Collision Detection in 802.
3 (Ethernet)
Collision detection in Ethernet is part of the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD) protocol, which governs how devices access the network to transmit data and handle
collisions (i.e., two devices attempting to send data simultaneously).
Key Process:
1. Carrier Sense (CS): Before transmitting data, a device listens to the network (carrier) to check if
any other device is transmitting. If the network is busy, the device waits before attempting to
transmit.
2. Multiple Access (MA): Multiple devices share the same network medium (e.g., Ethernet cable)
and can attempt to send data at any time. This requires a method to avoid and handle collisions
when they happen.
3. Collision Detection (CD):
o If two devices transmit simultaneously, their signals collide on the network, corrupting
the data.
o Each device monitors the network while transmitting to detect if a collision occurs. A
collision is detected when the voltage on the wire differs from what the transmitting
device expects.
o Upon detecting a collision, the devices stop transmitting immediately and send a jam
signal to inform other devices on the network that a collision has occurred.
4. Backoff Algorithm:
o After detecting a collision, each device waits for a random amount of time (determined
by a backoff algorithm) before attempting to retransmit.
o The random delay helps reduce the chance of another collision when both devices try to
transmit again.
5. Exponential Backoff:
o With each consecutive collision, the backoff time increases exponentially to reduce the
likelihood of repeated collisions, allowing other devices to transmit their data.
Use in Ethernet Standards:
10BASE-T Ethernet (10 Mbps): Utilized CSMA/CD to manage collisions in shared medium
Ethernet.
100BASE-T Ethernet (Fast Ethernet, 100 Mbps): Also supports CSMA/CD but collisions became
less common as full-duplex communication became more widespread.
Gigabit Ethernet and Beyond: With full-duplex communication (data can flow in both directions
simultaneously without collision) and the use of switches (eliminating shared collision domains),
CSMA/CD became largely obsolete in modern networks.
Summary:
Manchester Encoding: A self-clocking encoding scheme used in early Ethernet for reliable data
transmission.
Collision Detection (802.3 Ethernet): The process of detecting and handling collisions in Ethernet
using the CSMA/CD protocol, mostly relevant in older Ethernet implementations with half-duplex
communication.
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