UART

UART stands for Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter. UART is a type of serial communication interface designed to transmit and receive data via a data bus. It allows two devices, such as computers, to carry out data transmission over a wired connection. UARTs convert incoming and outgoing data bytes into a serial bit stream. Asynchronous is a type of serial communication where the interfaces at each end are not synchronised by a common clock signal.

These particular UART devices are stand-alone integrated circuits (ICs). However, you can also find UARTs within microcontrollers (MCUs), as they only require two wires for communication.

UART ICs (integrated circuits) are semiconductor devices which can be integrated into your electronics designs to enable UART communication. UART is a popular method of communication in electronics projects. It enables computer hardware to communicate with other modems and serial devices.

When choosing a UART IC, ensure that it meets the requirements of the modem transmission rate.

What does a UART consist of?

One side of the UART feature around 8 data lines and the control pins. The other side of the UART has two serial wires, the Transmission (TX) and the Receiving (RX).

Where is UART used?

• Microcontroller based devices
• GPS receivers
• Bluetooth devices
• Modems
• Wireless communications

Communication Standards

UARTs may feature a communication standard which defines the signals between devices. These standards include RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485.

What is baud rate?

UART baud rate is the speed at which the data is transferred which is given in bits per second (bit/s or bps). The devices that you are communicating between should both have the same baud rate.