Chapter 2: Data Transmission
Exam Style Questions
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 1:
A company owns a number of vending machines. Data is sent from each of these machines at the end of the day. The data contains
amount of money taken, product sold and any error condition reports.
a) The company uses both echo checking and ARQs.
i. Describe how echo check work. Explain whether this is a suitable error checking method in this application. [2]
In Echo Check, the receiving computer sends a copy of the data immediately back to the sending computer for
comparison. The sending computer compares the two sets of data to check if any errors occurred during the
transmission process. If an error has occurred, the data will be transmitted again.
This doesn’t make it very suitable method for this application.
The two drawbacks in Echo Check method are :
1) If the two sets of data are different you will have no way of knowing whether the error occurred when
originally sent, or when it was sent back
2) Echo checks require a lot of extra data to be transmitted
ii. Describe how ARQ works. [3]
ARQ uses an Acknowledgement (positive or negative) and Timeout.
The receiving device detects an error by using CRC method and send acknowledgement whether positive or
negative back to the sending computer and request for re-transmission of data in case of error detection.
Time out is the used by sending computer. If no acknowledgement is received by the sending computer
within predetermine amount of time , it automatically resend the data until the positive acknowledgement
is received. Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 1:
b) Checksum and check digit are two terms often confused by students.
Describe three differences of the two techniques. [3]
Checksum Check Digit
Checksum is data verification method where the Check Digit is a data entry check where the
value of checksum is calculated from a block of additional digit is appended to a number/code to
data being sent. check the entered number is error free.
It is a data transmission check. It is the data entry check.
Checksum can be of any size. Check digit range from zero to nine.
Sent with block of data. Calculated from other digits in the code
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 2:
Explain each of the following terms: [10]
i. Packet switching
ii. CRC
iii. Data skewing
iv. USB
v. Parity bit
i. Packet switching
Packet switching is the method of data transmission in which the message is broken into number of
packets. Each packet can be send independently from sender to receiver. At destination, the packet needs to
be reassembled into correct order by using the information sent in the header. One of the drawbacks of
packet switching is a delay at the destination whilst the packets are being reordered.
ii. CRC
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy check) is an error checking method that involves adding all the 1’s in the
payload sent by the sender and store this as a hex value in the trailer. Once the packet arrives at the
destination, the receiving computer recalculates the number of 1-bits in the payload. If the two values
match, then no transmission error has occurred. Otherwise, the packet needs to be resent.
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 2:
Explain each of the following terms: [10]
i. Packet switching
ii. CRC
iii. Data skewing
iv. USB
v. Parity bit
iii. Data skewing
Skewing of data occurs during parallel data transmission and can cause data corruption because of the
bits that arrive out of synchronization (out of order).
iv. USB
USB is an asynchronous serial data transmission method. USB use a protocol that allows error free data
transmission between devices and computer.
v. Parity bit
Parity bit is one of the reserved bit in a byte of data in Parity Check Data Transmission Method. The
parity bit is set according to whether the parity being used is even or odd.
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 3:
Tick the appropriate column which correctly matches each description to the error checking technique. For each description, it is
possible to match 1,2,3 or none of the error checking method.
Description Checksum Parity ARQ
Check
Extra bit sent with each byte of data.
Make use of timeout and acknowledgement
If error is found, a request is made to resend the data
Check on whether data packet has been changed following transmission
Re-calculation made on any additional data values sent to the recipient
Data is transmitted in blocks or packets
A method that can determine which bit in the data stream has been changed
Additional value sent at the end of a block of data to be used to check if any data transmission
error occurred
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 4:
a) Four statements about ARQs are given below, but they are not in the correct order. Put the statements into their correct
sequence.
