The Universal Synchronous and Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (USART) converts parallel data from a CPU into a serial bit stream and vice versa. Unlike a basic UART, a USART can generate and receive a separate clock signal, allowing for faster, synchronized data transfers over protocols like SPI, alongside standard asynchronous serial ports.
Configure the USART for synchronous mode so we can clock the data directly into the display driver.
Do not mix it up with
- UART: A UART only supports asynchronous communication without a shared clock line, whereas a USART supports both synchronous and asynchronous modes.
Related terms
UART
A universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter is a hardware block that translates data between parallel and serial forms.
SPI
Serial Peripheral Interface, a synchronous serial communication protocol for short-distance data transfer.
Clock
A continuous square wave signal that synchronizes the timing of digital circuits.