Chain topology

In short: In a chain topology the devices are connected one after another in a row, each with its predecessor and successor. It is also called daisy chain or line topology.

In more detail: Data travels device by device from one end to the other. Unlike the bus there is no shared cable, only individual point-to-point links.

In Depth

• Advantages: little cable, simple to build, good for long narrow routes (tunnel, assembly line, road).
• Disadvantages: if a device or cable in the middle fails, the chain is split. With each hop latency increases and the shared bandwidth falls.
• If you close the chain into a circle you get a ring topology. That raises reliability.
• Applications: industrial fieldbuses, lighting (DMX), monitor chains, see daisy chain.

See also: network topologies, point-to-multipoint