Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)

The UART controller handles the asynchronous serial communication between a computer and a peripheral device connected to the serial port of the computer and converts data from serial to parallel and vice-versa. This allows the computer to talk to modems and other serial devices. A UART is essentially a microchip that conditions the data coming in and out of serial ports such as the computer's RS232 serial port terminal.

Functions of the UART:

• Converts parallel data into serial data for outbound communications
• Converts serial data into parallel data for inbound communications
• Adds a parity checking bit on outbound transmissions and checks the parity bit for inbound transmissions
• Handles interrupt requests and device management, which may require the computer and the device to coordinate the speed of operation