Serial data transmission is a method of transferring information from one set of data transferring equipment to another. Serial data transmission involves the use of a serial interface, which allows a computer to export data as serial data. It is the most common method of transferring information between data transfer equipment systems, and there are a number of different interfaces that can be used.
Serial data transmission moves information by sending it between computers one bit at a time. This is an important distinction from other types of computer information transfer where the information can all be sent at once. Serial data transmission is often less costly than other methods of computer communication.
Serial data transfer usually requires the use of a cable and an interface. These two pieces of equipment must be compatible with the computer that is sending the information and the computer that is receiving it. There are many different models of interfaces for a variety of different purposes. Because some computers need to have a greater degree of control in a given system than others, different cable types are needed. Some cables are designed specifically so that the data from computers that control many different devices can be correctly and efficiently transferred to other computer systems.