Bus

A bus is a key structure of a computer’s architecture which is used for linking different parts and also for data transfer between them. The bus is a mediator that provides a way of data transmission between the CPU, memory and other devices connected to the system. Buses can be classified into two main types: There are two types of the model; the parallel and the serial. In a parallel bus, data bits are transmitted along several wires at the same time and this increases the rate of data transfer. On the other hand, the serial bus sends data one bit per a time and, as a rule, needs fewer wires and is more compact and cheaper.

In the computer system, there are several types of buses which are divided according to the facilities that they offer. The main buses in the system interconnect the CPU with the memory, to establish the main data transfer path in the computer. Internal buses are the buses that are used for the communication within the motherboard for instance between the CPU and the RAM. Buses that are on the exterior of the computer help in the transfer of data between the computer and other external devices such as a USB or network interface. Expansion buses enable other cards including the graphic or sound cards to be plugged into the system increasing its functionality. Last but not the least, FSB connects the processor to the memory while the BSb connects the processor to the cache.

All these buses are fundamental in the working of a computer system and in facilitating the interaction between the various parts of the system with the aid of defined engineering models and standards. As for these buses the design and the implementation are very important for the speed of the computer system and its reliability and expandability.