BUS TOPOLOGY:
A bus topology is a type of computer network topology in which all devices are connected to a central communication medium, often referred to as a "bus" or a "backbone." In this topology, devices are connected in a linear fashion, with each device having two connections: one to the central bus and one to its neighboring device. Data is transmitted along the bus, and all devices on the network can see and receive the data, but only the device intended to receive the data actually processes it.
Here are some key characteristics of a bus topology:
Single Communication Line: In a bus topology, there is a single communication line (the bus) to which all devices are connected.
Passive Topology: The central bus is passive, meaning it does not have any intelligence or active components. It simply serves as a conduit for data transmission.
Terminators: The ends of the bus must be properly terminated with terminators to prevent signal reflections and ensure data integrity.
Data Transmission: Data travels in both directions along the bus, but it is only picked up by the device it is intended for based on the addressing scheme used.
Scalability: Bus topologies are relatively easy to set up and are cost-effective for small to medium-sized networks. However, they can become less efficient and more challenging to manage as the network grows.
Fault Tolerance: Bus topologies are susceptible to a single point of failure. If the central bus or any segment of the bus fails, it can disrupt communication for all devices on that segment.
Collision Detection: In traditional Ethernet networks that use bus topologies, collision detection is employed to manage access to the communication medium. Devices listen for a clear channel before transmitting data to avoid collisions.
Bus topologies were commonly used in early Ethernet networks (e.g., 10BASE2 and 10BASE5) but have become less common in modern networking due to limitations in scalability, fault tolerance, and the prevalence of other topologies like star and ring. Nevertheless, they are still used in some specialized applications, such as industrial control systems and some types of local area networks (LANs).