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Data Terminal Equipment




A DTE is the Functional Unit of a data station that serves as a data source or a data Sink and provides for the Data Communication control function to be performed in accordance with Link Protocol .

The data terminal equipment (DTE) may be a single piece of equipment or an interconnected subsystem of multiple pieces of equipment that perform all the required functions necessary to permit users to communicate.

A user interacts with the DTE, or the DTE may be the user. The DTE interacts with the Data Circuit -terminating Equipment ( DCE ).

Usually, the DTE device is the Terminal (or a Computer emulating a terminal), and the DCE is a Modem .

DTE is usually a male connector and DCE is a female connector.

A general rule is that DCE devices provide the clock (internal clocking) and that the DTE device synchronizes on the provided clock (external clocking). Another general rule is that DTE devices transmit on pin connector number 2 and receive on pin connector number 3. DCE devices are just the opposite: pin connector number 2 is receiving and pin connector number 3 is transmitting the signals.


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