Circuit switching is a communication technology that has been around for decades. It involves the establishment of a dedicated communication path between two devices for the duration of the communication session. This technology is still used today, especially in applications that require high-quality voice transmission, such as telephone networks. In circuit switching, there are two types of switches that are used to establish and maintain the communication path. These switches are the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network.
The circuit-switched network is the traditional form of circuit switching. It involves the establishment of a dedicated communication path between two devices for the duration of the communication session. This path is reserved exclusively for the two devices, and no other devices can use it. The circuit-switched network is commonly used in telephone networks, where the communication path is established between two telephones. The circuit-switched network is reliable and provides high-quality voice transmission, but it is not very efficient in terms of bandwidth utilization.
The packet-switched network is a newer form of circuit switching that is more efficient in terms of bandwidth utilization. In a packet-switched network, the communication path is not dedicated to the two devices. Instead, the communication is broken down into small packets of data that are sent over the network. These packets are then reassembled at the receiving end to form the original communication. The packet-switched network is commonly used in data networks, such as the internet. It is more efficient than the circuit-switched network because it allows multiple devices to share the same communication path.
In conclusion, circuit switching is a communication technology that is still used today, especially in applications that require high-quality voice transmission. There are two types of switches used in circuit switching, the circuit-switched network, and the packet-switched network. The circuit-switched network is reliable and provides high-quality voice transmission, but it is not very efficient in terms of bandwidth utilization. The packet-switched network is more efficient in terms of bandwidth utilization and is commonly used in data networks. Understanding the differences between these two types of switches is important for anyone working in the field of communication technology.