WHAT IS PORT ?

Port is a connecting socket, outside the system into which different types of cables are plugged. It is a specific place from which other devices can be physically connected. I/O ports are the interfaces through which computers communicate with external devices such as printers, modems, joysticks and terminals.

WHAT IS PORT ?

There are many types of ports used in computer system. Some of them are given as follows.

1) Parallel Port : Various peripherals can be connected through parallel port, which is a parallel communication physical interface. A parallel port transmits 8 bits of a byte of data in parallel. It is used for transmitting fast data over short distances. It is used to connect a printer to a computer. Since a parallel port transmits an entire byte at a time, it operates I/O devices at a relatively high speed. A Parallel port is primarily used to connect printers to a computer and hence it is often called a printer port.

2) Serial Port : Serial port transmits one bit of a byte, one at a time as a single stream of bits. It is meant for transmitting slow data over long distances. Communication over a phone is an example of serial communication. It is a serial communication physical interface which transmits one bit at a time. Dial-up modems and serial mice use serial ports.

3) Universal Serial Bus (USB) : A USB Port can connect up to 127 peripheral devices such as a digital camera, digital speakers, scanners, speakers etc. It permits Plug and Play - configuring of expansion cards and peripheral devices as and when they are installed.

4) Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) Port : SCSI-Small Computer System Interface Port allows data to be transmitted in a daisy chain to up to 7 devices at a speed higher (32 bits at a time) than those possible with serial and parallel ports. It is a fast data transmitting device and is used to connect HDD, CD ROM drives and scanners with the computer system.