Subject:
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Re: Why serial?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.geek
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Date:
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Wed, 27 Dec 2000 03:10:59 GMT
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Viewed:
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70 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.geek, Fredrik Glöckner writes:
> Serial buses seem to be fashionable right now. The most common ones are
> probably USB and Firewire. Some say that these, or some ancestors of
> them, will replace parallel connections like SCSI and IDE ATA in the
> future.
>
> I can understand that serial buses are more handy from a practical point
> of view. But what I don't understand is why they are faster. I would
> guess that a parallel connection is the fastest, as it can transfer
> multiple bits simultaneously. A serial connection, on the other hand,
> can only transfer single bits at a time.
>
> Fredrik
The Speed "Fast" is broken up over several parts.
Fast for the processor and there for appears faster to the user.
Fast for the data moving and in bigger gulps resulting in stalls,
pops and slowdowns giving user false impression of beeing slower
even tho it is faster. How much host CPU is used? Is there a
smaller CPU to off load memory move/housekeeping tasks to?
Serial has very low Hardware(cost) needs and is popular for
that reason. Parallel on the other hand needs a $ub-CPU or
controller to avoid sucking up the Host-CPU's cycles with
housekeeping. Serial due to the smaller per cycle data needs
allows you to use Host-CPU as your controller with out cloging it.
Now with newer serial's like USB and Firewire you are combining
the best of both. Small sub-cpu and same low percylce data needs
allows you to pump up the speeds past where a parallel solution
would need a CPU as expensive as the Host's CPU just to keep up.
Not exactly sure as to all the ins and out but thats the general
idea.
DaveG
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Why serial?
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| Serial buses seem to be fashionable right now. The most common ones are probably USB and Firewire. Some say that these, or some ancestors of them, will replace parallel connections like SCSI and IDE ATA in the future. I can understand that serial (...) (24 years ago, 26-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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