Embedded Systems Course- Module7: SERIAL COMMUNICATION - Part 1(Basics)

(I) Introduction: Serial communication is common method of transmitting data between a computer and a peripheral device such as a programmable instrument or even another computer. Serial communication transmits data one bit at a time, sequentially, over a single communication line to a receiver. Serial is also a most popular communication protocol that is used by many devices for instrumentation; numerous GPIB-compatible devices also come with an RS-232 based port. This method is used when data transfer rates are very low or the data must be transferred over long distances and also where the cost of cable and synchronization difficulties make parallel communication impractical. Serial communication is popular because most computers have one or more serial ports, so no extra hardware is needed other than a cable to connect the instrument to the computer or two computers together. (II) Serial Vs Parallel: Let us now try to have a comparative study on parallel and serial communications to understand the differences and advantages & disadvantages of both in detail. We know that parallel ports are typically used to connect a PC to a printer and are rarely used for other connections. A parallel port sends and receives data eight bits at a time over eight separate wires or lines. This allows data to be transferred very quickly. However, the setup looks more bulky because of th...