Practice IB Computer Science (First Exam 2027) Topic A2.3 Data Transmissions with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for A2.3 Data Transmissions and mirrors Paper 1, 2 style where relevant.
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A data centre implements various error detection and correction mechanisms for high-reliability storage systems.
Complete the following table to describe the capabilities and limitations of different error handling methods.
| Method | Detection Capabilities | Correction Abilities | Overhead Costs | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parity bits | ||||
| Checksums | ||||
| CRC | ||||
| Hamming codes | ||||
| Reed-Solomon |
Explain why Reed-Solomon codes are specifically chosen for satellite communications and optical storage media.
A financial trading firm reviews its network for high-frequency trading operations and wants to reduce end-to-end communication delay.
Evaluate different factors and approaches that can reduce network transmission delay, including transmission medium choice (e.g. copper vs fibre), bandwidth, distance/propagation delay, congestion/traffic load, packet size, routing path/hops, and protocol overhead. Discuss their latency reduction potential, implementation costs, complexity, and typical performance impact.
Explain the business impact of small (e.g. microsecond-level) latency differences in high-frequency trading.
An autonomous vehicle manufacturer develops vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems for traffic safety.
The following indicative characteristics of some wireless technologies may be used for comparison in Parts 0 and 1:
| Technology | Typical range (V2X context) | Typical latency | Typical bandwidth / data rate | Reliability | Infrastructure required | Example safety application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSRC (IEEE 802.11p) | ~300 m | <100 ms | up to 27 Mbps | High (short-range, local) | Optional roadside units (RSUs) | Collision avoidance |
| C-V2X (LTE/5G sidelink) | ~500 m to 1 km | <20 ms | Medium to high | Medium to high | Cellular network for wider coverage; can operate direct sidelink without RSUs | Traffic management |
| 5G mmWave | typically <300 m (line-of-sight) | very low (often <10 ms) | Very high | Variable (blocked by obstacles) | Dense small cells | High-definition sensor sharing at junctions |
| WiFi 6 (802.11ax) | tens to ~100 m | <50 ms | High | Medium | Access points | Parking assistance |
Analyse different wireless communication technologies for V2X applications by completing the missing entries in the following table.
| Technology | Range | Latency | Bandwidth | Reliability | Infrastructure Required | Safety Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSRC (802.11p) | Not specified | <100 ms | High | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
Evaluate the trade-offs between direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication and infrastructure-based communication for emergency braking scenarios.
A live streaming platform optimizes video transmission quality across varying network conditions.
Paper note: This structured question is appropriate for Paper 2 (not Paper 1, which is multiple-choice only).
Analyse how Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics guide adaptive bitrate decisions in video streaming.
Complete the adaptive streaming protocol analysis table by filling in the blank cells.
| Streaming Protocol | Adaptation Method | Buffer Requirements | Latency | Quality Switching | Network Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) | Good | ||||
| DASH | Bitrate adaptation | Medium | Fast | ||
| WebRTC | Low | High | |||
| RTMP | Manual | ||||
| SRT |
Analyse how Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics guide adaptive bitrate decisions in video streaming.
A satellite communication company optimizes data transmission protocols for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.
Which statement best compares TCP and UDP for satellite communications, considering reliability, overhead, latency tolerance, error recovery, and suitable use cases?