<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (January 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> In data transmission, parallel communication is a method of conveying multiple binary digits (bits) simultaneously . It contrasts with serial communication, which conveys only a single bit at a time; this distinction is one way of characterizing a communications link . </P> <P> The basic difference between a parallel and a serial communication channel is the number of electrical conductors used at the physical layer to convey bits . Parallel communication implies more than one such conductor . For example, an 8 - bit parallel channel will convey eight bits (or a byte) simultaneously, whereas a serial channel would convey those same bits sequentially, one at a time . If both channels operated at the same clock speed, the parallel channel would be eight times faster . A parallel channel may have additional conductors for other signals, such as a clock signal to pace the flow of data, a signal to control the direction of data flow, and handshaking signals . </P> <P> Parallel communication is and always has been widely used within integrated circuits, in peripheral buses, and in memory devices such as RAM . Computer system buses, on the other hand, have evolved over time: parallel communication was commonly used in earlier system buses, whereas serial communications are prevalent in modern computers . </P>

What is the difference between series and parallel transmission of bits