Serial vs Parallel Transmission: Cost, Speed, and Distance

H13-611 By islever Editorial Last updated

Common Storage Protocols Storage Network Architecture

Short answer

D Serial transmission is lower-cost, lower-speed, and suitable for long-distance links, while parallel transmission is faster and costlier for short-distance use.

Question

Which of the following statements is correct about serial and parallel transmissions?
  1. With fast speeds but high costs, parallel transmission is suitable for long-distance transmission.
  2. With low speeds and low costs, parallel transmission is suitable for short-distance transmission.
  3. With fast speeds but high costs, serial transmission is suitable for short-distance transmission.
  4. With low speeds and low costs, serial transmission is suitable for long-distance transmission. Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

It tests the classic pairing of serial transmission with low cost and long distance versus parallel transmission with higher speed, higher cost, and short distance, where the trap is accepting only half of option B.

This H13-611 question contrasts serial and parallel transmission by speed, cost, and distance. The correct statement is D: serial transmission is lower-cost and suited to long-distance links, while parallel transmission is faster and costlier for short runs.

Common mistake: Choosing B because parallel transmission is correctly associated with short-distance links, while ignoring that parallel is not low-speed or low-cost in this comparison.

Expert Analysis

Why D is the exam-correct match The question asks for the correct classic contrast between serial and parallel transmission. In the H13-611 storage fundamentals context, parallel transmission sends several bits over separate lanes at the same time. That gives higher throughput for short runs, but it needs more wires, wider connectors, and tighter skew and timing control, so it is usually costlier. Serial transmission sends bits one after another over a single lane; that reduces cabling and cost and tolerates longer distances, which is why option D is correct: lower speed, lower cost, and suitable for long-distance transmission.

Why B is the attractive trap Option B contains a true fragment: parallel transmission is normally used for short-distance links. The mistake is calling parallel "low speed and low cost." Parallel is the higher-speed, higher-cost option in this comparison, so B fails on the cost and performance half even though its distance half sounds right. This is the classic distractor because learners remember "parallel equals short distance" and stop reading.

Why A and C fail Option A reverses distance, claiming parallel transmission is suitable for long-distance links; that ignores skew, cable count, and cost. Option C reverses cost and distance for serial, saying it is fast, high-cost, and short-distance. Option D keeps all three attributes aligned: serial is lower speed, lower cost, and long distance. The supplied comment's summary that serial is low cost, parallel is high cost, and serial suits long distance while parallel suits short distance matches the intended doctrine.

Practical takeaway For H13-611, do not let "short distance" alone pull you to B. Match the complete bundle: parallel is high-speed, high-cost, and short-run; serial is low-speed, low-cost, and long-run. That single pairing eliminates A, B, and C.

Exam Strategy

When a question asks about serial versus parallel transmission, build a three-part profile before looking at the options: speed, cost, and distance. For H13-611-style items, parallel means multiple bits over multiple lanes, so expect higher speed and cost with short-distance use; serial means one lane, lower cost, and longer reach. Read each option against all three attributes rather than accepting one correct phrase, which is how B is designed to trap you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is option B incorrect for parallel transmission?

B correctly ties parallel transmission to short-distance use but wrongly calls it low-speed and low-cost. Parallel sends multiple bits at once, so it is generally faster and more expensive than serial transmission.

Does serial transmission always mean low speed?

No. Modern serial links can be very fast. In this H13-611 item, however, the expected doctrine pairs serial transmission with lower cost and long-distance suitability while parallel is the higher-speed short-run option.

How can I remember which transmission suits long distance?

Use the cable and timing clue: serial uses fewer lanes and avoids parallel skew issues, so it is the long-distance choice. Parallel needs multiple lanes and tight timing, making it better for short runs.

More H13-611 FAQ →

Community Votes

D
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 1 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 1

  1. 10c5cfe 👍 1 Answered D
    serial is low cost, parallel is high. serial suitable for long distance and parallel is suitable for short distance.

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