communication interface transmitting information sequentially
A PCI Express ร—1 card with one serial port
A four-port serial (RS-232) PCI Express ร—1 expansion card with an octopus cable that breaks the card's DC-37 connector into four standard DE-9 connectors
Pair of female Mini DIN-8 connectors used for RS-422 serial ports on a Macintosh LC computer.
serial port
A serial port is a serial communication interface through which information transfers in or out sequentially one bit at a time. This is in contrast to a parallel port, which communicates multiple โ€ฆ Wikipedia
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org โ€บ wiki โ€บ Serial_port
Serial port - Wikipedia
May 1, 2026 - * represents a string identifying ... a type prefix consisting of capital letters and ending with a sequence number starting with ยท 0. For example, 8250/16550 UART serial ports are named...
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US Converters
usconverters.com โ€บ understanding-serial-port
Understanding Serial Port: Guide to Connecting Devices to a PC : U.S. Converters LLC, Serial Data Communication
Serial ports continue to be used by a variety of devices, particularly those requiring robust and reliable connections. Modems and printers are classic examples, often relying on serial communication for data exchange.
Discussions

Nowadays what are the uses of serial ports?
They work. They're the 'simplest' form of communication that almost every chip supports. I would bet even your phone has UART pads broken out. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/hardware
34
28
July 26, 2018
WSL 2 USB Support

I made this guide on how to do it:

https://github.com/rpasek/usbip-wsl2-instructions

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๐ŸŒ r/bashonubuntuonwindows
1
5
July 27, 2019
I need help with a script to identify USB based virtual COM ports.
Problem solved. u/es0tericeccentric pointed be to "change port /query" from command line. It gives a listing of all the com ports available to the user with enough information for me to build a variable for editing the ini file. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/PowerShell
4
7
January 14, 2015
Determine is a COM port is in use

Note: I'm terrible at powershell, but will something like this work?

[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.IO.Ports.SerialPort")
foreach ($item in [System.IO.Ports.SerialPort]::GetPortNames())
{
    $Port = New-Object System.IO.Ports.SerialPort($item)
    try
    {
        $Port.Open()        
    }
    catch
    {
        $Port.PortName.ToString() + " is already open"
        return;
    }
    finally
    {
        $Port.Close()
    }    
}

I don't have any serial ports on this PC to test with.

