USB to Serial Port Circuit

Universal serial bus (USB) and serial ports are two different connection interfaces used with computers. Though they cannot connect directly with one another, they can be adapted to work together.

Serial Ports

Serial ports were prevalent in the past.

Serial ports used to be the standard type of connection for computer hardware. You may still have a serial port interface on your printer or monitor. Many desktop computers still have a serial port available, while most laptops have done away with them.

USBs

USBs were designed to solve the problem of having no standard interface for external computer hardware. Almost all computer accessories (including Webcams, monitors and printers) have a USB interface.

Adapters

Computer users who find themselves with an older piece of hardware that still uses a serial port interface can connect it to a USB port with a special adapter. This sort of adapter is extremely easy to hook up and can be found at most electronics stores.

References

• Connexions: Serial Port Communication
• Intel: Universal Serial Bus