A network adapter, to connect a computer with other devices
The first meaning of adapter mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) refers to the adjective used to describe that which adapts (that is, that adjusts or adapts something to something else). The term is usually used as a noun referring to the object that allows elements of different design or use to be molded or conditioned .
In computing
There are multiple types of adapters. In the field of computing , for example, the device that enables the conversion of data from one format to a different format is called an adapter. This can be a message that is sent from one object to another in a program, or a packet that must travel over a communications network.
Currently, there are practically no peripheral devices (that is, auxiliary devices that connect to the motherboard of a computer) that do not use an adapter to establish communication with the system bus . Two clear examples of this topic are video adapters and network adapters.
It is important not to confuse this concept with that of an expansion card , a device that usually includes some kind of adapter, since in many cases this component is found on the motherboard itself. Additionally, as mentioned above, some adapters are logical, meaning they are not physical but are executed to transform messages from other programs.
network adapter
A network adapter , also called a network card or network card , is used for a computer to connect to a network and thus be able to share certain resources.
While in the past users had to purchase a network adapter for a computer to acquire these capabilities, today they are integrated into the motherboard itself. However, they continue to exist to meet very specific needs.
video adapter
A video adapter or display adapter (also known as a video card or graphics card ), meanwhile, has the function of developing the processing of the data that comes from the CPU to convert it into information that a monitor can understand and represent.
This component is essential in most current computers, although it is not always sold independently of the CPU, and it is found in all video game consoles. However, since its creation it has advanced a lot, to the point of performing many operations that are not directly related to graphics but rather serve to support the main processor.
Video adapter focuses on graphics data processing
Port expansion
Adapters can be connected to many video game consoles to increase the connection capacity of joysticks . In this way, instead of connecting a single joystick to the corresponding port, an adapter is plugged in that enables the connection of two or four joysticks so that multiple people can play simultaneously.
This meaning of adapter is not the same as those defined above, since it is not a device that converts one signal into another, but rather takes advantage of the capabilities that a simple connector already has so that it accepts more than one peripheral . While it is not as simple as a double or triple plug , which powers more than one device from a single outlet, it is also not as complex as a video or network adapter.
alternating current
An externally powered device that is generally used with devices that lack an internal power source is called an AC adapter . There are universal adapters that are suitable for different products since it is possible to select the voltage , polarity and other parameters.