Oda Bultum University

Institute of Technology
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering
4 th year first semester
.
Introduction to Communication systems
1

By: Sisahu Tolcha(MSc)

 Chapter Five
 Contents
Data Communications
Components of Data Communications
Mode of Data Communication
Data Representation
Networks
Network Topology
Categories of Networks
Internet, Intranet and Extranet
 Data Communications
 Data communication refers to the process of transmitting, exchanging, and
sharing information or data between two or more devices or systems.

 It involves the transmission and reception of data through various channels, such as
wired and wireless networks.

 In data communication, data is typically represented in digital form, consisting of

binary digits (bits) that can be encoded, transmitted, and decoded at the receiving end.

 The data may include text, numbers, images, audio, video, or any other form of
digital information.
 Data Communications
Communication:
 Means sharing information
 Local (face to face) or remote (over distance)
 Telecommunication
 Telephone, telegraph and television
 Means communication at a distance
 Tele is Greek for far
Data:
 Refers to information
 Presented in any form
 Agreed upon by the parties ( creating & using)
Data communication : is the exchange of data between two devices via some form of
transmission medium (wire cable).
 Data Communications
 Communication system made up of a combination of hardware and software
 Effectiveness of data communication system depends on:
1. Delivery: The system must deliver data to correct destination. Data received
by the indented user only
2. Accuracy: The system must deliver data accurately (no change).
 Data changed & uncorrected is unusable
3. Timeliness: The system must deliver data in timely manner
 Data arrived late are useless
 In the same order (video and audio) & without delay (Real time
transmission)
4. Jitter: Variation in the packet arrival time (uneven quality in the video is the
result)
 Components of Data Communication
 A data communication system is made up of five components
1. Message: the information (data) to be communicated. Consist of text, numbers, pictures, audio, or video
2. Sender: the device that sends the data message
 It converts the data into a suitable format for transmission and sends it over a communication channel.
Computer, workstation, telephone handset, video camera, …
3. Receiver: the device that receives the message
 The receiver is the device or system that receives the transmitted data. It interprets and decodes the
received data to retrieve the original information.Computer, workstation, telephone handset, television.
4. Medium: The physical path by which a message travels from sender to receiver
 The medium or channel refers to the physical or virtual path through which data is transmitted. It can be
wired (e.g., cables, fiber optics) or wireless (e.g., radio waves, infrared, or satellite signals).
5. Protocol: a set of rules that govern data communications
– Protocols are a set of rules and procedures that govern how data is transmitted, received, and
interpreted across a network. An agreement between the communicating devices
– Devices may be connected but not communicating (no protocol). Arabic speaker with Japanese
speaker
 Mode of Data Communication
1. Simplex: In simplex communication, data can only flow in one direction.
 It is a unidirectional communication channel where the sender can only transmit
data, and the receiver can only receive data.
 Examples of simplex communication include television broadcast and keyboard
input.
2. Half-duplex: Half-duplex communication allows data to flow in both
directions, but not simultaneously.
 Examples of half-duplex communication are Walkie-talkies and CB radios.
3. Full-duplex: Full-duplex communication allows data to flow in both directions
simultaneously.
 Both the sender and receiver can transmit and receive data simultaneously.
 Examples of full-duplex communication include telephone conversations and
video conferencing.
 Data Representation
 Data representation refers to the methods used to encode and store data in a format that can be processed,
transmitted, and stored by computer systems.
 Binary: Binary is the fundamental data representation format in computers. It uses a base-2 numeral system,
consisting of only two digits: 0 and 1. Binary digits (bits) are used to represent information and perform
calculations in a computer.
 Decimal: Decimal is the base-10 numeral system that humans commonly use. 0 to 9 Decimal numbers can
be directly understood by humans but need to be converted to binary for processing by computers.
 Integer: Integers are whole numbers without fractional or decimal parts. In computers, integers are
represented using the binary system, a fixed number of bits (such as 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits) to store the value.
 Floating-point: Floating-point representation is used to represent real numbers, including numbers with
fractional parts.
 Character: Characters, such as letters, digits, symbols, and punctuation marks, are represented using
character encoding schemes. Common character encoding include ASCII and Unicode, which assign unique
binary codes.
 Text: Text is represented as a sequence of characters.
 Images: Images are represented using pixel values. Each pixel is assigned a specific color or intensity value,
and the entire image is represented as a grid of pixels.
 Data Representation
 Text:
 Sequence of bits (0s or 1s)
 Different sets of patterns to represent text symbols (each set is called: code)
 ASCII: 7 bits (128 symbols) is a common coding system today.
 Unicode uses: 32 bits to represent a symbol or character in any language
 Numbers:
 Represented by bit patterns
 The number is directly converted to a binary number
 Images:
 Represented by bit patterns
 A matrix of
 High resolution: more memory is needed
 Each pixel is assigned a bit pattern
 1-bit pattern (black and white dots image)
 2-bit pattern (4 levels of gray)
 Networks
 Network : A set of devices (nodes) connected by communication links
Node : computer, printer, or other device interconnection place.
- Distributed Processing : Task is divided among multiple computers
instead of one single large computer.
 Transit time: A mount of time required for a message to travel from
one device to another.
 Response time: Elapsed time between an inquiry and a response
 Network Criteria: The most important of the network criterions are:
– Performance
– Reliability
– Security
 Network Criteria
1, Performance
Performance depends on :
1- Number of users: large number slow response time.
2- Type of transmission medium: fiber-optic cabling faster than others cables.
3- Capabilities of the connected hardware: affect both the speed and capacity of
transmission.
4- Efficiency of the software: process data at the sender and receiver and intermediate
affects network performance.
 Performance is evaluated by two contradictory networking metrics:

