Contents

 Definition of Data and Signal

 Classification of  data and signal
 Transmission Impairment
 Data
 Analog and Digital Data
 Analog data are continuous and take continuous values.
 Digital data have discrete states and take discrete values.
 signals
 A signal is an electromagnetic or electrical current that is used for carrying data from one
system or network to another
 Signals can be analog or digital. Analog signals can have an infinite number of values in a
range; digital signals can have only a limited number of values.
Signals classification

 Periodic and Aperiodic Signals

 Continuous Time and Discrete Time Signals
 Deterministic and Non-deterministic Signals
 Periodic and Aperiodic Signals

 A periodic signal completes a pattern within a measurable time frame, called a

period, and repeats that pattern over subsequent identical periods.
 A signal which does not repeat itself after a specific interval of time is called
aperiodic signal.
Continuous Time and Discrete Time Signals
 A signal is said to be continuous when it is defined for all instants of time.

 A signal is said to be discrete when it is defined at only discrete instants of time

TRANSMISSION IMPAIRMENT

Signals travel through transmission media, which are not perfect. The imperfection causes
signal impairment.
. Three causes of impairment are attenuation, distortion, and noise
 Attenuation
 Amplifiers are used to amplify the attenuated signal which gives the original signal back
and compensate for this loss.
 Attenuation means a loss of energy. When a signal, simple or composite, travels through a
medium, it loses some of its energy in overcoming the resistance of the medium.
Distortion
Distortion means that the signal changes its form or shape. Distortion can occur in a
composite signal made of different frequencies.
 Noise
 The random or unwanted signal that mixes up with the original signal is called
noise.
 Induced noise, crosstalk noise, thermal noise and impulse noise which may corrupt
the signal.
 Types of noise

 Thermal noise is the random motion of electrons in a wire which creates an extra
signal not originally sent by the transmitter.
 Induced noise comes from sources such as motors and appliances.
 Crosstalk is the effect of one wire on the other.