Serial Communication
There are two main ways to transmit binary data: in serial or parallel.
Serial Communication uses one data pin to transmit signal data, whereas parallel uses multiple pins. Serial data transmission is slower than parallel, however it has the advantage of only needing one signal wire to transmit data. Serial communication requires that each device know the rate and structure at which the serial data is being sent over the data line. Typically this is referred to in technical jargon as the BAUD rate, data-bits, and parity. Each one describes information about the information being transmitted so both devices will know how to interact and send data to each other. An example of this is when connecting to a
Roomba over its SCI communications port. You must set up your computer with the correct BAUD rate before interacting with the robot or the roomba won’t understand the information you are sending it.
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