In computer architecture, a bus is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or between computers). A bus can be thought of as a communication pathway that allows data to travel between different components. There are different types of buses in a computer, including:
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System Bus: This bus connects the CPU and memory and is one of the defining characteristics of the system. It is often referred to as the system bus).
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Internal Bus: Also known as the internal data bus, memory bus, system bus, or front-side bus, this bus connects all the internal components of a computer, such as the CPU and memory, to the motherboard. Internal data buses are also referred to as local buses because they are intended to connect to local devices).
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Expansion Bus: This bus is used to allow peripherals to communicate with memory in the same fashion as the system bus. Adapters can be attached either on the motherboard or in the form of expansion cards, directly to the system bus. Several standardized electrical connectors form the expansion bus or local bus).
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Peripheral Bus: This bus is used to connect external devices such as keyboards, mice, and monitors to a computer. Peripheral buses are used to transfer data between the CPU and main memory and control the exchange of data between other components such as video cards or sound cards.
Buses may use multiple protocols for exchanging data among devices, including interruptions, polling methods, direct memory access (DMA), clock signals, and serial links. Buses play an essential role in modern computers by connecting all computer parts together with an efficient communication method. They enable subsystems such as I/O ports, RAM, and ROM to interact with one another by providing fast data transfer rates with fewer bottlenecks than traditional ways like hard-wired connections would provide.
