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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Re: First Post! Annoying Debate at Work.
USB in this scenario would be synonymous with PCI, in regards to the type of technology that interfaces with the cpu. Yes. Perhaps they are being confused by the existence of things like USB/Serial and USB/Parallel "converters" (I have one of the former here, for when I need to plug my GPS receiver into my laptop), but in fact these are "adapters", just like the PCI/Serial and PCI/Parallel cards you might buy to fit in a PCI slot [although most PCs have this functionality on the motherboard, so extra cards are unnecessary].3) Just because a device has two physical mediums of connectivity, dosent make it a ?converter?. My coworkers argue that a USB Ethernet adapter is an ?Ethernet to USB Converter?. Another way of telling that they are adapters (even the USB/Serial one) rather than converters, is that that they need Windows Drivers, which are added by the standard plug-n-pray system when you first attach that device to the PC. A genuine converter (like 9-25 pin serial) doesn't need a driver. You are on the right track here - both the PCI and USB items are "adapters". Neither are "converters".If this is true, then the following could be said: a. A PCI Ethernet Adapter is a ?converter? because it ?converts? Ethernet to PCI. It's a few years since I designed a PC, but I think you'll find that motherboard adapters like are actually connected to the PCI bus, but internally across the PCB, rather than via a separable connector (and at early stages in their evolution using the exact same chip soldered to the motherboard as would have been on the plug-in card).c. Lastly ( I love this one ), An integrated Ethernet adapter on a motherboard is a ?converter? because it ?converts? ethernet to uhh ?? processor? Riiiiight? -- Roland Perry
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