From HomoExcelsior

1. A communications channel used by two or more devices to exchange data. 2. The electrical paths in a computer system which connect the CPU to the other devices.

Buses are often characterized by a width specified in bits, and a speed in Megahertz (mhz), such as "The PC bus was 32-bit at 100mhz".

In contrast with computer networks, computer buses are usually over a short distance with higher bandwidth and lower latency. They are like an internal computer network within the machine. Peripheral buses are similar but extend outside the main computer.

See also: PCI, S100, SCSI, etc.

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