1. Transmission media

Advances in microelectronics have made it possible to significantly increase the computing capacity of processors. However, this computing capacity is of no use if it is not supplied with information at a sufficient rate: the transmission medium has therefore become the decisive element in the performance of an electronic system today. Studying the transmission medium is therefore a decisive factor in understanding and developing high-performance systems. Whether transmission takes place on copper, in the ether or on glass, the intrinsic characteristics of this medium must be taken into account, as they will limit the link's performance.

In these three cases, the parameters to be taken into account when comparing electrical and optical links are :

• mitigation ;

• bandwidth ;

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