# USB-to-serial adapter

> device for converting protocols

**Wikidata**: [Q7865904](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7865904)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-to-serial_adapter)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/usb-to-serial-adapter

## Summary
A USB-to-serial adapter is a device for converting protocols that enables connection between modern USB ports and legacy serial communication interfaces. This hardware solution allows computers to communicate with older serial devices that use different communication standards.

## Key Facts
- Classified as a computing adapter, computer hardware, and host adapter
- Connects a computer acting as a host system to other devices through protocol conversion
- Uses a USB connector as its interface to connect to computers
- Belongs to the category "USB serial adapters" on Wikimedia Commons
- Has 7 Wikipedia sitelinks across multiple languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Danish, and Commons
- Associated with Google Product Taxonomy ID 7182 under "Electronics > Electronics Accessories > Adapters > USB Adapters"
- Related to the Retrode, which is a USB adapter for console controllers and cartridges

## FAQs
### Q: What does a USB-to-serial adapter do?
A: A USB-to-serial adapter converts protocols, allowing modern computers with USB ports to communicate with legacy serial devices that use different communication standards.

### Q: What types of devices can connect to a USB-to-serial adapter?
A: USB-to-serial adapters can connect various legacy serial devices such as industrial equipment, older printers, modems, and specialized gaming controllers like those supported by the Retrode adapter.

### Q: What interfaces does a USB-to-serial adapter use?
A: The adapter uses a USB connector as its primary interface to connect to computers, while converting to the serial communication protocol on the other end.

## Why It Matters
USB-to-serial adapters solve a critical compatibility problem in the evolution of computer interfaces. As technology advanced from serial ports to USB, many specialized industrial equipment, scientific instruments, and legacy peripherals continued using serial communication. The USB-to-serial adapter bridges this technological gap, extending the useful life of valuable equipment and preventing obsolescence. These adapters are essential in industrial automation, telecommunications, and scientific research where maintaining compatibility with older hardware is necessary. Their development represents a solution to the universal challenge of maintaining backward compatibility as technology progresses, demonstrating how hardware adapters can preserve functionality across generations of computing interfaces.

## Notable For
- Protocol conversion capability that enables communication between modern USB systems and legacy serial interfaces
- Classification as both a computing adapter and computer hardware, indicating its fundamental role in connectivity
- Association with the Retrode adapter, highlighting its application in gaming and console controller compatibility
- Support for multiple languages in Wikipedia documentation, indicating its widespread adoption and international relevance
- Presence in Google's product taxonomy under USB adapters, recognizing it as a standard connectivity solution

## Body
### Classification
USB-to-serial adapter is classified as:
- Computing adapter: An adapter specifically used in computing systems
- Computer hardware: A physical component of a computer system
- Host adapter: A device that connects a computer (acting as the host system) to other network and storage devices
- Parent to the Retrode class: A specialized USB adapter for console controllers and cartridges

### Technical Specifications
- Connector type: USB connector
- Freebase ID: /m/0nb1vsk
- Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): 2779664338
- Google Product Taxonomy ID: 7182 (Electronics > Electronics Accessories > Adapters > USB Adapters)

### Documentation and References
- Wikipedia title: USB-to-serial adapter
- Wikimedia Commons category: USB serial adapters
- Gentoo Wiki article: "USB_to_serial_adapter" (English language, article ID 259710)
- Available in Wikipedia languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Danish, and Commons
- Sitelink count: 7 (across all language versions)

### Related Entities
- UB500: A USB Bluetooth dongle from TP-link, showing the broader ecosystem of USB connectivity solutions
- Retrode: A specialized USB adapter for console controllers and cartridges, demonstrating the adapter's application in gaming and console compatibility

### Visual Documentation
An image of a USB-to-serial adapter is available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/FTDI_USB_SERIAL.jpg

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "USB-to-serial adapter",
  "description": "A device for converting protocols that allows connection between modern USB ports and legacy serial communication interfaces",
  "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/FTDI_USB_SERIAL.jpg",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-to-serial_adapter"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Computing adapter, Computer hardware, Host adapter"
}