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TCP transfers are reliable transfers. Handshake is used to acknowledge the reception of a data packet, and lost packets are automatically retransmitted. A checksum is used to verify data integrity. TCP also guarantees out-of-order processing: a unique sequence number is assigned to each packet. Should packets arrive out-of-order, due to varying routing paths, the correct sequence will be re-established by means of the sequence number. Furthermore TCP automatically adjusts the packet size to the receiver's buffering capabilities and prevents buffer overflows. These features make TCP the protocol of choice to transfer critical data. On a DSP system, these may be commands, parameters, and program code updates. Of course, this is only achieved at the expense of increased computation time and network traffic. As a rule of thumb, TCP transfers will be about 40 percent slower than UDP transfers.
