Harnessing the Power of FPGAs: Exploring UART Serial Communications Implementations

A communication mechanism called UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is used to send data between electrical devices.  Data is sent sequentially, one at a time, via serial transmission.

Serial communication is more suited for communication between devices and long-distance transmission than parallel communication. It can flexibly adapt to the communication needs of different rates and devices.

UART is an asynchronous communication protocol that does not rely on a timing clock. The transmission and reception of data are synchronized by a combination of start bit, data bit, parity bit, and stop bit, making UART more flexible in communication between different rates and devices.

Typically, two devices-a transmitter and a receiver-are involved in UART communication. They are connected by two wires (TX line and RX line), TX line is used to send data, and RX line is used to receive data.

UART is widely used in communication between embedded systems, sensors and modules, and in the implementation of serial ports in computer systems. It is an easy-to-use and dependable communication technique that may be applied to a wide range of situations.


In addition to understanding the basic principles and applications of UART, it is also very important to understand its pin description, baud rate calculation, timing, and Verilog code.

For example, the calculation of the baud rate needs to consider the frequency of the system clock and determine the data transmission rate according to the requirements. In the Verilog code, it is necessary to implement the functions of receiving and sending data and ensure the accuracy of the timing.

Therefore, a deep understanding of UART communication can not only help solve communication problems in practical applications, but also provide guidance and support for system design and development.