Comutação

Comutação is a Portuguese word that translates to "switching" or "commutation" in English. It refers to the process of changing or redirecting something from one state, path, or destination to another. The concept of comutação is widely used across various fields, most notably in telecommunications and computing.

In telecommunications, comutação is fundamental to how networks operate. It describes the mechanism by which a connection is established between two points in a network. This can involve circuit switching, where a dedicated physical path is established for the duration of a communication session, or packet switching, where data is broken into packets and routed independently through the network. The act of switching is what allows different users to share network resources efficiently.

In computing, comutação can refer to similar processes, such as switching between different tasks or processes managed by the operating system (task switching), or switching the flow of control in a program. It also plays a role in computer networking, where network devices like switches and routers perform comutação to direct data packets to their intended destinations. The term can also be found in electrical engineering, referring to the process of reversing the direction of current in a circuit, often in devices like DC motors.