Difference Between Synchronous and
Asynchronous Transmission
As we know in Serial Transmission data is sent bit by bit, in such a way that each bit
follows another. It is of two types namely, Synchronous and Asynchronous
Transmission.
One of the major differences is that in Synchronous Transmission, the sender and receiver
should have synchronized clocks before data transmission. Whereas Asynchronous
Transmission does not require a clock, but it adds a parity bit to the data before
transmission.
Furthermore, the synchronous transmission uses synchronization characters while
asynchronous method employs start/stop bits, in order to alert the modem when data are
being sent and when are these transmissions are completed are known as message
characters.
Content: Synchronous Vs Asynchronous Transmission
Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR SYNCHRONOUS ASYNCHRONOUS
COMPARISON TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION
Meaning Transmission starts with the It uses start bit and stop bit
block header which holds a preceding and following a
BASIS FOR SYNCHRONOUS ASYNCHRONOUS
COMPARISON TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION
sequence of bits. character respectively.
Transmission Sends data in the form of Sends 1 byte or character at a
manner blocks or frames time
Synchronization Present with the same clock Absent
pulse.
Transmission Fast Slow
Speed
Gap between the Does not exist Exist
data
Cost Expensive Economical
Time Interval Constant Random
Implemented by Hardware and software Hardware only
Examples Chat Rooms, Video Letters, emails, forums, etcetera.
Conferencing, Telephonic
BASIS FOR SYNCHRONOUS ASYNCHRONOUS
COMPARISON TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION
Conversations, etcetera.
Definition of Synchronous Transmission
In Synchronous Transmission, data flows in a full-duplex mode in the form of blocks or
frames. Synchronization between the sender and receiver is necessary so that the sender
knows where the new byte starts (since there is no gap between the data). Therefore, each
block of characters is labelled with the synchronization characters and the receiving device
acquires the data until a special ending character is identified.
Synchronous Transmission is efficient, reliable and is used for transferring a large amount of
data. It provides real-time communication between connected devices. Chat Rooms, Video
Conferencing, telephonic conversations, as well as face to face interactions, are some of the
examples of Synchronous Transmission.
The voice-band and broad-band channels are usually used in the synchronous transmission
modes as it provides a faster speed up to 1200 bps and serves the purpose of high data
transfer speed.
Definition of Asynchronous Transmission
In Asynchronous Transmission data flows in a half-duplex mode, 1 byte or a character at
a time. It transmits the data in a continuous stream of bytes. In general, the size of a
character sent is 8 bits to which a parity bit is added, i.e. a start and a stop bit that gives
the total of 10 bits.
It does not require a clock for synchronization; rather it uses the parity bits to tell the
receiver how to interpret the data. These parity bits are known as start and stop bits which
control the transfer of data.
It
uses character-based synchronization so that the receiving terminal could synchronize itself
with the receipt of data on a character. It is simple, fast, economical and does not require a
2-way communication. Letters, emails, forums, televisions and radios are some of the
examples of Asynchronous Transmission.
The voice-band channels that are of a narrow type and operates on a slower speed are
utilized in the asynchronous transfer. Here, the transmitting device works manually or
intermittently.
Key Differences Between Synchronous and Asynchronous
Transmission
1. In Synchronous Transmission, data is transferred in the form of frames. On the other
hand, in Asynchronous Transmission data is transmitted 1 byte at a time.
2. Synchronous Transmission requires a clock signal between the sender and receiver so
as to inform the receiver about the new byte. In contrast, in Asynchronous
Transmission sender and receiver does not require a clock signal as the data sent here
has a parity bit attached to it which indicates the start of the new byte.
3. Data transfer rate of Asynchronous Transmission is slower than that of Synchronous
Transmission.
4. Asynchronous Transmission is simple and economical, whereas Synchronous
Transmission is complicated and expensive.
5. Synchronous Transmission is efficient and has lower overhead as compared to the
Asynchronous Transmission.
6. In asynchronous data transfer, the line is kept at a stable value (logic 1) if no data is
transmitted through the line. As against, in synchronous transfer, the end of the data is
indicated by the sync character(s). Further than the sync characters, the line can be
either high or low.
Conclusion
Both Synchronous and Asynchronous Transmission have their advantages and
disadvantages. Asynchronous is simple, economical and used for transmitting a small
amount of data.
Conversely, Synchronous Transmission is used for transferring the bulk of data as it is
efficient and has less overhead. Hence, we conclude that both Synchronous and
Asynchronous Transmission are necessary for data transmission.
In distributed systems, both synchronous and asynchronous communication models play
crucial roles, with asynchronous approaches becoming increasingly popular for their flexibility
and efficiency. Synchronous communication involves a caller waiting for a response, while
asynchronous communication allows the caller to continue without waiting, often using
message queues or topics.
Synchronous Communication:
Definition: A caller sends a request and waits for a response before proceeding.
Examples: HTTP-based protocols like REST or GraphQL, where a request is sent and the
client waits for a response before continuing.
Characteristics: Synchronous systems are often simpler to implement and understand, but
can become tightly coupled and less resilient to failures.
Advantages: Immediate results, ease of implementation.
Disadvantages: Can lead to blocking, potential performance issues, and less fault tolerance.
Use Cases: When immediate feedback is required, like in online shopping where inventory
availability must be verified before checkout.
Asynchronous Communication:
Definition: A caller sends a message and continues with other tasks, without waiting for a
response.
Examples: Using message queues like Kafka, Pulsar, or RabbitMQ, or asynchronous
frameworks like Akka Cluster.
Characteristics: Asynchronous systems offer greater flexibility and resilience, allowing for
loose coupling and dynamic scaling.
Advantages: Decoupling, better fault tolerance, and scalability.
Disadvantages: Increased complexity, potential for more complex debugging.
Use Cases: Reporting and alerts, where an application needs to continuously send updates
and trigger actions without being blocked.
Key Differences:
Time Coupling:
Synchronous systems require sender and receiver to be available simultaneously, while
asynchronous systems use a buffer (like a queue) which allows for more tolerance of slow
or offline components.
Space Coupling:
Synchronous systems require the sender to know the exact location of the receiver, while
asynchronous systems allow the sender to post a message to a topic or queue, with multiple
or no receivers.
Reliability:
Synchronous systems rely on the client for retries, while asynchronous systems shift that
burden to the message broker.
In Summary:
Synchronous communication is suitable for scenarios where immediate results are needed and
simplicity is prioritized, while asynchronous communication excels in situations where
flexibility, resilience, and scalability are crucial
