Communication and Networking

Data Communication

We all are acquainted with some sorts of communication in our day to day life.

For communication of information and messages we use telephone and postal

communication systems. Similarly data and information from one computer

system can be transmitted to other systems across geographical areas. Thus data

transmission is the movement of information using some standard methods.

These methods include electrical signals carried along a conductor, optical

signals along an optical fibers and electromagnetic areas.

Basic Elements of a Communication System

The following are the basic requirements for working of a communication

system.

1. The sender (source) who creates the message to be transmitted

2. A medium that carries the message

3. The receiver (sink) who receives the message

In data communication four basic terms are frequently used. They are:

Data : A collection of facts in raw forms that become information after processing.

Signals : Electric or electromagnetic encoding of data.

Signaling : Propagation of signals across a communication medium.

Transmission : Communication of data achieved by the processing of signals.