A. Throughput (high): a measure of how fast we can actually send data through a network.
 Throughput refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network within a given
period of time.
 It is a measure of the network's capacity to carry data.
 Throughput is usually measured in bits per second (bps), (Kbps), (Mbps), and (Gbps).
 B. Delay (low)
 Delay, also known as latency, refers to the time it takes for a data packet to travel from the
source to the destination in a network.
 It is a measure of the time delay usually measured in milliseconds (ms) or microseconds (μs).
 There are different types of delays in a network:
 Transmission Delay: The time taken to transmit a packet onto the communication medium. It
depends on the packet size and the transmission rate of the medium.
 Propagation Delay: The time taken for a signal to travel from the source to the destination. It
depends on the distance between the devices and the speed of the transmission medium.
 Processing Delay: The time taken by a device to process and prepare a packet for
transmission.
 Queuing Delay: The time a packet spends waiting in a network device's queue before it can be
transmitted. It is influenced by network congestion and the number of packets in the queue.
 Delay can impact real-time applications, such as video conferencing or online gaming.
2, Reliability: Reliability is measured by:
1. Frequency of failure
2. Recovery time of a network after a failure
3. Network’s robustness in a catastrophe: protect by good back up network system
3, Security
 Protecting data from unauthorized access
 Protecting data from damage and development
 Implementing policies and procedures for recovery from data losses (Recovery plan)

 Type of connection
 Network: Two or more devices connected through links
 Link: Communication pathway that transfers data from one device two another
 Two devices must be connected in some way to the same link at the same time. Two
possible types: Point-to-Point and Multipoint
 Point-to-Point
 Dedicated link between two devices
 Entire capacity of the link is reserved for transmission between those two devices
 Use an actual length of wire or cable
 Example: Television remote control

 Multipoint (multidrop)
 More than two devices share a single link
 Capacity is shared
 Channel is shared either spatially or temporally
 Spatially shared: if devices use link at same time
 Timeshare: if users must take turns
 Networks Topology
 Network topology refers to the physical or logical arrangement of devices and connections in a
network.
 It determines how devices are interconnected and how data flows within the network.

 Different network topologies offer varying levels of scalability, fault tolerance, and ease of
management.
 The topology of a network is the geometric representation of the relationship of all the links
and linking devices (nodes) to one another.
 The way a network is laid out physically
 Two or more links form a topology
 Four common network topologies:
1. Mesh
2. Star
3. Bus
4. Ring
 Mesh Topology
 In a mesh topology, each device is connected to every other device in the network,
forming a fully interconnected structure.
 Mesh topologies can be categorized into full mesh (each device is connected to every
other device) or partial mesh (only selected devices are directly connected).
 Every link is dedicated point-to-point link
 The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices it
connects
 To link n devices fully connected mesh has:
n ( n - 1) / 2 physical channels (Full-Duplex)
 Every Device on the network must have
n - 1 ports
 Example: 8 devices in mesh has links: n(n-1) / 2
number of links = 8 (8-1)/2 = 28
number of ports per device = n – 1 = 8 –1 = 7
  Advantages of Mesh Topology
 Each connection carry its own data load (no traffic problems)
 A mesh topology is robust
 Privacy or security
 Fault identification and fault isolation
 Disadvantages of Mesh Topology
 Big amount of cabling
 Big number of I/O ports
 Installation and reconnection are difficult
 Sheer bulk of the wiring can be greater than the available space
 Hardware connect to each I/O could be expensive

