What is crosstalk? - Definition from Whatis.com

Crosstalk is a disturbance caused by the electric or magnetic fields of one telecommunication signal affecting a signal in an adjacent circuit. In an telephone circuit, crosstalk can result in your hearing part of a voice conversation from another circuit. The phenomenon that causes crosstalk is called electromagnetic interference (EMI). It can occur in microcircuits within computers and audio equipment as well as within network circuits. The term is also applied to optical signals that interfere with each other.

Contributor(s): Clint Verwoert
This was last updated in September 1999

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