Physical layer
In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the physical layer or layer 1 is the first and lowest layer. This layer may be implemented by a PHY chip.
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The physical layer defines the means of transmitting raw bits[1] over a physical data link connecting network nodes. The bitstream may be grouped into code words or symbols and converted to a physical signal that is transmitted over a transmission medium. The physical layer provides an electrical, mechanical, and procedural interface to the transmission medium. The shapes and properties of the electrical connectors, the frequencies to broadcast on, the line code to use and similar low-level parameters, are specified by the physical layer.
Role
The physical layer consists of the electronic circuit transmission technologies of a network.[2] It is a fundamental layer underlying the higher level functions in a network, and can be implemented through a great number of different hardware technologies with widely varying characteristics.[3]
Within the semantics of the OSI model, the physical layer translates logical communications requests from the data link layer into hardware-specific operations to cause transmission or reception of electronic (or other) signals.[4][5] The physical layer supports higher layers responsible for generation of logical data packets.
Physical signaling sublayer
In a network using Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture, the physical signaling sublayer is the portion of the physical layer that[6][7]
- interfaces with the data link layer's medium access control (MAC) sublayer,
- performs symbol encoding, transmission, reception and decoding and,
- performs galvanic isolation.
Relation to the Internet Protocol
The Internet protocol suite, as defined in RFC 1122 and RFC 1123, is a high-level networking description used for the Internet and similar networks. It does not define a layer that deals exclusively with hardware-level specifications and interfaces, as this model does not concern itself directly with physical interfaces. Request for Comments (RFCs) that address topics of the physical layer and the data link layer, usually have the context of IEEE protocols. RFC 1122 and 1123 do not mention any physical layer functionality or standards.
List of services
The major functions and services performed by the physical layer are:
- Bit-by-bit or symbol-by-symbol delivery[8]
- Providing a standardized interface to a physical transmission medium, including[9][10]
- Mechanical specification of electrical connectors and cables, for example maximum cable length
- Electrical specification of transmission line signal level and impedance
- Radio interface, including electromagnetic spectrum frequency allocation and specification of signal strength, analog bandwidth, etc.
- Specifications for IR over optical fiber or a wireless IR communication link
- Modulation
- Line coding
- Bit synchronization in synchronous serial communication
- Start-stop signalling and flow control in asynchronous serial communication
- Circuit switching
- Multiplexing
- Establishment and termination of circuit switched connections
- Carrier sense and collision detection utilized by some level 2 multiple access methods
- Equalization filtering, training sequences, pulse shaping and other signal processing of physical signals
- Forward error correction[11] for example bitwise convolutional coding
- Bit-interleaving and other channel coding
The physical layer is also concerned with:[12]
- Bit rate
- Point-to-point, multipoint or point-to-multipoint line configuration
- Physical network topology, for example bus, ring, mesh or star network
- Serial or parallel communication
- Simplex, half duplex or full duplex transmission mode
- Autonegotiation
Technologies
The following technologies provide physical layer services:
- 1-Wire
- ARINC 818 Avionics Digital Video Bus
- Bluetooth physical layer
- CAN bus (controller area network) physical layer
- DSL
- EIA RS-232, EIA-422, EIA-423, RS-449, RS-485
- Etherloop
- Ethernet physical layer Including 10BASE-T, 10BASE2, 10BASE5, 100BASE-TX, 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX and other varieties
- G.hn/G.9960 physical layer
- GSM Um air interface physical layer
- IEEE 802.15.4 physical layers
- IEEE 1394 interface
- IRDA physical layer
- ISDN
- ITU Recommendations: see ITU-T
- I²C, I²S
- LoRa
- Low-voltage differential signaling
- Mobile Industry Processor Interface physical layer
- Modulated ultrasound
- Optical Transport Network (OTN)
- SMB
- SONET/SDH
- SPI
- T1 and other T-carrier links, and E1 and other E-carrier links
- Telephone network modems — V.92
- TransferJet physical layer
- USB physical layer
- Varieties of 802.11 Wi-Fi physical layers
- Visible light communication co-ordinated under IEEE 802.15.7
- X10
See also
- Bit synchronization
- Channel model
- Clock recovery
- Data transmission
- Digital modulation
- Intrinsic safety
- Line code
- Pulse shaping
- SerDes
References
- Gorry Fairhurst (2001-01-01). "Physical Layer". Archived from the original on 2009-06-18.
- Iyengar, Shisharama (2010). Fundamentals of Sensor Network Programming. Wiley. p. 136.
- "The Physical Layer | InterWorks". InterWorks. 2011-07-30. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
- Shaw, Keith (2018-10-22). "The OSI model explained: How to understand (and remember) the 7 layer network model". Network World. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- "(PDF) DATA COMMUNICATION & NETWORKING". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
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This article incorporates public domain material from the General Services Administration document: "Federal Standard 1037C". - "physical signaling sublayer (PLS)". Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- Shekhar, Amar (2016-04-07). "Physical Layer Of OSI Model: Working Functionalities and Protocols". Fossbytes. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- Bayliss, Colin R.; Bayliss, Colin; Hardy, Brian (2012-02-14). Transmission and Distribution Electrical Engineering. Elsevier. ISBN 9780080969121.
- "CCNA Certification/Physical Layer - Wikibooks, open books for an open world". en.wikibooks.org. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- Bertsekas, Dimitri; Gallager, Robert (1992). Data Networks. Prentice Hall. p. 61. ISBN 0-13-200916-1.
- Forouzan, Behrouz A.; Fegan, Sophia Chung (2007). Data Communications and Networking. Huga Media. ISBN 9780072967753.
External links
- Physical Layer (Layer 1)
- 10G Layer 1 Walkthrough
- 5G Layer 2 Walltrough