Talk:Data communication

data communication

is that true when two peoples are talking to each other in a room then the transmission medium between through Air ? Sheikh muhammad shariq ashrafi (talk) 22:13, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Yes, unless they're lip reading. ~Kvng (talk) 17:27, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

Lead

The article opens with "digital communication", but data communication is not necessarily digital; as people also communicate with analog or organic methods. I feel if the purpose of this article is to discuss digital communication, maybe the title could be moved to "digital data communication", or the article could be expanded to focus on not just digital communications? 2A00:23C4:41A:9601:82C:F5C4:ABF7:DF82 (talk) 15:45, 16 April 2022 (UTC)

Thinking too, in that context the word "information" can better apply, but "data" in isolation is still ambiguous. 2A00:23C4:41A:9601:82C:F5C4:ABF7:DF82 (talk) 15:49, 16 April 2022 (UTC)

Proposed addition to Applications and History

During and after WWII digital technology became a key subject for research e.g. for radar, missile and gun fire control and encryption. In the 1950’s scientists were trying various methods around the world to reduce errors in transmissions using code and to synchronise the received data. The problem being transmission noise, time delay and accuracy of received data. In 1949 the mathematician [Claude E Shannon] published an article [A mathematical Theory of Communication] which laid out the basic elements of communication. In it he discusses the problems of noise.

Shannon realised that “communication signals must be treated in isolation from the meaning of the messages that they transmit” and laid down the theoretical foundations for digital circuits. “The problem of communication was primarily viewed as a deterministic signal-reconstruction problem: how to transform a received signal, distorted by the physical medium, to reconstruct the original as accurately as possible”. (Ref: Quanta Magazine, How Claude Shannon invented the future).

https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-claude-shannons-information-theory-invented-the-future-20201222/

In 1953 RH Barker published a paper demonstrating how this problem to synchronise the data in transmissions could be overcome. The process is described in “Group Synchronisation of Binary Digital Systems”. When used in data transmissions the receiver can read and if necessary correct the data to be error free by auto and cross correlation i.e. by achieving zero autocorrelation except at the incidence position using specific codes. The Barker sequence utilised a technique of auto correlation and cross correlation which at the time produced great interest as his method solved the problem, initiating a huge leap forward in telecommunications. The process has remained at the forefront of data transmission and telemetry.

“In a pioneering examination of group synchronization of binary digital systems, Barker reasoned it would be desirable to start with an autocorrelation function having very low sidelobes. The governing code pattern, he insisted, could be unambiguously recognized by the detector. To assure this premise, Barker contended the selected pattern should be sufficiently unlikely to occur by chance, in a random series of noise generated bits” (1.)p13

The principle of using phase shifted codes with auto and crosscorrelation to achieve synchronisation has since been developed into many more hybrid formats with a variety of names such as Nested Barker codes, Polyphase Barker codes, Barker word, Barker like sequences, Barker convolution codes, Quadraphase Barker codes, Double or nested Barker codes (use the Kronecker product of two Barker Codes), Compound Barker codes etc. Some variants being named otherwise by their inventors. These all use the same principle of good autocorrelation with minimum amplitude of side lobes. Each variant being designed to meet specific applications.

RH Barker solved the problem with is ground breaking invention. Barker sequences are used in most digital applications today. These include, radar, near space telemetry, GPS, mobile phone technology, ultrasound and thermography, sonar, LAN technology, DSSS, QPSK, and HSSS, RFID – vehicle, goods and livestock tracking, bar code scanners, inventory management, vehicle, parcel, asset and equipment tracking, inventory control, cargo and supply chain logistics etc. etc.

The invention of Barker code together with the use of auto correlation and cross correlation was a major breakthrough and should be recognised as being of historical significance to data transmission. This was in the days of valves, relays, oscilloscopes, soldering irons and Avo meters.

For the reasons given above R H Barker should be acknowledged for inventing a pioneering method to solve a problem.

I would therefore like to add the following to the ‘Applications and history’ section of this article. After the second sentence ending 1951. Add The first practical method to overcome the problem of receiving data accurately by the receiver using digital code was invented by [Ronald Hugh Barker] in 1952, published in 1953. Windswept (talk) 14:52, 28 July 2022 (UTC)

The first three paragraphs look good. The rest of it gets a bit WP:UNDUE on Barker codes and has some WP:PEACOCK issues though it could be useful in improving Barker code. ~Kvng (talk) 14:53, 1 August 2022 (UTC)

Just to clarify all I am suggesting is that a single sentence is added to the Applications and History Section after the second sentence in the second paragraph i.e. after 1951 for the reasons given.

The sentence being as follows:- "The first practical method to overcome the problem of receiving data accurately by the receiver using digital code was invented by [Ronald Hugh Barker] in 1952, published in 1953".

If you are in agreement please add it in. Windswept (talk) 14:42, 2 August 2022 (UTC)

That seems reasonable but it would be optimal if we had a WP:SECONDARY source that supported this statement. Neither of the two sources you've linked to are all that. ~Kvng (talk) 13:49, 5 August 2022 (UTC)

Some casual reading on history here

• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-history-behind-data-communication

Whizz40 (talk) 13:54, 13 November 2023 (UTC)

References

Telecommunications

Telecommunications is a subset of data communications. There is no need to mention tele-communcations in the first paragraph.

Possibly but some may argue that telecommunications span a distance and some of the communications discussed in this article are local. ~Kvng (talk) 14:18, 9 June 2024 (UTC)