Differential signaling is a method for electrically transmitting
information using two complementary
signals. The technique sends the same electrical signal as a
differential pair of signals, each in its own conductor. The pair of conductors can be wires (typically twisted together) or traces on a circuit board. The receiving circuit responds to the electrical difference between the two signals, rather than the difference between a single wire and
ground. The opposite technique is called
single-ended signaling. Differential pairs are usually found on
printed circuit boards, in
twisted-pair and
ribbon cables, and in connectors.