Capacity of a channel in Computer Networks


What Does the Term "Channel Capacity" Imply?

The maximum quantity of traffic or signal that may pass over a particular infrastructure channel is channel capacity. It can be used to assess the capacity of a channel or conduit in computer science, electrical engineering, and other areas.

The apparent advantages of analyzing channel analysis have made this word a household term in the IT world. Engineers might be tasked with determining how much data can flow through a particular fiber-optic network or how much data can pass via a WAN with wired and wireless components. The difficulty of deciding channel capacity and the level of precision required may vary depending on the system's requirements.

Engineers may focus on a particular section of a network regarded as a "bottleneck," or estimate standard channel capacity for broader reasons.

Engineers and others can use tools such as the Shannon-Hartley theorem to determine channel volume where there are mitigation factors; in this case, the volume of the upper channel after the calculation of a certain level of signal sound.

Types of Communication Channel

There are three types of communication channels in computer networking −

  • Simplex channel − Signals can only be sent in one way using a simple communication connection. As a result, the channel's complete bandwidth can be used during transmission.

  • Half-duplex channel − A half-duplex communication channel can send signals in both directions simultaneously, but only in one. It can be thought of as a simplex communication channel with a switchable transmission direction.

  • Full-duplex channel − A full-duplex communication link can simultaneously send signals in both directions. Communication efficiency is considerably improved by using full-duplex communication channels.

How can the capacity be calculated mathematically?

The capacity of a transmission medium increases as its length increases. It also depends on the medium's cross-sectional area.

If the bandwidth is 1 bps, it can take 1 bit every second. It will advance every second so that the next bit can take the area. As a result, the propagation delay is the final time it will occupy all of the bits.

Two factors determine the channel's capacity −

  • Bandwidth

  • Delay in propagation

In the event of a half-duplex, the capacity of a network is equal to the bandwidth multiplied by the propagation delay. In the event of a full duplex, the capacity is twice the multiplication of the bandwidth and the propagation delay.

Updated on: 07-Sep-2021

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