 Mesh topology is implemented in a limited fashion; e.g., as backbone

of hybrid network
  Star Topology
 In a star topology, each device is connected directly to a central network device, such as switch/ hub.
 All data traffic passes through the central device, which facilitates communication between devices.
 If a device or cable fails, it does not affect the rest of the network.
 Dedicated point-to-point to a central controller (Hub)
 No direct traffic between devices /the control acts as an exchange
 Advantages of Star Topology
 Less expensive than mesh (1 Link + 1 port per device)
 Easy to install and reconfigure /Less cabling
 Additions, moves, and deletions required one connection
 Robustness : one fail does not affect others
 Easy fault identification and fault isolation
 Disadvantages of Star Topology
 Dependency of the whole topology on one single point (hub)
 More cabling than other topologies ( ring or bus)
  Bus Topology
 It is multipoint
 One long cable acts as a backbone
 Used in the design of early LAN
 Nodes connect to cable by drop lines and taps
 Signal travels along the backbone and some of its energy is transformed to heat
 Limit of number of taps and the distance between taps
 Advantages of Bus Topology
 Ease of installation
 Less cables than mesh, star topologies
 Disadvantages of Bus Topology
 Difficult reconnection and fault isolation ( limit of taps)
 Adding new device requires modification of backbone
 Fault or break stops all transmission
  Ring Topology
 Each device has dedicated point-to-point connection with only the two devices on either
side of it.
 A signal is passed along the ring in one direction from device to device until it reaches its
destination.
 Each devices incorporates a Repeater
 Advantages of Ring Topology
 Easy of install and reconfigure
 Connect to immediate neighbors
 Move two connections for any moving (Add/Delete)
 Easy of fault isolation
 Disadvantage of Ring Topology
 Unidirectional,

 One broken device can disable the entire network.

 Categories of Networks
 These categorizations provide a high-level overview of different types of networks,
but it's important to note that networks can overlap or be customized to meet
specific requirements.
 Networks can be categorized based on various factors such as their size,
geographical span, ownership, and purpose. Here are some common
categorizations of networks
 LAN: Covers small area
 WAN: Can be worldwide
 MAN: Between LAN & WAN
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 LAN is distinguished by:Links devices in the same office, building, or campus
 Size is limited to a few kilometers
 Size (# users of OS, or licensing restrictions)
 Transmission medium (only one type)
 Topology (bus, ring, star)
 Data Rates (speed): Early: 4 to 16 Mbps and Today: 100 to 1000 Mbps
 Wide Area Networks (WAN)
 Provides long-distance transmission of data over large geographic areas (country,
continent, world)
 Switched WAN
 Backbone of the Internet
 Dialup line point-to-point WAN
 Leased line from a telephone company
 Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)
 Size between LAN and WAN
 Inside a town or a city
 Example: the part of the telephone company network that can provide a high-
speed DSL to the customer
 The Internet
 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.
 Internet is a communication system that has brought a wealth of information
to our fingertips and organized it for our use
 An internet is 2 or more networks that can communicate with each other
 The Internet is a collaboration of more than hundreds of thousands of
interconnected networks.
 An internet (small i) is two or more networks
 Notable internet is called the Internet (hundreds of thousands interconnected
networks).
 Private individuals + government agencies + school + research facilities
+ Corporations + libraries in more than 100 countries.
 Internet Today
 Made of many LANs and WANs

 Every day new networks area added and removed

 Internet services Providers (ISPs) offer services to the end users

 International service providers

 National service providers

 Regional service providers

 Local service providers

 Internet: The internet is a global network that connects millions of networks
worldwide.

 It is a vast network of networks that enables communication and information exchange

on a global scale.

 Intranet: An intranet is a private network that uses internet protocols and technologies
within an organization.

 It is accessible only to authorized users and facilitates internal communication,

collaboration, and information sharing.

 Extranet: An extranet is a controlled private network that allows external users, such as
business partners, suppliers, or customers, to securely access selected resources or
information of an organization.
 Protocols and Standards
 Protocol synonymous with rule
 Standards: agreed-upon rules
 Protocols
 A protocol is a set of rules that govern data communications
 Defines What, How, and When it is communicated
 Elements of a protocol:
 Syntax: structure or format of data
 Example: 8-bits address of sender, 8-bits address of receiver
 Semantics: meaning of each section of bits
 Example: Does the address is a route to be taken or the final destination of the message
 Timing: when data should be sent and how fast they can be sent
 Example:
sender produces data at 100 Mbps but the receiver can process data at only
1Mbps  overload and data loose
 Thank You
End of Semester

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