The idea of duplex is used to name something that is double (that is, that presents the same thing twice or that houses a certain quantity twice). The term is used in different contexts.
A construction that contains two independent homes is called a duplex. These homes can be joined in parallel or placed one on top of the other. A duplex, therefore, has more than one floor or floor.
Each unit in a duplex has its own door. Beyond the private environments of each family , this type of building usually has common spaces for all owners, such as a garden or patio.
“Dúplex” is also the title of a film whose story takes place in a house of this kind. Directed by Danny De Vito and starring Drew Barrymore and Ben Stiller , it tells the adventures of a couple who have problems living together with the neighbor who lives on the upper floor of the duplex.
In the field of communications , a system that can receive and send signals simultaneously is known as duplex. In this way, messages circulate in two directions.
In order for duplex to be developed, it is necessary to have a medium that can transmit in both directions; a system that allows simultaneous receiving and sending; and a protocol in terminal equipment that organizes communication. In general, all modern systems can operate in duplex since they allow signals to be received and sent simultaneously.
Depending on whether it is possible to transmit in full or partial duplex mode, we can talk about the following categories of communications:
Duplex is also called full duplex , and is the most common today, since it allows channels capable of sending and receiving data simultaneously. To achieve this simultaneity, it is possible to use different cables or resort to frequency multiplexing (the use of separate frequencies). Collision-free full-duplex mode is expected over Ethernet (a local computer networking standard that defines physical characteristics and data formats).
With respect to half-duplex , it is an alternate connection in which data can only flow in one direction, that is, it does not allow simultaneous reception and sending like the previous one. What benefit can it offer us, given that at first glance it is less "capable" than full duplex? Well, it allows us to take advantage of the line one hundred percent in each transmission , since it should not use part of the frequency to send and part to receive.
A very easy to understand example is that of portable transmitter-receivers , also known as portable communicators or walkie-talkies , which cannot send and receive data simultaneously: each user must send their message , give the receiver the indication to Start sending yours, and wait for the next turn.
Finally we have the simplex , which only offers the possibility of transmitting data in one direction. Although it may seem impractical, there are many cases in which it is not necessary for a system to send and receive information. In addition, its maintenance is simpler and its cost is much lower than the other two. Until a few decades ago, fiber optics was perhaps the most everyday example of simplex, although today it is possible to take advantage of different wavelengths to achieve duplex communication, something used by Internet providers.
Duplex, finally, is the name for a sexual practice that involves the participation of a man and two women. The duplex, in this framework, constitutes a trio .