Full duplex vs half duplex is a distinction made to describe the capacity of telecommunications devices such as computers, phones, speakerphones, walk-talkies, etc. A device that is full duplex is able to send and receive information or data at the same time. A telephone is a full-duplex device. You can talk (i.e., send data) and listen (i.e., receive data) at the same time. A walkie talkie
. is a half duplex device. You can hear what someone is saying (i.e., receive data), but you must push a button in order to talk (i.e., send information). Computers, cell phones, and 2-way radios are full duplex. Baby monitors, intercoms, and conventional speaker phones, where the speaker is shut off when you are talking as to not pick up and retransmit what your caller is saying, are examples of half duplex devices. For more information, check out http://www.techzonez.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3589.html
