Modes of Communication

Modes of Communication

1. There are three modes of communication

   • Half-Duplex
     • Data transmission is possible in both directions, but only one direction at a time
   • Simplex
     • Data transmission is only possible in one direction
   • Full-Duplex
     • Data transmission is possible in both directions simultaneously

2. There are two types of transmission in a computer system

   • Serial Transmission is...
     • When data is sent one bit at a time along the same data line
       • This means that serial can travel longer distances than parallel
         • and only requires two wires, compared to 8 or 16 in parallel
   • Parallel Transmission is...
     • When all bits in a byte are sent simultaneously along (8 to 16) separate data lines
       • This means that transmission is faster compared to serial transmission