Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

multiplex
(1) to use a single unit for multiple purposes, usually by time sharing or frequency sharing. multiplexer

(2) the armature winding of a commutated electrical machine in which multiple, identical coil windings are placed on the rotor. In general, the number of the "plex" describes the total number of parallel windings between brush positions and, thus, also the multiplier on the number of parallel paths between brushes that would be provided by a simplex winding. For example, a duplex winding will have twice as many parallel electrical paths between brushes as a simplex winding, a triplex winding will have three times the number of paths, etc. See simplex, duplex, reentrancy.
multiplexer
a combinational logic device with many input channels and usually one output, connecting one and only one input channel at a time to the output.
multiplexing
(1) the process of transmitting a large number of information units over a smaller number of channels or lines. For example, if we have N independent signals that we want to transmit, then without using a multiplexer we need N independent channels to do so. Using a multiplexer to control the flow of these signals in only one channel reduces the number of wires, thus decreasing cost and increasing efficiency. Multiplexing is the superimposition of multiple signals to make up one signal. This is done to make the transmission of the signals efficient. Signals are multiplexed at the sending end of communication systems, and demultiplexed at the receiving end, in order to obtain the original signals.

(2) of or being a communication system that can simultaneously transmit two or more messages on the same circuit or radio channel.
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