.

• It means the structure or format of the data.

• It is the arrangement of data in a particular order.

B. Semantics –

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 • Refers to the meaning of each section of bits, means how a particular pattern is to be interpreted,
and what action is to be taken based on that interpretation.
• It tells the meaning of each section of bits and indicates the interpretation of each section.

• It also tells what action/decision is to be taken based on the interpretation.

C. Timing

• Means that data should be sent and how fast they can be sent.

• It tells the sender about the readiness of the receiver to receive the data

• It tells the sender at what rate the data should be sent to the receiver to avoid overwhelming
the receiver.

A protocol performs the following functions:

1. Data sequencing. It refers to breaking a long message into smaller packets of fixed
size. Data sequencing rules define the method of numbering packets to detect loss or
duplication of packets, and to correctly identify packets, which belong to same message.

2. Data routing. Data routing defines the most efficient path between the source and
destination.

3. Data formatting. Data formatting rules define which group of bits or characters within
packet constitute data, control, addressing, or other information.

4. Flow control. A communication protocol also prevents a fast sender from

overwhelming a slow receiver. It ensures resource sharing and protection against traffic
congestion by regulating the flow of data on communication lines.

5. Error control. These rules are designed to detect errors in messages and to ensure
transmission of correct messages. The most common method is to retransmit erroneous
message block. In such a case, a block having error is discarded by the receiver and is
retransmitted by the sender.

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 6. Precedence and order of transmission. These rules ensure that all the nodes get a
chance to use the communication lines and other resources of the network based on the
priorities assigned to them.

7. Connection establishment and termination. These rules define how connections are
established, maintained and terminated when two nodes of a network want to
communicate with each other.

8. Data security. Providing data security and privacy is also built into most
communication software packages. It prevents access of data by unauthorized users.

MEASURING CAPACITY OF COMMUNICATION MEDIA

In data communication, the transmission medium is also known as channel. The capacity of a
channel is the maximum number of signals or traffic that a channel can carry. It is measured in
terms of bandwidth and data transfer rate as described below:

Bandwidth-Bandwidth of a channel is the range of frequencies available for transmission of data

through that channel. Higher the bandwidth, higher the data transfer rate. Normally, bandwidth is
the difference of maximum and minimum frequency contained in the composite signals.
Bandwidth is measured in Hertz (Hz).

1 KHz =1000 Hz

1 MHz =1000

KHz = 1000000 Hz

Data Transfer Rate Data travels in the form of signals over a channel. One signal carry one or
more bits over the channel. Data transfer rate is the number of bits transmitted between source and
destination in one second. It is also known as bit rate. It is measured in terms of bits per second
(bps). The higher units for data transfer rates are:

1 Kbps=210 bps=1024 bps

1 Mbps=220 bps=1024 Kbps

1 Gbps=230 bps=1024 Mbps

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1 Tbps=240 bps=1024 Gbps

DATA REPRESENTATION

Data is collection of raw facts which is processed to deduce information. There may be different
forms in which data may be represented. Some of the forms of data used in communications are
as follows:
1. Text
Text includes combination of alphabets in small case as well as upper case.
It is stored as a pattern of bits. Prevalent encoding system: ASCII, Unicode
2. Numbers
Numbers include combination of digits from 0 to 9.
It is stored as a pattern of bits. Prevalent encoding system: ASCII, Unicode
3. Images
―An image is worth a thousand words‖ is a very famous saying. In computers images are digitally
stored.
A Pixel is the smallest element of an image. To put it in simple terms, a picture or image is a matrix
of pixel elements.
The pixels are represented in the form of bits. Depending upon the type of image (black n white
or color) each pixel would require different number of bits to represent the value of a pixel.
The size of an image depends upon the number of pixels (also called resolution) and the bit pattern
used to indicate the value of each pixel. Commonly used Image formats: jpg, png, bmp, etc
4. Audio
Data can also be in the form of sound which can be recorded and broadcasted. Example: What we
hear on the radio is a source of data or information.
Audio data is continuous, not discrete.
5. Video
Video refers to broadcasting of data in form of picture or movie

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DATA FLOW
Two devices communicate with each other by sending and receiving data. The data can flow
between the two devices in the following ways.
1. Simplex
2. Half Duplex
3. Full Duplex
Simplex

• In Simplex, communication is unidirectional

• Only one of the devices sends the data and the other one only receives the data.
• Example: in the above diagram: a CPU send data while a monitor only receives data.

• Keyboards and traditional monitors are examples of simplex devices. The keyboard can
only introduce input; the monitor can only accept output. The simplex mode can use the
entire capacity of the channel to send data in one direction.

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Half Duplex

In half duplex both the stations can transmit as well as receive but not at the same time.
When one device is sending other can only receive and vice-versa (as shown in figure above.)
Example: A walkie-talkie.

• The half-duplex mode is like a one-lane road with traffic allowed in both directions. When
cars are traveling in one direction, cars going the other way must wait.
• The half-duplex mode is used in cases where there is no need for communication in
both directions at the same time; the entire capacity of the channel can be utilized for
each direction.
Full Duplex
• In Full duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive at the same time.
Example: mobile phones
• One common example of full-duplex communication is the telephone network.
• When two people are communicating by a telephone line, both can talk and listen at the
same time.
• The full-duplex mode is used when communication in both directions is required all the
time.
• The capacity of the channel, however, must be divided between the two directions.

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• The full-duplex mode is like a two-way street with traffic flowing in both directions at the
same time.
• In full-duplex mode, signals going in one direction share the capacity of the link: with
signals going in the other direction. This sharing can occur in two ways: Either the link
must contain two physically separate transmission paths, one for sending and the other for
receiving; or the capacity of the channel is divided between the signals traveling in both
directions.

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SUM UP

• Data Communication is a process of exchanging data or information. In case of computer networks

this exchange is done between two devices over a transmission medium.
• This process involves a communication system which is made up of hardware and software. The
hardware part involves the sender and receiver devices and the intermediate devices through which
the data passes. The software part involves certain rules which specify what is to be communicated,
how it is to be communicated and when. It is also called as a Protocol.
• The exchange of data between two devices through a transmission medium is called Data
Communication. The data is exchanged in the form of 0's and 1's. The transmission medium used
is wire cable. For data communication to occur, the communication device must be a part of a
communication system.
• Data Communication has two types - Local and Remote which are: Local- Local communication
takes place when the communicating devices are in the same geographical area, same building, or
face-to-face etc.
• Remote- Remote communication takes place over a distance i.e. the devices are farther. The
effectiveness of a data communication can be measured through the following features:
• Delivery: Delivery should be done to the correct destination.
• Timeliness: Delivery should be on time.
• Accuracy: Data delivered should be accurate.
What are the key elements of protocols?
The key elements of protocols are
a. Syntax
It refers to the structure or format of the data, that is the order in which they are presented.
b. Semantics
It refers to the meaning of each section of bits.
c. Timing
Timing refers to two characteristics: When data should be sent and how fast they can be sent.
What is Flow Control?
Flow control refers to a set of procedures used to restrict the amount of data that the sender can send before
waiting for acknowledgment.

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