Circuit

What is Circuit (in computer networking)?

A path between two points over which an electrical signal can pass. In telecommunications, a circuit is a path over which voice, data, or other analog or digital signals can pass.

A physical circuit is a collection of wires or cables that are connected with switches or other devices; it can be thought of as a straight line between the two endpoints.

• Balanced circuits, such as those based on the RS-422 interface, use a separate signal path and return path, with two separate wires.
• Unbalanced circuits, such as those based on the RS-232 interface, use a single signal path, adding ground to complete the circuit.

Balanced circuits typically support higher data transmission rates because they are less susceptible to noise caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) than unbalanced circuits.

See also:

• Circuit-Switched Services
• Virtual Circuit