What is interface II What is ports ?

Topics covered: what is interface, types of interfaces, introduction to interface

 Interface/ ports

There are some connection ports or interfaces on the back of the system unit. These interfaces are made to fit specific devices. The arrangements of these ports vary from computer to computer. Ports are the interfaces or connection points used to get information into and out of the computer . Many companies have their own special connectors for the specific devices. Some of the ports are color to match a color on the device, which will help to determine which port is used with a particular device.

Ports have the following characteristics:

• External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.
• Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.
• Examples of external devices attached via ports are the mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers, etc.

Types of Computer Ports

There are different types of computer ports that we usually use on our computer, as well as the functions of each of them are different .  The following are the most common types of computer ports. 

a. Parallel Port

The parallel port is one of the types of computers ports that work to plug a certain hardware component or device that requires speed connection. Typically, a type of parallel port words with 8 bits at a time and capable of sending 50 to 100 Kilobytes of data per second. Such capabilities make it suitable for close-range data transmission and fast. It is also called printer ports and used for scanners and printers.

b. Serial Port

This type of computer port is a typical port that works to connect a keyboard, mouse , or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). Most of the serial ports use a type of RS-232C connector with a set of pins between 9 and 25 pins. Serial ports are used for external modems and older computer mouses.

c. USB Port

This is the latest and modern type of ports which is popular and familiar these days. The USB port is a standard port for the fifth generation of computer technology. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus which has various purposes (universal). It can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk, printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, pen drive etc.

d. PS/2 Port

PS/2 (personal system 2) port is a type of classic port which is often found on desktop PC that uses CPU to connect the keyboard and mouse. The shape of these connector is round with many pins. However, the PS/2 port is very rarely used nowadays, because that the use of USB ports have dominates the current computer products to support external computer devices connections. PS/2 ports are usually used to connect mouse and keyboard.

e. LAN  port

LAN (Local Area Network) Port is a type of port that works to connect a computer with many types of network devices and hardware. The type of the network can be an Ethernet or LAN Card. If we want to connect the PC or laptop to one or more computers. We need to use LAN port.

f. Audio Port

The function of an audio port is to transmit the sound produced by the computer to the external audio output, such as speakers or headphones. An audio port of a computer works with a sound card, where the quality of the sound output depends on the quality of the sound card. A standard computer usually supports only one audio port for producing a stereo output.

g. HDMI Port

The HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface ) port is a type of computer port development to support the external graphic card of a computer. It supports all types of multimedia hardware devices. The functions of HDMI port are the same as a VGA (Video Graphics Array) Port. However, HDMI is capable of transmitting media with HD quality and can transmit voice signals. HDMI port is currently an option we can use to display a computer graphics on particular types of computer monitors such as large TV monitors or large projectors.

h. Fire wire Port

This port was originally created by Apple and standardized in 1995 as the specification IEEE 1394 High Performance Serial Bus (HPSB) and is very similar to Universal Serial Bus (USB). The key difference between  Fire Wire and USB port is that Firewire is intended for devices working with a lot more data like camcorders, DVD players and digital audio equipment. Implementing FireWire costs a little more than USB, which led to the adoption of USB as the standard for connecting most peripherals that do not require a high-speed bus.