# Communications system
## MicroSim spec
- **Recommended sim type:** network graph
- **Microsimmability score:** 76/100
- **Layout:** [[Force|force]]-directed node-link graph on the canvas; sliders below.
### Parameters (tunable controls)
- `Number of nodes`
- `Connection probability`
- `Edge weight`
### What animates
Nodes and links arrange by a force layout; connectivity, clustering, and flow update live as edges are added or removed.
### Learning objective
Relate connection [[Structure|structure]] to how [[Information|information]] or flow spreads across the network.
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Communications_system.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
`AC_power` · `ARPANET` · `Accelerometer` · `Air_traffic_control` · `Alexander_Graham_Bell` · `Alfred_Vail` · `Almon_Brown_Strowger` · `Amos_Dolbear` · `Analog-to-digital_converter` · `Antenna_(radio)` · `Antonio_Meucci` · `Audio_coding_format` · `Automatic_call_distributor` · `BITNET` · `Bandwidth_(computing)` · `Beacon` · `Broadcasting` · `CYCLADES` · `Cable_protection_system` · `Cable_television` · `Camera` · `Camille_Tissot` · `Cellular_network` · `Charles_Bourseul` · `Charles_Grafton_Page` · `Charles_K._Kao` · `Charles_Sumner_Tainter` · `Charles_Wheatstone` · `Circuit_switching` · `Claude_Chappe` · [[Claude_Shannon]] · `Coaxial_cable` · `Code-division_multiple_access` · `Communication` · [[Communication_channel]] · [[Communication_protocol]] · `Communications_satellite` · `Computer` · `Computer_mouse` · `Computer_network` · `Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States` · `Daniel_Davis_Jr.` · `Data` · `Data_communication` · [[Data_compression]] · `Dawon_Kahng` · `Defense_Information_Systems_Agency` · `Dial_tone` · `Digital-to-analog_converter` · `Digital_media` · `Digital_television` · [[Discrete_cosine_transform]] · `Donald_Davies` · `Drums_in_communication` · `Duplex_(telecommunications)` · `Edholm's_law` · `Edwin_Howard_Armstrong` · [[Electric_current]] · `Electrical_conductor` · `Electrical_telegraph` · `Electromagnetic_radiation` · `Elisha_Gray` · `Email` · `Emergency_communication_system` · `Emile_Berliner` · `Erna_Schneider_Hoover` · `Ethernet` · `Fax` · `Fiber-optic_communication` · `FidoNet` · `Francis_Blake_(inventor)` · `Free-space_optical_communication` · `Frequency-division_multiplexing` · `GIF` · `Gardiner_Greene_Hubbard` · `General_Services_Administration` · `Guglielmo_Marconi` · `Harold_Hopkins_(physicist)` · `Hedy_Lamarr` · `Heliograph` · `Henry_Sutton_(inventor)` · `History_of_broadcasting` · `History_of_mobile_phones` · `History_of_prepaid_mobile_phones` · `History_of_radio` · `History_of_telecommunication` · `History_of_television` · `History_of_the_Internet` · `History_of_the_telephone` · `History_of_the_transistor` · `History_of_videotelephony` · `Human_voice` · `Hydraulic_telegraph` · [[Image_compression]] · `Information_Age` · `Innocenzo_Manzetti` · `Interconnection` · `Internet` · `Internet2` · `Internet_video` · `Interoperation` · `JANET` · `Jagadish_Chandra_Bose` · `Johann_Philipp_Reis` · `John_Bardeen` · `John_Logie_Baird` · `John_Stone_Stone` · `Journalism` · `Jun-ichi_Nishizawa` · `Lee_de_Forest` · `Light` · `List_of_Internet_pioneers` · `List_of_telecommunications_regulatory_bodies` · `Local_area_network` · `MIL-STD-188` · `MOSFET` · `Mass_media` · `Message` · `Microphone` · `Military_tactics` · `Mobile_phone` · `Mobile_telephony` · `Mohamed_M._Atalla` · `Molecular_communication` · `Multiplexing` · `NPL_network` · `Narinder_Singh_Kapany` · `Nasir_Ahmed_(engineer)` · `Network_switch` · `Network_topology` · `Next-generation_network` · `Nikola_Tesla` · `Node_(networking)` · `Oliver_Heaviside` · `Online_video