What Is a Terminal?
A terminal is an element placed at the end of an electronic device that serves as a connection point for the input and output of power and signals. Pairs of inputs and outputs together are called a terminal pair or port. The component used to connect terminals together is called a connector.
What Is an Interface?
Interfaces are classified according to the object to be connected, and there are three main types:
- Hardware Interface
Components that connect electronic devices (terminals, connectors, etc.) - Software Interface
A mechanism for exchanging data between software (e.g., operating system) - User Interface
Input/output parts for human handling of devices such as PCs (e.g., keyboards)
Types of Terminals
Terminals mainly refer to AV terminals for audio and video input/output that have been used for PCs and game consoles. Today, HDMI and USB terminals are the most common.
1. RF Terminal
RF terminals were used for input/output of radio wave equipment, input/output of high-frequency measurement equipment as well as input/output of LCD TVs, etc. and antenna input of tuners, etc.
2. RCA Terminals
RCA terminals have three colors (red, white, and yellow). The red and white terminals provide stereo audio input and output, and the yellow terminal provides video input and output.
3. Component Terminals
Component terminals are high-performance terminals that input and output video signal from and to RCA using three terminals.
4. BNC Terminal
This terminal is used for professional AV equipment because it is easy to connect and disconnect and has high performance.
5. VGA Terminal
The VGA terminal is used for input/output when connecting a PC to a display, projector, or other device to project images.
6. DVI Terminal
The DVI terminal is used for digital video output.
7. HDMI Terminal
The HDMI terminal is a derivative of DVI and allows video and audio to be transmitted over a single cable.
8. USB Terminal
USB terminals were primarily used to connect PCs and peripherals, but now they can also supply power and provide the same quality of video and audio input/output as HDMI.