Data in motion
In a serial connection, data is transmitted in sequence. Commands, readings and responses allow an application and a device to exchange information.
HomeWHY COM3?Connection is
Connection is
in our name.
COM3 takes inspiration from serial communication ports. A technical reference that expresses a simple idea: enabling devices, software and people to understand one another.
One identifier. A connection between systems.
SOFTWAREAn application
HARDWAREA device
01 / THE MEANINGA technical name.
A technical name.
A very human idea.
In Windows, names such as COM1, COM2 and COM3 identify serial communication ports. They tell an application which interface it can use to exchange data with a device.
Our name refers to this world: the link between software and hardware, between an instruction and a response, between systems that need to work together.
COMCommunication
The prefix used in serial port names.
3Port identifier
The number that distinguishes that interface within the system.
The 3 does not necessarily mean the third physical connector on a computer. It is part of the logical name assigned to the port.
02 / THE IDEA THAT INSPIRES USFrom serial ports to
01 02 03
From serial ports to
connected operations.
The interface can change
RS-232 is a classic serial communication interface. A USB adapter can also expose an interface as a COM port. The name alone does not specify the electrical connection.
The purpose remains
The same idea inspires our work in automation, software, industrial networks and IoT: connecting field data with the systems and people who manage the operation.
03 / EXPLORE THE CONNECTIONOne message.
One message.
Many small signals.
Write a message and see how its characters are represented as bytes. Each group of eight bits forms a byte; UTF-8 may use more than one byte to represent a character.
A way to visualise the information that can flow between software and devices.
01000011010011110100110100110011A local, illustrative demonstration. It does not access a real port or send data outside this page.
FOR CURIOUS MINDS
About the name COM3
Is COM3 a corporate acronym?
Its inspiration comes from the technical naming convention for COM ports. The 3 is part of the port identifier; it does not stand for three words in a corporate acronym.
Does COM3 mean RS-232?
COM3 is a logical port name. RS-232 is an electrical interface standard. A serial interface exposed over USB may also receive a COM name.
Why use a serial port reference for modern technology?
Because the underlying idea remains relevant: enabling equipment and software to exchange information. We apply that principle to industrial systems, digital platforms and modern networks.
Technical reference: Microsoft Learn · COM port naming
COM3
The connection is just the beginning.
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