Computer-Networks - www.alljntuworld.in JNTU World COMPUTER...

0
COMPUTER NETWORKS
Lecture Notes
JNTU World
JNTU World
Downloaded From JNTU World ()

1
UNIT -I
Introduction to Computer Networks
1.1 Data Communication: When we communicate, we are sharing information. This sharing can
be local or remote. Between individuals, local communication usually occurs face to face, while
remote communication takes place over distance.
1.1.1 Components:
A data communications system has five components.
1. Message. The message is the information (data) to be communicated. Popular forms of
information include text, numbers, pictures, audio, and video.
2. Sender. The sender is the device that sends the data message. It can be a computer,
workstation, telephone handset, video camera, and so on.
3. Receiver. The receiver is the device that receives the message. It can be a computer,
workstation, telephone handset, television, and so on.
4. Transmission medium. The transmission medium is the physical path by which a message
travels from sender to receiver. Some examples of transmission media include twisted-pair wire,
coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, and radio waves
5. Protocol. A protocol is a set of rules that govern data communications. It represents an
agreement between the communicating devices. Without a protocol, two devices may be
connected but not communicating, just as a person speaking French cannot be understood by a
person who speaks only Japanese.
JNTU World
JNTU World
Downloaded From JNTU World ()

2
1.1.2 Data Representation:
Information today comes in different forms such as text, numbers, images, audio, and video.
Text:
In data communications, text is represented as a bit pattern, a sequence of bits (Os or Is).
Different sets of bit patterns have been designed to represent text symbols. Each set is called a
code, and the process of representing symbols is called coding. Today, the prevalent coding
system is called Unicode, which uses 32 bits to represent a symbol or character used in any
language in the world. The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII),
developed some decades ago in the United States, now constitutes the first 127 characters in
Unicode and is also referred to as Basic Latin.
Numbers:
Numbers are also represented by bit patterns. However, a code such as ASCII is not used
to represent numbers; the number is directly converted to a binary number to simplify
mathematical operations. Appendix B discusses several different numbering systems.
Images:
Images are also represented by bit patterns. In its simplest form, an image is composed of
a matrix of pixels (picture elements), where each pixel is a small dot. The size of the pixel
depends on the resolution. For example, an image can be divided into 1000 pixels or 10,000
pixels. In the second case, there is a better representation of the image (better resolution), but
more memory is needed to store the image. After an image is divided into pixels, each pixel is
assigned a bit pattern. The size and the value of the pattern depend on the image. For an image
made of only blackand- white dots (e.g., a chessboard), a I-bit pattern is enough to represent a