Bus (computing)

Data transfer channel connecting parts of a computer

In computer architecture, a bus (historically also called a data highway¹ or databus) is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or, more rarely, between computers.² It encompasses both hardware (e.g., wires, optical fiber, bus slots) and software, including communication protocols.³ At its core, a bus is a shared physical pathway, typically composed of wires or traces on a circuit board, that allows multiple devices to communicate. Unlike networks, which route addressed packets across switches, buses use arbitration protocols to manage which device can transmit data over the shared pathway.

This article is about buses in computer hardware. For buses in software, see .