What is I/O module?
The I/O (Input Output) module works as a mediator between I/O devices and the processor. It conveys the
information from I/O device (Sometimes called as peripheral or external device)
to processor and vice versa. An I/O module at one end is connected to the
system bus (information transmission cable) of processor and at the other end may be
connected with a number of I/O devices.
Can’t we connect directly the I/O devices to processor? Why
do we need to use I/O module ?
Necessity of I/O module:
There are several reasons which
lead to use I/O module for establishment connection between I/O devices and the
processor:
- I/O devices are most of case usually electrical/mechanical/electronic devices where processor is an electronic device. Also the data transfer rates of I/O are often slower than the processor and memory. So it is significant that the speed and electrical characteristics of I/O are different from CPU.
- There are a variety of peripherals that exist and may need to be connected to the same system bus. But it may be difficult to incorporate all the peripheral device logic into CPU. This reduces flexibility and creates hinderances in new developments.
- Peripheral often use different data formats and word lengths that used by the CPU.
Incorporation of I/O module helps to overcome these
problems.
I/O modules are a crucial component of computer systems that allow communication between the CPU and external peripherals. They come in different types and configurations, and can be connected to the computer using memory-mapped or isolated I/O. The use of interrupts and interrupt-driven I/O is also an essential concept in I/O modules. Understanding the various types and techniques of I/O modules is important for designing and implementing efficient and reliable computer systems.
