[doo-pleks, dyoo-] 
| 1. | duplex apartment. |
| 2. | duplex house. |
| 3. | paper or cardboard having different colors, finishes, or stocks on opposite sides. |
| 4. | Printing.
|
| 5. | Genetics. a double-stranded region of DNA. |
| 6. | having two parts; double; twofold. |
| 7. | (of a machine) having two identical working units, operating together or independently, in a single framework or assembly. |
| 8. | pertaining to or noting a telecommunications system, as most telephone systems, permitting the simultaneous transmission of two messages in opposite directions over one channel. |
| 9. | to make duplex; make or change into a duplex: Many owners are duplexing their old houses for extra income. |
| an apartment with rooms on two connected floors. |
| a house having separate apartments for two families, esp. a two-story house having a complete apartment on each floor and two separate entrances. |
| du·plex (dōō'plěks', dyōō'-) adj.
[Latin; see dwo- in Indo-European roots.] du·plex'i·ty (-plěk'sĭ-tē) n. |
duplex communications
Used to describe a communications channel that can carry signals in both directions, in contrast to a simplex channel which only ever carries a signal in one direction.
If signals can only flow in one direction at a time the communications is "half-duplex", like a single-lane road with traffic lights at each end. Walkie-talkies with a "press-to-talk" button provide half-duplex communications.
If signals can flow in both directions simultaneously the communications is "full-duplex", like a normal two-lane road. Telephones provide full-duplex communications.
The term "duplex" was first used in wireless, telegraph, and telephone communications. Nearly all communications circuits used by computers are two-way, so the term is seldom used.
(http://cit.ac.nz/smac/dc100www/dc_014.htm).
(2001-07-21)
plɛks
