Half Duplex

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What Does Half Duplex Mean?

Half duplex (HDC) is a type of system that enables bidirectional data or voice communication between two nodes, where both end nodes send or receive data one node at a time.

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Techopedia Explains Half Duplex

HDX uses a single path of communication for sending and receiving and is like a one-lane road, where only one car can move in one direction at a time, while a car at the opposite end of the lane must wait before driving. Similarly, HDX-based systems can send or receive in only one direction at a time and must wait for the completion of in-process communication before using the same channel to transmit in the opposite direction.

A Walkie Talkie is an example of a HDX device, where only one person at a time may talk or listen while using the device.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.