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In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the physical layer or layer 1 is the first and lowest layer.^[1] This layer may be implemented by a PHY chip.

The physical layer consists of the electronic circuit transmission technologies of a network.^[2] It is a fundamental layer underlying the higher level functions in a network. Due to the plethora of available hardware technologies with widely varying characteristics, this is perhaps the most complex layer in the OSI architecture.^{[3][not in citation given]}

The physical layer defines the means of transmitting raw bits^[4] rather than logical data packets over a physical data link connecting network nodes. The bitstream may be grouped into code words or symbols and converted to a physical signal that is transmitted over a transmission medium. The physical layer provides an electrical, mechanical, and procedural interface to the transmission medium. The shapes and properties of the electrical connectors, the frequencies to broadcast on, the line code to use and similar low-level parameters, are specified here.

Within the semantics of the OSI model, the physical layer translates logical communications requests from the data link layer into hardware-specific operations to cause transmission or reception of electronic signals.^[5][6]

Physical signaling sublayer

In a local area network (LAN) or a metropolitan area network (MAN) using Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture, the physical signaling sublayer is the portion of the physical layer that^[7][8]

• interfaces with the data link layer's medium access control (MAC) sublayer,


• performs character encoding, transmission, reception and decoding and,


• performs galvanic isolation.

Relation to the Internet Protocol

The Internet protocol suite, as defined in RFC 1122 and RFC 1123, is a high-level networking description used for the Internet and similar networks. It does not define an equivalent layer that deals exclusively with hardware-level specifications and interfaces, as this model does not concern itself directly with physical interfaces. Several RFCs mention a physical layer and data link layer, but that is in the context of IEEE protocols. RFC 1122 and 1123 do not mention any physical layer functionality or physical layer standards.

List of services

This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (October 2017)

The major functions and services performed by the physical layer are:

• Bit-by-bit or symbol-by-symbol delivery^[9]
  


• Providing a standardized interface to a physical transmission medium, including^[10][11]
  
  
  • Mechanical specification of electrical connectors and cables, for example maximum cable length
  
  
  • Electrical specification of transmission line signal level and impedance
    
  
  
  • Radio interface, including electromagnetic spectrum frequency allocation and specification of signal strength, analog bandwidth, etc.
  
  
  • Specifications for IR over optical fiber or a wireless IR communication link
  
  
  
  


• Modulation


• Line coding


• 
  Bit synchronization in synchronous serial communication
  


• 
  Start-stop signalling and flow control in asynchronous serial communication
  


• Circuit switching


• 
  Multiplexing
  
  • Establishment and termination of circuit switched connections
  
  


• 
  Carrier sense and collision detection utilized by some level 2 multiple access protocols
  


• 
  Equalization filtering, training sequences, pulse shaping and other signal processing of physical signals


• 
  Forward error correction^[12] for example bitwise convolutional coding


• 
  Bit-interleaving and other channel coding
  

The physical layer is also concerned with:^[13]

• Bit rate


• 
  Point-to-point, multipoint or point-to-multipoint line configuration


• Physical network topology, for example bus, ring, mesh or star network
  


• 
  Serial or parallel communication


• 
  Simplex, half duplex or full duplex transmission mode


• Autonegotiation

Technologies

The following technologies provide physical layer services:

• 1-Wire


• 
  ARINC 818 Avionics Digital Video Bus


• 
  Bluetooth physical layer


• 
  CAN bus (controller area network) physical layer


• DSL


• 
  EIA RS-232, EIA-422, EIA-423, RS-449, RS-485
  


• Etherloop


• 
  Ethernet physical layer Including 10BASE-T, 10BASE2, 10BASE5, 100BASE-TX, 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX and other varieties


• 
  GSM Um air interface physical layer


• 
  G.hn/G.9960 physical layer


• 
  I²C, I²S
  


• IEEE 1394 interface


• ISDN


• 
  IRDA physical layer


• 
  ITU Recommendations: see ITU-T
  


• LoRa


• 
  Mobile Industry Processor Interface physical layer


• Modulated ultrasound


• 
  Optical Transport Network (OTN)


• SPI


• SMB


• SONET/SDH


• T1 and other T-carrier links, and E1 and other E-carrier links


• 
  TransferJet physical layer


• 
  USB physical layer


• Telephone network modems — V.92
  


• Varieties of 802.11 Wi-Fi physical layers


• 
  IEEE 802.15.4 physical layers


• X10

Network equipment

The following network equipment provides physical layer services:^[14][15]

• Network interface controller


• Repeater


• Ethernet hub


• Modem


• Fiber media converter

See also

• Clock recovery


• Data transmission


• Digital modulation


• Line code


• Pulse shaping


• Bit synchronization


• Channel model

References

External links

• Physical Layer (Layer 1)


• 10G Layer 1 Walkthrough


• 5G Layer 2 Walltrough