What is a COM port?

A COM port is simply an I/O interface that enables the connection of a serial
device to a computer. You may also hear COM ports referred to as serial ports.
Most modern computers are not equipped with COM ports, but there are many
serial port devices still in use that use the interface. Lab instruments, medical
equipment, and point-of-sale systems often make use of serial connections.
So what are COM ports? They are asynchronous interfaces that can transmit one
bit of data at a time when connected to a serial device. The COM designation is
due to their use as communication ports on IBM compatible computers. In
traditional personal computers, COM1 and COM2 were often used to connect a
serial port device such as a modem or mouse. Here is what a DB9 COM port
looks like.

What is a serial device?

Serial devices are pieces of electronic equipment that are characterized by the
way they transmit data. Information is sent and received one bit at a time, which
provides for a simple and reliable method of communication.

What is a serial port on a computer?

Serial ports are not standard equipment on the majority of newly manufactured
desktop and laptop computers. The RS232 serial ports seen in the past are
usually replaced with one or more USB interfaces. This does not mean that you
cannot connect a serial port device to a new computer. You can use a USB to
serial adapter which can provide single or multiple COM ports to machines that
do not have any installed serial interfaces. There are many solutions available,
and most are inexpensive and easy to implement.

The adapters work by installing a device driver on a Windows computer. The

driver is a program that enables the computer to use the USB to RS232 adapter
as a replacement for a serial interface. This is done by creating a virtual COM
port that performs identically to a physical port contained on a machine’s
motherboard.
What are serial ports used for?

USB interfaces have largely replaced COM ports as a faster way of performing
serial data transmission. Most computers are equipped with internal modems,
eliminating the need for external serial devices. Similarly, COM connected mice
are no longer widely used to input data. Null-modem cables can be used with
serial interfaces to connect two computers, but this method is rarely used
anymore.

Serial ports are still used in many specialized situations. Some examples are
surveillance cameras and equipment used for industrial automation
implementations. They employ the RS232 interface which is still supported by
the hardware on many modern computers. Since many cost-efficient serial over
Ethernet software and hardware solutions enable COM ports to be used on
machines that are not equipped with any, we can expect the RS232 protocol to
be around for a while. A COM port also has the advantage of being able to
power 15 meters of shielded cable. A comparable USB cable would be limited
to a length of 5 meters.
 RS232 cable

Types of serial ports

Serial ports come in two standard configurations. They are usually male
connectors with either 9 or 25 pins. Parallel ports that are used to connect a
partner cable are 25 pin female connectors. The accepted manner of naming
ports on personal computers labels the serial interfaces as COM1 and COM2
with LPT1 designating a parallel port. Each pin is used for a particular function
such as sending and receiving data or sending a terminal ready message.
Essentially, any interface that is compliant with the RS232 protocol is a serial
port.

Devices That Use Serial Ports

The RS232 protocol is used by many device manufacturers. You will find serial
connectivity built into devices like GPS receivers, industrial automation sensors,
barcode scanners, and computer monitors, to name just a few.

UART

UART stands for Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter. It is a

hardware device that translates data between a computer’s parallel and serial
ports. UART processing transmits a byte of data serially bit by bit. The data is
then converted back to a full byte at the other end of the connection. Using this
technology makes it irrelevant whether a parallel or serial port is used for data
transmission.