_platform` · `Optical_communication` · `Optical_fiber` · `Optical_telegraph` · `Orbital_angular_momentum_multiplexing` · [[Oscillation]] · `Outline_of_telecommunication` · `Packet_switching` · `Pager` · `Paul_Baran` · `Philo_Farnsworth` · `Photophone` · `Phryctoria` · `Polarization-division_multiplexing` · `Power-line_communication` · `Public_switched_telephone_network` · `Radia_Perlman` · `Radio_network` · `Radio_receiver` · `Radio_wave` · `Radiotelephone` · `Reginald_Fessenden` · `Robert_Hooke` · `Robert_Metcalfe` · `Roberto_Landell_de_Moura` · `Samuel_Morse` · `Semaphore` · `Semiconductor` · [[Semiconductor_device]] · `Semiotics` · [[Signal]] · `Smartphone` · `Smoke_signal` · `Social_media` · `Space-division_multiple_access` · `Store_and_forward` · `Streaming_media` · `Streaming_television` · `Submarine_communications_cable` · `TANet` · `Tablet_computer` · `Telautograph` · `Telecommunication_circuit` · [[Telecommunications]] · `Telecommunications_equipment` · `Telecommunications_link` · `Telecommunications_network` · `Telegraphy` · `Telephone` · `Telephone_exchange` · `Teleprinter` · `Television` · `Telex` · `Terminal_(telecommunication)` · `Terminal_equipment` · `The_Telephone_Cases` · `Thomas_A._Watson` · `Thomas_Edison` · `Tim_Berners-Lee` · `Time-division_multiplexing` · `Tivadar_Puskás` · `Toasternet` · `Transmission_line` · `Transmission_medium` · `Transmission_system` · `Transmitter` · `UUCP` · `Usenet` · `Video` · `Video_coding_format` · `Vint_Cerf` · `Vladimir_K._Zworykin` · `Whistled_language` · `Wide_area_network` · `Wireless` · `Wireless_network`
> p5.js MicroSim stub · part of [[System]] · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_system)
> Relation: subfield of System.
## Concept summary
A communications system is a collection of individual [[Telecommunications|telecommunications]] networks systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and terminal equipment usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole.
## Build checklist
- [ ] Claim it: set `status: in-progress` + `lease` + `leased_at`
- [ ] Write the child page explaining the concept (tie it back to system)
- [ ] Finalize parameter ranges and defaults
- [ ] Implement the p5.js sketch (drawing + control regions)
- [ ] Add caption + the learning objective on the page
- [ ] Set `status: done`
## p5.js sketch
```javascript
// MicroSim: Communications system
let controls = {};
function setup() {
// createCanvas(...); create sliders for the parameters above.
}
function draw() {
// background(...); read controls; render network graph; respond live.
}
```
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Back to [[System]] · Wikipedia: [Communications system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_system)
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<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:START -->
## Semiotic profile
> *The semiotic universals this article invokes, machine-derived from the crossref — **unverified** (born so). Populated 2026-07-06 for the Systems room.*
**Universals (6):** 🟡 system (11) · 🟢 network (9) · 🟢 flow (2) · 🟡 information (2) · 🟡 structure (2) · 🟢 probability (1)
**Enter by sign:** Systems Semiotic Gateway · Alphabetum · Icon Registry · ← Systems Portal
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:END -->
## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_system) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Communications_system)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parent: [[Systems_science]].
Legacy hubs: none.
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*Sources: 1 legacy note. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*