Statements Order
The sending computer waits for a period of time to see if the receiving computer acknowledges receipt of the data 2
After a set time period, a timeout occurs which automatically triggers the re-sending of the data. 3
The sending computer transmits a block of data to the receiving computer 1
This continues until the receiving computer sends an acknowledgement that the data has been received 4
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 4:
b) Five statements about checksum error checking are given below, but they are not in the correct order. Put the statements into
their correct sequence.
Statements Order
If two checksum values don’t match, the receiving computer request the data to be re-transmitted 5
The sending computer sends a block of data together with the checksum value 2
The receiving computer uses the block of data it receive to re-calculate the checksum using the same method as the sending
3
computer.
The two checksum values are compared by the receiving computer. 4
The sending computer uses the block of data to calculate the checksum using an agreed method. 1
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 4:
c) Five statements about parity checking are given below, but they are not in the correct order. Put the statements into their
correct sequence.
Statements Order
The sending computer sends the binary data including the parity bits. 3
The sending and receiving computers agree the parity protocol (odd or even) 1
The sending computer adds a parity bit to each byte to make the byte odd or even parity. 2
The receiving computer checks the parity of each byte received and check it against the agreed protocol. 4
If the parity of the byte is incorrect, the receiving computer requests the data to be re-sent. 5
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 4:
d) Six statements about check digit are given below, but they are not in the correct order. Put the statements into their correct
sequence.
Statements Order
A human operator will be asked by the computer to re-enter the numerical code. 6
The computer calculates the check digit based on the numerical code entered into the computer by a human operator. 3
If the two check digits don’t match, the human operator has made an error when entering the numerical code. 5
The computer compares the calculated check digit with the check digit typed by the human operator. 4
A human operator types in the numerical code into the computer. 2
The check digit is calculated and added to the numerical code. 1
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 6:
Six descriptions are shown on the left and ten computer terms on the right. By drawing lines, connect each description to the
correct computer term (not all of the computer terms will be used).
Skewed Data
A method of error detection; a value is calculated from a block of data during
the transmission. Half Duplex
Checksum
A method of error detection; it is based on counting the number of 1-bits; uses
an additional bit which is the most significant bit in the byte.
ARQ
A data transmission method where the data can be sent in both directions at
Full Duplex
the same time simultaneously.
Check Digit
A data transmission method where the data is sent one bit at a time over a
single wire / channel.
USB
A data error occurring when the data arrives at the destination out of Encryption
synchronization.
Serial
A form of serial data transmission which allows devices to communicate with
a computer; it has become the industrial standard.
Parity Check
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 7:
• Serial is (more) reliable/accurate over distances
• In serial the bits won’t be skewed
• In serial it is easier to order the bits together again after transmission
• Duplex transmits data in both directions at the same time
• simplex/half-duplex/remaining methods won’t allow read and write at same time
(ANY FOUR)
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Question 8:
Maisey purchases a new router and attaches it to he computer. The connection she setup uses duplex data transmission.
a) Five statements are given about duplex data transmission. Tick to show if the statement is true or false.
Statements True False
Duplex data transmission can be either serial or parallel.
Duplex data transmission is when data is transmitted both ways, but only one way at a time.
Duplex data transmission is always used to connect a device to a computer
Duplex data transmission is when data is transmitted both ways at the same time.
Duplex data transmission automatically detects any error in data
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Paper 12, May/June 2019 Question 6:
multiple bits are transmitted at a time/simultaneously
multiple wires are used
Data is transmitted in both directions at the same time/simultaneously
More costly but fast in execution
Data can become skewed over long distances.
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
Paper 12, May/June 2018 Question 5:
Y
Count the number of 1- bits in each byte/register
Two bytes/registers have an odd number of 1- bits and One byte/register has an even
number of 1- bits
Two have odd parity and One uses even parity thus the Even parity must be the parity
used
The two with an odd number of one bits are incorrect i.e. Register X and Z
The binary number that has been transmitted correctly is in Register Y
Paper 12, May/June 2016 Question 6:
Compiled by: Mrs. Tahir
THANK YOU !
