serial port

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)