Adapter (computing)

Adapter (computing)

In computing, adapter is a hardware device or software component that converts transmitted data from one presentation form to another. The data presentation can be, for example, a message sent between objects in an application or a packet sent through a network.

In modern personal computer, almost every peripheral device uses an adapter to communicate with system bus, for example:

• Display adapter used to transmit signal to monitor.
• Universal Serial Bus (USB) adapters for printers, keyboards and mice, among others.
• Network adapter required to attach to any network.
• Host bus adapter to connect hard disks or other storage.

A concept of adapter should not be confused with an expansion card. Although every expansion card typically implements some kind of adapter, many other adapters in a modern PC are built into the motherboard itself.

A software component adapter is a type of software that is logically located between two software components and reconciles the differences between them.

In computer programming, the adapter design pattern (often referred to as the wrapper pattern or simply a wrapper) is a design pattern for adapting one interface of a class into another interface that a client expects.