More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/PowerShell
13
5
November 9, 2017
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Computer Hope
computerhope.com โ€บ jargon โ€บ s โ€บ seriport.htm
What Is a Serial Port?
June 30, 2020 - An asynchronous port on the computer ... IBM-compatible computers as COM (communications) ports. For example, a mouse might connect to COM1 and a modem to COM2....
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Pebble Bay
pebblebay.com โ€บ home โ€บ 7 uses for a serial port in an embedded system
7 Uses for a Serial Port in an Embedded System - Pebble Bay
November 22, 2024 - Serial ports are also used to connect equipment together, e.g. modems of one type or another (PSTN, 3G, satellite), GPS units, telescopes, sensors, power inverters, and many type of industrial control equipment.
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FabulaTech
fabulatech.com โ€บ network-serial-port-kit-examples.html
Network Serial Port Kit - Usage Examples
Serial Device Server is a hardware device that connects any serial devices (POS terminal, barcode scanner, weight scale, LED display, tunnel scanner, credit card reader, PBX, UPS etc.) to a network and provides an I/O path to serial device over TCP/IP network.
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The Linux Documentation Project
tldp.org โ€บ HOWTO โ€บ Serial-HOWTO-4.html
Serial HOWTO: Serial Port Basics
The lower address in this range is the base address. "address" usually means just the "base address". The serial ports are named ttyS0, ttyS1, etc. (and usually correspond respectively to COM1, COM2, etc. in DOS/Windows). The /dev directory has a special file for each port.
Find elsewhere
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Serial over Ethernet
serial-over-ethernet.com โ€บ serial-to-ethernet-guide โ€บ what-is-com-port
What is a Com Port? - Comprehensive guide for 2026
October 31, 2024 - Consumer Electronics: Many consumer devices utilize COM ports to furnish simple and accurate communication. Examples include barcode scanners, measuring equipment, and GPS devices.
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PCMAG
pcmag.com โ€บ home โ€บ encyclopedia โ€บ s
Definition of serial port | PCMag
The USB and FireWire (IEEE 1394) interfaces were added to PCs in 1998, offering a quantum jump in transfer rate, plus the ability to daisy chain many peripherals on the same bus. USB and FireWire are also serial interfaces. See USB and FireWire. In Transition As USB ports (left) began to proliferate, the serial and parallel ports (right) were included for a while, but eventually gave way entirely to USB.
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Urban Beat
cms.nucleusnetwork.com โ€บ home โ€บ news โ€บ serial port explained: uses & examples
Serial Port Explained: Uses & Examples
January 6, 2026 - Industrial Automation: Serial ports are extensively used in industrial automation for connecting various devices such as PLCs, sensors, and motor drives. RS-485 is a common standard used in these applications due to its noise immunity and ability ...
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Teguar
teguar.com โ€บ home โ€บ serial ports explained
Serial Ports Explained | Teguar
September 17, 2020 - If you have a more unique application involving greater distance between devices or many devices, you may need RS-422 or RS-485. When it comes to layout, DB-9 is by far the most common. Youโ€™ll find RJ-11 on some Teguar computers, but these computers come standard with DB-9 to RJ-11 converters. If youโ€™re not sure what type of serial port you need, donโ€™t worry.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ computer organization & architecture โ€บ what-is-serial-port
What is Serial Port? - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - Embedded Systems: Programming, ... which are found on many microcontrollers too. Networking Equipment: Routers, switches and network management devices commonly have Serial Ports....
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Premio Inc
premioinc.com โ€บ blogs โ€บ blog โ€บ serial-ports-vs-usb-ports-comparison
Serial Ports vs. USB Ports (In-depth Comparison) โ€“ Premio Inc
The most popular serial port is the RS-232 port, which came standard on many computers in the early sixties. Other related standards include RS-485 and RS-422. Although modern PCs have eliminated these portsโ€™ use, these ports are still commonly ...
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Electronic Team
serial-port-monitor.org โ€บ articles โ€บ serial-communication โ€บ types-of-serial-protocols
Serial communication protocols. Main types and characteristics.
December 12, 2024 - They are examples of different types of serial protocols that all use asynchronous data transfer to enable communication between devices or applications. COM Port Monitor allows you to track the data from serial ports that are using the RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 protocols.
Rating: 4.8 โ€‹ - โ€‹ 345 votes
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HowStuffWorks
computer.howstuffworks.com โ€บ serial-port.htm
How Serial Ports Work | HowStuffWorks
March 8, 2023 - This includes devices such as mice, keyboards, modems, and some types of printers. A serial port is typically used to connect a mouse, keyboard, or other peripheral devices to a computer.
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MathWorks
mathworks.com โ€บ instrument control toolbox โ€บ interface-based instrument communication โ€บ serial port interface
Serial Port Overview - MATLAB & Simulink
For example, suppose the data bits 01110001 are transmitted to your computer. If even parity is selected, then the parity bit is set to 0 by the transmitting device to produce an even number of 1s. If odd parity is selected, then the parity bit is set to 1 by the transmitting device to produce an odd number of 1s. You can find serial port information using the resources provided by Windows, macOS, and UNIX platforms.
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Embedded Computing Design
embeddedcomputing.com โ€บ technology โ€บ processing โ€บ compute-modules โ€บ why-do-new-boards-still-include-serial-ports
Why Do New Boards Still Include Serial Ports? - Embedded Computing Design
With all that said, the serial port may not be going the way of VHS any time soon. It continues to be a popular and well supported interface connecting relatively low speed devices. For example, one popular SBC that continues to make use of the serial interface is the WINSYSTEMSโ€™ PX1-C415.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org โ€บ wiki โ€บ Serial_communication
Serial communication - Wikipedia
March 13, 2026 - The cables that carry digital video ... as coax cable plugged into a HD-SDI port, a webcam plugged into a USB port or FireWire port, Ethernet cable connecting an IP camera to a Power over Ethernet port, FPD-Link, digital telephone lines ...
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SlashGear
slashgear.com โ€บ 1841149 โ€บ computer-serial-port-uses-purpose-explained-where-still-necessary
Here's What A Computer's Serial Port Was For (And Where It's Still Necessary) - SlashGear
April 28, 2025 - For example, you can use a serial port to link a heart monitor to a treadmill, or a cash register with a barcode scanner. Industrial sensors and actuators also frequently use serial ports to connect to other devices.
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Gdcompt
gdcompt.com โ€บ news โ€บ serial-ports-explained
News - Serial Ports Explained: A Complete Guide to Serial Communication
Device Manager โ†’ Ports (COM & LPT) โ†’ Properties โ†’ Adjust baud rate. PLC Systems: RS-485 networks for sensors (temperature, pressure). CNC Machines: Legacy equipment often uses RS232 ports. Microcontrollers (STM32/Arduino): Firmware uploads via UART (serial).