< 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 computer s. 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 VDU s), 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)