8.10 STANDARD I/O INTERFACES (BUSES) From the discussions so far, the reader must have understood that the input/output system for a com- puter are accommodated in many layers, like memory devices. We have already discussed about cache memory and a special high speed bus to communicate with it, designated as cache bus ( Figure 8.13 ). Main memory of the system is also interfaced with the processor with a dedicated memory bus so that delay in I/O operations, which is quite normal and happens frequently, does not retard the instruction that has to be carried out. The innermost layer of I/O devices is directly interfaced with the processor through its address, data and control bus (designated as I/O bus), and communicates in synchronous manner (synchronous parallel communication). Note that although with processor these devices communicate in synchronous fashion, with the external world they communicate in asynchronous manner. Example of I/O devices o...