What is a com port?

[Cyberhawk]

Hello, I'm building my first gaming rig and I was just wondering what the com port is actually for?
Ty in advance.

 

[bartholomew]

COM ports are traditionally hardware Serial ports. which were generally used for Keyboard & mouse.
"The Microsoft MS-DOS and Windows environments refer to serial ports as COM ports: COM1, COM2,..etc."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_port

 

[jsc]

No modern gaming system needs an RS232 serial (COM) port. Motherboards tend to still include them for legacy purposes but the port is usually an unoccupied 9 pin header on the motherboard.

If your motherboard does not have one, it is no big deal. Like I said above, you will not need it for gaming.

 

[dish_moose]

I use com ports if I'm using embedded micro-controllers for various purposes - serial is still a very easy communications interface to use - just don't try and get large data in/out in a fast way.
As stated above - not likely to miss them.
-Bruce

 

[pacioli]

It is a communications port...

 

[Cyberhawk]

Best answer selected by Cyberhawk.

 

[Cyberhawk]

Thanks everyone, I thought it wasn't very needed.
P.S. pacioli.... Really?...

 

[wingclip]

Can I plug a 9-pin usb 2.0 connector to that Com port to use as an additional USB 2.0 supply header?
I can see that pins 1-8 of the 9-pin USB connector will slip into place so it's not a matter of 'fit' but more of "function".
TRhanks