Transmission Modes in Computer Network
Transmission Modes in Computer Network
Transmission mode means transferring of data between two devices. It is also known as communication mode. Buses and networks are designed to allow communication to occur between individual devices that are interconnected. The transmission mode is defined in the physical layer. There are three types of transmission mode they are given below;
- Simplex Mode
- Half-Duplex Mode
- Full-Duplex Mode
Simplex Mode
In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, as on a one-way street. Only one of the two devices on a link can transmit, the other can only receive. The simplex mode can use the entire capacity of the channel to send data in one direction. Example of simplex mode is: Keyboard and traditional monitors. The keyboard can only introduce input, the monitor can only give the output.
Advantage of Simplex mode
In simplex mode, the station can utilize the entire bandwidth of the communication channel, so that more data can be transmitted at a time.
Disadvantage of Simplex mode
Communication is unidirectional, so it has no inter-communication between devices.
Half-Duplex Mode
In half-duplex mode, each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time. When one device is sending, the other can only receive, and vice versa. The half-duplex mode is used in cases where there is no need for communication in both direction at the same time. The entire capacity of the channel can be utilized for each direction.
Example of Half-Duplex mode is: Walkie- talkie in which message is sent one at a time and messages are sent in both the directions.
Advantage of Half-duplex mode
In half-duplex mode, both the devices can send and receive the data and also can utilize the entire bandwidth of the communication channel during the transmission of data.
Disadvantage of Half-Duplex mode
In half-duplex mode, when one device is sending the data, then another has to wait, this causes the delay in sending the data at the right time.
Full-Duplex Mode
In Full duplex mode, the communication is bi-directional, i.e., the data flow in both the directions. Both the stations can send and receive the message simultaneously. It have two simplex channels. One channel has traffic moving in one direction, and another channel has traffic flowing in the opposite direction. The Full-duplex mode is the fastest mode of communication between devices. The most common example of the full-duplex mode is a telephone network. When two people are communicating with each other by a telephone line, both can talk and listen at the same time.
Advantage of Full-duplex mode
Both the stations can send and receive the data at the same time.
Disadvantage of Full-duplex mode
If there is no dedicated path exists between the devices, then the capacity of the communication channel is divided into two parts.
Differences Between Simplex, Half-duplex and Full-duplex mode
| Simplex mode | Half-duplex mode | Full-duplex mode |
|---|---|---|
| In simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional. | In half-duplex mode, the communication is bidirectional, but one at a time | In full-duplex mode, the communication is bidirectional. |
| A device can only send the data but cannot receive it or it can only receive the data but cannot send it. | Both the devices can send and receive the data, but one at a time. | Both the devices can send and receive the data simultaneously. |
| The performance of half-duplex mode is better than the simplex mode. | The performance of full-duplex mode is better than the half-duplex mode | The Full-duplex mode has better performance among simplex and half-duplex mode as it doubles the utilization of the capacity of the communication channel. |
| Examples of Simplex mode are radio, keyboard, and monitor. | Example of half-duplex is Walkie-Talkies. | Example of the Full-duplex mode is a telephone network. |