1.4 Connectivity Methods

description of infrared

• light that is normally invisible to people used for communication
• a hand held input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code.
• hardware�capable of holding information either temporarily or permanently that is inside a device
• reliability, easy to expand network, security

characteristics of fibre

• strength member ,cladding, core, coating, outer jacket
• Works like a photocopier - paper is charged like the image, toner added and heat and pressure applied
• easy to use, intuitive, requires little training
• communication with wide bandwidth that can be set up quickly - no cables required

benefits of microwave

• wireless connectivity, with multiple channels available and a wide bandwidth
• bulk data processing, such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and transaction processing.
• a storage media that does not involve magnetic disks or any moving parts
• word processing, running a Web browser and connecting wirelessly to the Internet

description of wifi

• �a technology that uses radio waves to provide network connectivity
• a personal computer that is designed to fit conveniently on top of a typical office desk
• dvices are extremely portable, powerful computers with touchscreen controls
• compatable with an ethernet cable (RJ-45)) - has two LED lights that blink when port is active

description of GSM

• a digital mobile telephony system that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world
• permanently part of a computer,can be used to store OS
• Text sometimes cant be read properly, formatting can be lost
• ability to transfer one file or a segment of data from one format to another format.

benefits of wifi

• allows user to connect without wires, standards are agreed, eas to set up
• Their development is at very early stages, concerns about security of personal data
• expensive, requires accurately formatted forms for completion
• fragile,more expensive, smaller screen, battery goes flat quickly

limitations of copper

• cable is expensive and heavy, can corrode, and can allow electrical shocks
• more portable, smaller, less cords than a desktop
• More expensive than a mouse, not suitable for point and click programs
• allows a computer to generate sound- either basic sounds like beeps, or more sophisticated sounds using a sound card

benefits of copper

• cable is highly conductive, with minimal energy loss
• bulk data processing, such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and transaction processing.
• networks that allow mobile broadband from smartphone without wifi router
• more powerful , more features, cheaper than laptop

description of fibre

• cables made from glass that becomes very flexible when thin
• rarely turned off, lot of RAM, possibly RAID
• covers large geographical area, affordable
• Exteremely fast data connection over long distnces

description of copper

• cables made from highly conductive metal which carry electrical signals
• Wherever fast, high quality printing is required
• used for the input of sound which is then digitised by the computer. The digital audio can be saved for playback later on
• to allow a computer to connect to a networl