Front-end processor

A Front end processor - sometimes referred to as a communications processor, is a device which interfaces a number of peripheral devices (terminals, disk units, printers, tape units) to the host computer. Data is transferred between the host computer and the Front end processor, using a high speed parallel interface. The front end processor communicates with peripheral devices using slow speed serial interfaces. The purpose of the front end processor is to off-load the work of managing the peripheral devices from the host computer, allowing it to concentrate on running applications software. The Front end processor provides the interface between the host computer and the data communications network, which comprises all the terminals or other host computers. --60.234.142.239 03:15, 11 September 2005 (UTC)Tina R. Smith