4.3 Basics of Signals and Noise in Communications Systems 4.3.6 Network reflection To understand reflection , imagine having a slinky or a jump rope stretched out with a friend holding the other end. Now, imagine sending them a pulse or a 1 bit message.
Reflection occurs in electrical signals.
When voltage pulses, or bits, hit a discontinuity some energy can be reflected. If not carefully controlled, this energy can interfere with later bits. Remember, while you are focused on only 1 bit at a time right now, in real networks you will want to send millions and billions of bits every second, thus requiring you to keep track of this reflected pulse energy. Depending on the cabling and connections that the network uses, reflections may or may not be a problem. Reflection also occurs with optical signals.