Adapter (computing)
An adapter in regard to computing can be either a hardware component (device) or software that allows two or more incompatible devices to be linked together for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data.[1] Given an input, an adapter alters it in order to provide a compatible connection between the components of a system.[2]Adapters have been used in different devices such as mobiles, laptops, personal computers, and satellites for a wide range of purposes.[3][4] It is also used in industries such as telecommunications and computer industries for exchanging data and adopting them for receiver.
In modern personal computer, almost every peripheral device uses an adapter to communicate with system bus, for example:
- Display adapter used to transmit signal to monitor.
- Universal Serial Bus (USB) adapters for printers, keyboards and mice, among others.
- Network adapter required to attach to any network.
- Host bus adapter to connect hard disks or other storage.
A software component adapter is a type of software that is logically located between two software components and reconciles the differences between them.
In computer programming, the adapter design pattern (often referred to as the wrapper pattern or simply a wrapper) is a design pattern for adapting one interface of a class into another interface that a client expects.
Usage
Telecommunication
Like many industries, the telecommunication industry needs electrical devices such as adapters to transfer data across long distances. For example, analog telephone adapter (ATA) is used by telephone and cable companies. This device connects an analog telephone to a computer or network by connecting them to digital communication lines, which enables users to make a call via internet.[5][6]
Computing
One of the major applications of adapters is in the computer industry. Adapters can receive data, and by converting it, make it suitable for another part of the computer to receive. Some adapters are built into computers, while the others can be installed on a computer's motherboard.
Some adapters convert between analog and digital signals with A/D or D/A converters.[7] This allows adapters to interface with a broader range of devices. One common example of signal conversion is the sound card, which converts digital audio signals from a computer to analog signals for input to an amplifier.
Types
Host adapter
A host adapter, host controller or host bus adapter (HBA) is a circuit board or device which allows peripheral devices (usually internal) to interface with a computer.[8][3] Host bus adapters are used to connect hard drives, networks, and USB peripherals. They are commonly integrated into motherboards but can also take the form of an expansion card.[9]
Adapter card
An adapter card or expansion card is a circuit board which is plugged into the expansion bus in a computer to add function or resources, in much the same way as a host bus adapter .[3][1] Common adapter cards include video cards, network cards, sound cards, and other I/O cards.[10]
Video adapter
A video adapter (also known as graphics adapter, display adapter, graphics card, or video card) is a type of expansion card for computers which converts data and generates the electrical signal to display text and graphics on a display device.[11]
Monochrome display adapter
Monochrome display adapter or MDA is a first text only video adapter which is used in early PC system versions, which enables the device to display characters in 25 lines and 80 columns in two colors.[12]
Bus master adapter
Bus master adapters fit in EISA or MCA expansion slots in computers, and use bus mastering to quickly transfer data by bypassing the CPU and interfacing directly with other devices.[3][13]
General purpose interface adapter
A general purpose interface adapter or GPIA is usually used as an interface between a processing unit and a GPIB (IEEE 488) bus.[14]
Fax adapter
A fax adapter, also called a fax card or fax board, is an internal fax modem which allows a computer to transmit and receive fax data.[15]
Network adapter
Network adapters connect a device to a network and enable it to exchange data with other devices on the network. These devices may be computers, servers, or any other networking device.[16]
Network adapter usually refers to a piece of computer hardware typically in the form of an Ethernet card, wireless network card, USB network adapter, or wireless game adapter. Hardware network adapters which are either wired or wireless can be installed on a motherboard, connecting the computer to a network..[17]
The term can also refer to a virtual network adapter which exists only in software, either for the purposes of virtualization, or to interface with some other physical adapter[18]
Terminal adapter
Channel-to-channel adapter
A channel-to-channel adapter (CTCA) connects two input/output channels in IBM mainframes.[19]
Function
wireless adapter or wireless network adapter allows people to communicate with others by providing access to a wireless network. These adapters receive electronic signals from its binary electronic form and convert them into the electronic corresponding of data which is radio frequency signals for the purpose of transmitting it as radio frequency signals or data for computer processing.[20]
Resource adapters
Resource adapters are used to retrieve and route data.[citation needed] They provide access to databases, files, messaging systems, enterprise applications and other data sources and targets. Each adapter includes a set of adapter commands that can be used to customize its operation. Adapter commands specify different queues and queue managers, specific messages by message ID, specific sets of messages with the same message ID, message descriptors in the data, and more.
Resource adapters answer the question "Where should have the data come from?" and "Where should the data go?".
The resource adapters provided with many integration products enable data transformation and adapter-specific behavior recognition on different systems and data structures.
See also
References
- ^ a b Hargrave, Frank. "Hargrave's Communications Dictionary". Credo (1th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language". Credo (6th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b c d Kaplan, Steven M. (2003). Wiley Electrical and Electronics Engineering Dictionary. USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-40224-9.
- ^ "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language". Credo.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "What is analog telephone adapter (ATA)? - Definition from WhatIs.com". SearchUnifiedCommunications. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Collin (ed.). "Dictionary of Computing". Credo (6th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Reilly; Ralston; Hemmendinger (eds.). "Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters". Credo.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "What is a Host Adapter?". www.computerhope.com. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "Host Adapter". Technopedia. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ^ "CompTIA A+ Exam Prep: Adapter Cards & Functions". Pluralsight. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Burdett, Arnold; Bowen, Dan. "BCS Glossary of Computing and ICT". Credo (14th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "High Definition: A-Z Guide to Personal Technology". Credo (1st ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Collin (ed.). "Dictionary of Computing". Credo (6th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Collin (ed.). "Dictionary of Computing". Credo (6th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Collin (ed.). "Dictionary of Computing". Credo (6th ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Mitchell, Bradley. "Understanding Computer Network Adapters (Both Wired and Wireless)". Lifewire. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Mitchel, Bradley. "What Are Network Adapters and How Do They Work?". Lifewire. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Hargrave, Frank. "Hargrave's Communications Dictionary, Wiley". Credo (1st ed.).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ IBM Corporation (1968). IBM System/360 Model 65 Functional Characteristics (PDF). p. 10.
- ^ "High Definition: A-Z Guide to Personal Technology". Credo.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help)