Definition: asynchronous

Search dictionary for

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

asynchronous
     adj 1: (digital communication) pertaining to a transmission
            technique that does not require a common clock between
            the communicating devices; timing signals are derived
            from special characters in the data stream itself
            [ant: synchronous]
     2: not synchronous; not occurring or existing at the same time
        or having the same period or phase [ant: synchronous]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Asynchronous \A*syn"chro*nous\, a. [Gr. ? not + synchronous.]
   Not simultaneous; not concurrent in time; -- opposed to
   synchronous.

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (2003-OCT-10) 

asynchronous

   <architecture> Not synchronised by a shared signal such as
   clock or semaphore, proceeding independently.

   Opposite: synchronous.

   1.  A process in a multitasking system
   whose execution can proceed independently, "in the
   background".  Other processes may be started before the
   asynchronous process has finished.

   2.  A communications system in which data
   transmission may start at any time and is indicated by a
   start bit, e.g. EIA-232.  A data byte (or other element
   defined by the protocol) ends with a stop bit.  A
   continuous marking condition (identical to stop bits but not
   quantized in time), is then maintained until data resumes.

   (1995-12-08)