Every Hardware Protocol Explained Simply in 10 Minutes!

Summary

The video explains six common hardware communication protocols, comparing their wiring, speed, strengths, and typical uses.

UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter)

UART is a simple, asynchronous, point-to-point connection that uses separate transmit and receive wires. Devices agree on a baud rate, such as 9,600 or 115,200 bits per second, rather than sharing a clock.

It is easy to set up and widely used for debugging and embedded devices, but its speed is limited and it lacks built-in error correction.

SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)

SPI is a synchronous, clocked protocol that uses data lines in both directions plus a chip-select line. It can transfer data quickly and is commonly used with displays, SD cards, and flash memory.

Its main drawback is that each connected device generally needs its own chip-select wire.

I²C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)

I²C uses a shared data line and clock line, with devices selected by their addresses. This makes it useful for connecting many low-speed components, such as sensors and displays, without adding many wires.

It trades speed for simpler wiring and shared-bus communication.

CAN (Controller Area Network)

Developed for communication between vehicle systems, CAN uses two shared wires and an arbitration mechanism to manage simultaneous transmissions according to message priority.

Its reliability has also made it useful in industrial equipment, machinery, and other settings where communication failures are costly. CAN is more complex to configure and is not primarily chosen for speed.

RS-232

RS-232 is an older point-to-point serial standard, defined in 1960. It uses larger positive and negative voltage levels than typical UART connections, helping it resist interference over longer cables.

Although largely replaced in consumer computers, it remains common with industrial and legacy equipment.

One-Wire

One-Wire is a minimal protocol that carries data—and, for supported devices, power—over a single signal wire. Devices have unique factory-programmed 64-bit identifiers, allowing multiple devices to share a line.

It is very slow, but useful for simple sensors such as the DS18B20 temperature sensor, security keys, and monitoring systems.

Choosing a Protocol

The video frames protocol choice as a tradeoff:

• UART for simplicity
• SPI for speed
• I²C for connecting many small devices with fewer wires
• CAN for reliability
• RS-232 for legacy and industrial connections
• One-Wire for minimal wiring

Content Notes

• Format: General explainer, not a product review or step-by-step tutorial
• Main speaker/source: A narrator presenting the explainer on the Mr. Byte channel