A single computer bus that connects the major components of a computer system
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Table of Contents What Does System Bus Mean?The system bus is a pathway composed of cables and connectors used to carry data between a computer microprocessor and the main memory. The bus provides a communication path for the data and control signals moving between the major components of the computer system. The system bus works by combining the functions of the three main buses: namely, the data, address and control buses. Each of the three buses has its separate characteristics and responsibilities.Advertisement Techopedia Explains System BusThe system bus connects the CPU with the main memory and, in some systems, with the level 2 (L2) cache. Other buses, such as the IO buses, branch off from the system bus to provide a communication channel between the CPU and the other peripherals.The system bus combines the functions of the three main buses, which are as follows:
System bus characteristics are dependent on the needs of the processor, the speed, and the word length of the data and instructions. The size of a bus, also known as its width, determines how much data can be transferred at a time and indicates the number of available wires. A 32-bit bus, for example, refers to 32 parallel wires or connectors that can simultaneously transmit 32 bits. The design and dimensions of the system bus are based on the specific processor technology of the motherboard. This, in effect, affects the speed of the motherboard, with faster system buses requiring that the other components on the system be equally fast for the best performance. Advertisement Share this Term Related Terms
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TagsHardwareTrending ArticlesPersonal Tech 7 Sneaky Ways Hackers Can Get Your Facebook PasswordCloud Computing The Future of Cloud Computing: 8 Trends to Watch in 2023IT Careers The Most Outlandish Tech Interview Questions and What They MeanA computer bus is also known as a local bus, data bus, or address bus, a bus is a link between components or devices linked to a computer. A bus, for instance, carries data through the motherboard between a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the system memory. In this article, you will understand the different types of buses in computer , the Topologies, features, and functions of computer buses, and many other important concepts. Related Topic:- Full Form of Computer What is a computer bus?A bus is a communication system in computer architecture that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers. The term encompasses all the components related to hardware (wire, optical fiber, etc.) and software, including communication protocol. The following are a few points to describe a computer bus:-
Must Read:- Types of Computer Network What are the different components of a bus?Each bus possesses three distinct communication channels. Following are the three components of a bus: –
Also Read:- Information Security Functions of a computer busBelow are a few of the functions of a computer bus:-
Structure and Topologies of Computer busesLines are grouped as mentioned below –
What are the different types of computer buses?Computers normally have two bus types:-
Below are some of the types of Expansion buses:- ISA – Industry Standard ArchitectureThe Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus is still one of the oldest buses in service today. Although it has been replaced by faster buses, ISA still has a lot of legacy devices that connect to it such as cash registers, CNC machines, and barcode scanners. Since being expanded to 16 bits in 1984, ISA remains largely unchanged. Additional high-speed buses were added to avoid performance problems. EISA – Extended Industry Standard ArchitectureAn upgrade to ISA is Extended Industry Standard Architecture or EISA. This doubled the data channels from 16 to 32 and allowed the bus to be used by more than one CPU. Although deeper than the ISA slot, it is the same width that lets older devices connect to it. When you compare the pins on an ISA to an EISA card (the gold portion of the card that goes into the slot), you can find that the EISA pins are longer and thinner. That is a quick way to decide if you have an ISA or an EISA card. MCA – Micro Channel ArchitectureIBM developed this bus as a substitute for ISA when they designed the PS/2 PC which was launched in 1987. The bus provided some technological improvements over the ISA bus. The MCA, for example, ran at a speed of 10MHz faster and supported either 16-bit or 32-bit data. One advantage of MCA was that the plug-in cards were configurable software; that means they needed minimal user input during configuration. VESA – Video Electronics Standards AssociationThe Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) Local bus was created to divide the load and allow the ISA bus to handle interrupts, and the I / O port (input/output) and the VL bus to work with Direct Memory Access (DMA) and I / O memory. This was only a temporary solution, due to its size and other considerations. The PCI bus was easy to overtake the VL bus. A VESA card has a range of additional pins and is longer than the ISA or EISA cards. It was created in the early ’90s and has a 32-bit bus and was a temporary fix designed to help boost ISA’s performance. PCI – Peripheral Component InterconnectThe PCI bus was developed to solve ISA and VL-bus-related issues. PCI has a 32-bit data path and will run at half the speed of the system memory bus. One of its enhancements was to provide connected computers with direct access to machine memory. That increased computer efficiency while reducing the CPU’s capacity for interference. Today’s computers mostly have PCI slots. PCI is considered a hybrid between ISA and VL-Bus that provides direct access to the connected devices’ system memory. This uses a bridge to connect to the front side bus and CPU and is able to provide higher performance while reducing the potential for CPU interference. PCI Express (PCI-X)The most recently added slot is PCI Express (PCIe). It was designed to replace the AGP and PCI bus. It has a 64-bit data path and 133 MHz base speed but incorporating full-duplex architecture was the main performance enhancement. That allowed the card to run in both directions at full speed simultaneously. PCI Express slots run at 1X, 4X, 8X, and 16X providing PCI with the highest transfer speed of any form of a slot. The multiplier specifies the maximum rate of transfer. PCI Express is compatible backward, allowing a 1X card to fit into a 16X slot. PCMCIA – Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (Also called PC bus)The Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association was established to give laptop computers a standard bus. But it is used in small computers, essentially. AGP – Accelerated Graphics PortThe Accelerated Graphics Bus (AGP) was designed to accommodate the computers’ increased graphics needs. It has a data path that is 32 bits long and runs at maximum bus speed. This doubled the PCI bandwidth and reduced the need to share the bus with other components. This means that AGP operates at 66 MHz on a regular motherboard, instead of the 33 MHz of the PCI bus. AGP has a base speed of 66 MHz which doubles PCI speed. You can also get slots that run at speeds 2X, 4X, and 8X. It also uses special signaling to allow twice as much data to be transmitted at the same clock speed over the port. SCSI – Small Computer Systems Interface.Small Computer System Interface is a standard parallel interface used for attaching peripheral devices to a computer by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and Unix systems. Most common types of computer busesMost of the listed buses are no longer used or are not frequently used today. Below is a list of the buses that are the most popular:-
Sahana Hi ! I am Sahana Pai having vast experience in Software industry.I love writing and can go on for hours together. Content writing has always been my passion and i love doing it. My Hobby includes travelling blogging and cooking.I have travelled across India and Europe.My family includes my husband and a little princess. What is the computer bus of a computer system?A system bus is a facet of computer architecture that transmits and shares data throughout the computer and between devices. It's the primary way for a computer to process information because it connects the main processor to all other internal hardware components of a computer.
What is the system bus what are its main components?The system bus is a pathway composed of cables and connectors used to carry data between a computer microprocessor and the main memory. The bus provides a communication path for the data and control signals moving between the major components of the computer system.
What are the type of computer buses?There are three types of bus lines: Data bus, Address bus, and Control bus. Communication over each bus line is performed in cooperation with another. The data bus is a signal line for exchanging the data between the CPU and the memory, and between the CPU and I/O, and handles the data stored in the specified location.
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