<hardware, communications> (Or "com port") A connector on a
computer to which you can attach a serial line connected to
peripherals which communicate using a serial (bit-stream)
protocol. The most common type of serial port is a 25-pin
D-type connector carrying EIA-232 signals. Smaller
connectors (e.g. 9-pin D-type) carrying a subset of EIA-232
are often used on personal computers. The serial port is
usually connected to an integrated circuit called a UART
which handles the conversion between serial and parallel data.
In the days before bit-mapped displays, and today on
multi-user systems, the serial port was used to connect one
or more terminals (teletypewriters or VDUs), printers,
modems and other serial peripherals. Two computers
connected together via their serial ports, possibly via
modems, can communicate using a protocol such as UUCP or
CU or SLIP.
(1995-01-12)
Nearby terms:
Serial Line Internet Protocol « Serial Line IP « Serial Peripheral Interface « serial port » Serial Presence Detect » serial processing » Serial Storage Architecture
