N-GEN Communications Web-based Seminars ©NGCS

Seminar - An Overview of Communications Technologies

Module 2 - Data Communications Basics and Legacy Technologies                                                Slide 10 of 45 _________________                                                                                  __________

                                Building Blocks - Data Transfer Methods

                                           Serial Transmission

                                           Parallel Transmission 

_________________                                                                                  __________

Data from a terminal or computer to another terminal or computer is transferred by two methods: Serial or Parallel. This data transfer function between the two devices is performed through the device interface.

Serial Data Transfer - All bits of a character are transmitted one after another. This transmission mode is slower than parallel data transmission mode but requires less material. All modern transmissions use this transmission mode.

                               
                                                 Serial Data Transfer

Parallel Data Transfer -  All bits of a character are transmitted simultaneously. It requires more facilities.

                               
                                              Parallel Data Transfer