Computer Interfacing

1 Introduction

The power of the microcomputer is evident to us all.

Those who use computers a great deal, whether at work

or at home, have accepted readily the interaction that

takes place between human and machine. This interac-

tion is performed through the medium of an interface,

which is the term for any piece of hardware that makes

possible the communication (in either direction) be-

tween the computer itself and its peripherals and, of

course, a human operator. The word peripheral is also a

general one used to describe anything that is connected

to the computer but lies outside its periphery and so,

although being essential for certain