Aptitude Engineering Mathematics Discrete Mathematics Operating System DBMS Com

Framing in Data Link Layer

Last Updated : 18 Apr, 2023

Frames are the units of digital transmission, particularly in computer

networks and telecommunications. Frames are comparable to the
packets of energy called photons in the case of light energy. Frame is
continuously used in Time Division Multiplexing process.

Framing is a point-to-point connection between two computers or

devices consisting of a wire in which data is transmitted as a stream of
bits. However, these bits must be framed into discernible blocks of
information. Framing is a function of the data link layer. It provides a
way for a sender to transmit a set of bits that are meaningful to the
receiver. Ethernet, token ring, frame relay, and other data link layer
technologies have their own frame structures. Frames have headers
that contain information such as error-checking codes.

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At the data link layer, it extracts the message from the sender and
provides it to the receiver by providing the sender's and receiver's
addresses. The advantage of using frames is that data is broken up
into recoverable chunks that can easily be checked for corruption.

The process of dividing the data into frames and reassembling it is

transparent to the user and is handled by the data link layer.

Framing is an important aspect of data link layer protocol design

because it allows the transmission of data to be organized and
controlled, ensuring that the data is delivered accurately and efficiently.

Problems in Framing

Detecting start of the frame: When a frame is transmitted, every

station must be able to detect it. Station detects frames by looking
out for a special sequence of bits that marks the beginning of the
frame i.e. SFD (Starting Frame Delimiter).
How does the station detect a frame: Every station listens to link for
SFD pattern through a sequential circuit. If SFD is detected,
sequential circuit alerts station. Station checks destination address
to accept or reject frame.
Detecting end of frame: When to stop reading the frame.
Handling errors: Framing errors may occur due to noise or other
transmission errors, which can cause a station to misinterpret the
frame. Therefore, error detection and correction mechanisms, such
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 as cyclic redundancy check (CRC), are used to ensure the integrity of
the frame.
Framing overhead: Every frame has a header and a trailer that
contains control information such as source and destination
address, error detection code, and other protocol-related
information. This overhead reduces the available bandwidth for data
transmission, especially for small-sized frames.
Framing incompatibility: Different networking devices and protocols
may use different framing methods, which can lead to framing
incompatibility issues. For example, if a device using one framing
method sends data to a device using a different framing method, the
receiving device may not be able to correctly interpret the frame.
Framing synchronization: Stations must be synchronized with each
other to avoid collisions and ensure reliable communication.
Synchronization requires that all stations agree on the frame
boundaries and timing, which can be challenging in complex
networks with many devices and varying traffic loads.
Framing efficiency: Framing should be designed to minimize the
amount of data overhead while maximizing the available bandwidth
for data transmission. Inefficient framing methods can lead to lower
network performance and higher latency.

Types of framing

There are two types of framing:

1. Fixed-size: The frame is of fixed size and there is no need to provide

boundaries to the frame, the length of the frame itself acts as a
delimiter.

Drawback: It suffers from internal fragmentation if the data size is

less than the frame size
Solution: Padding

2. Variable size: In this, there is a need to define the end of the frame
as well as the beginning of theOpen
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frame
App to distinguish. This can be
done in two ways:

1. Length field - We can introduce a length field in the frame to indicate

the length of the frame. Used in Ethernet(802.3). The problem with
this is that sometimes the length field might get corrupted.
2. End Delimiter (ED) - We can introduce an ED(pattern) to indicate the
end of the frame. Used in Token Ring. The problem with this is that
ED can occur in the data. This can be solved by:

1. Character/Byte Stuffing: Used when frames consist of

characters. If data contains ED then, a byte is stuffed into data to
differentiate it from ED.

Let ED = "$" --> if data contains '$' anywhere, it can be escaped using
'\O' character.
--> if data contains '\O$' then, use '\O\O\O$'($ is escaped using \O
and \O is escaped using \O).

Disadvantage - It is very costly and obsolete method.

2. Bit Stuffing: Let ED = 01111 and if data = 01111

--> Sender stuffs a bit to break the pattern i.e. here appends a 0 in data
= 011101.
--> Receiver receives the frame.
--> If data contains 011101, receiver removes the 0 and reads the data.
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Examples:

If Data --> 011100011110 and ED --> 0111 then, find data after bit
stuffing.

--> 011010001101100

If Data --> 110001001 and ED --> 1000 then, find data after bit
stuffing?

--> 11001010011

framing in the Data Link Layer also presents some challenges, which include:
Variable frame length: The length of frames can vary depending on the
data being transmitted, which can lead to inefficiencies in
transmission. To address this issue, protocols such as HDLC and PPP
use a flag sequence to mark the start and end of each frame.

Bit stuffing: Bit stuffing is a technique used to prevent data from being
interpreted as control characters by inserting extra bits into the data
stream. However, bit stuffing can lead to issues with synchronization
and increase the overhead of the transmission.

Synchronization: Synchronization is critical for ensuring that data

frames are transmitted and received correctly. However,
synchronization can be challenging, particularly in high-speed networks
where frames are transmitted Open In App
rapidly.
 Error detection: Data Link Layer protocols use various techniques to
detect errors in the transmitted data, such as checksums and CRCs.
However, these techniques are not foolproof and can miss some types
of errors.

Efficiency: Efficient use of available bandwidth is critical for ensuring

that data is transmitted quickly and reliably. However, the overhead
associated with framing and error detection can reduce the overall
efficiency of the transmission.

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Article Tags : Misc Technical Scripter Computer Networks GATE CS

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