Transmission Impairment in Data Communication

In communication system, analog signals travel through transmission media, which tends to deteriorate the quality of
analog signal, which means that the signal at the beginning of the medium is not the same as the signal at the end of
the medium. The imperfection causes signal impairment. Below are the causes of the impairment.
Causes of impairment –

 Attenuation – It means loss of energy. The strength of signal decreases with increasing distance which causes
loss of energy in overcoming resistance of medium. This is also known as attenuated signal. Amplifiers are used
to amplify the attenuated signal which gives the original signal back and compensate for this loss.

 Image Source – aviationchief

Attenuation is measured in decibels(dB). It measures the relative strengths of two signals or one signal at two different
point.

Attenuation(dB) = 10log10(P2/P1)
P1 is the power at sending end and P2 is the power at receiving end.
Some where the decibel is also define in terms of voltage instead of power.In this case because power is proportional to
the square of the voltage the formula is
Attenuation(dB) = 20log10(V2/V1)
V1 is the voltage at sending end and V2 is the voltage at receiving end.
 Distortion – It means changes in the form or shape of the signal. This is generally seen in composite signals
made up with different frequencies. Each frequency component has its own propagation speed travelling
through a medium. And thats why it delay in arriving at the final destination Every component arrive at different
time which leads to distortion. Therefore, they have different phases at receiver end from what they had at
senders end.
  Noise – The random or unwanted signal that mixes up with the original signal is called noise. There are several
types of noise such as induced noise, crosstalk noise, thermal noise and impulse noise which may corrupt the
signal.
Induced noise comes from sources such as motors and appliances. These devices act as sending antenna and
transmission medium act as receiving antenna. Thermal noise is movement of electrons in wire which creates an extra
signal. Crosstalk noise is when one wire affects the other wire. Impulse noise is a signal with high energy that comes
from lightning or power lines

 To find the theoretical bit rate limit, we need to know the ration .The signal-to-noise ratio is defined as

SNR = AVG SIGNAL POWER / AVG NOISE POWER

SNRdB = 10Log10SNR
Noise in computer networks, refers to any unwanted disturbance or interference that affects the quality, integrity, or
reliability of the transmitted data or signals.
It can disrupt the smooth flow of information, degrade network performance, introduce errors, and potentially lead to
data corruption.
Noise can occur at various stages of data transmission, including during signal generation, propagation, reception, and
processing.
It can manifest in different forms, such as electrical, thermal, intermodulation, cross-talk, impulse, shot, transit-time
noise, or Gaussian noise.
What Are the Different Types of Noise in Computer Networks?
Here are the different types of noise in computer networks, what causes them and how to minimize their effect on
electrical signal or data transmission or reception.
1. Electronic noise
2. Thermal noise
3. Crosstalk noise
4. Impulse noise
5. Intermodulation noise
6. Transit-time noise
 7. Shot noise
8. Gaussian Noise
1/ Electrical noise
Electronic noise is also known as “background noise,”. It is one of the most common type of noise that is caused by the
random movements of electrons in electronic components like transistors, diodes, and amplifiers.

It is an unwanted disturbance in an electrical signal that can degrade the quality of the signal, cause distortion in the
signal, and also reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
It can arise from external sources, such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by nearby electrical devices or
radio signals.
It can also originate from internal sources, like network equipment itself, due to factors like poor grounding or improper
shielding.
To reduce electronic noise, various techniques can be employed, such as shielding, grounding, filtering, signal
amplification, signal modulation, signal averaging, and using high-quality components.
These techniques help to improve the quality of the signal and reduce the effects of noise.
2/ Thermal Noise
Thermal noise is another common type of noise caused by the random movements of electrons in network cables or
conductors. This random movement generates a small amount of electrical noise, which can accumulate and distort the
signal being transmitted.
In essence, it is a noise that occur due to heat temperature as electrons move along a conductor.
The amount of thermal noise increases with temperature, so it is more prevalent in warmer environments. It can be
reduced by using shielded cables, which help to block external sources of interference.
3/ Crosstalk Noise
Crosstalk is a type of noise which is caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) between adjacent network cables or
conductors.
When two or more cables are placed close to each other, the electrical signals in one cable can induce an unwanted
signal in the adjacent cable. This unwanted signal can cause distortion and reduce the quality of the original signal.
It can be reduced by using twisted pair cables, which have a special winding pattern that reduces interference, and other
shielding techniques.
4/ Impulse Noise
Impulse noise consists of sudden, short-duration bursts of interference. It can be caused by external factors like
electrical surges, lightning strikes, or electromagnetic pulses.
These sudden changes can overload the network and cause distortion or even damage to the equipment.
It can be reduced by using surge protectors and other protective measures that can absorb or redirect the excess
energy.
5/ Intermodulation Noise
Intermodulation noise is caused when two or more signals with different frequencies mix together and create new
frequencies that can interfere with or distort the original signals.
The interaction between multiple signal occurs mostly in a nonlinear devices or mediums.
It can be reduced by using filters and other signal processing techniques that can separate and isolate the different
frequencies.
6/ Transit-time Noise
This type of noise is caused due to the time it takes for electrons to travel through electronic components, which can
cause delays and distortions in the signal.
It is more common in high-frequency systems and can be reduced by using high-quality components with short transit
times.
7/ Shot Noise
Shot noise is caused by the random fluctuations in the current or voltage that occur due to the discrete nature of
electrons.
Shot noise is most noticeable in low-level signals.
It arises due to the quantized nature of particles, such as electrons or photons, and leads to statistical variations in the
signal.
It is more commonly found in high-speed communication systems and can be reduced by using amplifiers with low noise
levels and filtering techniques.
8/ Gaussian Noise
Gaussian noise is a type of noise that is caused by random variations in the signal amplitude that follow a normal
distribution.
This type of noise is also known as “white noise” and has a flat spectrum.
It is often used as a model for other types of noise.
It is a common type of noise in wireless networks and can be caused by factors like atmospheric noise or interference
from other devices.