Communication: technology and consequences

Question 1

Data communication

Answer 1

involves sending and receiving data from one computer or device to another

Question 2

Serial data transmission

Answer 2

bits are sent via an interface one bit at a time over a single wire from the source to the destination. Very high data transfer rates can be achieved.

Question 3

Parallel data transmission

Answer 3

several bits are sent simultaneously over a number of parallel wires.

Question 4

Skew

Answer 4

each wire has slightly different properties, so there is a possibility that bits could travel at slightly different speeds over each of the wires. This produces a problem known as skew

Question 5

Bit rate

Answer 5

the speed at which data is transmitted serially is measured in bits per second

Question 6

Baud rate

Answer 6

the rate at which the signal changes

Question 7

Bandwidth

Answer 7

the range of frequencies that a transmission medium can carry. The larger the range, the greater the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.L

Question 8

Latency

Answer 8

the time delay between the moment that transmission of the first byte or packet of a communication starts and when it is received at its destination