A terminal adapter allows direct connection to the digital network, bypassing the need for a modem to convert analog signals. It connects a computer to an ISDN line for faster and higher quality data transfer. Terminal adapters are peripherals that must be purchased separately.
A great many data transfers these days involve converting analog signals to digital signals. This way, your computer can communicate with digital data providers, such as websites and other Internet-related sources. Whether you realize it or not, the modem with which you connect to the Internet is constantly doing this type of data transfer.
Such data transfer naturally requires time and effort, which you may want to devote to your computer for other tasks. There is, however, the technology to connect directly to the digital network that would otherwise pass the modem. This technology can come in the form of a terminal adapter.
A terminal adapter allows communication between a computer and an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line. ISDN is the current hot technology that transmits digital voice and other data. The broadcasts are sent over the same old copper phone lines we’re all used to, but the result is much higher quality and speed than traditional analog broadcasts. Using a terminal adapter, you can connect your PC to the digital data transfer network.
A terminal adapter is a bit like a modem, but it doesn’t waste time converting analog and digital signals. The terminal adapter is much more passive, performing its function only by transmitting digital signals. Think of it as an aqueduct: the ISDN line is the peripheral communities and your computer is Rome.
The terminal adapter may not perform the same function as a traditional modem, but it shares one important feature with that modem: it is a peripheral. Current computer technologies do not list terminal adapters as standard features. If you want to use a terminal adapter, you need to purchase it separately. Both internal and external models are available, with the external model connecting to the serial port or USB port of the computer. There are also devices available that combine the functionality of modems and terminal adapters.
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