GPIO

A general-purpose input/output (GPIO) is an uncommitted digital signal pin on an integrated circuit or electronic circuit board which may be used as an input or output, or both, and is controllable by software. At the most basic level, GPIO refers to a set of pins on your computer’s mainboard or add-on card. These pins can send or receive electrical signals, but they aren’t designed for any specific purpose. This is why they’re called “general-purpose” IO.

The most common use for GPIO is to operate custom electronics. Whether you’re building your own robot arm or a DIY weather station, a GPIO interface lets you customize signals so that they operate your equipment correctly.