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Serial port
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{{Short description|Communication interface transmitting information sequentially}} {{Use American English|date=April 2022}} [[File:Serielle schnittstelle.jpg|thumb|A [[gender of connectors and fasteners|male]] [[DE-9]] connector on an [[IBM PC compatible]] computer (with serial port symbol) used for an [[RS-232]] serial port]] [[File:RS-232.jpeg|thumb|A female DE-9 connector on an RS-232 cable.]] A '''serial port''' is a [[serial communication]] [[Interface (computing)|interface]] through which information transfers in or out sequentially one [[bit]] at a time.<ref>{{cite dictionary |dictionary=Webopedia |url=https://www.webopedia.com/definitions/serial-port/ |title=Serial Port Definition & Meaning |first=Vangie |last=Beal |date=September 1996 |access-date=2021-03-08 }}</ref> This is in contrast to a [[parallel port]], which communicates multiple bits simultaneously in [[Parallel communication|parallel]]. Throughout most of the [[history of personal computers]], data has been transferred through serial ports to devices such as [[modem]]s, [[computer terminal|terminal]]s, various [[peripheral]]s, and directly between computers. While interfaces such as [[Ethernet]], [[FireWire]], and [[USB]] also send data as a serial [[Stream (computing)|stream]], the term ''serial port'' usually denotes [[Computer hardware|hardware]] compliant with [[RS-232]] or a related standard, such as [[RS-485]] or [[RS-422]]. Modern consumer [[personal computer]]s (PCs) have largely replaced serial ports with higher-speed standards, primarily USB. However, serial ports are still frequently used in applications demanding simple, low-speed interfaces, such as industrial automation systems, scientific instruments, [[point of sale]] systems and some industrial and consumer products. [[Server (computing)|Server]] computers may use a serial port as a control console for diagnostics, while [[networking hardware]] (such as [[Router (computing)|router]]s and [[Network switch|switch]]es) commonly use serial console ports for configuration, diagnostics, and emergency maintenance access. To interface with these and other devices, [[USB-to-serial converter]]s can quickly and easily add a serial port to a modern PC.
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