STUDY SESSION 5: COMMUNICATION DEVICES

Introduction

Human beings like to talk to one another, socialize, exchange information using different
methods and means. They make use of signs gestures, communication devices etc. For
computers to talk to themselves, they need means of doing so. These means are called
communication devices. A communication device is a hardware device capable of transmitting
an analog or digital signal over the telephone, other communication wire, or wirelessly. The
best example of a communication device is a computer Modem, which is capable of sending
and receiving a signal to allow computers to talk to other computers over the telephone. Other
examples of communication devices include a network interface card (NIC), Wi-Fi devices,
and an access point. Communication devices store and retrieve data acquired by data
acquisition systems. These devices facilitate the accessibility, analysis, sharing, and reporting
of data. Available communication devices include both on-site and telemetry peripherals,
which can be used in the same application for maximum flexibility, convenience, and reliability

Learning outcomes for study session 5

At the end of this study session, you are expected to:

 Understand the communication devices available
 the conversion of analogue to digital signals and vice versa.
 list and explain different types of modems

5.1-Modems

You would have connected to the internet service using a stick like flash drive: that’s a modem.
It is with this device that you check your mail, browse for information on assignments and do
your online registrations. One you are connected to the internet, you type the address you want
to go on the world wide web and boom! you are good to go. That’s what a modem does for
you. You can then ask, what is a modem? A modem, short for modulator-demodulator, is used
for communicating between computers. The modem converts (or modulates) a computer's -
electronic impulses to a form that can be transmitted over a telephone line. When the signal
reaches the destination computer, another modem reconverts the signal to computer-
understandable form. Some modems are book-sized boxes that plug into the back of a
computer; others fit inside the computer's housing. Once installed, the modem will
automatically dial any number you request and, if the destination computer has a compatible
modem, transmit whatever message or illustration you choose.
Most modems plug into a standard telephone outlet, but wireless modems use the same
technology as cellular phones, allowing travelers to access their office computers from portable
computers in cars or elsewhere. Modems transmit data at speeds varying from 250 to about
4,000 characters per second. Speed is important because loading a single World Wide Web
page from the Internet can take several minutes with a low speed modem if the page is filled
with graphics. the following types of communications devices: dial-up modems, ISDN and
DSL modems, cable modems, wireless modems, network cards, wireless access points, and
routers are discussed.

Figure 5.1: Modulation and Demodulation of Signals

Dial-Up Modems
As previously discussed, a computer’s digital signals must be converted to analog signals
before they are transmitted over standard telephone lines. The communications device that
performs this conversion is a modem, sometimes called a dial-up modem. The word, modem,
is derived from the combination of the words, modulate, to change into an analog signal, and
demodulate, to convert an analog signal into a digital signal.
A modem usually is in the form of an adapter card that you insert in an expansion slot on a
computer’s motherboard. One end of a standard telephone cord attaches to a port on the modem
card and the other end plugs into a telephone outlet.
ISDN and DSL Modems
If you access the Internet using ISDN or DSL, you need a communications device to send and
receive the digital ISDN or DSL signals. An ISDN modem sends digital data and information
from a computer to an ISDN line and receives digital data and information from an ISDN line.
A DSL modem sends digital data and information from a computer to a DSL line and receives
digital data and information from a DSL line. ISDN and DSL modems usually are external
devices, in which one end connects to the telephone line and the other end connects to a port
on the system unit.
Cable Modems
A cable modem is a digital modem that sends and receives digital data over the cable television
(CATV) network. With more than 110 million homes wired for cable television, cable modems
provide a faster Internet access alternative to dial-up for the home user and have speeds similar
to DSL. Cable modems currently can transmit data at speeds that are much faster than either a
dial-up modem or ISDN.
Wireless Modems
Some mobile users have a wireless modem that uses the cell phone network to connect to the
Internet wirelessly from a notebook computer, a smart phone, or other mobile device (Figure
8-19). Wireless modems, which have an external or built-in antenna, are available as PC Cards,
ExpressCard modules, and flash cards.
Network Cards
A network card is an adapter card, PC Card, ExpressCard module, USB network adapter, or
flash card that enables a computer or device that does not have networking capability to access
a network. The network card coordinates the transmission and receipt of data, instructions, and
information to and from the computer or device containing the network card.
Network cards are available in a variety of styles. A network card for a desktop computer is an
adapter card that has a port to which a cable connects. A network card for mobile computers
and devices is in the form of a PC Card, ExpressCard module, USB network adapter, or a flash
card. Network cards that provide wireless data transmission also are available. This type of
card, sometimes called a wireless network card, often has an antenna.
A network card follows the guidelines of a particular network communications standard, such
as Ethernet or token ring. An Ethernet card is the most common type of network card.

Wireless Access Points

A wireless access point is a central communications device that allows computers and devices
to transfer data wirelessly among themselves or to transfer data wirelessly to a wired network.
Wireless access points have high-quality antennas for optimal signals.
Routers
A router is a communications device that connects multiple computers or other routers
together and transmits data to its correct destination on the network. A router can be used on
any size of network. On the largest scale, routers along the Internet backbone forward data
packets to their destination using the fastest available path. For smaller business and home
networks, a router allows multiple computers to share a single high-speed Internet connection
such as a cable modem or DSL modem. These routers connect from 2 to 250 computers.

5.2-Fax Machines

Fax Machines
You would have observed something that looks like a printer with a key pad in some offices.
You may also have been lucky to see it taking in some document in hard copy to do a scan on
it, then the send bottom is pressed. That’s how a fax machine actually works. A fax machine,
or facsimile transmission machine, is essentially a scanner, a modem, and a printer all in one.
A fax machine scans a document and sends the collected data via telephone line to another fax
machine, where the data is reconverted to a printed image.
Any of the millions of fax machines worldwide can be reached from an ordinary PC if it has a
fax-modem. A fax modem looks and acts like a regular modem, but it has the added capability
to send and receive signals that a regular fax machine can understand. With the right software,
sending a fax is simple: you tell the computer to "print" to the fax-modem and type in the
telephone number of the destination fax machine. Alternatively, the fax-modem can answer
the telephone, receive a fax, and let you view the fax on the screen or print it on paper.

5.3-Summary of study session 5

A communications device is any type of hardware capable of transmitting data, instructions,

and information between a sending device and a receiving device. One type of communications
device that connects a communications channel to a sending or receiving device such as a
computer is a modem. Computers process data as digital signals. Data, instructions, and
information travel along a communications channel in either analog or digital form, depending
on the communications channel. An analog signal consists of a continuous electrical wave. A
digital signal consists of individual electrical pulses that represent bits grouped together into
bytes. For communications channels that use digital signals (such as cable television lines), the
modem transfers the digital signals between the computer and the communications channel. If
a communications channel uses analog signals (such as some telephone lines), however, the
modem first converts between analog and digital signals

5.4- Self-Assessment Questions (SAQ)

What is the full meaning of a modem?

List some of the communication medium you know
The USB drive is also called the USB stick or thumb drive in your class (True/False).

Reference/ Suggestions for further Reading

Introduction to computers by Norton, peter, 4th ed. THM

Introduction to digital computer design by Rajaraman, V/ Radhakrishan T. 4th ed. PHI

How to manage computer at work? By Jones, Graham Jaico

Fundamentals of computers by Rajaraman, V 4th ed PHI

Digital computer fundamentals by Bartee, T.C. 6th ed. TMH

Computer today by Basandra, SK updated ed. Galgotia