UART Communication Protocol A fundamental communication protocol used for asynchronous serial data transfer between devices. 30 April 2024 1 minute read By Kevin McAleer Share this article on Table of Contents What is UART?DescriptionKey Features of UARTApplication AreasConventionsPros and Cons Tags: UART Communication Protocol Microcontrollers Embedded Systems Electronics STEM Difficulty: beginner STEM Centre Articles Home Connectors DB Connectors Dupont Connectors Grove Connectors JST Connectors Molex Connectors Pogo Pins Screw Terminal Blocks Communication Protocols I2C Communication Protocol SPI Communication Protocol UART Communication Protocol Home Stem Uart communication protocol UART Communication Protocol A fundamental communication protocol used for asynchronous serial data transfer between devices. 30 April 2024 | 1 minute read | By Kevin McAleer | Share this article on What is UART? UART, or Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, is a hardware and protocol specification used in serial communication between devices. Unlike SPI or I2C, UART communication does not require a clock to synchronize the sending and receiving units, relying instead on start and stop bits to frame the data. Description UART setups typically involve two lines: TX (transmit) and RX (receive), facilitating full-duplex communication. Each UART frame of data contains a start bit, data bits, parity bit (optional), and stop bits. This setup allows UART to handle asynchronous data transmission reliably. Key Features of UART Asynchronous Communication: No clock signal is needed, as devices synchronize with each data packet. Full-Duplex Capability: Can transmit and receive data simultaneously. Error Checking: Optional parity bit helps in detecting errors in the transmission. Configurable Speed and Data Format: Bit rates and data frame sizes can be adjusted to meet specific communication needs. Application Areas Consumer Electronics: Commonly used in GPS receivers, and for communication between microcontrollers and computer systems. Industrial Automation: Facilitates data exchange between various controllers and sensors. Telecommunication: Supports data transmission for cellular modules and similar devices. Conventions UART is widely utilized in environments requiring simple, direct connections without the complexity of a clock line, especially useful in point-to-point communications. Pros and Cons Pros: Simple implementation without the need for a dedicated clock line. Flexible configuration of data format and speed to suit specific application needs. Widespread support across a range of microcontroller and processor platforms. Cons: Limited to two devices per communication line, hindering scalability. Requires careful configuration of baud rates between devices to ensure successful communication. Slower than protocols like SPI and lacks advanced features such as built-in collision detection or multi-master capability. Liked this article? You might like these too. What is MicroPython? MicroPython is a lean and efficient implementation of the Python 3 programming language that includes a small subset of the Python standard library and is optimised to run on microcontrollers and in constrained environments. How to install MicroPython Learn how to install MicroPython on your microcontroller Arduino Plug and Make Kit Review
UART Communication Protocol A fundamental communication protocol used for asynchronous serial data transfer between devices. 30 April 2024 1 minute read By Kevin McAleer Share this article on Table of Contents What is UART?DescriptionKey Features of UARTApplication AreasConventionsPros and Cons Tags: UART Communication Protocol Microcontrollers Embedded Systems Electronics STEM Difficulty: beginner
What is UART? UART, or Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, is a hardware and protocol specification used in serial communication between devices. Unlike SPI or I2C, UART communication does not require a clock to synchronize the sending and receiving units, relying instead on start and stop bits to frame the data. Description UART setups typically involve two lines: TX (transmit) and RX (receive), facilitating full-duplex communication. Each UART frame of data contains a start bit, data bits, parity bit (optional), and stop bits. This setup allows UART to handle asynchronous data transmission reliably. Key Features of UART Asynchronous Communication: No clock signal is needed, as devices synchronize with each data packet. Full-Duplex Capability: Can transmit and receive data simultaneously. Error Checking: Optional parity bit helps in detecting errors in the transmission. Configurable Speed and Data Format: Bit rates and data frame sizes can be adjusted to meet specific communication needs. Application Areas Consumer Electronics: Commonly used in GPS receivers, and for communication between microcontrollers and computer systems. Industrial Automation: Facilitates data exchange between various controllers and sensors. Telecommunication: Supports data transmission for cellular modules and similar devices. Conventions UART is widely utilized in environments requiring simple, direct connections without the complexity of a clock line, especially useful in point-to-point communications. Pros and Cons Pros: Simple implementation without the need for a dedicated clock line. Flexible configuration of data format and speed to suit specific application needs. Widespread support across a range of microcontroller and processor platforms. Cons: Limited to two devices per communication line, hindering scalability. Requires careful configuration of baud rates between devices to ensure successful communication. Slower than protocols like SPI and lacks advanced features such as built-in collision detection or multi-master capability.