Objective

Become familiar with Data Communications Become familiar with data Communications components Become familiar with Data Transmission (Serial and Parallel communication)

Background
Knowing about or getting familiar with the Data Communications and networking is the first learning step towards knowing the subject. We would be going through the Basics of Data Communications, Components involved in data communications and getting familiar with Data Transmission (serial and parallel)

Sender:- Is the device meant to send the data (for eg a pc, workstation etc) Receiver:- Is the device meant to receive the data(for eg a pc, workstation etc) Message:- Is the data to be sent (data generated by source to be sent to the receiver). Medium:- Is the transmission medium through which the data will be sent (eg: co-axial cable, twisted pair cable, fiber optic etc). Protocol: Is the set of rules that governs the transmissions between the sender and the receiver. In absence of protocol the two devices may be connected but not communicating.

Data Transmission:
Transmission refers to the movement of bits/data/signal over some physical medium that connects the two or more divices.

Serial transmission can be Asyncronous Serial Transmission or Syncronous Serial Transmission

The serial and parallel ports (on PC)

The serial and parallel ports are included in the I/O system, and their controller is located in the Super I/O controller. The PC is equipped with at least one (usually two) asynchronous serial ports. These are the male connectors on the back of the PC, which have either 9 or 25 pins, of which often only 3-4 are used for serial transmission. The parallel port is also called the printer port, because that is what it is normally used for. The printer connector on the back of the PC is a 25-pin female connector.

Conclusion
Serial Transmission Bits are transmitted serially one after the other It requires only one circuit interconnecting the two devices Ideally suitable for long distance transmission Parallel Transmission Here all bits of the byte are transmitted simultaneously on separate circuits As a result multiple circuits connecting the two devices are required It is practical only if two devices are closer to one another.