| A | B |
|---|
| Serial Port | The external connector on a computer that is used to as an interface between the computer and a serial device such as a modem |
| Parrallel Port | found on just about all PCs. It's a 25 pin interface cable (DB-25) that is designed for connection to a printer |
| Modem | Turns difital signals to analog ones and back again so they can be translated back to digital at another modem withou loss |
| Asynchronous | transfers data without a specific timing mechanism between the two communicating parties |
| RS-232C | serial interface used on PC usually implemented as a 8-pin or 25-pin interface |
| RTS | hand shaking signal sent from the originating modem to the receving modem requesting permission to beging the data transmission |
| DSR | Hand shaking signal that is sent from a modem by its computer, indicating its ability to send data |
| DTR | Hand shaking signal that is dent to a modem from its own computer indicating its readiness to accept data |
| CTS | Hand shaking signal sent from the recever to the transmitter indicating readyness to access data |
| Framing | The process of using start , stop, and parity bits to verify asynchrous transmission |
| Data Rate | The number of signal changes that a data transmission line makes in one second |
| Baud rate | The number of signal changes a data transmission line makes in one second |
| Crosstalk | Interference caused by leaks from a nearby communication channel |
| handshaking | Signals transmitted back and forth over a communications network that establish a valid connection between two stations |
| 1/0 Port | A place on a computer where you can plug in peripheral devices |
| Centronics | Parallel port standard that uses a 36-pin connector to connect to the printer, and a DB-25 connector to connect to the PC |
| USB Standard | A hardware interface for low-speed peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, printer, and telephony devices |
| Hot Swap | To change out a device without needing to power down the PC during installation or remove the device |
| Fire Wire | A high-speed serial bus developed by Apple and Texas Instruments that allows for the connection of up to 63 devices |
| Isochronous | Uses a single device for clocking and all other devices set their internal clocks to this one device |
