Full Duplex

Full duplex refers to the transmission of data in two directions simultaneously. A good example of full duplex device is a telephone; both parties at both ends can speak and hear each other at the same time. In the computer world, most network protocols are duplex, enabling devices to send back and forth simultaneously. Another example is, two computers connected via an Ethernet cable can send and receive data at the same time. Wireless networks also support full-duplex communication. Additionally, modern I/O standards, such as USB and Thunderbolt, are full-duplex. The terms duplex and full-duplex can be used interchangeably since both refer to simultaneous bidirectional communication. Full-duplex is often used in contrast to half-duplex, which refers to bidirectional communication, but not at the same time. Simplex communication is even more limited and only supports data transmission in one direction. Full-duplex is sometimes abbreviated "FDX."