What Is Synchronous Transmission?

In the synchronous transmission, a bit stream is just combined into the longer frames that may contain multiple bytes. Each byte, however, is introduced onto transmission link without a gap between it and the next one. It is left to receiver to separate bit stream into bytes for decoding purposes. In other words, data are transmitted as an unbroken string of 1s and 0s, and the receiver separates that string into bytes, or characters, it needs to reconstruct the information. In synchronous transmission, we send bits one after another without having any start or stop bits or the gaps. Without the gaps and start, stop bits, there is no built in mechanism to help the receiving device adjust its bit synchronization midstream. The factor of timing becomes very important, therefore because the accuracy of received information is completely dependent on the ability of the receiving device to keep an accurate count of bits as they come in.

The biggest advantage of synchronous transmission is speed. With no extra bits or gaps to introduce at sending end and remove at receiving end and, by extension, with fewer bits to move across the link, synchronous transmission is faster than the asynchronous transmission.