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A telecommunication circuit is a path in a telecommunications network used to transmit information . Circuits have evolved from generally being built on physical connections between individual hardware cables, as in an analog phone switch, to virtual circuits established over packet switching networks.

Definitions [ edit ]

A telecommunication circuit may be defined as follows: ^{[ citation needed ]}

• The complete path between two terminals over which one-way or two-way communications may be provided.
• An electronic path between two or more points, capable of providing a single or multiple communication channels .
• An electronic closed-loop path among two or more points used for signal transfer.

In operational terms, a telecommunication circuit may be capable of transmitting information in only one direction ( simplex circuit), or it may be bi-directional ( duplex circuit). Bi-directional circuits may support half- duplex operation , when only one end of the channel transmits at any one time, or they may support full-duplex operation, when independent simultaneous transmission occurs in both directions. ^[1]

Applications [ edit ]

Originally, telecommunication circuits transmitted analog signals . Radio stations used them as studio transmitter links (STLs) or as remote pickup unit (RPU) for sound reproduction , sometimes as a backup to other means. Later lines were digital , used in pair-gain applications, such as carrier systems , or in enterprise data networks .

A leased line , private circuit , or dedicated circuit , is a circuit that is dedicated to only one use and is typically not switched at a central office. The opposite is a switched circuit , which can be connected to different paths in a switching center or telephone exchange. Plain old telephone service (POTS) and ISDN telephone lines are switched circuits.

On certain packet switching telecommunication circuits, a virtual circuit may be created, while sharing the physical circuit.

References [ edit ]

 This article incorporates public domain material from Federal Standard 1037C . General Services Administration . Archived from the original on 2022-01-22.  (in support of MIL-STD-188 ).

Further reading [ edit ]

• Patrick D. van der Puije (2002). Telecommunication Circuit Design . New York: John Wiley & Sons.