What Is Multiplexing?
In multiplexing, bits are stacked like blocks in a game of Tetris. Combining disparate bits of data is a lot like packing all your vacation outfits into a carry-on bag. Multiplexing is a technique used in telecoms to combine numerous signals that can be transmitted over a shared medium. To use a bus analogy, it's as if a diverse group of people was riding together to the exact location, but their identities were hidden from the driver. It's not unlike a magic act performed by a magician. Each 'trick' represents a separate signal, and the 'grand finale' trick symbolizes the merged signal. More information can be sent in a shorter time using multiplexing, which speeds up and simplifies communication. Multiplexing is widely used in the telecoms industry, especially for cable TV and the internet via digital subscriber line (DSL). In this manner, numerous users can share a single communication channel without losing their separate connections. Let's get more technical here and define some words. Multiple signals are combined into one more complex signal; the term "multiplexing" derives from the terms "multiple" and " complex." Multiplexing comes in various forms, each employing a unique technique for combining data. Common examples include Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency-Division Multiplexing (FDM), and Code-Division Multiplexing (CDM). In TDM, participants take shifts speaking. Each participant speaks for a predetermined time, and the final signal is generated by stringing together the individual contributions. FDM can be compared to a band in which many individuals perform individual instruments. Each musician contributes a distinct frequency to the overall signal produced by mixing the musicians' contributions. CDM is similar to a code that its intended receiver can only decipher. A unique code is assigned to each signal, and the final signal is transmitted as a concatenation of all the individual codes. The multiplexing process is analogous to a game of data Tetris because it squeezes numerous signals into a constrained area. Multiplexing is a technique used in telecommunications that enables more rapid and efficient communication by combining multiple signals into a singular signal. Multiplexing comes in many forms, each employing a unique technique to join signals, for example, time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), and code division multiplexing (CDM). Keep Multiplexing in mind the next time you're watching a program online or surfing the web, thanks to streaming.
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