In computer architecture, a bus is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or between computers). It is essentially a group of electrical pathways that allow data to travel between different components. There are several types of buses in a computer system, including:
-
System Bus: This is the bus that connects the CPU and memory, and is often referred to as the front-side bus or the memory bus).
-
Expansion Bus: This is a standardized electrical connector that allows peripherals to communicate with memory in the same fashion as the system bus. Expansion buses can be attached either on the motherboard or in the form of expansion cards).
-
Internal Bus: Also known as the internal data bus, memory bus, system bus, or local bus, this bus connects all the internal components of a computer, such as the CPU and memory, to the motherboard. It is typically rather quick and is independent of the rest of the computer operations).
-
External Bus: This bus is used to connect external devices such as keyboards, mice, and monitors to a computer.
Buses may use multiple protocols for exchanging data among devices, including interruptions, polling methods, direct memory access (DMA), clock signals, and serial links. The importance of buses on computers lies in their ability to allow different components to be connected together, which allows for the efficient transfer of data between components.