Understanding Embedded System Communication

Communication is important for Embedded System which can use for many application including Internet of Things (IOT).

Communication Type

Communication has 3 type

  1. Simplex: One way communication , Listening radio, watch TV, read a book
  2. Half Duplex: two ways communication, cannot communicate at the same time, Walkie-talkie
  3. Full Duplex: two ways communication at the same time, telephone

Communication Signal

Communication can separate to two type of Signal

  1. Analog Communication: communication by use Analog Signal or natural signal, smoke signal, human conversation
  2. Digital Communication: communication by use Digital Signal which made by human, 0 or 1 signal, Internet

Communication Interface

Communication can separate to two type of interface

  1. Parallel Communication : Communication sending many bit at the same time
  2. Serial Communication: Communication sending each bit at a time

Serial vs Parallel Communication

Parallel communication is like 10 lens road, support many cars but use a lot of resource, high speed.

Serial Communication is like one road on rural area, low cost.

In real world, mostly use Serial Communication, because use I/O less than Parallel communication and also easy to implement, program handle each bit at a time. Parallel use more I/O, which mean more speed, but difficult to design, when high speed made cross talk noise.

Even though, it use advantage of Serial and Parallel communication, it is PCI-Express implement by combine many serial, PCI 16x mean Serial 16 channel.