what are data packets
small units of data used for sending data over long distances
what is the typical size of a data packet
64KiB
why are data packets used
easier to control, can avoid busy transmission routes
What is the structure of a typical data packet?
header, payload, trailer.
What information does the packet header contain?
IP of sending device, IP of receiving device, sequence number, packet size
What is the payload in a data packet?
actual data being sent
What is the purpose of the packet trailer?
identify end of packet, includes error checker
what is a typical error checker in a packet
CRC
what does CRC stand for
cyclic redundancy check
why does a packet trailer need an error checking method
ensure data integrity
How does the CRC work in data packets?
Sending computer adds 1-bits and stores as hex value
Receiving computer recalculates 1-bits and compares values
If values match, no errors
What is packet switching?
process where data packets are sent from a sender via multiple possible routes
What is the main benefit of splitting data into packets?
each packet can take different routes to the destination which can avoid busy transmission routes
What is the main drawback of splitting data into packets?
data needs to be reassemble at destination.
How do packets find their route in packet switching?
Each packet follows the shortest available path
What is a key issue with packet switching regarding order?
can arrive in a different order from which they were sent.
List four benefits of packet switching.
can re-route packets when a line is busy
easy to expand package usage
high data transmission rate
no need to tie up a single communication line
List three drawbacks of packet switching.
packets can be lost
prone to real-time streaming errors
delay at destination when being reordered
What is the problem of lost packets in packet switching?
Packets can get lost by bouncing between routers and clogging the network.
How is the lost packet problem in packet switching overcome?
hopping
what is hopping
where a hop number in the packet header decreases with each number
What are the three key factors to consider in data transmission?
direction, method, data synching
What is simplex data transmission?
data sent one direction
What is an example of simplex data transmission?
computer to printer
What is half-duplex data transmission?
both directions, not at the same time
What is an example of half-duplex data transmission?
a walkie-talkie
What is full-duplex data transmission?
sent both ways simultaneously
What is an example of full-duplex data transmission?
broadband internet connection
What is serial data transmission?
one bit at a time over a single wire
6 characteristics of serial data transmission
one bit at a time
single channel
can be simplex, half-duplex, full duplex
best over long distance
slower data rate
arrives synched
What is an example of serial data transmission?
computer to a printer via a USB connection.
What is parallel data transmission?
Several bits of data simultaneously down several channels
4 characteristics of parallel data transmission
multiple bits simultaneously
multiple channels
When is parallel data transmission used?
High-speed network connections.
What modes can parallel data transmission operate in?
simplex, half-duplex, full-duplex
Over what distance does parallel data transmission work well?
works well over short distances.
What happens to parallel data transmission over longer distances?
data can become skewed, arriving unsynched
How does the length of the wire affect parallel data transmission?
longer the wire, the worse the data skew
How does the speed of parallel data transmission compare to serial data transmission?
parallel is faster than serial
Where is parallel data transmission commonly used within a computer?
internal circuits in a computer
What type of data transmission does USB use?
serial
What types of data transmission does USB support?
half-duplex, full-duplex
How many wires are in a USB cable
four
what are the colour wires in a USB cable
red, black, green, white
what is the red wire in a USB for
power
what is the black wire in a USB for
power
what is the green wire in a USB for
data transmission
what is the white wire in a USB for
data transmission
What happens when a device is plugged into a computer using a USB port?
computer detects device due to voltage change, driver software loaded, prompts user to download if necessary
What is USB-C
24-pin symmetrical connector
features of USB-C
fits in its port either way round
smaller and thinner than older USBs
offer 100 watt
carry 10GBps of data
support 4k video delivery
Is USB-C backward compatible, and with which versions?
it is backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0
What is the significance of USB-C becoming more common?
become the new industry standard format.
Why is it important to check for errors during data transmission?
computers are unable to understand text if the words are corrupted
what does the built-in dictionary do in data transmission
tries to understand text that is corrupted with words it has stored
What are the causes of errors during data transmission?
interference
problems during packet switching
skewing of data
How does interference affect data transmission?
causes corruption or lose of data due to electrical disturbances
What issues can arise from problems during packet switching?
data loss or even the gain of incorrect data.
What is skewing of data
bits to arrive out of synch
how does skewed data affect data transmission
data corruption.
What are the methods used to check for errors in data transmission?
parity checks
checksum
echo check
What can happen if data corruption occurs during transmission?
data may become unintelligible leading to errors and miscommunication
What is parity checking?
based on the number of 1-bits in a byte of data
What are the two types of parity?
EVEN and ODD
what is even parity checking
the 1s in a byte add to an even number
what is odd parity checking
when the 1s in a byte add to an odd number
How is the parity bit set?
determining which bit is reserving the left-most bit for the parity bit.
What must be agreed upon before data is transferred using parity checks?
An agreement must be made between the sender and receiver on which parity is being used
What happens if even parity is used and the received byte has an odd number of 1-bits?
an error is flagged.
What is the limitation of parity checking?
If two bits changed value
what is the result of two bits changed in a parity
data may be impossible to locate
How does the parity block method work?
sending a block of data and totaling the number of 1-bits horizontally and vertically
What is a checksum?
sending an additional checksum value with the data block.
process of using a checksum to verify data integrity
calculate checksum from data block
transmit checksum and data block
recalculate checksum at receiving side
compare recalculation
if they match, no error
What happens if the checksums do not match?
request to resend data block is made
What is echo check?
data sent to another device is sent back again to the sender to check for errors
How does echo check work?
copy sent back to sender
sender compares with original data
if no differences, data was sent without errors
What is the limitation of echo check?
it isn’t known whether the error occurred when sending the data
What is a check digit?
final digit included in a code, calculated from all the other digits in the code
Where are check digits commonly used?
barcodes, ISBN, VIN
what does ISBN stand for
International Standard Book Numbers
what does VIN stand for
Vehicle Identification Numbers
What types of errors can check digits usually detect?
incorrect number entered, transposition errors, omitted or extra digits, phonetic errors
what error in a check digit would be 5327 when it is supposed to be 5307
incorrect digit entered
what error in a check digit would be 5037 when it is supposed to be 5307
transposition error
what error in a check digit would be 537 when it is supposed to be 5307
omitted/extra digit
what error in a check digit would be 13 when it is supposed to be 30
phonetic error
What are two common methods to generate a check digit?
ISBN 13
Modulo-11
What is the check digit in ISBN 13?
the thirteenth digit in the number.
How is the check digit generated in ISBN 13? (Step 1)
Add all the odd-numbered digits together.
How is the check digit generated in ISBN 13? (Step 2)
Add all the even-numbered digits together and multiply the result by 3.
How is the check digit generated in ISBN 13? (Step 3)
Add the results from steps 1 and 2 together and divide by 10.
How is the check digit generated in ISBN 13? (Step 4)
Take the remainder; if the value isn’t zero then subtract the remainder from 10 to find the check digit.
What are the methods to verify data has arrived unchanged?
parity
echo
ARQ
what does ARQ stand for
Automatic Repeat Request
What does ARQ use to check data?
positive, negative acknowledgements
timeout intervals
What is the purpose of a positive acknowledgement in ARQ?
data has been received correctly
What happens if an error is detected in ARQ
A negative acknowledgement is sent back
What is the role of a timeout in ARQ?
time interval allowed to elapse before an acknowledgement is received
what happens if the ARQ time interval is elapsed and nothing is received
the data is re-sent.