CN1047 INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTER NETWORKING
CHAPTER 3
OSI MODEL – PHYSICAL LAYER
Physical Layer
Concern with transmission of raw bits over a
communication channel.
It deals with specifications of network
connectors, type of transmission media and
voltage level used for 0 bit and 1 bit.
Types of Media
Communications media has 2 classes :
1) Conducting media
2) Radiating media
Types of Media
1) Conducting media
- Referred as bounded media
- Use cables to carry data
- Twisted-wire pair, coaxial cable and fiber
optic.
Types of Media
2) Radiating media
- Referred as unbounded media.
- A message in an unbounded medium radiates
forever in all directions but will be weaker if
further it goes.
- Radio broadcast, microwave radio broadcast,
satellite and infrared transmission.
Conducting Media
Twisted Pair
A pair of wires are twisted
together.
Twisted pair is the ordinary
copper wire that connects
home and many business
computers to the telephone
company.
Telephone system will carries
most of the data consists
heavily of twisted-wire pair.
Conducting Media
Two types of Twisted Pair
1. Shielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
2. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
Conducting Media
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) vs Unshielded Twister Pair (UTP)
STP cables are shielded while UTP cables are unshielded
STP cables are more immune to interference and noise than
UTP cables
STP cables are better at maximizing bandwidth compared to
UTP cables
STP cables cost more per meter compared to UTP cables
STP cables are heavier per meter compared to UTP cables
UTP cables are more prevalent in SOHO networks while STP is
used in more high-end applications
Conducting Media
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable offer much faster
data transmission, it is used for
underground and underwater
lines.
It is not susceptible to noise or
electrical interference and can
transmit data over long distance.
Coaxial cable can carry up to
10000 voice grade channel.
Conducting Media
Coaxial Cable
Conducting Media
Coaxial can be used in 2 ways:
1) Digital baseband transmission - Baseband is a data
only digital transmission at high-speed on a single
shared channel.
2) Broadband transmission - Use high-frequency
carrier waves and analog transmission. Broadband
transmission can simultaneously transmit data
using a number of different frequency (allows
transmit data at high speed and low speed, voice
and video signal) on a single cable.
Conducting Media
Fiber Optic
Fiber optic consist of a core of glass
or plastic which carries the signal.
Optical fibers are widely used in
fiber-optic communications, which
permits transmission over longer
distances and at higher bandwidths
(data rates) than other forms of
communication.
Transmission techniques involves the
use of lasers to generate the signal.
Conducting Media
Fiber Optic
Advantages:
a) Large data capacity ( 30 000 simultaneous calls).
b) High speed transmission (1 Gbps)
c) High secure
d) Very low transmission error rate.
Radiating Media
Radio Transmission
Its frequency is between 10 kHz to 1GHz.
It is simple to install and has high attenuation.
These waves are used for multicast
communications.
Radiating Media
Microwave Transmission
It travels at high frequency than the radio
waves. It requires the sender to be inside of the
receiver. It operates in a system with a low
gigahertz range. It is mostly used for unicast
communication.
There are 2 types of Microwave Transmission :
Terrestrial Microwave
Satellite Microwave
Radiating Media
Radio waves vs. Microwaves
Radio waves in general have long distance
communication capabilities, but microwaves do
not have these abilities.
Radio waves are mostly used in the
communication field whereas microwaves are
used in industries and astronomy.
Analogue vs Digital Transmission
Transmission means electromagnetic signals
which are capable on a variety of transmission
media.
To convey information determines the efficiency
and reliability of the transmission.
Analog and Digital in data communication has
3 context :
1) Information
2) Signaling
3) Transmission
Analogue vs Digital Transmission
Analogue Transmission
Analog transmission is a method of conveying
voice, data, image, signal, or video information.
It uses a continuous signal varying in amplitude,
phase, or another property that is in proportion
to a specific characteristic of a variable.
Analogue Transmission
Analog transmission takes on continuous values
or some interval.
Most information collected by sensor
(temperature and pressure) are continuous-
valued.
Analog signal will varying electromagnetic
wave that may be transmitted over variety of
media, depending on frequency.
Example: Voice and video
RS-232C Interface
Short for recommended standard-232C, a standard
interface approved by the Electronic Industries
Alliance (EIA) for connecting serial devices.
In 1987, the EIA released a new version of the
standard and changed the name to EIA-232-D.
And in 1991, the EIA teamed up with
Telecommunications Industry association (TIA) and
issued a new version of the standard called EIA/TIA-
232-E.
Many people, however, still refer to the standard as
RS-232C, or just RS-232.
RS-232C Interface
Almost all modems conform to the
EIA-232 standard and
most personal computers have an
EIA-232 port for connecting a
modem or other device.
The EIA-232 standard supports two
types of connectors -- a 25-pin D-
type connector (DB-25) and a 9-
pin D-type connector (DB-9).
The type of serial communications
used by PCs requires only 9 pins so
either type of connector will work
equally well.
RS-232C Interface
Digital Transmission
Digital transmission is on discrete values.
Digital signal is a sequence of voltage pulses
that may be transmitted over a wire medium.
Example : text and integers
X.21 Interface
This interface specifies physical,
electrical and procedural
interface between the host and
network for digital
transmission.
X.21 interface
Digital connection to a digital
public telephone network
X.21bis interface
Terminal to packet switch
network via analog line
Analog vs. Digital
Feature Analog Characteristics Digital Characteristics
Signal Continuously variable, in both Discrete signal, represented as
amplitude and frequency either changes in voltage or
changes in light levels
Traffic measurement Hz (for example, a telephone Bits per second (for example, a T-
channel is 4KHz) 1 line carries 1.544Mbps, and an
E-1 line transports 2.048Mbps)
Bandwidth Low bandwidth (4KHz), which High bandwidth that can
means low data transmission support high-speed data and
rates (up to 33.6Kbps) because of emerging applications that
limited channel bandwidth involve video and multimedia
Network capacity Low; one conversation per High; multiplexers enable
telephone channel multiple conversations to share a
communications channel and
hence to achieve greater
transmission efficiencies
Analog vs. Digital
Feature Analog Characteristics Digital Characteristics
Network Poor; a lot of labor is needed for Good; smart devices produce
manageability network maintenance and alerts, alarms, traffic statistics,
control because dumb analog and performance measurements,
devices do not provide and technicians at a network
management information control center (NCC) or network
streams that allow the device to operations center (NOC) can
be remotely managed remotely monitor and manage
the various network elements
Power requirement High because the signal contains Low because only two discrete
a wide range of frequencies and signals—the one and the zero—
amplitudes need to be transmitted
Security Poor; when you tap into an Good; encryption can be used
analog circuit, you hear the voice
stream in its native form, and it
is difficult to detect an intrusion
Analog vs. Digital
Feature Analog Characteristics Digital Characteristics
Error rates High; 10–5 bits (that is, 1 in Low; with twisted-pair, 10–7
100,000 bits) is guaranteed to (that, is 1 in 10 million bits per
have an error second) will have an error, with
satellite, 10–9 (that is, 1 in 1 billion
per second) will have an error,
and with fiber, 10–11 (that is only 1
in 10 trillion bits per second) will
have an error
