A computer’s bus serves as a hardware interface between the CPU and peripheral devices. In the past, parallel buses with many lines were the norm, but today’s serial buses only use one line for data. Let’s take a closer look at the numerous PC buses to better understand them.
Current PC Data Buses
- PCI Express – This bus interface, which replaces PCI, is the current frontrunner. All current Macs and desktop PCs come with PCIe slots.
- USB – USB is another popular data bus that’s used for a variety of devices.
Previous PC Data Buses
- PCI – Despite being widely used, PCI was phased out in favor of PCI Express. However, some transitional motherboards still came with one PCI slot.
- FireWire – FireWire was a serial bus that was popular for digital cameras. Apple, in particular, made use of FireWire.
There were several other data buses that were occasionally used in the past, but these are no longer common.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a bus interface?
A bus interface is a hardware interface between a CPU and peripheral devices in a computer.
What is a serial data bus?
A serial data bus is a type of bus that only uses one line for data.
What is a parallel data bus?
A parallel data bus is a type of bus that uses multiple lines for data.
Conclusion
Understanding the different PC data buses can help you make informed decisions when choosing computer hardware or troubleshooting issues. While newer buses like PCI Express and USB are more common today, it’s still worth knowing about older buses like PCI and FireWire.
