What is the Difference Between a Serial and Parallel Port?
Both serial ports and parallel ports are examples of computer technology that were once cutting edge, but now have been replaced by newer methods of transferring data from hard drives to ancillary devices. However, there are many personal computers and other devices in use today that make use of a serial port, a parallel port, or both. The difference between the serial and parallel port is not always understood, owing to the similar design of both ports. Here is some background on each type of port and what they were designed to accomplish. Of the two, the parallel port is the older port design. The first use of a parallel port was in the early 1970’s and allowed printers to be hooked directly into a mainframe and print orders carried out by entering a section of code through the command station. The parallel port allowed for a one way transmission of data from the source to the printer. As the personal computer came into common use, the parallel port remained a popular option for at
Both serial ports and parallel ports are examples of computer technology that were once cutting edge, but now have been replaced by newer methods of transferring data from hard drives to ancillary devices. However, there are many personal computers and other devices in use today that make use of a serial port, a parallel port, or both. The difference between the serial and parallel port is not always understood, owing to the similar design of both ports. Here is some background on each type of port and what they were designed to accomplish. Of the two, the parallel port is the older port design. The first use of a parallel port was in the early 1970’s and allowed printers to be hooked directly into a mainframe and print orders carried out by entering a section of code through the command station. The parallel port allowed for a one way transmission of data from the source to the printer. As the personal computer came into common use, the parallel port remained a popular option for atta
