A device — or a circuit inside a chip — that takes several separate signals and sends them down one shared line, so that one connection can carry the work of many. At the far end, a matching device called a demultiplexer pulls the signals apart again. Engineers often shorten it to MUX in diagrams and speech.

A devicedevice — or a circuit inside a chip或晶片裡的電路 — that takes把 several separate signals好幾條各自獨立的訊號 and sends them down送進 one shared line同一條共用的線路, so that讓 one connection一個連接 can carry the work of many就能扛起很多條的工作量. At the far end在另一端, a matching device一個對應的裝置 called a demultiplexer叫做demultiplexer的, pulls the signals apart again會把訊號再拆開. Engineers工程師 often shorten it常把它簡稱 to MUXMUX in diagrams and speech用在圖表和口語裡.

The trick it performs can happen in different ways: by giving each signal a tiny turn in rotation, thousands of times a second, or by giving each one its own frequency slot. A learner does not need the physics; the useful picture is a narrow gate that many people take turns walking through so quickly that everyone seems to pass at once.

The trick it performs它做到這件事的方法 can happen in different ways不只一種: by giving each signal a tiny turn in rotation可以輪流讓每個訊號輪到一小段, thousands of times a second一秒鐘輪好幾千次, or或者 by giving each one its own frequency slot也可以給每一個訊號自己專屬的頻率位置. A learner學習者 does not need the physics不需要懂物理; the useful picture有用的畫面 is是 a narrow gate一道窄門 that many people很多人 take turns walking through輪流通過, so quickly that everyone seems to pass at once速度快到看起來像同時通過一樣.

This is squarely a technical word — telecoms, computer hardware, broadcasting, digital electronics — and outside those rooms nobody says it. It also has a related use in broadcasting, where a multiplex is the bundle of TV or radio channels squeezed into one transmission.

This這 is squarely完完全全是 a technical word一個技術用語 — telecoms, computer hardware, broadcasting, digital electronics電信、電腦硬體、廣播、數位電子 — and而 outside those rooms出了這些領域 nobody says it幾乎沒人會用它. It它 also has a related use也有一個相關用法 in broadcasting在廣播業, where那裡 a multiplexmultiplex is指的是 the bundle of TV or radio channels squeezed into one transmission被擠進同一個傳輸訊號裡的電視或廣播頻道集合.

Note the spelling wobble: multiplexer and multiplexor both appear in real engineering documents, with -er more common in general writing and -or lingering in some hardware texts.

Note注意 the spelling wobble拼法會搖擺: multiplexer and multiplexormultiplexer和multiplexor both appear兩種都會出現 in real engineering documents在真實的工程文件裡, with -er more common一般寫作比較常用-er in general writing, and而 -or lingering-or則還留著一些 in some hardware texts在硬體相關的文件裡.