What are COM ports / Serial ports and what are they used for?

COM ports which stands for "Communication Ports", also known as serial ports or RS-232 port, are legacy ports that have been around since the early days of computing. They are asynchronous interfaces that can transmit one bit of data at a time when connected to a serial device. COM ports are used to connect peripheral devices, such as modems, mice, printers, and other serial devices, to a computer.

There are a few reasons why some PCs still have COM ports:

• Legacy Equipment Compatibility: Lots of industrial and scientific equipment are still in service and use serial ports to interface. These equipment may be too expensive or difficult to replace, so it makes sense to keep the COM ports on the PC for compatibility.
• Reliability and Cost-effectiveness: Serial ports are simple, reliable, well understood, and much cheaper to implement than other more modern port types. This makes them a good choice for applications where simplicity and reliability are more important than speed.
• Hobbyist projects : Hobbyists and tinkerers still use COM ports for projects such as programming microcontrollers or connecting to legacy computers.

Overall, COM ports are still a valuable tool for some users, even though they have been largely replaced by USB ports in modern PCs.

Here are some specific examples of how COM ports are still used today:

• Industrial automation: COM ports are commonly used to connect sensors, actuators, and other industrial control devices to computers.
• Medical equipment: COM ports are used to connect medical devices such as ECG machines and blood pressure monitors to computers.
• Point-of-sale systems: COM ports are used to connect cash registers and other point-of-sale devices to computers.
• Telecommunications: COM ports are used to connect modems and other telecommunications devices to computers.

We at Breakfree Computers are continuously expanding our range of refurbished PCs with native COM port support. Check out https://www.breakfreecomputers.co.uk/collections/pc-with-com-port to find one that fits your needs.

Additionally, our inventory features Mini PCs with the flexibility to incorporate an optional COM port. To explore this collection further, please visit https://www.breakfreecomputers.co.uk/collections/pc-with-add-on-com-port