Data Communication And Its Elements

When we transfer data/information from one place to another this process of transferring data/information is called “Data Communication”. Now there are different ways and mediums to perform the data communications, and it depends on the distance between the locations of devices/computers. The following elements involve performing a data communication. Lets know about these elements.
First of all, there is information or data, which, we want to transfer from one place to another. We have discussed in our very first post about the data and data types. Again for reminder, the data/information may be in four forms, text, image, audio, video or the combination of these types. So, the data or information that, we want to transfer is called message.
Now, the next step is the source which, we use to send that data. I means to say that I have selected the data/information to communicate but to transfer it we need some device. This device is called transmitter or sender. Computers are mostly used as transmitter/senders. So, we have selected the message and sender/transmitter now we need the source or medium which, the sender will use to send the data/information if there is little distance between the communicating devices (sender and receiver) we can connect these devices with the wire but if there is long distance between the sender and receiver. Then the source of data traveling may be telephone line, microwaves or a fiber optics. In short, the medium is required for data communication and this medium may be fiber optic, telephone line or the microwaves.
Now, before I write about the next element involves in data communication, there is need to explain little but about the analog and digital signals. As we know that all the computer’s internal communication is based on digital signals. Because computer knows only binary language 0 and 1, and this binary language is digital language. The computers only understand and communicate in binary (digital) language. But if our medium is such channel which, and not support digital signals and only work with analog signals, then we need encoder and decoder. The only function of encoder and decoder is to convert analog signals into digital signals and digital signals into analog signals. We explain this encoder and decoder with the example of modem. I think everybody who uses the Internet services from his/her computer is familiar with the device called modem. This modem is encoder and decoder device. When we connect to the Internet our data communication starts at once. This communication performed through the telephone line the modem’s function is to convert the incoming data (which is in analog form) into digital formant as well the outgoing data (which is in digital form) into analog form. So, we can say that the devices, which convert analog into digital and digital into analog, are called encoder and decoder devices.
So, the next element involves in data communication is receiver as we have sender to send the data/information, same way we have receiver to receive that data/information on the other end.
In short, if we take a look over the “Data communications and its elements”. We can summarize it in the way, that when we transfer some data/information, in its any form, the process of transferring is called “Data Communication” and the message (data/information) is the material we want to transfer or receive, sender is the device to send the message, Medium is the source to send the message. This medium could be fiber optics, telephone line or micro ways. Further, there involves decoder or encoder to convert the data/information into digital to analog as well analog to digital form and finally receiver receives the data/information.