communication protocols
The UART is not the only physical communication protocol for serial communication. There are more modern alternatives, for example;
- USB (Universal Serial Bus)
- SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)
- I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)
Look into physical layer protocols like RS-232, RS-422, RS-485.
What to look out for at the OSI physical layer protocol:
- Pin number
- Pin configuration (information associated with each pin)
- Transmission length
- Error Handling techniques (parity-checking, differentials_btwn_voltages, ...)
- Signal levels and associated power usage of the devices
- Transfer speeds
- Noise Immunity
- Configuration process and its complexity (auto-config support, chances of misconfiguration)
- Support of a limited number of connected devices (ep point-point vs multipoint vs broadcast-support)
- Ergonomic :Plug-and-play functionality and widespread support.