What’s Bit-Serial?

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Bit serial communication sends one piece of data at a time, while bit parallel sends multiple pieces simultaneously. Bit-parallel is faster and prevents signal mix-ups. Overclocking can speed up data transfer but may cause damage.

Bit serial communication is a computer process in which the computer transmits only one piece of data at a time. This is the opposite of bit parallel where a computer transmits more data at the same time. The serial bit is slower and cannot move large amounts of information quickly. Bit-parallel is the most common type since it can move data quickly and simultaneously.

When a computer needs to send data, it sends it as electrical signals across a wire. In bit serial transmission, there is only one wire and therefore only one signal can travel through the wire at a time. How fast a computer can process and send data matters. A computer sends many signals to different parts to make things work. If all parts of the computer could only send one signal at a time, it couldn’t run fast enough to run computer programs.

To remedy the slow bit-serial transfer rate, bit-parallel was introduced. It allows you to send multiple signals simultaneously over multiple wires. This allows for higher transfer rates and prevents signals from getting mixed up by running them on individual wires. In bit-parallel design, signals may not arrive in the order they are sent, but specific code tells the computer in which order to read them.

A computer’s internal clock also plays a role in the speed of information transfer. In serial bit transfer, each clock pulse signals the computer to send a new bit of information. Thus, six bits of information would require six clock counts to be transmitted. Parallel to bits, the computer can send as many bits at once as there are physical wires to transmit them. If six wires existed, the computer could send all six bits at once instead of going through six clock cycles.

The computer owner can speed up the data transmission process by overclocking the computer. This causes the computer’s internal clock to tick faster, so to speak, and thus data bits are sent more often. However, overclocking is not without its problems. Speeding up your computer too much can cause it to overheat and eventually damage your computer system. Only a person with experience in electronics should attempt to overclock a system, whether he wishes to speed up bit-serial or bit-parallel transmissions.




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