Two wire versus Four wire

By: Rey Millikent N. Alamis Michael John Barcelona

Two-wire voice frequency circuits

A circuit configuration that is equivalent to using only two wires. Ideally suited to simplex transmission, although they are often used for half- and full-duplex transmission

Block Diagrams for Two-wire circuit configuration

Four-wire voice frequency circuits

A circuit configuration that is equivalent to using four wires. This circuit is ideally suited for full duplex transmission, although they can operate in half duplex mode.

Block Diagrams for Two-wire circuit configuration

Two wire versus four wire

There are several advantages of two-wire circuits over four-wire circuits. Two-wire circuits require less wire, less circuitry, and thus, less money than fourwire counterparts. However, four-wire circuits are considerably less noisy, have less crosstalk, and provide more isolation between the two directions of transmission when operating in either the half or the full-duplex mode. A disadvantage of four-wire operation is amplification, telephone or modem signals propagate more than a few miles require amplification. In two-wire circuit, a bidirectional amplifier impractical. It is easier to separate the two directions of propagation with four-wire circuit and install separate amplifier in each direction.