Chapter 1
Introduction to Data
Communication
Compiled by Yonas Bekele
1.1 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
1-1 DATA COMMUNICATIONS
The term telecommunication means communication at a
distance. The word data refers to information presented
in whatever form is agreed upon by the parties creating
and using the data. Data communications are the
exchange of data between two devices via some form of
transmission medium such as a wire cable.
Topics discussed in this section:
Components of a data communications system
Data Flow
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Datacom Basics
Telecommunications
transmission of voice, video, data,
- imply longer distances
- broader term
Data Communications
movement of computer information
by means of electrical or optical
transmission systems
convergence
Broadband Communications
Figure 1.1 Components of a data communication system
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A Communications Model
Source
generates data to be transmitted
Transmitter
Converts data into transmittable signals
Transmission System
Carries data
Receiver
Converts received signal into data
Destination
Takes incoming data
Simplified Communications
Model - Diagram
Simplified Data
Communications Model
Communications Tasks
Transmission system utilization Addressing
Interfacing Routing
Signal generation Recovery
Synchronization Message formatting
Exchange management Security
Error detection and correction Network management
Flow control
Features of Communication
Five things required
Sender, receiver, medium, Protocol and message
Types of messages
File
Request
Response
Status
Control
Correspondence
Understandability
Error Detection
Features of Communication
Data is transmitted from one point to
another in data communications
Data must be in an acceptable format
Various forms of signals are used to
transmit the data
Telephone system is examined in this
chapter
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Data Communications
Signal Representation
Signal – electrical charges or pulses of
light
Bit rate
Bit – smallest unit of information
Binary notation (1 or 0) or (on or off)
Data codes (ways to represent characters)
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Data Communications
Data Codes
General Description
Data codes represent
characters
Rules for converting bits to
characters
ASCII, EBCDIC, Unicode
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Data Communications
Data Codes
UNICODE
16-bit code
Supports up to 65,536 characters
Used for languages such as Ethiopic,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Includes mathematical, geometric and other
symbols
Only used with OS that can display the
codes
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Data Communications
Figure 1.2 Data flow (simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex)
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1-2 NETWORKS
A network is a set of devices (often referred to as nodes)
connected by communication links. A node can be a
computer, printer, or any other device capable of sending
and/or receiving data generated by other nodes on the
network. A link can be a cable, air, optical fiber, or any
medium which can transport a signal carrying
information.
Topics discussed in this section:
Network Criteria
Physical Structures
Categories of Networks
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Network Criteria
Performance
Depends on Network Elements
Measured in terms of Delay and Throughput
Reliability
Failure rate of network components
Measured in terms of availability/robustness
Security
Data protection against corruption/loss of data due to:
Errors
Malicious users
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Physical Structures
Type of Connection
Point to Point - single transmitter and receiver
Multipoint - multiple recipients of single transmission
Physical Topology
Connection of devices
Type of transmission - unicast, mulitcast, broadcast
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Figure 1.3 Types of connections: point-to-point and multipoint
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Networking
Point to point communication not usually
practical
Devices are too far apart
Large set of devices would need impractical
number of connections
Solution is a communications network
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Local Area Network (LAN)
Networks: key issues
Network criteria
Performance
Throughput
Delay
Reliability
Data transmitted are identical to data received.
Measured by the frequency of failure
The time it takes a link to recover from a failure
Security
Protecting data from unauthorized access
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Terminology
The throughput or bandwidth of a
channel is the number of bits it can transfer
per second
The latency or delay of a channel is the
time that elapses between sending
information and the earliest possible
reception of it
21
Figure 1.4 Categories of topology
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Figure 1.5 A fully connected mesh topology (five devices)
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Figure 1.6 A star topology connecting four stations
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Figure 1.7 A bus topology connecting three stations
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Figure 1.8 A ring topology connecting six stations
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A TOKEN RING
computer
A repeater
direction of token
and data packet D
B
C
Only one token is passed around
the network.
The device who has the token
may transmit.
Figure 1.9 A hybrid topology: a star backbone with three bus networks
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Categories of Networks
Local Area Networks (LANs)
Short distances
Designed to provide local interconnectivity
Wide Area Networks (WANs)
Long distances
Provide connectivity over large areas
Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)
Provide connectivity over areas such as a city, a campus
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Wide Area Networks
Large geographical area
Crossing public rights of way
Rely in part on common carrier circuits
Alternative technologies
Circuit switching
Packet switching
Frame relay
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
Circuit Switching
Dedicated communications path
established for the duration of the
conversation
e.g. telephone network
Packet Switching
Data sent out of sequence
Small chunks (packets) of data at a time
Packets passed from node to node
between source and destination
Used for terminal to computer and
computer to computer communications
Frame Relay
Packet switching systems have large
overheads to compensate for errors
Modern systems are more reliable
Errors can be caught in end system
Most overhead for error control is
stripped out
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
ATM
Evolution of frame relay
Little overhead for error control
Fixed packet (called cell) length
Anything from 10Mbps to Gbps
Constant data rate using packet
switching technique
Local Area Networks
Smaller scope
Building or small campus
Usually owned by same organization as
attached devices
Data rates much higher
Usually broadcast systems
Now some switched systems and ATM
are being introduced
LAN Configurations
Switched
Switched Ethernet
May be single or multiple switches
ATM LAN
Fibre Channel
Wireless
Mobility
Ease of installation
Metropolitan Area Networks
MAN
Middle ground between LAN and WAN
Private or public network
High speed
Large area
Figure 1.10 An isolated LAN connecting 12 computers to a hub in a closet
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Figure 1.11 WANs: a switched WAN and a point-to-point WAN
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Figure 1.12 A heterogeneous network made of four WANs and two LANs
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1-3 THE INTERNET
The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of our daily
lives. It has affected the way we do business as well as the
way we spend our leisure time. The Internet is a
communication system that has brought a wealth of
information to our fingertips and organized it for our use.
Topics discussed in this section:
Organization of the Internet
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
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Figure 1.13 Hierarchical organization of the Internet
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Networking
Configuration
Intranet vs. Extranet
Intranet
A LAN that uses the Internet technologies
Open only those inside the organization
Example: insurance related information provided to
employees over an intranet
Extranet
A LAN that uses the Internet technologies
Open only those invited users outside the organization
Accessible through the Internet
Example: Suppliers and customers accessing inventory
information in a company over an extranet
Implementation of
Communications Functions
Applications Applications Single
layer
OS OS implemen-
tation
Applications Applications
Multi layer
implementation
OS OS -Breaking down into
smaller components
-Easier to implement
1-4 PROTOCOLS
A protocol is synonymous with rule. It consists of a set of
rules that govern data communications. It determines
what is communicated, how it is communicated and when
it is communicated. The key elements of a protocol are
syntax, semantics and timing
Topics discussed in this section:
Syntax
Semantics
Timing
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Elements of a Protocol
Syntax
Structure or format of the data
Indicates how to read the bits - field delineation
Semantics
Interprets the meaning of the bits
Knows which fields define what action
Timing
When data should be sent and what
Speed at which data should be sent or speed at which it is being
received.
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