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Physical layer

The physical layer is the lowest layer of the OSI model, responsible for transporting data through various electrical, mechanical, or procedural interfaces. It defines how bits are converted into signals, manages data rates, synchronization, transmission modes, and device interfaces. This layer serves as a foundation for higher layers and plays a crucial role in establishing reliable connections between devices over a network.

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80 views2 pages

Physical layer

The physical layer is the lowest layer of the OSI model, responsible for transporting data through various electrical, mechanical, or procedural interfaces. It defines how bits are converted into signals, manages data rates, synchronization, transmission modes, and device interfaces. This layer serves as a foundation for higher layers and plays a crucial role in establishing reliable connections between devices over a network.

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ebawaqbezu
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Physical layer

The physical layer is the first and lowest layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
communications model. The physical layer's function is to transport data using electrical,
mechanical or procedural interfaces.

OSI is a reference model used to show how applications communicate over a network. The
model focuses on providing a visual design of how each communications layer is built on top
of the other, starting with the physical cabling all the way to the application that's trying to
communicate with other devices on a network. IT networking professionals use the OSI
model to conceptualize how data is sent or received over a network.

The physical layer is the layer closest to the physical connection between devices. This layer
covers a variety of devices and mediums, among them cabling, connectors, receivers,
transceivers and repeaters. The physical layer doesn't deal with the physical medium, but it
specifies the properties and physical connectivity of low-level parameters, like electrical
connectors. The physical layer acts as a foundation for the other layers. It's also useful for
understanding the connections between devices, while adding visibility can aid in some risk
mitigation processes.

The physical layer determines how to use electricity to place a stream of raw bits from Layer
2, the data link layer, onto the pins and across the wires of a twisted-pair cable. From an
optical standpoint, the physical layer converts a stream of zeros and ones onto fiber using
light as its physical medium. Lastly, the physical layer uses a wireless transmitter to convert
these bits into radio waves for transport.

Functions of the physical layer

The physical layer is responsible for sending computer bits from one device to another along
the network. Its role is determining how physical connections to the network are set up, as
well as how bits are represented into predictable signals -- as they are transmitted either
electrically, optically or by radio waves.

To do this, the physical layer performs a variety of functions, including the following:
 Defining bits :- Determines how bits are converted from zeros and ones to a signal.

 Data rate :- Determines how fast the data flows in bits per second.

 Synchronization :- Ensures that sending and receiving devices are synchronized.

 Transmission mode :- Determines the direction of data transmissions and whether those
are simplex (one signal is transmitted in one direction), half-duplex (data goes in both
directions but not at the same time) or full-duplex (data is transmitted in both directions
simultaneously).

 Interface :- Determines how devices are connected to a transmission medium, such as


Ethernet or radio waves.

 Configuration :- Provides point-to-point configurations and multipoint configurations.

 Modulation :- Converts data into radio waves.

 Switching mechanism :- Sends data packets from one port to another.

 Signal equalization.:- Helps create more reliable connections and makes multiplexing
easier.

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