Why did serial connections (like USB) win out over parallel connections?
In the olden days, transistors / chips / electronics was expensive and wires & cables / connectors were cheap. These days, that equation is skewed the other way (and there's big pressure to make things smaller too). So, if you needed to send (say) 8-bit wide data down a cable you might use 8 …
The Short Answer
In the olden days, transistors / chips / electronics was expensive and wires & cables / connectors were cheap. These days, that equation is skewed the other way (and there's big pressure to make things smaller too). So, if you needed to send (say) 8-bit wide data down a cable you might use 8 wires (one per bit) plus a couple of control wires to signal the other end when there's data etc. etc… Now, it's cheaper to have a tiny microchip grab those 8 bits, encode them into a string of bits with some clever signalling codes, error correction etc. and squirt them up a single wire at perhaps 10x the speed (obviously to send 8 bits in serial in the same time as parallel you must run at least 8x faster – these days it's waaaay faster). I'm simplifying massively but of course this is ELI5.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Days, wires, bits
This explanation focuses on days, wires, bits and spans 142 words across 7 sentences. At 89% above the average Technology explanation (75 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “In the olden days, transistors / chips / electronics was expensive and wires & cables / connectors were cheap.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in Technology
Ranked #48 of 500 Technology questions by answer depth (top 10%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why serial connections (like usb) win out over parallel connections?
In the olden days, transistors / chips / electronics was expensive and wires & cables / connectors were cheap. These days, that equation is skewed the other way (and there's big pressure to make things smaller too). So, if you needed to send…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Technology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 142 words, ranked #48 of 500 Technology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are days, wires, bits.
What approach does this answer take to explain serial connections (like usb) win out over parallel connecti?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 142 words. It is categorized under Technology and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.