Many terminals use to emulate specific types of computer terminals, but today, most terminals are more generic in their interface. For the purposes of this tutorial, just the word terminal will be used. They are known as emulators, applications, programs, terms, TTYs, and so on. Today, terminal programs are 'emulating' the experience that was working on one of these terminals. Connector Basics particularly the USB section.If you need a refresher, feel free to pop on over to these links. You should be familiar with these topics before diving into this tutorial. In this tutorial we will discuss what a terminal is, which terminal programs are best suited for certain situations and operating systems, and how to configure and use each program. There are lots of different terminal programs out there, and they all have their pros and cons. Once you have learned the ins and outs of a terminal application, it can be a very powerful tool in your electronics and programming arsenal. They allow you to see data sent to and from your microcontroller, and that data can be used for a number of reasons including troubleshooting/debugging, communication testing, calibrating sensors, configuring modules, and data monitoring. In short, serial terminal programs make working with microcontrollers that much simpler.

This tutorial is here to help you understand what these terms mean and how they form the larger picture that is serial communication over a terminal. For someone who isn't familiar with these terms and the context in which they are used, they can be confusing at times. These are all words that get thrown around a lot when working with electronics, especially microcontrollers.

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