Table of Contents
What is Transmission media?
A communication channel that conveys data from the sender to the recipient is known as transmission media.
Electromagnetic signals are used to transfer data. The transmission media’s primary role is to transport data in the form of bits over a local area network (LAN) (Local Area Network). In data communication, it is a physical link between the transmitter and the receiver. The bits in a copper-based network are represented by electrical impulses. The bits in a fiber-based network take the form of light pulses.
Transmission media supports Layer 1 in the OSI (Open System Interconnection) phase. As a result, it is classified as a Layer 1 component. Copper wire, fibre optics, the atmosphere, water, and vacuum can all be used to transmit electrical impulses. The properties of the medium and signal determine the features and quality of data transmission. There are two types of transmission media: wired and wireless. Medium parameters are more essential in wired media, but signal qualities are more relevant in wireless media. Bandwidth, delay, cost, and ease of installation and maintenance are all characteristics of different transmission media. The transmission media is available in the OSI reference model’s lowest layer, the Physical layer.
Some factors need to be considered for designing the transmission media:
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Bandwidth:
If all other conditions remain constant, the greater the bandwidth of a medium, the higher the data transmission rate of a signal.
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Transmission impairment:
When the received signal is not identical to the transmitted one due to the transmission impairment. Signal quality will be affected as a result of transmission problems.
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Interference:
Interference is the process of causing a signal to be disrupted as it travels over a communication medium due to the presence of an undesired signal.
Causes Of Transmission Impairment:
- Attenuation: Attenuation refers to the loss of energy caused by the signal’s power decreasing as the distance between them increases.
- Distortion: When the shape of the signal changes, it is called Distortion. Different signals with different frequencies are checked for this form of distortion. Due to the fact that each frequency component has its own propagation speed, they arrive at different times, resulting in delay distortion.
- Noise: When data is sent across a transmission media, it is mixed with undesirable signals, resulting in noise.
